Chapter 3

Avery Elise’s P. O. V.

“IS IT A crime for me to be nervous?” I asked Lory while calming myself.

I can feel my hand getting cold and sweaty because of the nervousness that I’m feeling inside me. My body is even shaking a little.

“It’s normal, Luna. This will be your first night as husband and wife,” Lory answered before she brushed my hair.

I’m done taking a night bath and had already dressed myself in a dark short night lingerie. Above my lingerie is a black silky night robe. The lingerie’s length only reached half of my legs, while the night robe reached under my knees.

I’m like a precious gift covered and ready to be presented to the celebrant now.

“It’s time, My Queen,” Lory said before she waited for me to stand up.

The nervousness that I was feeling intensified when I heard what she said. And all of a sudden, I heard my father’s voice in my head, reminding me to obey my husband and never make a mistake to anger him or it’ll be the end of our family.

Despite my shaking body, I force myself to stand up and follow Lory. When we went out of the third floor, there no was no one else outside.

“Where’s everyone?” I asked Lory.

Before I changed into my nighties, I still saw the maids cleaning in this part, but now, no one else is there.

“The whole floor is reserved for you and your husband,” Lory said before we stopped in front of a door. “Goodluck, My Queen…”

Lory opened the door for me and coldness immediately hugged my body. I gulped first before I took a step to enter the room.

The moment Lory closed the door behind me, darkness engulfed the whole room. Only the light coming from the moon is what guides me to walk in the middle of the room.

The curtains are blowing because of the wind coming from the open balcony. I looked around to see if Duke was already here, but I can’t see clearly.

“D-Duke?” I tried to call, but no one answered me. “A-Are you here?”

I was about to walk towards the door to ask Lory if Duke’s home was already when I felt someone move from behind me. My feet froze and I couldn’t move when I saw a huge shadow of a Lycan walking from behind me.

I wasn’t used to seeing a Lycan this close to me so I immediately felt scared. Lycans are way bigger than werewolves!

“Are you scared?” I was startled when I heard a familiar voice in my mind.

H-How? How can he mindlink me, when no one else can?

My father used to hate me because, among every Rouge, only it’s me that he can’t mindlink with.

My body was shaking hard when I suddenly felt a hand on my waist, and for some reason, his touches… calmed me.

I took a deep breath when I felt his body almost touching mine. I looked at his hand on my waist and was, again, surprised when I saw dark fur in him.

‘Impossible!’ I told myself. Everyone knows about the meaning of black fur and only rare Lycans or wolves can possess it.

“Y-You’re a primordial?” I asked in a whisper. “B-But how?”

When Duke hugged me, I felt when he slowly pulled me closer to him from behind.

“I didn’t know that my wife’s curious about everything,” he said in a mindlink.

I felt shy because of what he said so I immediately lowered my head as if it’ll save me from the embarrassment that I was feeling.

Duke’s hands guided me to slowly face him. His touches were so gentle that the moment I faced him, the nervousness and fear that I was feeling had vanished already.

I looked into his face and there, I saw him clearly. I needed to look up to him because of how tall he is.

“You’re so tall and big,” I exclaimed in amusement.

He looked down at me and I saw amusement dancing in his eyes as he looked at me.

Before I could even realize it, I was already smiling at Duke as I reached out to his face. His fur was so soft and relaxing. I giggled when I imagined having my husband as a replacement for my pillow, but I immediately stopped that though when I saw his face hardening while looking at me.

‘Did I do something wrong?’ I was panicking and was about to cry when Duke slowly turned into his human form while still holding me at my waist. ‘Did I anger him?’

I looked down while playing with my fingers in front of him. I don’t know what I should do right now and my nervousness and fear come back.

What have I done? My husband looks mad.

How will I tame him?

He slowly lowered his head to match mine before he whispered something to me as he looked straight into my eyes.

“Say, Avery…” Duke’s hand released my waist and he started caressing my face, gently and slowly. “What do you know about mating?”

“M-Mating?” I asked while ransacking my brain about every little information that I know. “I-Isn’t that about the consummation of marriage?”

Duke didn’t say anything and he just stared at me with his serious eyes. His hand was still caressing my cheek down to my neck and I felt a bit relaxed because of what he was doing.

The comfort that his touches are causing me made me close my eyes while feeling his warmth. I feel so safe being under my husband, who’s still a complete stranger to me.

“Do you even know what kind of obligations you have to me as my Luna?” His voice was cold and deep, but I didn’t feel indifferent to him.

I slowly opened my eyes, but the force that his gaze was giving me was too much for me to take so I ended up avoiding to meet his eyes.

“Y-Yes?” I answered, unsure.

Duke furrowed his brow before the side of his lips slowly tugged. I felt like he was mocking me by the way he smirked so my cheeks immediately burned up before I looked down at his neck, but that was a wrong move for me.

I saw Duke take a gulp and his Adam's apple moving. I felt a burning sensation inside me after seeing what he did.

“Meet my eyes when I’m talking to you, Avery.” With the warning tone in his voice, I slowly lost the comforting feeling inside me.

It feels like reality slapped me when I looked at Duke and did what he said.

‘Never disobey him,’ my father’s voice suddenly rang in my ears.

“I-I’m sorry, I won’t do that again.” My lips trembled in nervousness that I might anger him.

Duke nodded at me before he slowly leaned his head towards me as he looked straight into my eyes. I held my breath when I could almost smell his minty breath.

“A-Are you drunk?” I asked when I also smelled the alcohol in him.

Duke didn’t answer me, he just looked down at my lips and for a moment I saw a strange emotion in his eyes.

Desire.

“D-Duke…” My words were left in the air as I held my breath when Duke crossed our distance and claimed my lips.

My eyes widened because of the shock that I went through, but when Duke gently moved his lips, as if to assure me that it was fine, I slowly relaxed myself before I closed my eyes.

‘If your husband wants you to please him, do it without asking a question,’ I remember what my father said earlier.

Duke’s lips were soft yet firm. He kissed so passionately and invitingly. He slowed down his pace as if telling me to kiss him back. I hesitated at first, but when his hand reached my waist and he carefully deepened our kiss, even without proper knowledge of kissing, I answered his sweet little kisses.

I raised my arm and reached for his shoulder. I was surprised to know that his muscles were harder than I thought. My hands slowly traveled to his chest while I’m trying my best to respond to his kisses.

Duke parted our lips for a second, but he tilted his head to his left side before he went back to kissing me again. I moved my hands to his back and started caressing his body while Duke was squeezing my waist.

I didn’t feel out of breath when he parted our lips and he looked straight into my eyes for some time before Duke slowly pushed my back, to where his bed is located…

My heart was thumping so loud and fast because of the nervousness that I was feeling until we finally reached his bed.

Duke’s right hand caressed my face and whispered to me, “Don’t hold back, you’ll be fine.”

I looked at his eyes with an uneven look, but I still clearly saw when his hand reached for the ribbon of my night robe. He carefully took it out and opened my night robe.

“D*mn..” I heard him c*ssing under his breath when he saw what I was wearing under my robe.

“W-What’s wrong?” I asked in worry while watching his reaction.

Duke bit his bottom lip when looked up at me before his eyes went serious.

“You look perfect,” he whispered and claimed my lips again.

I felt when my night robe fell on the floor before Duke soon removed my night dress.