Chapter 10
BELENUS
I knew the moment I’d stepped in front of Hekla I’d done significant damage. Dread sank uncomfortably into my stomach as she stormed off, entered her room, and slammed the door behind her. She still wore the evening gown, reminding me of a task I’d failed. Shit! I needed to find her clothes. At this rate I might as well request new ones.
And, of course, Eislyn wailed dramatically. “Oh! Did you see the way she attacked me?” I heard her fanning her face, likely pretending to feel faint.
I just stood there and stared at Hekla’s door, ignoring the dramatic creature behind me. How was I going to explain all this to my fated mate? How many times would it work to say that it wasn’t how we did things here? Touching the princess would have gotten her whipped!
“She didn’t even breathe on you, Eislyn,” I said to admonish her theatrics. “Stop making up stories. ”
“That’s because you saved me!” she exclaimed and ran to embrace me, pressing into my back and wrapping her arms around my abdomen.
I pulled her off me and retreated several steps, disgusted. “Maintain your distance, Eislyn! This is still a proper courtship.”
“Oh! Of course, Your Highness,” she apologized and dipped into a curtsey.
I gritted my teeth and turned to look back at Hekla’s door one last time. I desperately wanted to go to her, to make sure she understood what was happening, but I still had to tour this wretch about the palace grounds. I was also worried about her heat; she had to be in it now because I felt shockingly... stimulated.
“Let us go,” I directed sharply and moved us toward the training grounds. Perhaps I could find a nice and muddy path to take.
When we stepped outside, Eislyn batted her eyelashes and asked, “So, who is she?”
“Someone I’d rather you not bother, Eislyn,” I answered sternly and tried to distract her by pointing out the different sections of the training grounds. There was a lot to see out here, plenty of topics that weren’t Hekla.
“I heard you had a dog for a fated mate,” she said sympathetically. “She certainly acted like one. Was that her? It must be her. Oh, what a terrible thing to be paired with one such as her!” She squeezed my arm with her hand, as though showing her emotional support.
I took a deep breath and ground my teeth. Eislyn knew the right buttons to push; she was very good at this. “I think we should focus on topics around the castle and our engagement, should we not?” I asked, bringing my other arm behind my back so I could white-knuckle it out of sight.
Don’t shake, don’t shake, don’t shake… Calm down, calm down, calm down…
“So, have you rejected her yet? When will you do so? Perhaps I should be there to watch and support you?” she inquired, ignoring what I’d just said .
What a sadistic piece of shit.
“I would advise you to leave my personal matters to me, Eislyn,” I warned, leading her right over a soggy puddle where she stumbled and splattered mud all over the bottom of her dress. It wasn’t a big win, but I’d take it.
“So, she is the one!” Eislyn cheered, like she’d tricked the answer out of me. Then she frowned and tried shaking the mud off her skirts.
Oh, you figured it out fifteen minutes ago. Don’t try to scare me with that tactic.
I spied Koray, and he hailed me from a distance, looking like he had something to say. I waited while he weaved through soldiers to approach us, grateful for any excuse to ignore Eislyn. His brow was beaded with moisture, and his training shirt stuck to his torso, both evidence of his hard work. That pleased me. I was fond of him and knew he’d make a fine warrior once we got him properly trained.
“Hey, Belenus!” he said breathlessly and brushed some sweat from his jaw. “Have you seen Hekla? I don’t know if she asked you yet or not.”
“Ahem!” Eislyn uttered from next to me, and Koray didn’t skip a beat.
“Bless you,” he said, then looked back up at me.
I didn’t think I could have been any prouder of him than I was at that very moment. “I saw her, but we didn’t talk,” I answered, nervous about what this question might be.
Eislyn interrupted again. “Excuse me, but you really should bow before royalty.” She returned her gaze to me, grimacing in sympathy. “I suppose it’s too much to ask to train humans. Such trouble.”
“Koray bows to no one, Eislyn,” I corrected, then nodded to the young man with the long blackbird hair. “What’s the question?”
“I was wondering if maybe I could get an introduction to one of the magic instructors? I just… I was curious, and… well… Hekla thought maybe I should ask you…”
The nightmare of a woman next to me tittered again. “A human has no use for magic, you poor confused thing. I doubt you’ll get the permission you’re wanti—”
“Permission granted,” I said quickly to Koray, irritated that she was trying to demean yet another person who was important to me. “I’ll make arrangements tomorrow if I can, but I will see to it. Thank you for asking.” Though I’d warned him about gratitude here, I wasn’t worried about the entrapment with Koray—the young man had one of the purest hearts I’d ever encountered.
