Chapter 36
QUEEN HEKLA: ONE WEEK LATER
I was drowning in she-wolves. Ragna, Soley, and Rakel hovered over the poor maids preparing me for my combined marriage and coronation. Bidelia was babbling excitedly as she wrapped a little black bow tie around Arse’s neck, despite his curmudgeonly protesting. I knew he loved her attention, though, because he let her get away with a lot—way more than he allowed me. It wasn’t the first time I thought about giving Bidelia his ownership papers. They were inseparable.
Maybe when she’s older. We’ll ask ‘Arsybald’ what he wants, Eventide proposed giddily. She’d been just as excited about the wedding. It hadn’t meant anything to us at first, but having Belenus and me claim each other per his culture’s tradition was a thrill of its own. It was just another opportunity to show thousands that Belenus was mine, and doing that publicly meant more than ever.
All ours!
Once the maids finished, my she-wolves fell into a rare moment of silence. I smoothed the skirts on the gown and turned to look at myself in the mirror. The cream corset was being adjusted by Ragna, loosened a little because she knew from experience that I might feel faint under the hot, summer sun.
“Now that you’re with pup like me,” she said, looking over my shoulder with a warm, happy smile, “you’re going to have to be more careful with dizzy spells. Your body will warn you. Just make sure you listen to it.”
“I don’t have symptoms yet, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.” I laughed, beaming back at her joyful expression. Soley fluffed the layered gossamer skirts of gold and blue, the colors of the last thread of sunlight on the horizon before it was swallowed by the deep blue of the evening. Rakel lifted the gauzy, midnight-blue cape so it wouldn’t drag on the floor and studied the tiny diamonds sewn into it. I didn’t know who designed the dress, but I was wrapped in everything the sun and skies offered, and my she-wolves murmured in approval and admiration. My reflection smiled back at me—a joyous alpha in a wedding dress.
“Are you ready?” Rakel asked, tilting her head to make sure nothing was missed. “I’m glad you left your hair down. You look like a sky goddess, Hekla.”
“Yeah,” I breathed out nervously. “I am ready!”
“Then let’s go, go, go, Queen Hekla!” Soley chirped and ran forward to get the door. Ragna linked arms with me, and Rakel held onto my cape that doubled as a train.
Bidelia skipped along in a cute gold-and-green dress that brought out the colors of her gold, emerald, and sky-blue butterfly wings. They remained crinkled, but I would do everything in my power to see if they could be fixed. Doctor Elisedd said that we might have to wait until she stopped growing to try. Arse still stubbornly declined his own treatment for his wings, but I imagined he’d cave someday.
My she-wolves handed me over to my crying father once we reached the carpet, and we marched toward the altar so he could give me away to Belenus. Bidelia had prematurely thrown her last handful of petals and ran off to find her friend, ‘Tan,’ a nickname far too inaccurate for the pale fae ruler. She sat gleefully next to the calm King Nechtan of the Winter Court, trying to be polite but—like a little ray of sunshine—couldn’t seem to stop radiating excitement. Her little feet kicked the air rhythmically as she fought to contain her enthusiasm. I didn’t have the heart to seat them separately, knowing this would be the last time they’d see each other for four years, and he’d behaved himself quite well with her.
Nofre and Emer were currently traveling for reasons I tried not to think about, but all of the bat-shifters who’d wished to attend were seated under a large, thick tarp to protect them from the sunlight. Needless to say, with the bats, the fae, my subpack, their mates, and my family, the crowd attending the wedding and coronation was colossal. Though the sea of faces intimidated me, friendly faces offered relief. I smiled when I spied Oscar and his daughter, giving them a little wave as I passed.
When my blubbering father passed me over to Belenus, my entire world centered on him. I stared at his clean-shaven, flirty grin and fell into his warm, loving amber eyes. His hair had been trimmed and styled to perfection, like how it’d been when I first arrived. And in his wedding attire, he looked downright dashing, a smart white and gold-trimmed paludamentum thrown over a shoulder. His grin turned knowing when I suddenly felt a touch weak in the knees. How could I not be affected by this fae? Belenus was everything I could have asked for and more.
