I would spend the rest of the day lying next to the king, his hand wrapped possessively around my waist, his head resting on my shoulders. The warmth of his breath danced across my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I battled with my arousal and desires, trying to calm the flames that threatened to consume me. The king, on the other hand, seemed absolutely clueless about the turmoil brewing within me. Or at least, I thought he was.As the hours ticked by, he would occasionally rub his face against my neck in a self-soothing manner, dragging in lungfuls of my scent into his lungs. My heart rate refused to calm, and it was a struggle to resist the urge to turn around and run my fingers through his hair, holding him close. The tension between us was palpable, and I couldn't help but wonder if he could sense it too.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the king's breathing slowed, and he fell asleep. The steady rise and fall of his chest was the only sound in the chambers, a sooth
"Is everything alright? Why do your eyes look puffy?" Helen asked when she caught a glance of me in the morning, her brows scrunched up in concern. I stiffened, trying to plaster a smile on my face and failing terribly at it. Sniffing, I tried to cover up that attempt. "I'm fine.. And the puffy eyes, I had trouble falling asleep last night. I had a nightmare." I said, my voice slightly hoarse. Helen's eyes narrowed and she looked like she wanted to ask me more questions but just stopped herself just in time."Okay, if you say so." She muttered, shrugging her shoulders as she got ready. I paused, staring at her with a bit of longing. The truth is, I wanted to ask her about my dreams and what they meant but I was too scared of what she would think. Forcing myself to speak, I tried anyway. "Helen?" I called out, my voice barely above a whisper. She looked up at me almost instantly, her eyes locking onto mine and my heart skipped a beat. "Yes?" she replied, her tone neutral.I hesitate
I froze, the dread in my heart multiplying as Lady Nymeria whipped her head to face me, her eyes narrowing into slits. Why did he have to say that when she was still around!? How did he even see me?!!! I caught the expression on Lady Nymeria and immediate wished for the ground to open up and swallow me. "She still feeds him!?" She parroted, her voice shrill and filled with so much shock. Alfred paused, realising his mistake but knowing it was too late now. "Yes, she does, my Lady." He answered, his voice as calm as the ocean. Of course I do, why shouldn't I? I wanted to retort back but caught myself just in time. Delivering a quick bow and greeting, I started to make my way to the kitchen but like the speed of light, Lady Nymeria was behind me, yanking me back with a particular painful grip on my hands. She took a step closer, her nostrils flaring as she caught a whiff of something in the air. Then they glimmerred with barely restrained fury and for the first time in her presence,
Running after the Lycan king, I arrived just in time to see him lift Lady Nymeria off the ground while she was walking out of the castle, completely unaware of the danger lurking behind her. He slammed her against the wall with a force that made the stones tremble, a strangled gasp escaping her lips as he tightened his hold around her throat."Your majesty!..." She choked out, flailing her arms and legs wildly, her face turning pink with fear and horror. Her eyes bulged, and her mouth hung open in a silent scream.The king let out a low growl, moving even closer to her, his presence dominating the entire room and filling everyone with terror. Lady Nymeria began to cough, hitting the king's arms to try and dislodge his hold, but it was useless. Her struggles only seemed to enrage him further."Who gave you the order to touch Aira?" He snarled, his voice sending shivers down my spine. The sound was like thunder, shaking the very foundations of the castle.Lady Nymeria's struggles seized
I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be holding her like this, sniffing her like this, but it's getting to the point where I can't help myself. Ever since she laid with me after my episode, her scent and warmth had been the only thing that could calm me down, quiet the voices in my head, and keep the nightmares at bay. Especially the nightmares. The night I had spent without her next to me, I had been plagued by so many of them, I had woken up restless and filled with a sense of doom.Her scent was intoxicating - like spring rain, wildflowers, and rainbows. It was as refreshing as it was addicting. I rubbed my nose against her shoulders, pinning her beneath me, dragging more of her scent into my lungs. The voices in my head grew silent, and all the tension in my body melted away, leaving me in a state of calm.I barely felt her fingers grab onto my clothess, pulling me closer as moans spilled from her lips. Her body was warm, pliant, and inviting. I could feel her heart racing, her
I finally was able to leave his chambers by night time by his order, and for a moment, after I closed the door behind me, I sagged against it, blinking away the tears as I lowered my head in sorrow. My hands tightened around the small vial of ointment I had used on his wounds, my lips trembling as I struggled to contain my emotions. Cleaning away the stray tear with the back of my hand, I slowly made my way to the maids' quarters, my footfalls heavy. The words King Kael spoke should have brought me immense relief, reinforcing the fact that the king had no real use for me but just kept me around because of the deal we had made. Instead, it only filled me with bone-deep despair.For a while now, I had been entertaining the thought that I might be his mate, but even if that were true, what difference would it make? He couldn't feel the mate bond, the connection. Apart from that, the things he had gone through and done would make it almost impossible for me to reach him. I didn't know wh
