Chapter Five

~ NOX

“Wait a minute?” She said, gaping at me breathlessly. “You’re the King?”

I nodded watching her closely. I understood the reason behind her skepticism. For the longest time, no one outside of my territory had seen my face unless he or she was an Alpha.

Rumors had sprung up and spread that I had become a deranged beast or a psychopathic killer with an insatiable thirst for blood. I was okay with it all as long as it served my agenda.

Zora, on the other hand, seemed to be going through an array of thoughts and emotions all at the same time. I could smell her fear, sense her confusion and taste her excitement. The ritual we had just performed had made me hyperaware and alert to the changes occurring within her and I knew she was experiencing the same thing concerning me too.

“And now we are mated.” She said more to herself than to me like she was reaffirming something that felt like a dream.

“Bonded.” I corrected.

“What?” She asked, blinking out of her daze.

“Bonded.” I repeated. “What we just did was meant to create a mate bond between us. For your kind, the mate bond is predestined and mild. For my kind, it is premeditated and intense. For us to be mated, we’d have to be intimate for that to happen.”

By now, the darkness surrounding us had given way to shadows of light, so I watched as she blushed and quickly looked away from me. This caused her eyes to land on my naked torso, then they widened, flew back to me and immediately elsewhere. Like goosebumps on my skin, I could sense her embarrassment, so I decided to get to my feet and find my clothes.

If it had been up to me, I would have stayed unmated for as long as I lived, but I was King, and that meant I had to fulfil certain obligations to my people. Obligations that had me going into the forest at sundown, traipsing the woods in my lycan form, guided by my canine instincts in search for a woman that would ‘complete’ me.

I had spent hours in the woods yet my wolf was drawn to no one. It made me climb up a tree and wait and it made me watch as the fairest of maidens ran past me, cowering and hiding from other lycans who were on the hunt for their mates too.

By the time dawn began to creep in, I had concluded within myself that there was never going to be anyone else who could complete me.

I simply waited for the first light to shine through before I went back to my duty and my people. I wasn’t afraid to spend the rest of my life alone. I had made my peace with that decision a long time ago. Just an hour left, and her scent had hit me like a brick.

She had smelt like a blend of caramel, pistachio and vanilla and my wolf had become very alert to her every movement. I would never forget the way she looked up at me and screamed in pure terror. For the first time, in a long while, I cared about the way another person perceived me and when she screamed and ran, it hadn’t sat well with my wolf.

I found my clothes and quickly changed. I could feel my wolf getting restless from not being in close proximity to her. "Get yourself together." I mumbled under my breath before sighing and walking back to her.

By the time, I found her, she was already on her feet, trying to get caked mud out of her hair and clothes. Her startingly blue eyes met mine and I hated the way they almost made my knees buckle especially when they roamed from my head to my toe in what I could sense as admiration and lust.

I wondered if she could also feel my discomfort and reluctance.

“So what happens now?” She asked. “…your Highness.” She added as an afterthought, looking unsure of herself.

“Now we go home.” I said, looking everywhere but at her.

I immediately turned on my heels and headed towards the path that led outside the woods. I couldn’t risk looking at those eyes of hers again. They were blue like the ocean and staring into them drowned out every thought in my head and right now, I prefer to think straight.

Halfway out of the woods and I already had to wait for her to catch up five times. When she slowed me down again for the sixth time, I huffed a breath, turned around towards her and before she could speak, I bent down and carried her over my shoulder.

“Hey!” She protested, pushing at my body, while trying to twist and turn in my tight grip. “Put me down!”

“No!” I said firmly.

“Is this how you treat women, your highness?” She huffed. “Carrying them over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes!”

“First of all, quit that ‘Highness’ crap.” I said, ignoring the fact that her butt was right next to my face, which was driving my wolf crazy. “My people call me ‘Nox’, you should too.”

“Okay. Nox." She said, laying emphasis on my name. "Can you please put me down?” She said in a tone lighter than usual.

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Because you’re too slow and I have better things to do.”

She went silent after that and I was grateful for it because in all honesty, I had nothing better to do.

************************************

As we emerged from the woods, a percentage of my people who had formed a large crowd and kept vigil with me, rejoiced, hailed and hooted. For the first time in a long while, I smiled, not because I had a mate now but because they looked genuinely happy.

A rare occurrence within my pack.

They bowed as I walked by, then continued to clap and cheer for me till I was out of sight.

I continued walking for a quarter of a mile until I reached my residence. My home was a Victorian style manor, surrounded by large fields, farms and a lake that went on for miles.

I could sense Zora trying to peek around so I gently put her down. I gripped her arm when she swayed a bit and she had her hand on my chest. For a moment, we stared at each other, feeling electricity coursing through our veins originating from where we touched.

I could feel the electrons moving all over my body starting from my head and traveling fast to my groin. Before it could go any farther, I stepped out of her reach, taking my hand with me.

She blinked and looked away.

My wolf practically growled at me but I ignored it.

"Is this where you live?" She stuttered.