I fought to pay attention to the officiant because Belenus’s amber eyes were too hypnotizing. We didn’t mind-link at all, but I knew what he was saying with his body. What he’d confessed weeks ago still held true—he would make it very clear tonight how much he wanted me. The fire in his eyes whispered that he hadn’t nearly gotten enough. With his smoldering gaze and the way he subtly rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, he shared what he’d be doing with his magic later. By the time the officiant wrapped up his speech and prompted us to make our vows, the heat from my cheeks rivaled the sun. I was done with fae games, but there was no ignoring his call to play.
After we slipped our rings on each other, Belenus’s mouth crashed on mine, and he leaned me back again into a dramatic pose, eliciting a roar from the crowd. We almost had to be pried apart for the crowning, of which I have no memory of because all I wanted to do was escape and rip Belenus’s clothes off of his hard, hungry body. My wolf paced inside, wanting to get to my mate now that we’d been introduced as the ruling mated pair.
We addressed dinner as a challenge, both of us needing to escape as soon as possible. And since it was my turn to tease him, I made sure to target only the sausages on my plate. To encourage him into a hasty retreat, I licked and sucked completely inappropriately on the ends when I thought no one else was paying attention. As much as I missed my mother and enjoyed discussing the news of my pregnancy, I had other things on my mind.
Though, the more heated glances I sent him, the more I started to notice a change in Belenus. He seemed a little stronger since the coronation, and his hair seemed a little… brighter. The gold flecks on his skin also reflected a touch… more brilliantly? I poked his shoulder to get his full attention again and ran a finger over the back of his hand.
“You seem different, mate,” I noted, examining him with curiosity.
“Triskelion’s blessing is fully settling in,” he murmured, bringing his hand up to stare at it. Wonder brightened his radiant amber eyes. “I’ve been feeling my court’s magic slowly become more available to me. Now that I’m king, it’s all at my disposal. With so much magic under my skin, it changes my appearance a little…” He stared at his hand in fascination. “It’s bizarre to see it happening to me.”
I stared pensively at him, and after the surprise calmed, I narrowed my eyes. This could be used to my advantage. “I think this warrants an investigation, wouldn’t you agree?”
His face cracked into a roguish grin, and he leaned in to ask quietly, “What are you wanting to investigate, wife?”
“I think we need to check the rest of you,” I whispered into his ear, brushing my lips against the tip on ‘accident.’ “Make sure you’re ok. Everywhere.”
“Yes,” he breathed, raising his brows and setting his lips into a grim line. “I’m especially concerned about my cock. You should thoroughly examine it.”
We made our excuses without delay, citing a medical concern and fooling absolutely no one. Belenus swept me up into his thrilling, muscular arms and raced to the royal chamber that was finally ready for us as of today. My mate had wanted all of his parents’ things removed, so it’d taken time to redecorate and remodel.
Once we were in the royal bedchamber, Belenus untied my dress, then ripped it up and over my head. He groaned at the sight of me in my damp undergarment and worked quickly to remove the rest. “Gods, Hekla, I could spill my seed just by looking at you.” He moaned and shucked his own clothes, discarding them onto the floor. I helped him with his shoes, and when our skin felt only warm summer air, he cradled and lowered me onto the bed.
“I need you,” I called to him in a low voice. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you the whole time…”
“You have me, my wife, my queen, my mate,” he said, sliding between my legs and spreading them. “Only you get to have me. Only I get to have you.” He reached between us to notch his cock into the entrance of my sex. We were much too ready, too eager for teasing or foreplay. The wedding had been teasing. Dinner had been foreplay.
We moaned in chorus as he nudged between my folds to plunge past my threshold. My arousal spilled out, dripping down my thighs and buttocks as he pushed his pulsing member deeper. The sparks of the mate touch stole my breath, but there was something more spellbinding about Belenus now. I could detect the smallest hint of his essence just under his skin, and for several heartbeats, I weakened, melted beneath him. My sex throbbed, threatening to spin me into a climax.
