Chapter 4: Home with the King

I say goodbye to my parents and pride. 

It's a heartfelt goodbye, but none of us get truly upset for leaving and bargaining me for the land. Dad had explained to me that if he refused what Xerxes wanted, he would have already killed us a long time ago. I was destined to leave at the age of eighteen so it was fine for me and besides, I like Xerxes’s scent. 

Every bird has got to leave the nest sometime and explore, but that doesn't mean they won't come back and visit. Plus, Xerxes promised that I could come back and see them in two weeks. He had to come back anyway.

The car boards the turnpike. I lean my head against the window and try to think about where we're going. Suddenly I feel Xerxes’ two arms wrap around my torso and pull me against his chest. I breathe out as a sensation of the intoxicating scent that brutally attacked my nose making me lose my mind. It's an alluring and irresistible scent.  

I rest my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. 

"How old are you?" Xerxes asks, he looks down at my face and I have to tilt my head up.

"Eighteen, why?" 

Asking him why was a stupid question. Of course he has to know things about me.

"You know that I'm old enough to be your great great great grandfather, correct?" 

I furrow my eyebrows. I'm not well educated in the other shifter’s kind. At least not about wolves. 

Xerxes is a Lycan. He's half human, half wolf beast. He was created and not born, which gave him the ability to remain the same age forever. He said he never belonged to any werewolf kind. I was confused but I didn’t ask anymore. For me, having a strong offspring is my priority. 

"You're not my great grandfather though, right?" I whispered. 

Xerxes rolls his eyes and shakes his head against my idiotic question. I was only kidding. As far as I know Xernes has no kids.

"I'm not your grandfather." Xerxes chuckles. “I’m not a Lion.”

He runs his fingers through my hair and gently down my neck. I close my eyes and let out a breath.

"Try and stay awake, sweetheart. We'll be getting home at nine and I want you to be able to sleep when we get there." He says softly, pulling his hands away from me that we're soothing me to sleep. A frown sets on my lips and I sit up completely.

"Don't do that." Xerxes utters, he presses a finger under my chin and tilts my head towards him. 

The simple action leaves my skin burning for his touch. No wonder my friends always told me that they felt this sensation that made them want to jump their bones.

He smiles and leans into my face, giving me a gentle kiss. I close my eyes as feelings I've never felt run through my body. His hands dig into my sides roughly and he acts as if he has to force himself to stop kissing me. If we're to be honest, I didn't mind kissing him. Well, at least the animal side of mine. And she approved him to be our king. 

Xerxes looks at the gold watch on his wrist and lets out a breath. 

"Do you want to stop and get some dinner? My house is only a mile from here,” he offers.

I nod my head. Of course I want some food. He had bought some burgers for lunch earlier but that was a few hours ago.

I feel as if I'm always hungry. At least, that I'm always in the mood for some good tasting food. That sounds pretty relevant. My mom always said that lionesses eat a lot, but I don't eat a lot, I just eat less during every meal and have more snacks throughout the day.

"Do you like Chinese?" Xerxes suggests a restaurant in the shopping centre. Chinese is probably my favorite type of food. Orange chicken is my all time favourite. Xerxes grins, "you're really easy to buy for. Is that a good thing?”

"Is that bad?" I ask out loud. I feel self conscious about myself now. I've never grown up asking my mom for expensive things or being spoiled rotten. Hell, I've never done most things a teenager my age has already done, like sex. My mom let me go out with boys because she believed I would do everything she said not to do if she told me to. Plus, she has a lot of trust in me. I mean, she raised me to be a good person to others and a reliable Queen in the future. 

"Of course not, but I'll buy you anything your little heart desires, Zehra." He smiles cupping my cheeks and pulling my face closer to his. He plants a kiss on my lips and pulls away before I have time to react. 

I smiled at the way he was holding me so close to him. 

"Like if you told me you wanted Belgium waffles for breakfast, we'd be on a plane heading to belgium." He smiles and I smile back.

"I’m supposed to spoil my King,” I said, laughing. “I should work hard and give you everything,” I added  furrowing my eyebrows. "It's a rule for a Lioness like me.”

"But I’m not a Lion so you won’t do anything. I’ll spoil you to your heart content, Zehra." He says softly. I feel his fingers run through my hair and tugs at the ends softly. When he tugs a little harder and pulls my head back, my lips part lightly. "But for right now, I just want to get home," he utters. I'm completely exhausted from today. I couldn't agree more.

When we get to his home, our bellies are full of fried rice and chicken. This only makes me feel more tired than before. I'm snuggled against Xerxes' side, and I'm nearly asleep.

He lifts me up like a groom would do to his new bride. I sigh and keep my head against his chest. He carries me into a room just down the hall from the front door and sets me on the bed.

A smell surrounds me as i sit in the room. It's his room. Along the walls are pictures, some dating back as far as when the camera was invented. I looked at the pictures for a while, until Xerxes voice pulled me back to him.

"Do you want something to sleep in?" Xerxes asks. He tugs his shirt over his head revealing his toned body. I have to avert my eyes. He's been working on it for centuries, so obviously it's going to be nice. I choke on my words.

"Yes or no?" He asks, holding out the shirt he had worn today in his hands. A smile is playing on his lips.

I contemplate. I'm wearing a hoodie and some skinny jeans. Would a shirt be better than choking to death on the hood of my top? Yes. 

"Yeah." I say softly. I'm wearing underwear, so it's not like I'll be naked. Plus, he's a lot bigger than me. 

Xerxes grins, and tosses his shirt my way. I sat frozen when he unbuttoned his jeans and kicked them off leaving him in his underwear.

"I don't think-" I start to tell him that this is a bad idea but Xerxes rolls his eyes. 

"It's fine." He assures me.

"Okay." I mutter softly. "Just don't look." I say.

Xerxes furrows his eyebrows. Of course he's confused. 

"Please." I beg. As happy as I am that I found my King and I'm with him, I'm still not comfortable with being naked in front of anyone. 

He lets out a breath but listens to my request and turns away from me. I'm quick to tug the hoodie from my head and change it with the shirt. The smell hits me like a brick. It's comforting. I shimmy out of my jeans and tug the shirt as far as it can go down. I've always had a problem with my bottom being a little too big. I hate it.

"Okay," I mumble, slipping underneath the blankets. 

Xerxes turns and frowns because of the fact I'm hiding myself from him. He shuts the light off and climbs into bed next to me. I face away from him and snuggle into the blankets. I was almost asleep when he wraps an arm around my lower stomach and pulls me against his chest. My shirt has risen up and I can feel his abdominal muscles on my back. I sigh.

"Goodnight, little kitten." Calvin mumbles. 

Little Kitten?