Chapter 14 #2
“If you can access your claws,” I murmur to her sleeping form, “that means your wolf might not be as latent as you believe.”
There’s something else, too. That night—when I’d felt the pulling sensation in my chest, when my wolf had gone insane with the need to reach her—I caught the scent of old magic clinging to her. Faint but unmistakable. I’ve been around enough witches to recognize that exact metallic tang in the air.
“What aren’t you telling me, little mate?” I whisper to her.
She nestles deeper into my lap with a soft sigh, her hand coming up to curl against my stomach. My wolf rumbles at the contact, satisfied that Astra is exactly where she belongs.
“At least your body is more honest than you are,” I say quietly, unable to stop myself from smiling.
But my good mood darkens as I think about tomorrow. What will I do if Astra decides to be merciful toward Andrew? Her soft heart could make her think that he has suffered enough, that he has learned his lesson. She might even feel sorry for him.
I won’t let him get away with it. Whatever she chooses to do or not to do, I’ll make sure he pays properly when she’s not around to see it.
I know my mate has a gentle soul. It’s one of the things that makes her vulnerable to predators like Andrew. Of course, with me by her side now, I’d like to see someone try to manipulate her. I meant what I told Astra; I can be cruel enough for both of us.
The thought of the Council’s potential compromise makes my jaw clench. A concubine! They want to make my mate—the woman who belongs at my side—into some glorified bedwarmer while another woman wears her crown.
I’ll gift Lady Zari’s head to her father before I let that woman into my bed.
Astra stirs in her sleep, a small frown creasing her brow. Her eyes flutter open, unfocused at first, then sharpening as reality sinks in. She stares up at me from my lap, taking in our position.
I expect her to scramble away, to put distance between us like she has done all day. Instead, she just sighs and closes her eyes again.
“Why are you growling?” Her voice is thick with sleep and irritation. “You’re bothering me.”
I didn’t realize I was growling, but now I feel the low rumble in my chest. My lips twitch despite my dark thoughts. Even half-asleep, she’s giving me attitude.
“What do you want, Astra?”
“I want you to let me sleep and stop being annoying.”
The word “annoying” hits me like a spark to dry kindling. Before I can stop myself, my hand tangles in her hair, gripping a fistful—not tight enough to hurt, but firm enough to force her to look at me.
My voice drops dangerously low. “Is this how you plan to speak to me from now on?”
Her eyes glitter with defiance even as they widen at my tone. “If you have a problem with my attitude, you can always abandon me.”
The casual way she throws that word at me—“abandon”—creates a violent stir in my chest. As if I could ever leave her. As if I’m not bound to her by a bond stronger than steel.
I release her hair and grab her jaw instead, holding her still as I lean down and crush her mouth with mine.
The kiss is fierce, possessive, meant to brand her as mine. Her lips are soft and warm, and when she gasps in surprise, I deepen the kiss, tasting her shock and the faint sweetness that is pure Astra.
When I finally pull back, our lips are still touching, sharing the same breath.
“Every time you speak to me in that defiant tone,” I whisper against her mouth, “I’ll kiss you.”
Her face flushes scarlet, the color spreading down her neck in a way that makes my wolf preen with satisfaction. She tries to sit up, to escape my lap, but I don’t let her.
“Let me go,” she demands, pushing against my thigh.
“No.”
“Lucian—”
I cover her eyes with my hand, plunging her into gentle darkness. “Sleep.”
She struggles weakly against my hold. “I can’t sleep with—with your hand—”
“You can and you will.” My voice carries enough authority to make her stop fidgeting. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.”
“This is ridiculous,” she mutters, but I feel some of the tension leave her body. “I’m not a child who needs to be tucked in.”
“No,” I agree, stroking her hair with my free hand while keeping her eyes covered. “But you’re mine.”
She’s quiet for a moment, her breathing starting to even out despite her protests. “I don’t understand you.”
