"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
"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
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
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
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
The next day, while I was out, Helen cornered me, asking about my night with the king. I flushed in embarrassment when I realized they could hear everything that had gone on, as there were no walls to keep the sounds in."So, did he finally go through with it?" she asked again when I struggled to answer at first, her gaze searching mine.I shook my head, feeling my cheeks grow warm. "No, it was all me. I had those dreams again, and he helped me with it. We didn't do anything else afterward. I don't know why he didn't. Though I could tell he felt something as well," I answered, feeling rather despondent at the last statement. Helen seemed conflicted at first, but her confusion soon cleared. "But he assisted, right?" she asked, and I nodded."Well, that's progress. It's good to know he's not completely repulsed by the idea anymore. It's only a matter of time before the moment arrives," she said, her gaze turning serious as she stared at me, gripping my shoulders firmly."Let's put him
Later that night, when we lay together, facing each other with our foreheads almost touching, I watched Kael's expression, noting the worry lines that still marred his otherwise handsome face. It was clear he was still worried about the whole thing."Hey, it'll be fine." I muttered, grabbing his face in my hands, a tiny smile playing on my lips.He tensed, his expression disbelieving.I let out a huff, feeling disgruntled. In an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, I smiled at him, a mischievous one at that."You know... I've never really felt it before." I revealed, ignoring how hot my face felt.Kael stiffened, an inscrutable expression on his face."I mean, I have seen it, seen yours, but that's about all the knowledge I have about the male anatomy." Leaning in, I added in a conspiratorial tone, "I'm pretty curious about it."Kael palmed his forehead, a low groan escaping his lips."I can't believe we're having this conversation." He murmured, seemingly to himself."So, what do you w
I stared at the pair of gleaming yellow eyes, my heart threatening to burst out of my ribcage. Though Kael was still in his male form, there was no trace of recognition in those eyes. Only pure, unbridled lust as he glared at me, baring his teeth.Against my better judgment, I took several steps back until my back pressed against the rough sides of the cave, the sound of my panicked breathing roaring in my ears. Every lesson, warning, and advice I had received from Helen and the old lady in the past few days vanished in an instant, leaving behind an almost compulsive urge to bolt out of the space.With every ounce of strength I could muster, I managed to stamp down that urge. Another savage growl tore from his lips, and he inched closer with a predatory pace, his eyes monitoring every movement I made.My breathing hitched as he came upon me, trapping me beneath him. With a deep rumble, he pressed his nose against my neck, breathing me in and dragging his canines along the sensitive sk
The next five days passed with bliss and happiness. So much so that I wished we didn't have to return to the castle. I loved the simple, rustic life here in the cottage and was rather nervous about how things would pan out in the castle, but Kael assured me that things would be alright, promising that we would occasionally come here to get away once in a while.Following the events of the mating night, the bond had been restored, and we could now hear each other's thoughts and emotions. I had loved it so much, though I did find it rather jarring when he listened to the soft musings in my heart. My erotic fascinations that I thought were private only to me. He said he would put up a shield later on when they returned to the castle and had to resume his duties, as he wouldn't want to be distracted, but I hoped he wouldn't so often.Like him, I loved listening to his thoughts as well. His were usually incredibly detailed, a sharp contrast to his simplistic outlook. We did get to know eac
"Gods, when you beg like that... " He trailed off, rising from the water and taking me along. I immediately wrapped my legs around his waist, while he led us to the bedroom. We tumbled to the bed together, drenching the sheets with our wet bodies and kael resumed kissing me, more ardently this time, filled with utter possessiveness and primal need. His hands roamed around my body, groping and squeezing while mine dug into his back, pressing his body closer to mine, as if we weren't close enough. "You're so beautiful... " He murmured, spreading my thighs apart and throwing my legs over his shoulders, practically folding me in half. "So are you." I gasped back, hazily kissing him, my spine arching as I felt his arousal nudge my weeping core. "Want you." I moaned into his mouth. "Want you too. You have no idea just how much I've been holding back.""I... I don't want you to hold back." I rushed out and he growled, the sound more animal than male. Fuck, I'm just as wanton as he thinks
"Wow... If someone had said I'd see this side of you, I would have laughed them off." I muttered, my fingers already reaching for the bindings on my dress.He cocked his head to the side, a crooked smile on his face. "What? Am I not allowed to take care of my woman?" he asked, and I felt my cheeks grow warm."My woman." I didn't know what to say to that, so I just focused on undressing until I was standing bare in the room, bathed in the warm candlelight, the air around us suddenly too warm.His intense gaze never left my body, and when I couldn't take it anymore, I headed straight to the tub and got in. I gasped as the water encased my legs, the surface rippling and scattering my reflection.Surprisingly, the water was warm, and I realized I liked it that way. I slowly submerged into the warm water, resting my body at the edge of the tub while Kael sat across from me, his body slightly tense.I bit my lip but refused to pull my gaze away from his, watching as the tension swelled and