“Oh Moon Goddess, Belenus, I can feel your magic.” I tilted my head, tested by his sublimity, and slid my hands up his chiseled arms to grip his back. He grunted to acknowledge what I’d said as he continued to ease into me, staggeringly hard. I heard him take slow, controlled breaths and realized he was trying not to climax either. That alone made my stomach flip from lust, and my core clenched around him possessively.
His fingers held the sheets in a death grip as he took a moment to breathe. “You… you feel…” He was at a loss for words and simply lowered his head to lay soft, tingling kisses on my neck. He finally relaxed as he pushed in the rest of the way.
I gaped as his exquisite form and essence filled me to the brim. Belenus was completely mine, and I could still scarcely believe it. I wasn’t sure why the Sky Gods had chosen me, why the Moon Goddess had given me Belenus, and why the Summer Court needed me as its queen, but I’d take every single joy that came my way.
“Oh, she-wolf,” Belenus breathed into my ear as he lifted his hips, sliding his erection out of my sex just a bit before pushing back in, “I could do this until the day I died…” He rolled his hips slowly and sensually, taking a different approach to our mating this time.
“Me too,” I gasped out, arching into his muscular chest as he undulated over me. His gentle, provocative movements had me so aroused, so stimulated, that chills and goose bumps pricked at my skin. He’d invited me into a lazy, carnal dance that heated up my body from the very marrow of my bones. I growled in acceptance and stretched under him, moving in time with his rolling hips.
“Tell me, she-wolf,” he groaned, shuddering after I’d released my wolfish noise, “do you still want for anything? You know I’d give you anything you asked for…” He flexed his ab domen, sending his swollen, rock-hard length deep into my depths again. I spasmed under him, curled my toes, and released an excited pant.
Through my foggy, aroused mind, I considered his question. I had a home, a mate, a purpose, friends, and family. What more did I need? I couldn’t say I wanted for anything. Still though, a dusty place remained in my soul where my pack used to be. There wasn’t anything I could do about that. I knew I’d be packless forever...
I swallowed heavily as I held onto Belenus. It couldn’t be possible... could it?
“Belenus?” I whispered, running a leg along his flexing thigh in an affectionate, sensual gesture.
“Yes, sweet wife?” he murmured and shifted his weight to lean down and kiss me.
“If I could make a pack… would you join it?” I asked nervously, biting my lower lip.
“If that’s what you want, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” he answered, moving to plant gentle, wet kisses on my brow. “Though I’m not sure if it’s possible.”
My curiosity possessed me in that moment, and I was unable to wait. Straddling a place of pain and pleasure, I ran a claw down my palm, leaving behind a small red line of blood. He slowed his motions and drew his brows in, not recognizing the significance.
“Hold your palm up,” I requested falteringly, searching his eyes as I put myself in a deeply vulnerable place. I felt no judgment from him through the bond—merely curiosity. He held his palm up, and I cut a long line down it, identical to mine. He didn’t wince in pain, just stared down at me and waited patiently. “I don’t know if this will work,” I said nervously. He wasn’t a shifter, but he had a wolf spirit…
“Just try,” he encouraged and brushed a strand away from my face.
I swallowed and grabbed his hand, placing our bloody palms against each other. I projected an alpha command into the sacred lines of my own people. “I, Hekla Nighean An Tsamhraidh, alpha of the summer queen’s pack, accept you, Belenus Ailill Mac An Tsamhraidh, into my pack.”
Something did happen, taking me utterly by surprise. I hadn’t really believed it was possible. The sudden sensation of a pack link forming between the two of us had Belenus and me jerking in shock. The intensity of the tether’s appearance flared like the first ray of sunlight and swirled with energy like the ever-restless sky. The empty place inside of me was now filled and connected directly to my mate.
Belenus hissed and adjusted his weight over me.
“Are you ok?” I asked worriedly, astonished by the link’s appearance, but he only chuckled weakly, and I felt his cock swell and throb within me.
“Yeah…” He laughed into my shoulder and rolled his hips, forcing a moan out of me while I waited for him to say more. “Just when I thought I couldn’t feel closer to you…”
That cut through all my defenses, and my eyes watered. He didn’t reject it or tell me to undo it. Was he ok letting me have this?
