Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 38

“How do you feel? Would you like me to call the doctor back? Or Kane? Or Mama? Or…”

“Calm down, Nala,” I laughed a bit, my throat hurting in the process. “I am perfectly okay. Except for my body being weak, it hurts just a bit.” I replied, running my hands on her back. She was doing the same thing, running her hands slowly, and sometimes pausing a bit to graze the curves of my burn before continuing.

She’s still in my embrace, and I suppose she had no plans of pulling away any time soon. Not that I’m complaining though.

“You scared me,” she murmured softly. “Especially when everyone says nothing can be done to help you.”

“It’s always been that way,” I whispered, bringing one of my hands to her hair and feeling the soft texture of her curls.

“How so? Oh, and is it weird that I don’t want to let go?” She asked, raising her head a bit to look at me.

I chuckled. “No, I don’t even want you to let go. But let’s adjust the position because my body is still weak.” I replied.

“My bad,” she replied quickly as she pulled back. She searched my face for a moment, her brows pulled in as though she was studying me. “Your eyes have sunk in,” she mumbled.

I nodded before I pulled back, leaned my back against the bed’s headboard and opened my arms.

“Your back…”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. I told you that already,” I said with a small smile. “Come here, Nala,” I added.

She didn’t move. She simply stared. I took that moment to take in her appearance. She wore a white sleeveless silk nightgown. Her arms were bare, and not even for a moment had she tried shielding them from my gaze. She was becoming bolder, and I wouldn’t want her any other way. She had her hair packed up in a bun in the middle of her head. Face still stricken with tears from a few moments ago.

Regardless, she looked perfect under the dim lights of the crystals.

‘Perfect for ravishing,’ Leo sighed.

‘I’m not in the mood for your s.hits, Leo. Don’t disturb me, and end up ruining this for me.’ I hissed.

‘For us you mean,’ he hissed back, blocking the connection between us. But I could still feel it, he was slowly reaching out to Nala his own way.

“Aiden…” Nala called, bringing me out of my reverie.

I dropped my hands to the side and raised my brows. She looked nervous, and as always, she was biting her nails.

“Hmn?”

“Turn around,” she said, her voice breaking a little.

“You want me to turn around?” I asked in confusion.

“Yes, if you don’t mind that is,” she bit her nails again and dropped her head.

“Sure,” I replied and turned my back to her. I felt the bed dip as she moved, before I felt her hot breath against my back.

“Do I smell bad, Nala? I can go shower now so…”

“No, that’s not it,” she replied quickly, before I felt the warmth of her hands on my back. “The scar is back to how it was before. It’s not swollen, neither is it bleeding. It looks clean, as though nothing had happened,” she said as she trailed her fingers on the scar.

“I told you I’m fine now. It happens from time to time and then it stops completely like it never happened,” I replied, trying to turn.

“Don’t turn,” she applied pressure on my shoulders to keep me in place. “I…I want to do something…” she trailed off, sounding hesitant.

“What?” I asked softly, placing one of my hands over hers that lay on my shoulders.

“Uhmn, please, do not think of it as something weird, or that I may be weird. I promise you I’m sane and I just want to see if I can do something for you even though you are back to being healthy now and just…you know…just…arm…I…” she sighed loudly. “I don’t think I can do this,” she tried to pull her hand away but I had a firm grip on it.

“What is it, Nala?”

“I promise I’m not weird, Aiden, but do you mind if I…if I…I…”

“If you what?”

“Doyouwantmetolickyourburnscar?” She said in a single breath, and for a moment, for just the briefest moment, I nearly missed what she was asking.

I nearly choked on my spit as soon as the words get registered in my brain.

Nala wants to lick my scar.

‘F*****g say yes!’ Leo growled, trying to push and take over. ‘Say yes before she takes your silence for no,’ he added.

But I have to wait. I have to ask her first so I can be sure I heard her right. So, I turned a bit, not completely so seeing my face wouldn’t make her more nervous than she already is.

