Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 12

AIDEN.

What in the name of the devil!? I thought furiously as I took long strides towards the bathroom.

I had no idea what I was doing. Or if it was the right thing to do. No idea for how long I’ll be able to hold onto this charade.

Why did it have to be now of all times? Why?

It was too much. Not confident I can continue to endure this t0rture. I was losing my senses as she snuggled more into my embrace, almost as though she was looking for a way to grind herself against my body.

Her small purrs and m0ans were unwinding me. My mind was filled with wild thoughts and images of me taking her. Marking her.

I didn’t envision our first k!ss to be what we shared a moment ago. At least, not when she wasn’t sane.

‘This is too much,’ Leo gr0aned, pacing in my head. ‘This is too much to handle. I…I…no touching,’ he finished in a strangled voice.

Yes. No touching. I reminded myself. She had asked that I shouldn’t touch her, and that is what I plan on doing, regardless of how painful and uncomfortable it makes me feel.

My p-ants tightened around me, causing an uneasy whizz to leave my l!ps.

“Wh…ere are…you…taking me?” she mumbled, tightening her hold around my neck.

“To help,” I said in a strangled voice. Her touches were setting every place she c.aressed on fire.

I strode to the bathroom, dismissing or so I thought I did, how she kept pushing into me, as though wanting us to become one.

I turned the handle and used my leg to push the door open. I wonder how she would react to this?

I helped her down, however, not without her sliding her body sensually against mine as I did so. I nearly choked on my breath, loving the feel of her and the sound escaping her scarcely parted l!ps.

Before she could comprehend what was going on, I turned the shower on and cold water drenched us.

Her gasp echoed around us, making something warm and fuzzy tense around my c.hest. I blinked, wiping the water away from my face before I looked down at her whimpering figure.

She stood still, arms wrapped around her body as she gaped at me wide-eyed. The water drenched her hair, and as I allowed my eyes to trail down her body, my breath hitched.

‘Oh, shit…’ Leo howled.

It was a big mistake. The water had made her white blouse stick to her body. I could see everything. Every contour. Every outline. The swell of her b.reasts. The way her n!pples strained against the blouse. I was reminded of the fact that a b.rassiere had not been brought with her clothes. With every minute I spent staring at the outline of her body, I wanted to push through the sanity stopping and taking my mate.

I forcefully dragged my eyes back to her face. The water had flattened her hair to her face, taming the stubborn curls. She stared up at me with teary eyes, mewling and whining for me to help her.

My p-ants became even tighter than before and I had to close my eyes to stop myself from launching myself at her.

I took a step back. One. Two. Three. But the gut-wrenching cry that ripped from her throat as she crunched down made me stop, and I quickly covered the small distance I had created between us.

“Pa…in…” she cried. “So…painful. Help me…please,” she cried.

I crunched to her level, the cold water continuously hitting us with no mercy. I closed my eyes, telling myself I was only doing this because she was in pain.

I brought my hands to her face and cupped her cheeks, intense sparks flaring as soon as I touched her.

“I’m so sorry, Nala,” I murmured as I helped her up. “I’m so sorry,” I added, leaning my head against hers.

Her deep brown eyes stared at me hopefully, as she slowly wound her arms around my t-0rso. She l!cked the seam of her l!ps, as though waiting for me to do something.

I simply peered. Afraid that once I give in to my desires, I’ll lose it. For the love of goddesses! She wasn’t supposed to be in heat! We’ve just met today! What is going on?

‘Something doesn’t seem right with the heat. It is not naturally induced. I don’t know what is going on. But it is putting both her and her wolf into so much pain,’ Leo explained.

I sighed, taking in her unique scent of ice and wildflowers filled my senses, inhabiting every part of me that was sane. Another strangled cry from her, and her large doe brown eyes gazing up at me helplessly made me lose it.

I tipped her head up and k!ssed her. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be k!ssing her. All thoughts, however, drifted away as soon as she began k!ssing me back. Hot. Hard. Fast. As though her life depended on it.

She closed the space between us, tugging me closer to her as she brought her hands to either side of my face. The softness of her b.reast made an impact with my solid muscle. It was like making contact with pure electricity; a static charge that lit up every nerve end in my body so fiercely that I could hear them crackle.

I tried to fight it. I tried to stop. But I couldn’t. Not when her mouth clung hungrily and my body writhed closer to the uncompromising softness of her body.

Another sob clutched her throat. I felt it, and I lifted my head from the k!ss to look down at her. She was still in pain. My k!sses weren’t helping.

“It’s…too much…” she breathed, tears rolling down her cheeks alongside the water. “Too…painful…!” she cried out, her fingers tugging at the buttons of my shirt.

I shut my eyes tightly, wishing she’d just stop.

“I’m sorry Nala… I’m so sorry,” I whispered, pulling her hands away from my shirt. She let out a cry that shattered my heart before she raised her fists, slamming them to my c.hest repeatedly.