I also thanked him to annoy Eislyn.
Koray beamed brighter than the sun and hopped a bit on his feet. “That’s incredible! Thanks!” He turned away but not before giving Eislyn a disapproving shake of his head. I smiled internally, liking that kid more by the minute.
I also made a mental note to pull Koray into my investigation team. He would see the situation with fresh eyes. Perhaps he’d find something I was missing. I needed to get a copy of that marriage contract… As of today, I had two weeks to get this wedding cancelled.
HEKLA
I lay in bed for hours. Sometimes I dozed; other times I stared at the wall. Most of the time, I writhed from the burning and forced myself to take cold showers, which were agonizing. Icy water flowing down feverish skin felt like being flayed. Bidelia ended up being a lifesaver, intermittently bringing the mac-talla and me meals from the kitchen. I wasn’t sure how I would have handled the day without her help .
Adding to my misery, my pheromones must have escaped the room because fae men knocked frequently on my door, asking if I needed anything. They all seemed a little confused—probably wondering why they were drawn and inexplicably aroused. Some even tried to find a reason to enter, but I swiftly halted those encounters. I eventually stopped answering, shoved a towel in the crack under the door, and prayed to the Moon Goddess that they’d all leave me alone. My mind might be hurt, but my body still wanted Belenus.
The hour grew late, and I changed into the shirt he’d given me. It smelled like him, and I tried to calm myself with it, but all I could think about was where he was right now. Was he entertaining the princess? I rubbed away tears and dragged the protesting mac-talla into my arms for a comforting hug.
Canny, Hekla! Dinna footer aboot!
“I don’t know what you’re saying, so I can’t help you, Arse, but I need a cuddle,” I grumbled. The mac-talla sighed and gave up, knowing I’d won this time.
A rapping at the door had me freeing Arse, and I went to check the visitor’s scent, hoping Belenus had finally come to visit. Had he gotten away from that terrible woman? I nudged the towel aside and caught a breath of the hall air. Nope, no scent of my mate. I opened the door warily to see some fair fae guard, but he wasn’t wearing the usual armor. His skin also had a pearlescent sheen instead of the summer gold.
“Miss… Hekla… Himinn?” he inquired, flaring his nostrils and clearly distracted. “The Princess Eislyn requests your…” His voice cracked when he saw my bare legs. I supposed I should have worn a towel to the door. I couldn’t put that dress on every time someone knocked. “Requests your…” He tried again. “Presence.” He palmed the door and leaned forward to get a better look at me.
“Tell her she can kiss my butt,” I snapped. I was not a wolf to be bullied!
He grinned slowly and pushed on the door. “Do you mind if I did that for her?”
“Um, yes!” I growled. “I mind a whole lot!”
“Oh, come on, who else is going to do it? Our princess has your mate by th—”
“By what?” I heard Belenus say from the hall. I sighed in relief and shoved at the stupid overgrown fae blocking my doorway.
“N-nothing, Your Highness!” he stammered, straightening to attention.
The air crackled with Belenus’s lividity. “Get out of here! You shouldn’t be in the servants’ wing at this hour. Don’t let me catch you doing this again!” he yelled, sending the guard running.
I turned and flopped on the bed, glad to be rid of the pushy messenger. Oh thank the gods Belenus was here!
The summer prince walked in with an armful of clothes and shut the door behind him with a boot. Then, he shook his head and groaned like he was in pain. “Shit…” he uttered, and as soon as he hung the clothes in the closet, he hurried to the door.
I gaped, bewildered. “What? Are you leaving?” I knew I was in heat, but we had to talk about what happened today!
“I can’t!” With an arm over his nose, he left and slammed the door, stunning me.
“Thanks… for… the clothes… I guess…” I said blankly, in shock all over again.
In the words of King Zorian, ‘What the fuck!’ Eventide yelled.
I rubbed at my chest, feeling an incredible jab of pain. The burn burrowed deeper, like silver pouring into me. Belenus had spent all day with the princess, but he couldn’t even give me five minutes?
He still cares about us… right? I asked Eventide. She didn’t reply; she was much too angry.
“What do I do?” I snapped at the door. The door knocked in reply, and I swore I jumped a foot into the air, startled out of my wits. Deciding not to open it this time, I yelled, “Who is it?” My nerves couldn’t seem to find a single moment to heal.
“Koray! ”
Finally, a sane person! I popped my head out the door, a little worried that my heat would bother him too. “Hello, did you ask Belenus about the magic trainer? He just left…” I inquired, pointing down the hall in case he wanted to catch up.