"I'm not comfortable with that human slave around my king," Lady Nymeria spoke, her voice low and venomous, as she stared out the window of Lord Mortis's study. Her slender fingers were balled into fists, and her eyes flashing with rage. She had come to see Lord Mortis after being violently thrown out of the King's castle the day before, and even after hours of thinking about it, she was still reeling from the shock of the king's behavior. How could he treat her in such a manner after the decades she had spent serving him? She was struggling to wrap her head around it.Lord Mortis removed his gaze from the scroll he was studying, fixing Lady Nymeria with a weary gaze. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice neutral, but with a hint of curiosity.Lady Nymeria turned back to him, her eyes narrowed into slits, her jaw clenched in a tight line. "The human girl," she repeated, her voice dripping with disdain, as she slowly yet firmly made her way towards the Lord Mortis's table. "What's
I stepped out of the chambers moments later, after Lord Mortis had walked out. My thoughts were swirling, an unsettling feeling lodged itself in my heart, and cold sweat broke out on my skin. Alfred had informed me that Lord Mortis had been waiting for me all day, which was highly unusual since I wasn't that important to anyone in particular. But that wasn't what concerned me; it was the purpose of the meeting that addled me. Why had he asked all those questions, And why did he want to keep our meeting a secret from the king? Was I in trouble? I immediately shook my head against that thought, my dark hair rustling with the movement. I hadn't done anything wrong, and it wasn't as if I was lying either. The king hadn't been doing anything lately except for eating and sleeping. Until now.It was precisely the reason I was able to step out of his chambers in the first place. King Kael had asked me to run a bath, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine. A smile broke on my lips, my
Holy Hades, he did it again, another assertive lick across my core that had my spine arching and my body hyperventilating, broken moans escaping my lips. "Please... " I rushed out, struggling to get away from his tightened grip. "Please, stop. It doesn't, it doesn't feel right." I added as I felt his warm breath on my sensitive skin, his eyes peeking at me between my spread thighs. He ignored me, diving in again and probing my opening with his warm, sinew tongue. My entire body shuddered, pleasure like no other colliding into me, leaving me breathless. I mewled, sweat pouring out of my skin as his grip on my thighs tightened, his tongue carving a path in my warm, pulsing core. Then, he would pull away, teasing my opening and driving me to the edge of madness. I gripped the sheets on the cot, thrashing my head from side to side, trying to get away from him. "Kael... I don't think this is necessary!" I tried again, pulling away again, my breath coming out in ragged gasps. Kael paused
After what seems like forever, I'm back in this dream space once again. I've never been so happy to be here. Looking around, I find the beast lying on the ground, his body still injured and bleeding, and my heart aches at the sight."Hey..." I call out hesitantly, and it turns to look at me, a low growl escaping its lips. My heart squeezes tightly in my chest, like someone is reaching in and strangling it. I did this to him.When it makes no attempt to move, I inch towards it, lowering myself next to its side, my eyes fixed on the wound."I'm sorry... I'm sorry for hurting you. Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to," I whisper, my voice breaking as tears stream down my cheeks. It lets out a low moan of pain, but a paw reaches out, touching my hands. I stiffen, and it purrs slowly. I sniff, blinking eyes."You forgive me?" Again, another groan. But it doesn't sound angry."Thank you so much," I mutter, squeezing its paw. Its ears flicker, a sparkle of happiness in its eye. I glance at t
I returned to the cave, still reeling from Helen's revelation. My heart was heavy, my mind foggy despite my numerous attempts to clear it. Reaching the edge of the cave, I took a deep breath, shuddering slightly as Helen's words replayed themselves yet again. As much as I wanted Kael to heal, I wasn't sure I was ready to lay down my life for that purpose. Besides, wouldn't that devastate him further? We'd had such little time together, with threats popping up left and right. No wonder he kept refusing every time I brought it up."He most likely doesn't want to lose you that way," Helen had said, picking up a twig on the ground while she played with it. "If you still want to go ahead with it, however, you're going to do more than just convince him. You need to prepare yourself for the pain that would come."Taking a deep breath, I entered the cave, staring at the pathway that led to the corner where Kael stayed most of the time, recovering. I felt tears sting my eyes, and I hastily bli
