“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 they met. And it continued until she lost him. They never had a kid, though. Birth between werewolves had been in decline. It’s as if nature is warning us of our race’s impending extinction. It’s also the reason we start to mate with humans. After the war, there is only one percent of us in the world, probably less, due to the kind of life we lead.
Someone clears his throat. I look up to see a middle-aged man looking at our entwined fingers. Then, food is placed on our table and the man sits with us.
“This is Harbin Dionne. My Kingdom’s librarian. He’s here to teach you the basics of living in the outside world,” Theo says.
I look back and forth between the two men.
“Currency. Life in the palace. Literature. Everything,” Harbin offers.
My brows knit.
“When I told them I plan to make you my lover, they only allowed it if they can teach you those things,” Theo supplies.
Something pricks at my chest. My hand turns cold as I look at Harbin who is scrutinizing me. I pull back from Theo. When he told me he is a king, I know already that in another human’s eyes, I would never measure up. But it doesn’t matter, as long as he accepts me as I am, like how I accept him as he is.
“The Weiller merchant family, do you know them?” Harbin asks.
I look at him. Theo is looking at Harbin as if trying to silence him.
“They own the park where I came from,” I answer.
Then, he points at Klevon and asks, “The Owusu family?”
“A family of mage hunters who owns the twelve original silver whips.”
Are we already starting with the lessons? I ask myself.
“And magic?” he asks.
“Can be taught to both humans and werewolves, but humans learn it faster. It’s the ability to use different elements around us.”
Harbin shifts his focus to Theo and says, “King Eugene Theo Pitchford, I can teach her.”
After that, he stands up and says to me, “I will meet you in room 203 tomorrow morning. We can start our lessons then.”
Then, Harbin leaves. I look at Theo and he just shrugs his shoulders. “Let’s eat,” he says.
“Is that a test?” I ask.
“Uh-ha,” Theo mutters. “He doesn’t like to accept students who can’t be taught. Says it's a waste of his time.”
“Does he test all his students?”
“Nope, only you.”
“Because I am a barbaric werewolf?” I ask.
“Kaiya, you know you’re not.”
“Then why?”
“It’s because you will be my woman. There’s a certain expectation to become a King’s lover.”
I sigh. This is exactly the reason why I wish he was an ordinary man instead. And I am certain this is not the first time I will be tested.
*******************************************
The entire week passes uneventfully. I spent it in the study room of the ship, from morning to night. Being Theo’s lover, I share a room with him, but I am always too exhausted that the instant my body touches the bed, I fall asleep.
In the morning, incessant knocking on the door will wake me up. The breakfast and bath will come in and I will be ushered back to the study room. There is too much to read and study, and there are times that I won’t notice the rain and wind pattering against the boat. At least, until the weather shakes the ship.
“After the war and the werewolves lost the battle, what happened to human society?” Harbin asks. It’s almost dark, and he is doing his usual end-of-day checking of the things I have learned.
“All the human families who served and gained recognition during the war are given their own kingdoms to rule. So, from a single Kingdom, humans are divided into different lands. And the Pitchford is the thirteenth Kingdom founded since the war of hundred years ago.”
“And the name of the original Kingdom?”
“Orttenburg.”
“Correct, tomorrow, we will—”
“Harbin!”
I look at the sound of the voice. It’s Theo.
“King Eugene Theo Pitchford,” Harbin starts. “You are not allowed in this room. You have other documents that you need to finish right?”
Theo groans and looks at me. “It’s Sunday! Why is she here?! It’s supposed to be a rest day!”
Harbin just shrugs his shoulders. “She’s a delight to teach, like a sponge.”
Theo groans again and walks towards me. He pulls me up from the chair. “I will take one day from you, for using up her Sunday!”
“Wait,” I say. I try to close off the books and take one. Perhaps, to read over it later, but Theo slams his hand on it.
“There’s no need for books! We are going to relax!” he roars.
“Relax?”
He doesn’t seem to think of relaxing in the way he growls at Harbin and me.
“Yes, relax!”
And for the first time, I see the bags under his eyes. I reach up to him and touch his face. “Are you okay? You look tired.”
“No, thanks to you!”
This time, his voice is calmer. I continue to touch his face and then massage the part between his eyes. He calms down and before long, the anger on his face disappears.
“Maybe your servants can bring some tea to our room?” I suggest.
Without looking away from my face, he says, “Harbin, you heard her. Order the servants to bring tea to our room. And some snacks too.”
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.
“I’m not yours,” I say, not liking the way he uses words. “Clearly,” he smirks. “I can hear my King’s moans of pleasures. You’ve been doing such a great job in that regard.” I glower at him. Tasteless. Is there nothing good that comes out of his mouth? But what should I expect? He even said something so vulgar to his own leader! “Why are you calling Brandon Stine a Leader? Shouldn’t it be General?” I ask. “He’s my leader during my mercenary days.” “And you’re not a General?” “I’m not the type to lead.” “Clearly,” I mimic. He leers. “A cheeky she-wolf. I like that.” He approaches me, and I look up at him. He really is tall and huge. I am already five-seven, taller than Nowra, but this guy still towers over me. I take a step back, intimidated at his frame. He clicks his tongue. “Wrong move. You should not show your fear in front of your enemy.” “Are you an enemy?” He grins. “