I swallow as events replay in my head. This man is my mate. A human, but still my mate. Then desire washes over me as I watch his sleeping form. I want to touch him. I want to smother him with kisses. I am about to reach out to him when I pause and suddenly pull back.
What the hell! Nowra warns me about this too. Heightened desire and being horny all the time. The need to touch my mate and the desire to make him happy. This is uncomfortable and yet very… what? Pleasing? I shake my head and look around the room.
The bed is in the middle with cabinets on its side. A door is on my left. Crossing swords decorate the wall, but other than that, the room is simple. The pieces of furniture are only necessities.
I look at myself. I am wearing a white nightgown and it’s kind of see-through. Did I sleep with my mate like this? That’s embarrassing!
“You have a nice body. You don’t have to worry about that,” a deep voice says.
I look beside me and find him, my mate. He is looking at my body too. He’s staring at me, but unlike that guy called Klevon, his gaze on my body sends a delicious shiver down my skin. And I want him to look more. No, I want him to do more, and maybe I flush. Damn! I am starting to dislike this mate bond!
“My family, where are they?” I ask. I get off the bed and pull a blanket to cover myself.
“You mean the other werewolves?”
I nod, my eyes traveling to his perfect form. The blanket crumples around his waist and he looks enticing, especially with his black-violet hair falling all over his shoulders. A sight of freedom and nonchalance.
He leans on the headboard and regards me. A smile forms on his lips and I look away.
“They are on the island to be treated. You don’t have to worry about them. That place will cease to become a park. I bought it, including all its inhabitants,” he says.
“Including me?” I ask. If he bought us, then does that mean I am his slave, rather than his mate?
He frowns. “I bought your freedom too.”
“So I am your slave now?”
“No!” He massages his head and looks at me. “Let’s talk outside. Not here where all I could think of is to pull you into my arms.”
I instantly redden. Can he feel it too? Can he really feel the mate bond, too? This desire to be close… Is it the same with him?
He stands up and wears clothes. Then, he throws a dress at me. “Wear that,” he says. “Thicker clothing means lesser temptation.”
He leaves the room and the instant he shuts the door, the smell of ocean wafts into the room. Ocean?
Nervous, I hurriedly wear my clothes and run after him, only to be welcomed by the rays of twilight in a hallway window.
Slowly, I climb the stairs going up the deck. I perfectly understand where I am–a huge ship, traveling to wherever. My mate waves at me at a nearby table on my right and then there’s Klevon and his blonde leader on my left.
I make my way towards my mate, while my eyes are still on the mage hunter who’s staring at me. Then his leader hits him in the head, which shifts his attention away from me. Thankfully though, I can’t handle him. His family is a werewolf nemesis.
I sit in the chair opposite my mate, and he offers his hand to me.
“My name is Eugene Theo Pitchford, but I want you to call me Theo.”
I reach for his outstretched hand and electricity courses through my body. I frown. I want to hit myself for feeling like this. I pull back and make a smile, which I’m sure may look like a wince.
“I’m Kaiya,” I answer.
Werewolves don’t have a family name, and I’m sure he knows that too. Besides, even if I have one, I won’t be able to tell him, as my memories are only that of fifteen years ago and ‘Kaiya’ is all I have.
Instead, I study Theo’s features. Dark, bushy eyebrows and an open, friendly face. Like Klevon and his leader, he’s got a nice body. Even if he’s not my mate, I will describe him as gorgeous.
He smiles and gazes at my face. “You’ve been staring at me since you woke up.”
I redden again. I hate these reactions! “Because I wake up beside an unfamiliar man. Any woman would get embarrassed by it,” I say.
He looks surprised. “You don’t know me?”
“Should I?” I ask.
“I am the King of Pitchford Kingdom,” he says, waiting for my reaction.
I purse my lips. My mate is a king?! How will that work? If he makes me his Queen, wouldn’t that create a divide between his subjects? Humans rarely like werewolves, right? And is that why those hunters look different from what we are familiar with? Is that why we are helplessly defeated?
“I’ve been in that park for fifteen years. I don’t think you are already King by then,” I answer as calmly as possible. But more than our position, there’s one more thing I need to ask. “Are you married? Since you’re a King and all?” I swallow, dreading his answer. If he’s married, what will happen to this mate bond? Should I ask him to reject it?