"Yes. Please. Let me show you in." I said. Passing by her and careful not to touch her, I opened the door to my house.

There was something about the way her mouth dropped open and eyes rounded as she gawked at the interior of my house that made me want to puff out my chest in pride.

I realized how ridiculous it was but I couldn't help it. The damn mate bond was really messing with me but I was able to school my face into a neutral expression.

"No wonder you're King!" She said. "You live like one."

I didn't know how to answer that so I cleared my throat, getting her attention again.

"I really have to wash up and so do you. Let me show you to the bedroom."

Her eyes rounded at that.

"Relax." I said. "I'm not going to pounce on you."

A blush creeped up her cheeks and she looked away.

"Follow me". I said and turned towards the stairs. It was a bifurcated staircase that led to many wings in the manor. We walked in silence till we entered my bedroom. I heard her whisper in awe but resisted the urge to look at her again.

"So, this is my bedroom or rather our bedroom. I'll have my servants bring your things in. Where did you put them?"

"What?"

"Your things. Where are they?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Where I live?"

"You didn't bring anything?" I frowned. She must have thought she wouldn't be mated to anyone and would be back home at her pack afterward.

"Believe me when I say I have no idea how I ended up here." She said and she was being sincere but I was suddenly very tired, itchy and unable to compose a single train of thought, so I nodded and began to undress.

I had just pulled my black t-shirt over my head when I caught a glimpse of her in my standing mirror.

She looked so awkward standing around and looking at everything. It suddenly dawned on me that she wouldn't be able to sit because she's dirty.

"You can have your shower first." I said, drawing her eyes to me. "There are several clean towels on the rack. Just put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket when you're done. You can wear one of my shirts till we can get your things."

"Thank you." She smiled shyly before entering the bathroom.

My wolf urged me to follow her in but I forced myself to move in the opposite direction.

Soon, I was heading out of my room, grabbing my phone of the way out. I sent a quick text to my Beta, Roman while making my way to the kitchen.

"Where are you? Any luck?" I asked.

Almost immediately, I received his call and picked it.

"Hey man." He said, sounding low on the other end.

"What's up?" I asked, sensing his sadness. "You find anyone?"

"None. Just got back home." Roman replied. "I heard you found your girl. Congratulations, my man."

"I wish it was you who found yours. I have no business being mated."

"Of course you do, Nox." Roman replied. "This will give our people some hope."

"Fine." I sighed. "I'll try my best."

"Where is she?" Roman asked. "Don't tell me you left her alone?"

"I came to the kitchen to make us something to eat."

"Did you do that because you're a romantic or you did it to avoid her?"

"Can't it be both?!" I retorted.

Roman laughed on the other end. "Damn Nox. You have a long way to go."

Roman and I continued talking about other things until I finished preparing the sandwiches. We said our goodbyes and I sighed again. I carried the tray of food up the stairs and headed to my room.

Normally my servants would do all this but I had ordered them all to take the day off. When I got to the door, I balanced the tray on one hand and opened it to see Zora standing in my white shirt, drying her hair with a towel.

My eyes drank in her body from her long wet blonde hair to her slender neck and then to the valley of her bosoms showing underneath. Then my eyes caught the peak of her nipples sticking out of my shirt and it took all the restraint in me to rein in my wolf from coming out.

She seemed like she was about to say something but her tummy rumbled loudly, cutting her off.

Her eyes fell to the food on my arm, stared at it longingly and then went back to my face.

I came in and gave her the tray of food.

With a 'thank you', she collected the tray from me, immediately balanced on my bed and began to wolf it down.

She seemed like she'd been starved for days which is normal for a werewolf who just passed through a mate bond with a lycan.

"This is really good!" She said, in-between mouthfuls.

"You're welcome." I said, turning from her and removing my slacks.

Immediately, I felt the heat of her stare on my body and I cursed myself for forgetting she was there. When I turned, I saw her frozen in motion with a piece of sandwich about to enter her mouth and her eyes glued to my lower region.

In that moment, something feral passed in her eyes but in a blink it was gone.

"Sorry. Next time, I'll undress in the bathroom." I mumbled and went in for my shower. I made sure the water was icy cold. Seeing her look at me like that stirred some things in me that I wanted buried.

If I was going to spend the rest of my life with her, I had to get my shit together. I am King of lycans and werewolves. I make life or death decisions everyday so why does the idea of being mated with a girl make me nervous and shy?

Why am I fighting what could potentially be a happy relationship in the long run?

No. It's weakness!

A few hours in and Zora is already making me weak. I've done what my people wanted. I've gotten them a Queen. It doesn't mean I have to be vulnerable with her. It doesn't mean we have to get close. She'll stay on her own and I'll stay on mine.

Starting now.

I got out of the shower with renewed vigor and determination to ignore my mate and prevent the bond from having any other effect on me.

My bathroom led to a walk in closet which opened to my bedroom. Dressed in a clean pair of slacks, I opened the door ready to go to bed and ignore Zora.

What I saw next had all my resolve melting away in a flash.