As if he’d read my mind, he said into my ear, “I told you, I’d give you anything.” He nuzzled my jaw sweetly with his nose. “If this makes you happy… I’ll gladly fill the role.” He pulled his heavy cock out and thrust it back in to punctuate his eagerness. I gasped from the sudden movement, and broiling fire coursed through my spine.
I scrabbled at his back and arched into him again, losing myself in how much I loved my mate. He’d done what he said he was going to do. He became more mindful of his words, became less judgmental of my culture, and ended up embracing everything about me, including what he’d eventually found within himself.
“I love you!” I cried through my sobs, tears rolling down my cheeks. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I tightened my legs around his hips and pulled him into me with each of his thrusts. “Thank you, Belenus!” I whimpered and clutched at his back muscles, panting with blooming passion. I was too stimulated, too overwhelmed, too happy, too excited, and I knew Belenus felt it as well because his movements became rougher.
“I love you too,” he replied in a thick, emotional voice. He leaned onto his elbows and started slapping his hips into mine, plunging his stiff length all the way in to kiss my cervix. I whimpered and rubbed my breasts against his chest, reveling in the mate touch and the essence that poured out of him and into me. I no longer felt like something was missing. Belenus had made me whole again, to perfect completion, something I’d never thought possible.
“You are sweet perfection. I’m going to worship you until my dying day,” he vowed between pants, sending his cock sliding back and forth along my weeping channel. Each plunge was a reminder of how he completed me in every way and how we both had a long lifetime to celebrate that. “Oh Sun God, I don’t know how much longer I can last. You’re so beautiful, so tight, so warm, so wonderful.” He rained kisses over me as he accelerated, his moans caressing my skin in sensual puffs.
“Give me your seed,” I begged and caught his mouth with mine. I kissed him fervently, holding tight as he reached his fastest pace, rocking me into the king and queen’s bed. I whined and whimpered into his lips as I tilted my hips to meet his impacts. Though the sounds forced their way out of me, I knew they spurred him. Fully embracing all my tricks, I slid my hands up his neck through his shorter hair and rubbed the points of his ears.
He growled voraciously into my mouth, and his breathing deepened, grew desperate. He reached between my legs and massaged my aching, swollen flesh, groaning with carnal lust. “Come for me, and I’ll give you what you want, she-wolf,” he said in a deep voice that made my abdomen twist into scorching, pleasurable knots.
As he dripped the sweat of his exertion onto me, I took a deep breath of his scent, basking in the lemon trees and summer storms. He was everywhere now—in my lungs, my pores, my mind, my sex, and my soul. I could stay like this forever .
He did what he promised he’d do during our wedding, and a climax burst out of me. Through me, I swear the sun escaped the horizon in the most brilliant, blinding sunrise. My body was caught on the rays of light that passed through me, bringing waves of ecstasy with each flare. The loud cry that escaped me made my mate fall into a rutting frenzy.
“Yes! Howl!” he yelled and thrust in one final time to release his seed. He roared through his teeth and braced himself over me, shaking violently from his climax as I pulsed against him with mine. His eyes squeezed shut, and his hips jerked with every release that my massaging channel urged out of him. “Shit!” he cried out, gasping and wrapping his arms around me, then rolled us over so I was lying on his chest. His hips continued to buck up with each spurt, and I swayed helplessly over him, allowing my core to milk out his offering, his essence, and his love for me. My mind and body were abuzz with euphoria, and even though my climax was ending, the euphoria was not.
“Gods, I love you so much,” he groaned again, dragging me down to wrap me in his loving, golden embrace.
“I love you too… so very, very much,” I replied, nearly choking up with emotion. I was so happy, and I could feel that he was experiencing the same overwhelming joy. I couldn’t imagine anything better than sensing my mate’s equal bliss.
I sent a prayer of gratitude to all the gods. I thanked them for giving me a fated mate, for watching over us during our quest for the throne, and for deigning to let me have the last, tiny sliver of myself that was missing. I now had a pack, and his name was Belenus.
The End