Instead of answering, he smiles and leans his chin on his hands again. “I’m single. Are you worried?”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“You look young to become a King.”
“I’m just a King for two years. My Kingdom is new, so you don’t have to feel restricted by all the noble rules that you know of.”
“You created your own Kingdom?!” I ask, amazed at the man in front of me.
“I have help. And of course, it’s not easy,” he answers.
I swallow. A mate as amazing as this man? Seriously, moon goddess? Can’t you just give me someone more ordinary?!
“This new Kingdom. Is that our destination?”
He nods.
“You might have bought my freedom, but werewolves are never really free in this world.”
“That might be true. In my kingdom, all we have are freed, human slaves. You will be the first werewolf in my Kingdom. Are you worried about that?”
I shake my head. Meeting my mate is a dream come true, even if he is a human. All that’s missing is having Nowra and my family with me.
“About my family. In the future, will they be able to come and visit me?”
“Of course! You are the first freed werewolf, does not mean that you will be the last.”
“Is that why you freed me? To set an example?”
“No. I freed you and bring you with me because you will become my woman.”
My breathing stops. The way he puts a claim on me makes me want to claim him too. “I—”
“Ah! Don’t worry about answering me now. I will give you time to consider me.”
I look at the table and entwine my fingers together. I take a deep breath and look back at him. “I want that too,” I whisper. “I want to become your woman, too.”
I answer the surprise on his face by flushing scarlet. Then, he looks away and I can see a blush creeping on his face, too.
“So, starting now, are we together?” he asks.
“Before that, we need to do a promise.”
“A promise?”
I take his hand to mine and say, “You are my mate, whom I promise to love and cherish forever until the gods and fate separate us.”
He squeezes my hand and answers, “You are my mate, whom I promise to love and cherish forever, even if the gods and fate may try to separate us.”
I look at his face–there is a serious look on it. He changed a bit on the vow and I wonder if it will be alright? Will the moon goddess accept it or not? “Is there something wrong with my vow?” he asks. I shake my head. “It’s just different.” “You don’t like different?” he asks. A sheepish grin forms on his face and I breathe a sigh of relief. “It depends on what kind of different.” “Shouldn’t we seal the vow with a kiss or something?” Ah! Embarrassed, I look around. More than half of the humans on the deck are men. In truth, the vow is followed by a kiss, but doing it here, even if he is my mate… I turn my attention back to him and admit, “It is followed by a kiss.” A pleased smile appears on his face. He leans over to me and plants a quick kiss on my lips. “There. The vow is made. You are now officially my woman.” I nod, with my hands still on his. Nowra says that progress with mates is fast. Does she mean something like this? Nowra and her mate copulate on the first day th
The instant the door closes on our room, Theo touches my lips to his. It is a close-lipped, chaste kiss as if he is trying to make me familiar with him first. When he pulls back from the kiss, I wind my arms around his neck and ask, “So, what’s the story of the eye bags?” He unconsciously touches it and groans. “Too much work and I can’t sleep at night.” “Am I a noisy sleeper?” “It’s because you sleep so peacefully beside me.” There’s a knock on the door and we both go to the couch while the servants place our dinner on the table. “That Harbin. I said tea and snacks.” “It’s dark now, so it makes sense that they are giving us dinner instead,” I say. Theo sighs and orders the servant, “Bring in the bath, too.” Once the servants leave, I sample the dish. It’s delicious, but somehow, something is wrong. I look at it and then at Theo, who’s about to gobble it up. My hand automatically moves and slaps the food from him. He frowns at me, especially when the meat drops all over the
As Theo licks all over my body, I feel like someone else as the pleasure wracks my body. The cold on my skin and air, and the contrasting warmth of his tongue on my body create an enticing combination, until my back arches in resignation. My hands wildly touch his shoulders, his head, and his back, everywhere I can reach. I am already too lost on it, too aroused that when his lips touch my heaving mound, I make a squeal. Light flashes through my vision and my body moves on its own, as pleasure courses through my body. As my body trembles on my orgasm, he watches me, his hand gently trailing along my stomach and up again. There are tears in my eyes as if pleading him for something that I don’t know about. When my back touches the bed again, he asks, “Is this your first time having an orgasm?” “I don’t know,” I admit. “I forget everything except fifteen years ago when I arrive at the park.” Theo moves up and kisses my cheeks. “Why are you as