“Oh! Yeah, he said yes. I’m really excited! Thanks for the encouragement,” he replied enthusiastically.
I grinned, happy that someone was having a good time. “That’s great! See? I knew it’d be fine! So, what’s going on?”
He took a deep breath. “So, I think I’m good to take you to the Realm of the Gods. We could do the trip tomorrow after training or the day after if Belenus does my introduction tomorrow. He wasn’t sure which day.”
“Oh, Koray, that’s so kind. Are you sure?” I asked, brightening up.
He nodded. “It’s not a big deal compared to what you’re going through. I saw him escort the princess around the training grounds, and wow… she is… extremely unlikeable.”
“She seems to have Belenus wrapped around her finger.” I averted my sudden scowl to the floor, feeling simultaneously convinced of it and ashamed of myself. My emotions fought so hard to corrupt my logic.
“Did something happen?” he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and drawing his brows in concern.
“Oh, just… it’s hard to watch him kiss her hand and smile at her. She tried to mistreat me today, and Belenus didn’t stop her. Then he came by, dumped my clothes off, and left with hardly a word,” I vented, my vision blurring with tears.
“Well, to be fair, your room reeks of pheromones. If Soley was that bad, I wouldn’t be able to resist.” He shrugged. “But the rest of that sounds awful. I’m sorry, Hekla. I’m sure it’s all a show. Belenus wouldn’t cheat on you.”
“You’re right…” I said, letting out a long, withered sigh. “It’s so miserable to sit and wait for him, which was why I wanted to try to do something. But now it looks like he won’t be visiting anymore…”
He patted me on the back in an attempt to comfort and encourage. “I’ll check in with him for you, ok?”
I smiled in bone-deep gratitude, his reliability lifting some weight from my shoulders. He needed to know how much that meant to me. “I’m so sorry you have to be away from Soley right now, but I have to admit, I’m so damned glad you’re here!”
We both laughed, and he said good night before wandering off to wherever he was going. I curled up into bed, but another knock came from the door, nearly making me scream in frustration. I wanted all these men to leave me alone! However, I relaxed when I heard a key jiggle in the lock. It was just Bidelia. She tiptoed in wearing her nightgown and locked the door behind her.
“Help,” she mumbled sleepily, lifting the back of her dress so I could untie her bands, and I hastily assisted her. The poor thing didn’t deserve this. If that rotten fae became queen, I had a feeling Bidelia’s situation would eventually worsen. I needed to keep my sanity intact for her.
She sighed in relief and eased her wings through the slits in the nightgown. Then, she crawled into bed with me and snuggled into my shoulder. “I’m gonna sleep here, ok? It’s cold.”
I smiled and wrapped an arm around her. The mac-talla crawled onto the bed and curled up next to Bidelia. “Of course you will, Pup. You’re in my wolf pack. You and little Arse over here.” I poked the mac-talla’s rear end, making him start in surprise.
I grinned at her giggling and fell asleep, praying to all the gods for strength and courage.
BELENUS
The very first thing I did in the morning was to try to hunt down the queen, but she was unavailable; what a big surprise. I gave a message to her two chamber guards that I was demanding a copy of my marriage contract and needed an audience with her. I eyed them both, making sure they saw how very important it was to their future careers that they relay this message as soon as possible. After getting my ‘yes’ from both of them, I left only until one saw fit to shift uncomfortably.
My mind buzzed with tasks that needed doing, but many of them relied on other people’s availability. I’d send a summons to my chosen team once I got that marriage contract to peruse. I needed to ask Koray for his help too; I had to find him now before Eislyn found me.
That reminded me of last night. What in the blazing sun’s rays was her guard doing at Hekla’s door? I wished I had thought to ask, but her pheromones had hit me like a battering ram to the face. I hadn’t been able to think for the life of me. I just had to deliver her clothes and run.
Shit, I knew that’d done a lot of damage too.
With a jaw clenched in aggravation, I turned to look for Koray. I probably had time to introduce him to the magic instructors. Something good needed to come of today, and that was by far the easiest task to achieve.
I spied Koray from a distance, put my fingers to my lips, and released a shrill whistle, startling damn near everyone. Koray looked around until he saw me, and I waved him over. After placing his claybeg in the weapon’s rack, he jogged over, grinning like a kid expecting candy.
“Mornin’, Belenus!” he greeted once he reached me and placed his hands on his hips, slightly out of breath.