"Is your beast truly dormant?" I asked Kael after a while, my voice soft and almost inaudible. We were alone in the cot, lying next to each other at his request, our bodies barely touching. He glanced at me, his expression turning blank, and I felt my heart pound with concern. The old lady's words had been echoing in my mind relentlessly since she left, weighing heavily on my chest."I haven't felt its presence since I woke up, so it must be," Kael groaned out after a while. "Even if it was active, my body feels too weak to contain its presence. The most it can do right now is force an aggressive shift that might kill us both."I felt my heart drop, a rush of hopelessness filling me. Taking a deep breath, I balled my hands into fists, trying to maintain a neutral expression as I sought out my next words."I'm not trying to place pressure on you or anything, because you more than anyone know what's happening right now and the gravity of the situation we're in. I just wanted to know if
"Are you really the witch that cursed Kael?" I asked, turning to the old lady once we were alone in the cave the next day, far away from earshot. She turned slightly to look at me, her brow furrowed in confusion, no words spilling from her mouth. The revelation had been messing with me all night, making it impossible to sleep. Did she really do that? And if she did, what for?"Why would you do that? Do you know how much trouble you've caused for us now!?" I rushed out, barely giving her a chance to answer as my chest heaved with anger."I didn't curse him," she said after a while, looking away from me. "What happened to him was the result of the spell I did for him. That he requested.""He requested it?" I asked, folding my arms. "You expect me to believe that?"She finished arranging the herbs she was keeping away and turned to me, her steely gaze fixed on me."This isn't the first time Kael has been betrayed by those he trusted and should have protected him. He's suffered that fate
"Weak, but fine." He answered truthfully, dropping the topic as well."You need to take your medicines, have something to eat, and have your wounds redressed. Then, I shall leave you alone to recover." She informed him, walking to his side.He nodded, and I stood to my feet, assisting her as she worked. I administered the potions, and when a meal had been prepared, fed it to the king until he could eat more on his own.Finally, after all had been said and done, one by one, they all left until it was just me and the king.He was lying back on the cot, but his gaze was fixed on me as I fretted around, unsure of what to do now."Come here..." He uttered in a low growl, beckoning me with his hand as he patted the tiny space next to him.I immediately obliged, joining him in the tiny bed. Turning to face him, I blushed as his gaze raked over me, his warm breath tickling my cheeks."How have you been?" He growled, his face barely inches away from mine.I swallowed, doing my best to be hones
"Kael... Is that really you? Are you truly awake?" I asked, unable to believe the words spilling out of my lips, desperately hoping this wasn't a hallucination my mind conjured to appease me.The figure before me let out a smile, a faint crinkle appearing around his eyes. "It's me, Aira," he muttered lowly, his voice sending shivers down my spine.I took a step closer, feeling my heart pound, threatening to burst out of its ribcage. "You're really awake!" I cried out, rushing towards him to grab his face, my hands trembling and tears filling my eyes. "Oh, you're truly awake! You're here!""Yes, I am," he growled, a serene expression on his face. Oh, that voice. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it until I had stopped hearing it.I threw my hands around his neck, pulling him into a hug as tears spilled out of my eyes, sobs of relief and happiness racking my body. My heart wouldn't stop racing, my palms sweating, my ears ringing. This is what I'd prayed for, cried for, begged for, an
It's been weeks since we've been hiding in this cave of a home, cut off from the rest of the world. During that period, Helen and I had grown undeniably closer, getting to know more about each other and having a budding friendship develop between us. Along with the lone soldier who had followed us while we were escaping, constantly guarding and gathering information on what's going on in the kingdom. Their presence helped to distract and reassure me as I cared for the king."Lord Mortis has assumed leadership of the kingdom," the soldier, whose name I had come to learn was Eiran, informed us after days of scouting the area. I turned to look at him, my heart skipping a beat."He has also gone to wage war on the humans for being the species that took the life of their king. Most of them have been captured and taken back as slaves." He informed us, and my heart dropped to my stomach, a tense atmosphere settling in the area."That means he's already announced that the king is dead," Helen
"How did you know about her?" I found myself asking, genuinely surprised. My mother let out a warm smile, the sunset reflecting in her eyes as she gazed at me. "Just because we're not there with you physically, that doesn't mean we're not watching you, love. We know who Aira is – your mate," she said, and I looked away, clenching my jaw."Don't you have at least some regret about leaving her behind like this?" she prodded again, her voice soft. A mix of emotions swarmed me and I had trouble pinpointing them. "To be honest..." I began quietly after a while of staring into the distance, gathering my thoughts. "I'm not quite sure. A part of me feels sad about it, but yet again, another part of me feels relieved."Taking a deep breath, I continued. "She won't have to worry about me anymore; she's free to live her life as she pleases. Besides, mate or not, things have already been ruined from the start." I confessed, clenching my jaw. "Why would you say that?" Arzhael asked, staring at