Chapter 57 – Baby Steps
Serena
Aero broke our kiss when we arrived in our favorite spot in the hot spring.
“Welcome back,” he greeted and gave me a wink.
I chuckled at this and turned to face the area where we made lots of cherished memories together—well, mostly hot ones.
“Don’t just stare. Go and dip. You need to rest. I’ll massage you.”
Hearing this, I tossed him a disbelieving look. “What? The great alpha king wants to massage me?”
He pulled down his pants and straightened before me with pride in his eyes. “Yes, but you should know I only do this to the woman I love.”
“Well then, massage away, my dear alpha king,” I answered before I bit my lower lip.
My heart fluttered when he touched me again, first to caress my shoulder and next to trace the mate mark on my neck and the crescent moon mark on my wri
EpilogueSerena“Ryland! Raziel! Rule! Be ready!” Aero roared as he paced in front of them, acting as game master in this friendly competition of brothers. He was dressed in nothing but trousers while the triplets, as usual, copied their father, acting as if their pre-pubescent muscles could contend to Aero’s bulging ones. The three were lined up within the yellow line, ready and waiting for the red flag to be released.I sat on the stone bench outside the mini arena of Alchidna just observing them. On my lap was Scarlett, trying to shake her baby maracas to the best of her ability. She just turned two five days ago while my triplets reached their teenage status a month before that.Scarlett was a heaven-sent to Aero and I. We were never sure what gender we would be blessed in my second pregnancy, but luckily, it was a female. A princess. Aero let me name her, and I used the Earth name of t
< Serena >Paintings.I always love them. Whenever there was an art show near Manhattan, I make it a point to go, check the artworks and possibly buy one. Or two. Or three of them.What I look for in a painting are the strokes the painter uses, the use of colors and how they blend in with the picture in general, and of course, the drawing.I’m a sucker for fantasy-inspired paintings. Fantastical landscapes, still pictures, mythical creatures, men and women wearing weird clothing, oh yes. I collect them all. They always reach out to a part of my soul that I had been guarding since I lost my parents. They always call out to a part of me that I’m not sure what.Maybe, my parents as painters could be a reason. They influenced my tastes after all. But deep inside me, I knew there was always something special about these type of paintings that I could
<Aero>On his deathbed, my father gave the crown to me, but he let me promise that I’d get a queen in the next three days.Three fucking days.Of course, considering he was dying and that I desired the throne all my life, I had to agree, but deep inside me, I knew I was lying.Fast forward ten years later, I still didn’t fulfill his wish and not a ounce of guilt crept inside my mind.I hated women. All of them in general. And that p
<Serena>I woke up surprisingly without a pounding headache despite remembering I lost consciousness in the middle of a balcony—the so-called King’s balcony no less. I should have hit the ground, gained a concussion or maybe broken my spine, but I felt as healthy as I was before all this hullabaloo started. Either the balcony had seriously soft ground or my fall was cut—I couldn’t really remember what happened after I lost consciousness, but either way, it was to my advantage.All memories of over the last few hours—or minutes? or days? I don’t really know—had returned to me like a flo
< Aero >The Kingdom of Phanteon is vast and grand. Naturally, I would place watch towers in every boundary to make sure our land was well-guarded. In addition, I ordered guards to make rounds every hour day and night. The realms have had nothing but peace ever since it was created, but it pays to be vigilant sometimes.My men were doing well with their duties, but being the King that I am, I also preferred to check the lands from time to time, be outside the castle and see if everything was in order.Evenings were my best times to shift into my lycan form. I’d run all over the kingdom, sometimes not stopping for hours until dawn hits the horizon. It was my way of keeping up with my form and stamina. I found running exhilarating and I found it a good way to de-stress from the dramas of my court.Like for example, in this very night where I just found out my crown was under threat.
< Aero >My muscles tensed when I straightened up, standing proud and mighty with all my glory and nakedness. I looked at her. She was still not facing me, acting as if the pool’s bleach-white tiles were interesting.I scoffed at her inattention.All two hundred and twenty pounds of my weight submerged under water when I entered the pool. I choose to sit on the lowest platform. My favorite spot. It had enough height for me to rest my head against the tiles and an enough depth to soak the lower half of my body.“Tell me, woman, what is my brother up to?” I asked, breaking the terse silence enveloping us.She cautiously glanced towards my way and when she noticed my decent-enough look, she fully turned her face to me and answered, “He is hiring me to straighten you up. Desensitize you from your fear of women.”“I don’t fear women. I hate them. Those two words ar
< Serena >Lesson number one duly noted. Don’t assume or miscalculate anything when it came to this realm’s creatures of the night.Right when the prince hightailed out of the room, I remained dumbstruck, thinking of how fast the events were happening. He made a deal. I accepted. And now I couldn’t leave this manor despite the looming arrival of the King.Truth be told I didn’t want to meet him again, but my desire to return to the ‘human realm’—as what they called it—outweighed my dislike of this guy. I only needed to talk to him in a civil manner, keep my presence constant until he learns to respect women.Or...until Elijah brings me back to my realm.Never mind the King respecting women. With that ogre-like attitude, I highly doubt he’d change. Ever.Blinking fast, I gathered back my composure and looked around. Out of all the things that
< Serena >The cheers of the people around me were deafening. I wanted to cover my ears but I knew I couldn't. Standing tall on a raised platform near the King's throne, I realized I had to comport myself well in front of them as I was now their queen.Me a queen...Their queen...A queen.The word rang in my head over and over again.How did it come to this again? I asked myself.With a muddled head, I recollected everything that went down when I woke up that specific morning two days ago...***"Sleep well?" the King asked, his sharp voice cutting through the beautiful chirping of the birds outside my window.My drowsy state vanished in an instant He was wearing a loose white shirt and partnered it with black trousers and black boots. His dark hair was messy in a sexy w