“Take…the pain away!” she sobbed. “It’s too much! I know you can help me. Just…touch me. Ta…ke me…do it…everything.”

This was not Nala speaking. Nala would never ask me to touch her. At least, not now. It was the heat. The unnatural heat that had hit her.

She kept on hitting me, tears streaming down her cheeks mixed with the water. I hated that I couldn’t do anything to help. I hated that I was making her cry. I hated it all.

I couldn’t take it anymore, I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into my embrace. She fought wildly against me, hitting me with her fists as she continued to cry, but I refused to let her go. Instead, I lifted a hand and began stroking her hair while I car*essed her back with my other hand, gently swaying her. Her face was buried in my c.hest, the cold water still hitting us. Her wails were reduced to sniffs and her hands were wrapped around me tightly as if her life depended on it.

“It’s alright,” I whispered, k!ssing her wet hair. “Everything is going to be fine. I promise.” I added, k!ssing her temples before tightening my hold around her.

We stood there for who knows how long. I didn’t care, all that mattered was she was slowly calming down. Slowly, I stretched my hand towards the faucet and turned the shower off, then gingerly pulled away from the hug.

Nala hiccuped, her eyes red and puffy from the cries. Her hair stuck to her face, the curls framing her face. The bruise on her cheek was slowly fading, while her dark l!ps were plump from my k!ss.

I longed to run my thumb across them, but I held back. I won’t do anything more to her.

“How are you feeling?” I asked softly, wiping a trail of water off her cheeks.

“I…I don’t know,” she stuttered, sniffing. “I…touch…I… I’m confused,” she hissed, holding her head and shaking it in her confusion.

She’s going through a lot, I thought as I watched her wince a bit.

‘And so are we,’ Leo grumbled. ‘It’s so… hard,’ he p-anted. ‘My sack is full, and I know I’m capable of giving her ten pups if I should set it free,’ he added.

‘Shut up!’ I snapped, blocking our connection and turning my attention back to Nala.

“Come. Let’s get you out of those we.t clothes,” I said softly, taking her right hand in mine and leading her out of the shower.

I then led her to the chair overlooking the large mirror in the bathroom and sat her down. However, as I let go of her hand and turned to leave, she held onto it and called out.

“Where are you going? Don’t leave me! I don’t want you to,” her eyes were already filling with tears, and I began to wonder just how much this heat period messes with the woman’s h.ormones?

“I’m not going anywhere. I just need to get you a robe from that wardrobe,” I pointed to the wardrobe at the far right. “And help you out of those wet clothes,” I explained.

“I’ll go with you,” she said instantly, standing up and pressing her body to my side. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

I sighed, swallowing so hard as my stomach squeezed. F**k! I’m in for a terrible night today.

She needs to stop touching me if I need to keep my sanity.

‘You’ve already lost that sanity. At least, I know I already have. One more push and I may take her,’ Leo gritted.

‘You wouldn’t dare,’ I sneered.

‘I won’t,’ he said quietly. ‘I just wished I could. But her consent matters more than anything. And I’ll rather sleep with that load in there than do this without her knowledge,’ I heard him say.

I smiled softly. Leo and I think alike. We would never take Nala without her consent. Not when she doesn’t even know what she’s going through. Especially this heat that is not natural. Something must have triggered it, and for the love of everything I cherish, I can’t begin to imagine what must have caused it.

It made no sense.

“Sit here.” I pushed her back to the chair. “And don’t move.”

“What will you reward me with if I don’t move?” she asked, her tone soft and daring at the same time.

“What?” I asked in confusion.

“If I stay still, will I get rewarded?” she asked again. Her eyes lit up, and she looked so confident. So sure of herself.

Just what the f**k was going on here? Who dares mess with my mate?

‘Now is not the time to let your anger get to you. Think of how to get this woman to sleep while we still have some sanity left in us!’ Leo chided.

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Anything you want. As long as it is not something I can’t do,” I replied.

Then without waiting for her to say anything, I walked to the wardrobe and picked one of my robes. It was blue, soft, and smelled nice too.

“I hope you don’t catch a cold by morning,” I mumbled as I kneel before her and start to unbutton her blouse.

Surprisingly though, she stayed still without reaching out for me or moving. I peeled the blouse and her jeans off her and stared at the scars on her body. My b***d boiled, and the crashing feeling of rage I had felt before her heat returned.

These scars. I hated them. Not in the sense that I hated her body, but in the sense that looking at them threatened to knock the breath off my c.hest. I was angry at myself for not replaceing her sooner. Angry that she endured all this. Angry that I still hadn’t made the person responsible pay. I trailed my finger lightly across the scar on her neck, then down to the one below her right b.reast, wondering how she had gotten a scar there. It looked like silver, but at the same time, looked like a burn mark.