“Let’s go see if any of the magic instructors are around,” I replied, turned, then smirked as he nearly tripped over his own feet in his excitement. “I have just enough time to go with you.”
“Busy day?” he asked, catching up and shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Busy day avoiding a certain princess,” I mumbled under my breath so only he could hear me.
He replied just as discreetly. “Speaking of that, I told Hekla I’d check in with you. She said you disappeared last night.”
“She’s in heat. I can’t risk being around her,” I reminded but still felt a pang of guilt.
“That’s what I told her. Still though, she mentioned some other stuff, and well, she’s not doing so well,” he disclosed, true to his compassionate self. “Hate seeing her suffer so much.”
“The court is a nightmare to navigate.” My mood darkened as I guided Koray up a flight of stairs. “One wrong move could get her flogged, and everyone thinks they can handle a flogging until it actually happens.”
He tilted his head before responding, his face contorted in skepticism. “One wrong word from a mate could make a wolf feel way worse than being whipped, Belenus. I think Hekla would still rather take the whip than some of the things she’s going through alone,” he argued. “If you keep taking everyone’s side but hers, you’re going to lose her. Wolves can’t survive conditions like that.”
“You seem to have become quite the expert on wolves, Koray,” I said, raising my brows at him while opening a door to the study halls.Was what he said true? Could I really lose Hekla with the long-term strategy?
“Well, I’ve been around Soley almost nonstop since the day we all met our mates. She also talks a lot about her friends, including Hekla. You’ve hardly been around Hekla.” He shrugged. “You just have some catching up to do.”
“I’m sure I do,” I replied with a groan. Then, before going any farther down the hall, I pulled him aside to change the subject. “I also wanted to mention,” I said as quietly as possible for human ears, which were not as sharp as fae. “I’ve asked for a copy of my marriage contract to be sent to me, and I’m gathering a team to see if there are any loopholes or weaknesses we could exploit. Since there’s a magical aspect to these contracts, I’d appreciate it if you could be an extra pair of eyes.”
“Sure,” he answered. “I’ve actually already drafted a letter to the Lunar Coven, asking if they have any advice. Just let me know when you’re meeting.” He then glanced around nervously, but I knew there wasn’t anyone within hearing range.
“I’m impressed, Koray,” I remarked, taking a step back to study him. “Very proactive. I appreciate that.”
He shrugged, unaware of his rare combination of morals and motivation. Well, it was rare in fae court life. It could take decades to build trust with a courtier—an issue cultivated by long lifespans, endless intrigue, and of course, boredom.
I turned to lead Koray to a study that belonged to the head of our magic department studies. The master instructor was in, and the older, thin man scrambled from his desk to bow before me. Only several lizard scales at his temples told of his folk fae heritage.
“Good morning, Dumnorix!” I greeted and gestured to the eager young man beside me. “I’d like you to meet my good friend, Koray, the Lunar Key to the Realm of the Gods. He has some knowledge of witchwork, and I’d like you to design a curriculum for him so he can learn about magic theory. He is a human, so keep that in mind, but I want him to be as educated on the topic as any apprentice.
“He does train with the soldiers during the day, so see if you can sort out how you’d like the time to be split. Sounds good everyone?” I asked, clasping my hands and looking from Dumnorix to Koray, who both nodded vigorously. “Excellent. Treat him like you would my brother, Dumnorix! Have a good day!”
I waltzed out to let them get acquainted, happy to have something positive checked off my list. However, I slowed down when I reached the main floor and stared in the direction of the servants’ quarters. Maybe Hekla’s heat had calmed. Koray’s words had speared past my defenses, and now I was truly worried about how she saw Eislyn and me.
I turned to head down the servants’ wing and pumped my fists nervously. At the very least, I needed to know if she was ok. When I turned the last corner, a disgusting scene ripped my face into a scowl.
“What in the shit is happening here?” I snapped furiously, and about eleven men fell into deep bows. “Why are you all hovering at this door?” I pointed at the fae closest to my mate’s door to get an explanation. Ashen faced, he seemed completely unprepared to answer the question, so I barked again, “Why are you at this door? Answer me!”
“Y-Your Highness, we just… er… well, it sounds bad to say it out loud,” the fae stuttered.
I took another step toward the group, seething. “And yet I’m still asking you to say it out loud. Why are you making your prince repeat an order?”
A different fae finally snapped under the pressure. “There’s a woman in there who smells really good, and we’re trying to see if she wants to have a good time, ok?” He planted his profusely sweating face in his hands and groaned, knowing that what he’d just said had sounded incredibly disturbing. The others regarded him miserably like he’d just signed their executions. They were lucky this wasn’t the Winter Court.