“You don’t have to understand me right now. Sleep, Astra.” I press my palm more firmly over her eyes. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“I’m not tired.”
But even as she says it, her body relaxes further into my lap. Her breathing deepens, and I feel the moment she stops fighting sleep.
“Stubborn woman,” I murmur, but there’s possessive satisfaction in my voice.
She hums something that might be agreement before going completely limp. Within minutes, she’s breathing in the rhythm of deep sleep, her hand curled against my stomach again, securing herself to me.
I keep my hand over her eyes even though she’s sound asleep now. Something about the gesture feels protective, like I’m shielding what’s mine from nightmares, from the memories that haunt her when she’s awake.
The fire crackles softly, and Luna appears from wherever she’s been hunting, springing gracefully onto my shoulder. She settles there with a satisfied purr, apparently deciding this arrangement meets with her approval.
“At least one of you accepts where you belong,” I tell the cat quietly.
Luna’s purring grows louder, and she begins grooming my hair with her rough tongue. The sensation is oddly soothing, domestic in a way I’ve never experienced.
This is what I want. Astra sleeping in my lap, Luna perched on my shoulder, both of them exactly where they should be. It’s simple and perfect and everything I never knew I needed.
But tomorrow will bring complications. Andrew’s broken body, Astra’s desire for revenge, the question of what comes next, once we’ve dealt with her past. Eventually, I’ll have to tell her who I really am.
Eventually, she’ll have to face the truth about the mate bond, about what we are to each other.
For now, though, she’s mine. Sleeping trustingly in my arms even though she denies it, her soft weight anchoring me in ways I can’t begin to explain. Her warmth seeping into my bones, her scent filling my lungs with every breath I take.
Mine to protect. Mine to possess. Mine to keep, for however long it takes to make her understand.
Let the Council scheme about concubines and political alliances. Let Lady Zari’s father rage about broken engagements. Let the King demand my immediate return to court.
None of it matters. Nothing matters except the woman in my arms and ensuring she never leaves my side again.
I’ll burn the world down before I let anyone take what’s mine.
The next morning, I wake up from a quick nap to find Astra sitting up, staring at the trees around us with a frown. Luna is curled in her lap, but her fingers aren’t moving through the cat’s fur like usual. She’s completely still, tense.
“Where are we?” she asks without looking at me.
I stretch, working the kinks out of my neck from sleeping against the tree. “About a day’s walk from Turnville.”
She’s quiet for a moment, processing this. Then she turns to face me. “Where did you find the healer? The one who treated me?”
“He owed me a favor.”
Her eyes narrow. “What kind of favor?”
“The kind that saves lives.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I shrug. “It’s the only one you’re getting.”
She glares at me but doesn’t push. Instead, she asks the question I’ve been dreading. “Why did you come looking for me in the first place?”
The words hang between us like a challenge. I could lie. Make up some story about professional obligation or delayed payment. But the way she’s looking at me—wary but hopeful—stops me.
“I was worried about you.”
“Why?”
The simple question cuts deeper than any blade. Why? Because you’re my mate. Because the thought of you in danger makes my wolf claw at the inside of my skull. Because I’m bound to you by something stronger than blood or bone.
“I just was.”
Her expression shutters instantly. “Fine. Keep your secrets.”
The disappointment in her voice hurts, but I can’t tell her the truth. Not yet. Not when she’s still so weak.
“I’m not the only one with secrets,” I say instead.
She goes very still. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why did you tell me you have a latent wolf when you can clearly extend your claws?”
Her mouth falls open slightly. “What?”
“I saw the claw marks on the faces of your attackers. Deep gouges across their cheeks and jaw lines. Those weren’t made by fingernails.”
I watch her struggle to remember, and then I see the moment the memory surfaces. Her face turns pale.
“I’ve never been able to do that before,” she whispers. “In the heat of the moment, I didn’t even realize—”
She’s telling the truth. I can see it in the genuine confusion on her face, the way her brow furrows as she tries to make sense of it.
