Chapter 5
Chapter Five
King Tovik
Ihave faced a ruthless pack of Hollowborn on my own, in the dead of winter, with my flesh sliced open and venom burning through my veins.
I have crossed the Blood River in the frigid cold and didn’t so much as flinch while the icy waves rolled over my head.
I once killed a man using nothing but the iron buckle from his own belt.
None of these things made me as nervous as I am right now, waiting for the princess to walk through the door.
I have been waiting my entire life for her. Now, I’m about to step into this moment and my hands are shaking.
“Stop pulling at your collar,” Cassius says, as calm as ever.
“It’s choking me,” I say, tugging at it again.
“It’s a tunic, not a Greyholm mercenary,” he says with a laugh.
“I’m not used to it.”
He laughs again. “That I know. I can count on my right hand the number of times I’ve seen you in a shirt. I hardly recognize you with your nipples covered.”
I don’t know how he can make jokes at a time like this.
Our mate, our queen, is in the castle. We will be dining with her in moments.
My wolf is on full alert, pacing inside me, more eager than the time we faced three converging packs of Hollowborn. He wants to get out and mark her. He wants to make her ours.
“I knew she would be human,” I say as we linger outside the closed doors of the dining room.
Cassius is leaning casually against the stone fireplace with a cup of bitter mead in his hand. He is looking as calm as he does before every battle, but I can smell the anticipation beneath the mead and smoke.
His wolf is pacing just as violently as mine.
“You were right about that,” he says as he takes a long sip. “Was it just me or did she look like a goddess?”
I haven’t been able to get the beautiful image of her out of my mind.
The magical vision of the princess is burned into my brain where it will stay forever.
I can’t stop obsessing over that image of her standing there helplessly in that gorgeous pink dress.
Her silky blonde hair with all those ribbons.
I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking.
I would have marched down on the spot, thrown her over my shoulder, and brought her back to our room if Cassius wasn’t there to stop me.
I didn’t like all those eyes on her, watching what’s ours.
I wanted her all to ourselves, but Cassius said we would make a better impression on her at dinnertime.
He said a shower would work wonders on swaying her opinion.
Now that the dinner bell is about to ring and I’m all dressed up in these ridiculous clothes, I’m having doubts about that.
My wolf growls, not caring what we’re wearing. He just wants to see her, scent her, touch her, mark her. He wants it all.
The bell rings and Cassius takes one last sip before placing his cup on the stone mantel. “It’s time, Tovik.”
I take a deep breath and follow him out.
My mind is racing as we step into the royal dining room. The long table is empty. My wolf snarls in impatience. Where is she?
Suddenly, on the other side of the room, the door opens, and she’s there.
Our Vaela. Our Queen.
“Gods alive,” Cassius whispers under his breath when she walks in.
My eyes are locked on her. My lungs forget how to breathe.
Our mate has changed into a pale blue dress that wraps tightly around her waist and then flows over her delectable hips.
Her golden hair hangs loose around her shoulders in soft waves, without the ribbons she wore earlier, but somehow, just as beautiful.
There are tiny jewels sparkling on her earlobes as if this beauty needs any additional decoration. She is perfect as is.
Her gaze lands on Cassius first.
Then, she looks at me.
My chest squeezes with those lovely hazel eyes on my face.
Her sweet scent fills the room, tangled with perfume and the faintest trace of fear. Her scent fills me with warmth, but that trace of fear sets off a protective blaze within me. The need to protect her takes over, blooming into an inferno. All I want is to keep my mate safe and secure.
My wolf snarls inside, feeling the same intensity. She’s ours to protect now.
“Princess Vaela,” Cassius says, stepping forward with a sly grin. “Thank you for joining us.”
He marches right up to her, gently takes her hand, and kisses it softly.
I watch his lips touch her fair skin and there’s no jealousy from me. There can’t be. We’re all connected. We’re all in this together. We’re Blood Alphas and she’s his mate as much as she is mine.
Her adorable cheeks blush as she thanks him for the hospitality in the most angelic voice I’ve ever heard.
“Tovik,” Cassius says, waving me over. “Come introduce yourself.”
I’m just staring in awe. I forget to move.
Finally, something in me snaps and I cross the room, taking her hand.
Her eyes are sparkling as I lean down and kiss her soft skin.
It’s only her hand, but the feeling of touching my mate for the first time sets off a lustful need inside my body that shocks me to the core.