However, instead of wallowing in the pit of rage right now, I reminded myself of the task at hand, and so, shoved all thoughts away from my mind as I helped her into the robe. Then I picked the hairdryer, heated it, and began drying her hair. All the while, she sat still.

The soft texture of her hair in my f!ngers made me want to lean in and smell it. But I don’t want to do anything that would bring back the hunger in her. As it was, it seemed as though she was slowly getting out of her daze. After making sure it was dry, I tried as much as I could to pack the hair, which proved to be impossible and I settled for a lousy loose bun with most of the curly curls falling on her face and back.

“Well… that’s the best I could do,” I said nervously.

Weird enough, she smiled. Nala smiled. A slow sensuous smile that made my heart tug loudly, and something hit my rib cage. Both sides of her cheeks dipped and for the first time, I noticed her dimples. She looked beautiful. Ethereal. Gorgeous.

“Thank you,” she mumbled

The voice she used weakened my knees, and I fought the urge to kneel before her and k!ss her feet. F**k! This woman is…

“Now, do I get my reward for staying still?” she asked, cutting off my wild thoughts.

That was it! That was why she didn’t do anything!

“Not yet. Let me change first,” I replied quickly, raising my index f!nger at her. Seeing that she wasn’t moving, I began unbuttoning my wet shirt. Somehow, as though I had been told to look up, I found Nala l!cking her l!ps.

“Nala…” I called in a strained voice, watching as her eyes trailed down my exposed stomach. She didn’t stop looking, and I knew if I continued to stay there, I was going to fail miserably at controlling myself.

“Stay there and wait for me to change,” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper.

I hurried back into the shower, clutching one of the white robes I had plucked from the wardrobe and quickly slipping off my p-ants and changing into the p-ants.

Long after I had changed, I still couldn’t leave. I was afraid of going back out there and taking Nala. I was afraid I would break my promise to keep her safe. I was afraid that I would do something that would make her hate me apart from being scared of me.

I was afraid. I was scared.

‘We can endure it. Just for a while before she falls asleep,’ Leo said.

‘Easy for you to say because you aren’t the one holding back so hard.’

‘You think the load in my sack isn’t enough to give her twenty pups? I am trying so hard not to let go right now!’ he snapped irritatedly.

‘Well, damn that sack of yours or whatever it is you call it. I don’t care! I’m just scared I may lose it once I look at her again,’ I hissed.

‘Whoever did this wanted either of us to lose it and take our mate forcefully without her knowledge. But who could it be? We just found her today and someone is already trying to hurt her?’ Leo growled

‘Beats me to it,’ I sighed, leaning against the tiled floor.

“Aiden?” I heard her call. The sound of my name coming out of her mouth sent me spinning over that finely balanced edge between control and s.exual insanity. Hearing her say my name now, made me realize what I had already known.

I’ll do anything for this woman. Anything.

“Aiden?” she called again, her voice sounding a bit panicked.

“I’m here,” I said grimly, trying so hard to clear my voice as I pushed the door open and stepped out. She was standing right outside the shower room, her eyes frantically searching.

“The…pain…” she hissed, clutching at her stomach. “It is… coming back…”

“Come,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “Let’s go get you to bed,” I added, pulling her out of the bathroom.

But like she did the last time, she pressed herself to the side of my body and wrapped her arms around my t-0rso, her face squeezing from time to time.

Goddess, please. I prayed, shutting my eyes to stir away from the feeling.

We stepped into the room and I led her to the bed, carefully laying her down and covering her with the quilt.

“I’ll sit here. Close your eyes and sleep, Nala,” I whispered.

“No. Lay with me,” she said, patting the space beside her. “I…I…argh!” she winced again, and I wasted no time in pushing the quilt and getting into the bed with her.

“I’m here,” I said softly, cradling her into my embrace. “I’m here, Nala. Always have, always will,” I added, tightening my other hand around her wa!st and she snuggled deeper into my hold.

She smelled so good. Her scent of ice and wildflowers engulf every sensible pore in my body. In my heart. In my entirety.

“I wish the pain would…stop,” she sobbed, pushing more into my c.hest.

This wasn’t how I envisioned the first time I would lay on this bed with her. Regardless, however, I wouldn’t change this for anything. The only thing I wish I could change was to take away the pain.

“I’m so sorry I failed you, Nala,” I lightly grazed my teeth on her nape in an attempt to calm her down and take away some of her pain.

She whispered, a choked cry escaping her l!ps as she pushed her hands into my robe, her hot palms making contact with my skin.

I nearly screamed. Nearly.

Knowing that she’ll continue to snuggle into me while she sobbed, and knowing that I may end up losing my sanity if she continues, I n!pped at her nape, lightly l!cking the scar there, and seized the opportunity to cover her mouth with mine when she gasped.

Hopefully, this would calm her down enough to send her to sleep.

My first night together with my mate. First k!ss. First embrace. First of everything, yet not how I had envisioned any of them…