King Harvey’s aunt and uncle leave at midnight, promising a soon return. I lay in bed beside him in silence, my mind running with all these plans to train. I must get a baton that extends, I must talk to Emily about Beta Tom before running into him tomorrow. I must buy a breast-pump or several of them. I must keep training. “You healed the King of the North, Elena.” King Harvey whispers as he runs his taloned hand down the side of my face. “I am so proud of you my heart could rip at the seams.” “Did I heal him all the way?” “Enough to save him, Elena. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tells everyone. This will work great for us.” I sit up. “It will?” “Yes, Elena. You are an ally. They will look upon you kindly.” “Oh! How good! This will help you too!” “I just want your safety, Elena.” King Harvey draws my hands to his lips and kisses them. “I am so happy for your growing abilities and confidence.” “Thank you. Can we rest now?” I feel foolish to ask, but my eyes are drifting shut.
After baking a small cake for Emily and Beta Tom to celebrate, I see that King Harvey is missing. Placing the iced cake to the side to rest, I dash off to our bedroom and see he is sitting at the edge of our bed, staring out the window seriously. “Honey?” I call King Harvey, who barely moves his head. “My parents are coming, Elena.” King Harvey’s jaw doesn’t even move. “I must say I hope it is positive news.” I shrug. “It must be, King Harvey. I have proved myself and have done nothing wrong.” “You never did anything wrong, my wife.” King Harvey stands and is at my side at once, pulling me into his warm chest. “Is there cake for us?” I can’t help laughing out loud at his innocent question. “Yes, yes. I made two cupcakes for us.” “Lovely.” King Harvey grins. “I can cover you in icing.” “Later, Harvey.” King Harvey’s mother states coolly. “I see that Beta Tom will be married shortly to your wife’s sister.” Faintly, in the distance we hear Beta Tom screaming for joy over their e
The weeks pass by faster than I can grasp them. Every day I train with King Harvey for five hours a day. He and I have found a sync that makes my heart sing. King Harvey can now read me with a glance because of our bonded power. My hands react to my thoughts when it comes to using my powers. It is as if my luna powers are a small pond of water, that I can draw water from as often as I need, if I don’t overdo it. I can even see the pond whenever I close my eyes and clear my mind. Taking a seat beside King Harvey on the floor, I share his gaze. King Harvey is staring at his armor as he sharpens my dagger, not even looking at the blade. “You are doing very well, Elena.” King Harvey says as he continues to sharpen the blade. “Recall what I said about your mind? Do you understand now?” “Yes, as long as I keep my mind open, everything works well!” I kiss his cheek and he moves to look at me, grinning happily. “You will be able to fashion an armor of your own with your powers, Elena. Th
Emily runs her hand through my hair and sighs. “I made a beautiful braid for you today, Elena. It is finally your Luna Queen Ceremony!”“I am terrified!” I manage between my chattering teeth. My clammy hands light at the idea of the ceremony, but my stomach hits the floor when I glance outside. Every single king, wife and beta are waiting outside the castle in golden seats for me.“You can do it! I have seen you cover your husband in a red orb three times!”“Only last night!” I shut my lips tight to not throw up. My stomach lurches back and forth like a ship lost at sea.Sighing into my shaking hands, I wish I could be anywhere else.Suddenly, warm arms hug me from behind and keep me steady. King Harvey rests his head on my shoulder and says nothing.In the body-length mirror in front of me, I ignore my ugly face and the rest of my flaws. Instead, I stare at King Harvey. His impeccable brown hair is combed to the side, as if we are headed to church, and the morning sun drips down his
“Where are you taking me, King Harvey?” I ask as he picks me up over his shoulder and runs off into the forest. “I believe we should rest in our cottage, Elena. Do you mind? Close your eyes, Elena. It will be a very fast blur.” “No, let’s go!” King Harvey picks up the pace and I feel him running faster. When he places me down on the ground, I open my eyes and feel stable. It has been a few hours since the luna ceremony, and King Harvey snuck me away from the after party. “You kidnapped me away from the party.” King Harvey chuckles lovingly. “You look exhausted, Elena. Please, let’s take a nap together.” “You haven’t been resting well, King Harvey.” I run my hand down his chest and he catches my hand to kiss it sweetly. “I have worried about you, my mate. I believed in you, but I could feel your fears.” “Oh, I am sorry!” King Harvey picks me up and carries me across the threshold of our cottage, then lays me down in bed. He lies in bed beside me and holds me to his chest. “I
King Harvey shows me his sketch pad and I find myself mystified by a simple golden crown he has drawn for me. It is a thin crown, with a beautiful howling wolf in the center with ruby eyes. King Harvey smiles broadly as I stare at it.“It is beautiful! King Harvey, did you get taught to draw?”“It helps with werewolf abilities, Elena. Every werewolf in power understands how to draw.”I nod. “It seems you will have to give me drawing lessons, King Harvey. I haven’t drawn seriously since before my mom…”King Harvey gently pushes his collection of colored pencils to me. “Pick a color, Elena,” he urges warmly.Picking a nice soft red that borders on the color of pink, I rim the eyes of the wolf. King Harvey openly stares at me, sweetly humming as I continue to color.“You did such a wonderful job, King Harvey. I don’t want to mess up your work.”“That is impossible, Elena.” King Harvey peers over my shoulder and studies his drawing. My nerves jump when his gaze is longer than usual. I hop
King Harvey and I return to the castle in a simple blur because King Harvey would like to check up on what is happening in the castle. He carries our duffle bags on his back and drops them at the foot of our bed. “I smell my parents’ scent, Elena.” King Harvey says softly as he begins to pick through our bag. He dumps our dirty clothing in the hamper, and I begin to put away his colored pencils and art pad in the side desk by our bed. “King Harvey, do you think this would be a nice visit?” “You have shown yourself as a Luna Queen, and you have had your official crowning. As such, there should be no issue, Elena.” King Harvey’s words are firm yet kind. I nod when he looks up at me and hope he is right. King Harvey suddenly stands at his full height and draws in an obvious deep breath. King Harvey straightens his back and forces a smile on his face. He is mentally preparing for a bit of a mess. Rushing to his side, I take a seat on the edge of the bed and hold his hand tight. “It
“You are free to marry Emily, Beta Tom, after you get your work squared away. I can do without you for about two weeks.” King Harvey says as he flips through a thick book of wedding cake recipes. “Thank you, King Harvey.” Beta Tom bows slightly as he flips through the same wedding book I did. Emily is sitting beside me on a red velvet sofa as we look for wedding dresses for her. Emily is a simple woman and wishes to marry as I did. In the church first, then a mating ceremony. The only difference is that only King Harvey and I will be at her mating ceremony to make sure it happens. It doesn’t have to be every royal werewolf and I am glad for that. “Remember Mom’s wedding dress? Those lace sleeves and helm? I want that.” Emily says as she keeps flipping through the book. “That will be very beautiful. And lingerie?” I purposely ask and look at Beta Tom, who turns as red as the couch we are sitting on. Good, that means he has some morals about him. King Harvey flashes me a fang-fill