I want to devour her. I want to tear off that gorgeous dress and get to the true treasure underneath.
“I’m Tovik.”
“Hello, Tovik,” she says sweetly. The sound of my name coming out of that sexy mouth is enough to make me rock hard. I suck in a breath when I feel my member lengthening and hardening beyond my control. I hope she doesn’t notice.
We move to the table and Cassius pulls out her chair at the head.
“Thank you,” she says as she sits down, tucking her dress under her thighs.
We sit on either side of her as the servants begin bringing in food and wine. It’s a long table, suitable for a whole delegation, but tonight, it’s only set for us three.
A fire is burning in the fireplace, warming the room. Torches line the dark stone walls and candles flicker on the table, washing the princess in a beautiful golden glow. I find it extremely challenging to keep my eyes off her, even for a moment. It’s like looking at a goddess.
I catch a glimpse of her exposed neck as she looks around the room and my wolf growls low. That’s the spot destined for my mark. Cassius will mark her other side. I wonder if his wolf is going as crazy as mine.
“It’s a beautiful castle,” she says with a shy smile.
“Beautiful, no,” Cassius says with a carefree laugh. “But functional, and most importantly, safe. Whatever beauty it has, it pales in comparison to you.”
She places her napkin on her lap and smiles shyly.
“We’re very sorry about this… arrangement,” Cassius says. “We had no desire to rip you from your home, but the Varkharian constitution is quite clear on the matter. It was not up to us. The Gods require royal blood to ratify a treaty.”
“I understand,” she says softly. “I was a bit unsure at first, but now… I’m pleased by the arrangement.”
She smiles at him and then at me. A heated warmth fills my chest at the gorgeous sight of my mate smiling.
The castle staff bring out silver platters of roasted meat, fresh bread, and root vegetables. Cassius takes the bottle of Anduvian wine and fills our glasses.
My mouth waters at the smell of all this food, but my stomach is in knots and I can’t quite find my appetite.
“I must say,” she says as we dive in. “I’ve been curious about your arrangement. You’re the only kingdom to have two kings. How does that work?”
Cassius breaks a loaf of bread in half to demonstrate.
“Two kings, but we function as one.” He holds up the piece in his left hand.
“I take on the strategic responsibility of the kingdom, the planning, systems, and finances.” He holds up the piece in his right hand.
“And Tovik handles the warriors, the defense of the kingdom from the Hollowborn, and makes sure that every wolf shifter in our kingdom can sleep without having to keep one eye open.”
He places the two pieces together, reforming the loaf. “And together, we run the kingdom. Together, we’re stronger.”
“And, sorry to be blunt,” she says, blushing a little. I love it when her cheeks do that. “But together, you share a queen?”
“Yes,” he says. “We’ll share a mate, when it’s time. We share everything. After the pack selected us to be their leaders and the coronation crowned us as kings, we became like one. Our souls were connected by the Gods themselves, much like they will be connected to our mate.”
“Lucky her,” she whispers under her breath.
It wasn’t meant for us to hear, but our shifter hearing picked it up.
Cassius and I share a look.
“Wolves in other kingdoms abide by the ridiculous practice of Lunaris Vinculum,” Cassius says, rolling his eyes. “It’s an ancient custom. The sacred night of the binding. It states that mates must wait until there’s a full moon in the sky before they can mark each other.”
“I’ve heard of it,” Vaela says. “They do that in the Moonborne Kingdom.”
Cassius is running his fingertip around the rim of his wine glass as his dark eyes lock on her.
“Up here, where the Hollowborn run along our border, time is more valuable. We don’t torture ourselves with unnecessary waiting.
We get right to it. When we meet our mates, our carnal desires take over and we are able to do anything we please. ”
“Oh,” she says, looking at me with her cheeks blushing hotter than ever.
My cock aches under the table. It longs to plunge deep into this beautiful princess. It’s all I can think about.
“And…” she says, swallowing hard. “Have you two… found your mate?”
Cassius is giving her a ravenous look. I can barely hide the wanton lust in my gaze. I’m sure she can see it, feel it, but there’s nothing I can do to temper this intense need burning within.
She looks from me to Cassius and then straightens her back.
“We have,” I say as my eyes roam down her neck to her round breasts hidden behind that rich silk material. One tear from my hand and that dress would be on the floor, her breasts exposed, our mouths worshiping every soft inch of her.