She stares down at her hands, turning them over to study her fingers. I watch her concentrate, and I see the frustration build when nothing happens.
“I can’t do it now,” she says, her voice small and defeated.
“If you did it once, you can do it again.”
“But what does it mean?” She looks up at me with those wide, green eyes. “Does this mean my wolf isn’t latent?”
I want to tell her I don’t know, but her expression stops me for a moment. She’s looking at me like I might have answers to questions she has carried her whole life.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “But it doesn’t matter.” I reach out and cover her hand with mine. Her skin is soft and warm; she tenses at the contact. “Whether your wolf is latent or not doesn’t change anything,” I continue. “You’re still you.”
She stares at our joined hands for a few seconds, and I think she might leave hers there. But then, she pulls away.
“How long are you planning to stay here?” she asks, changing the subject abruptly.
“Why? Do you have somewhere to be?”
The look she gives me could melt steel. We both know she has nowhere to go. No pack to return to, no family to shelter her, no friends except the two who helped her escape.
“I need to head to the capital to deal with some business,” I tell her, shrugging.
“The capital?” She frowns. “That’s weeks from here. I’m not spending that long stuck by your side.”
“If you have somewhere else to go, I can follow you there.” I can’t keep the smirk off my face as I say it.
Her jaw clenches. “I preferred it when you were grouchy all the time.”
The defiant tone in her voice sends heat racing through my veins. I warned her what would happen if she kept speaking to me like that.
I move faster than she can track, my hand cupping the back of her neck as I pull her toward me. Her gasp of surprise is cut off when my lips find hers.
This kiss is different from last night’s. Hungrier. More demanding. I take her mouth like I own it, my tongue sweeping past her teeth to taste her shock and growing desire. She makes a soft sound in the back of her throat that goes straight to my cock.
When I finally release her, she’s gasping for air. Her lips are swollen and her pupils dilated.
She tries to slap me, but I’m faster. I catch her wrist inches from my face.
“You missed,” I taunt, enjoying the way her eyes flash with fury.
“Let go of me!”
“Fine. Eat your breakfast.”
I release her hand and gesture toward the food I prepared earlier, while she was still sleeping. She glares at me but picks up the dried meat, taking angry bites as Luna watches the entire exchange with her tail flicking in boredom.
“How do you want to make Andrew pay?” I ask casually.
She stiffens at his name, and the meat falls from her fingers. “What?”
“You said you wanted revenge. How do you want to get it?”
Her expression remains tense, jaw tight. “I don’t want to see him.”
I study her face, observing the way she’s withdrawing again. “Changed your mind about retaliation?”
She doesn’t respond.
“Are you going to be soft and let him get away with what he put you through?” My voice turns hard. “What he put Luna through?”
Her head whips up. “That’s not it.”
I raise a brow. “What is it, then?” I pause, watching her carefully. “Don’t tell me you really did love him.” Maybe I should rip him apart, limb by limb.
She stares at me for a long moment, and there’s a shift in her expression. Finally, she speaks. “No.” Her voice is quiet but certain. “You were right. I just fell for his pretty words.”
Her answer satisfies me. Without warning, I reach out and pull her into my lap. She struggles against me, pushing at my chest, but I don’t budge. Her attempts to escape only make me press her body closer to mine. I can feel every curve, every breath.
“Let me go,” she demands breathlessly.
I ignore her protests, my hand moving up the back of her neck, my fingers threading through her hair.
“All your life, you have been taken advantage of,” I say quietly, though there’s a mocking edge to my words.
“Getting back at Andrew will be the first time you take a stand for yourself.” My other hand trails along her collarbone, and I feel her shiver despite her resistance.
“Do you want to remain weak for the rest of your life?”
Fire flashes in her green eyes, and I can practically feel the anger radiating off her. “I’m not weak.”
“Prove it.”