I stormed to the door, stationed myself before it as a barricade, and faced them. “If I see any of you bothering this person again, you will be fired on the spot. Am I understood?” My tone added to the warning—low, cold, and clear.
“Yes, Your Highness…” they all answered with strained voices.
“Get out of here,” I spat and gestured them all away from me. The dismissal had them fleeing like they’d heard a cù-sìth. Somewhat mollified—but not in regards to worry—I turned and knocked on the door. The only response from inside was a mumble and a groan, so I put my spare key to the lock and let myself enter.
Hekla’s pheromones penetrated me like a rabid wolf’s bite, and I knew that closing the door had trapped me with them. I scrubbed a hand over my face, fought an intense and sudden need for her body, and tried to decide whether or not I had the self-control to remain. I had to though. I had to check on her .
The room was uncomfortably warm, a fire kept stoked by her body. Though Hekla immediately noticed me entering, she couldn’t seem to stay still. She writhed on the bed, her gaze heated, almost angry, and her body covered in sweat and misery. The tunic had long since been soaked through, glued to her shapely breasts, and it looked like the only other item she wore was a pair of panties. Though my mind fractured with conflicting emotions, saliva threatened to drip from the corner of my mouth. My pants tightened. My heart pounded. The sight was a burst of adrenaline straight to my libido.
Do not bed her, do not bed her, do not bed her!
“Hekla,” I growled, blinking fiercely and trying to stay focused. “Were you aware there were men outside your door?” I fisted my hands, trying to not let jealousy rise in my chest. Gods, my heart slammed against my ribs like a battering ram. I couldn’t think in here.
“They’ve been there since my heat started! At least they’re not kissing my hand,” she snapped breathlessly and rolled away from me, squeezing her thighs together and moaning quietly.
My rebellious eyes focused on the shape of her bottom and refused to look elsewhere. “I hate Eislyn, Hekla! I hate that vile creature!” I retorted, moved to her bed, and rested a knee on it. I leaned over to try to get her to look at me.
“You sure seem to protect her well for hating her so much!” Hekla seethed, glaring over her shoulder at me and showing a canine. Sweat dripped down her temples, framing her furious eyes.
I placed my other knee on the bed to straddle her and returned her scowl. “Do you understand what would have happened had you touched her, she-wolf? She could have gotten my mother to have you whipped! Whipped!”
“But why did I have to go that far, Belenus? I had to go that far because you wouldn’t make her stop!” she snarled up at me, her words angry but her body wanting. Her heat seemed to be tearing her in two.
“You could have left at any point! You should have! I wasn’t going to let her do anything to you!”
Her eyes widened. “Do you know how hard it is to leave when a nasty woman is clinging to your mate’s arm like she owns him? When she’s calling him her intended? It’s torture! It’s fucking torture!”
I took her hands and pinned her wrists to the bed so she wouldn’t scratch me in a blind rage. “You know what else is torture? Having to go through all this shit with an axe over our necks when all I want is to marry and bed the shit out of you!” I countered viciously.
Hekla cried out, from what I didn’t know. It was a nightmarish mixture of frustration, despair, loneliness, and arousal. She bucked under me, trying to get out of my grip, but I held her down, feeling like I was also losing my mind. It was so damn hot in here. I glanced down between her legs, unable to tell what was sweat and what was from her core. I bet if I licked her clean, I could tell.
“Did you see the doctors for this?” I asked through clenched teeth, trying not to rip her underwear off and shove my tortured cock into her. I shuddered and my hips jerked slightly, like my body was telling me to get inside her already and start thrusting. My groin ached, and my abdominals and hip muscles screamed to begin their sexual workout. Sweat trickled down my brow from the effort of fighting for control. It dripped onto her collarbone with a satisfying plip and mixed with her own salt water.
“Yes! And because my mate can’t help, they said it’s either cold showers or masturbation!” She gave a cold, bitter laugh. “And it’s very short, very temporary relief. Thanks for asking!” She growled a soft, wolfy growl that made me harder than I’d ever been in my life.
My blood simmered, coming to a boil, but I couldn’t tell if it was from anger or lust. “Hekla, I would love to help. You know that! ”
“If you won’t be useful, then go away! You’re just making it worse.” The female groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. She truly looked like she was in pain.
“Useful? Oh, I can be quite useful, my dear she-wolf!” I fumed, angry despite the hurt I felt for my suffering fated mate. I moved both her wrists into my left hand so I could slide the right one down her stomach and straight into her panties.