I started to back away, but the animal, already irritated, began to growl and paw at me. I swallowed, my eyes darting quickly, trying to find an escape route but painfully drawing a blank."Kael... I'm in a situation here!" I called out as the animal trailed after me, its growls growing louder and meaner. Just then, the bear let out a menacing sound, getting ready to pounce, and I let out a scream, curling into myself.When another figure jumped from right behind me, catching the bear mid-lunge, I only raised my head when I heard a painful whimper coming from the bear and the sickening sounds of bones cracking. Before me, Kael was holding the bear meters from the ground, the latter slumped, blood dripping from its mouth."Woah..." I muttered without thinking, and Kael discarded the dead animal, a mild look of disgust flashing in his eyes. "That's so cool," I added when he locked eyes with me. Kael didn't look too pleased."That's the end of hide and seek, young lady," he announced, hi
We continued to run through the woods till Kael reached a clearing that opened up to a small cottage nestled in the heart of the forest. Gripping his fur tight, I let out a sound of wonder, my eyes taking in the quaint dwelling bathed in the resplendent moonlight.Only then did Kael slow down, urging me to slide off his back. I did so, and he reverted back to his male form, a soft smile on his face. "Do you like it?" he asked, his eyes searching mine, and I scoffed."Like it? I love it! It's so beautiful," I muttered, taking several steps forward while he followed behind, holding my hands. "I've always wanted us to come here. This is where we'll be spending the next seven days," he informed me, and I felt my cheeks grow warm.Squeezing my hands gently, he led me to the porch, picking up a small torch that had been carefully laid out and lighting it up with a nearby fire striker. The kindling on the torch burst into flames, and he opened the door, leading us into the living space.For
Kael stared at me in disbelief, his eyes slowly widening as he held my gaze, a brow slightly furrowing. I managed a small smile, feeling my heart pound in my chest, my fingertips tingling. "You... You really mean that?" he stuttered, his deep voice shaking ever so slightly.I giggled, nodding my head vigorously. "Yes, Kael. I want to be bonded with you. I think I've had more than enough time to think about it, and I'm sure now," I whispered, searching his eyes.He let out a huff, a chuckle hidden somewhere in it, before sitting up, a huge grin on his face. Suddenly, he slipped out of the bed and pulled me along, placing me into a bone-crushing hug as he twirled me around. Laughter bubbled from my lips."I thought I would have to wait forever for you to say that," he said as he lowered me to my feet, pressing his forehead against mine. I let out a sheepish smile at that.He held my cheeks, his gaze transforming to something tender, almost reverent. "You have no idea how happy I am to h
I woke up to the sun shining against my face, a warm feeling spreading over my chest. Tossing and turning for a bit, I finally cracked my eyes open when I saw that Kael was no longer in bed. I must have overslept while he went on with his duties. Sitting up, I brought my knees to my chest, unable to help the grin that broke out on my face, my cheeks heating up.The night before had been magical, and I still blushed every time I thought about it. Kael had gone into great detail about the mating ritual, and hearing about the process had been both awe-inspiring and panic-inducing. Even now, as I thought about it, I had goosebumps.He had informed me that the mating ritual usually lasted a week, as per werewolf/lycan customs, where we would not only get to know each other personally but also had to engage in sexual intimacies. However, it came with its own twist. I had wondered how I would have the energy to go through that for seven days straight when one night with him had tired me out,
I sat submerged in the bath water, head leaned back, thinking about everything and nothing. Cracking my heavy eyelids open, I watched the water that reached my chest swirl and ripple around me, while I tried to make sense of my thoughts. Today had been a long day. After I had returned with Aira, we had hosted a celebratory banquet with all of my loyal subjects that had lasted well into the night, officially introducing her as my mate and, as time went on, my queen.As expected, there had been outrage because of what species she was. A human. Despite the years that had passed, my kind still held a deep animosity concerning humans that was only exacerbated by Morris's actions in bringing them back into slavery once more. I had been quick to counter it, however."If it wasn't for her quick thinking... " I said as I stood up from my throne, addressing everyone present in the hall with a loud voice while she stood next to me. "The Traitor Mortis would have succeeded in his plans of killing
Thank you for bringing me here." I whispered, and he nodded. He moved forward, and I followed after him, mildly surprised he was taking the route that led to my mother's cottage.We finally arrived there, and for a moment, I stopped, staring at the small building that had been my home for so long. I could still recall the memories I had made here with my mother - the happy, sad, and downright ugly ones. Fresh tears filled my eyes, and my hands began to tremble.Kael tenderly held my hands, and I glanced at him, seeing the encouragement in his eyes. I shakily nodded, cleaning off the stray tears with the back of my hands as I led him to the back of the cottage where she was buried.A shabby tombstone stood at the edge, hastily crafted, and for a while, I watched the space, the whole world around me going quiet. "Mom..." I started to say, my voice wobbly with grief, moving forward."A lot has happened since you left. I thought my life ended when yours did. But instead, it was only about