After breakfast and bath, I insist to dress up, thinking that I am going to Harbin later for my studies. But the way the day is going, it seems like Theo has a different plan for me. “Theo, it’s Monday, right? Shouldn’t I be with Harbin instead?” He glowers at me. “You prefer his company more than mine?” “That’s not it! You said it yourself, there is a certain expectation to a King’s lover.” “He took your yesterday from me. So today, it’s fair that I will have you all for myself,” he says and his mouth touches mine again. He pushes me down the couch and showers small kisses on my face, while my hands rest on his shoulders. When his hands go inside my dress, I squeal and cover my mouth. “Sorry,” I say. Based on Harbin’s lessons, it's unbecoming for a lady to make a sound like that. “Don’t be,” he says and kisses the side of my cheeks. “The sounds you make guide me on what you like and dislike.” “But Harbin says on our etique
Theo winds his arms around my shivering body. I can smell it again, lavender, and all I want is to stay right here in his embrace. When my tears die down, I whisper, “Should we go on with it then?” I ask. “The rejection.” “What are you saying?!” His features darken and I look away. “I am not meant to become a King’s lover. I think it’s better to stop this before this goes on.” Theo pulls away. I grimace as he tightly grips my shoulders. “Do you really think I still can let you go?! I just found you!” “But I’m—” “We will keep it a secret. No one would know that I am not your first. You are going to stay with me.” Then he scowls, “Don’t tell me you’re the one who doesn’t want to take an effort?! Are you going to give me up that easy?!” “But, the other people, they—” “Fuck them! I want you with me, only you.” I look longingly at him. “If you accept me for who I am, then I will be yours forever.” He take
Laughter erupts as Theo gawks at my form. He gets off the bed and lifts me, then sets me on the side of the bed. He takes a blanket that’s on the ground beside the couch and covers me with it. “Now, I wonder where are our sleepwear? It must have been a crazy night for us to lose it,” he jests. Before opening the door, he stoops over the side of the tub and wears his clothes. He greets someone at the door and then, two servants enter carrying food. “Harbin, she’ll go to the study room once she’s done eating and taking a bath. Now go, you’ll just be a distraction.” When Theo shifts his attention back to me, he’s already smiling and there’s no Harbin outside our room. He ushers me to sit beside him and while we are eating, two servants take care of the mess we’ve made in the room and prepare the bath. I study Theo as he languidly eats. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “Are you tired?” “I’m not tired,” he says. “I simply wish that we can stay in
“May I ask what he said about me?” Brandon asks. Is that the reason why he approached me? Only to clear his name? If that is the case, then I am certain that the Klevon guy is a liar. An Owusu liar, huh? “He said you rape beautiful werewolves, like my best friend Nowra.” Suddenly, there is a cold in the air. The evening seems to arrive faster too. I could even imagine the ocean turning into a tundra. I shift my attention to him and see that it’s his magic. He exudes malaise which opposed his previously bright aura. “And?” he prods me on. His voice is grating, why did I even think that he has a boyish look? The man in front of me looks like he’s already in his forties! “You relish the taste of werewolves with mates. He says you can smell them,” I answer, taking a step further away from him. “That’s all.” “That’s all!?!” He reaches for my arm and I flinch at the coldness of his touch. “He fucking disrespected his Gene
“No, Theo, seriously, I am tired. There’s—”His mouth comes down on me again, and I feel his hair caressing my face. I open my eyes.“Your hair,” I say.He sits up and takes the hair tie that snapped. His hair falls over his shoulders, sticking out on his shoulders and chest that’s greasy with sweat.I sit before him and help him with his hair. He watches me and then his arms wind around my waist and make me sit on his lap. He’s smiling.“What?”“I feel like newlyweds with you,” he says.“I am your lover, you can think of me like that.” After tying it up, I pat his shoulders and say, “There, it’s done. Maybe you should cut your hair instead? It’s too long.”“Do you like it better if it is shorter?”I cock my head at him. “I don’t know. You look handsome either way,” I blurt out.