“You want to…lick my scar?”

“Only if you don’t mind. I…I want to return the…favor…”

“Then don’t do it. I didn’t do it so you can repay me…”

“No. I want to do it. I…always wanted to.” She whispered, leaning closer.

I could feel her hot breath, could hear the loud thudding of her heart. We weren’t marked, but I could feel her nervousness sip through me as well. She was going to another length for my sake. She was willing to try, despite the fact that she was scared.

That, and the fact that she had just admitted to having wanted to do it all along.

“My body is yours, Nala,” I whispered back. “Do whatever it is you want…” the words died in my throat as I gasped loudly, the new sensation I had just felt on my shoulders gripping every nerve end in me.

She had just licked me. On my shoulders. Right where the scar started from. She had swiped her tongue right there. And my eyes rolled back.

“Do you want me to continue?” She asked softly, her voice in my ears, her head on my shoulders.

“Ye…” I cleared my throat to get rid of the catch in it before I tried again. “Yes, Nala.”

Her tongue was back on my shoulders, while her fingers roamed around my back where her tongue was yet to reach. The licking caught up to me, sending wild tremors along my nerves, evoking sensations I never thought I was capable of ever feeling. I shut my eyes tightly, and gripped the sheets in a tight grip so I wouldn’t grab her from behind and smash my lips against hers.

Her tongue should be working on my mouth, not my scar. But I wasn’t about to complain, or tell her to stop. I LOVED IT.

‘I love it more. Wish she was doing this directly on my back and not yours,’ Leo m****d.

Suddenly, she stopped, placed her head back on my shoulders and spoke. “I won’t do much licking. I’m nervous,” she breathed, laughing nervously.

I turned a bit to look at her, but I could only catch a glimpse of her face, and her scent that filled my entire senses.

And then, somewhere below this, my heart was reacting. Not a thump exactly. Not even a leap. But a kind of swish, like a frog kicking off from a muddy bank, or the swishing sound of water as it swirled around.

Yeah, that kind.

“Thank…”

“But I can k**s them,” she murmured, before she began placing feather-like k****s. At first, it was slouchy, like she doesn’t know how to do it. Which was why after every place she had kissed her own, she left a trail of saliva there, and that made me laugh.

So innocent. So gorgeous. So perfect.

Soon, she was done and I felt the bed dip as she pushed back. Then I heard her gasp.

“Oh my! You have my saliva all over your back. Let me clean it. I’m so stupid and clumsy and don’t even know how to k**s. I guess I didn’t notice it being this bad when I did it while you were unconscious a few hours ago. I am so sorry, Aiden, I shouldn’t have done that when I knew nothing about kissing and I was only merely trying to show off and …”

“Nala,” I laughed, pulling her into my arms. She didn’t even notice when I had turned around, or when I had covered the little space between us. She had her head down and was playing with her fingers as she spoke.

She was still nervous. Nervous, she may have done this the wrong way. Nervous, I may have not liked it. Nervous from initiating the act herself.

I ruffled her hair then kissed her forehead, before I pushed back, leaned my back against the headboard and intertwined our legs together. Her head was laid on my chest, arms wrapped around each other. Just the perfect calm after the storm I had experienced.

And after the length she had gone through to help me.

“It was perfect, Nala. And the best thing that has happened to me in a while. Thank you so much,” I mumbled against her hair. “You are exceptional.”

She said nothing. Instead, she tightened her arms around me.

A moment of silence stretched. A comfortable silence that reached to our souls. We were basking in the feeling of being wrapped around each other. Enjoying the sensation it carries, and the fact that we have each other to lean on.

A loud knock came from the door, and Nala tried to push away from my hold.

“What is it?” I asked.

“What if someone sees us?” She whispered. “Let me go,” she added.

“I’ll only do that if you don’t want me to hold you anymore. But not because someone is coming. You are my mate, Nala. I have no problem showing the world that.” I replied, disliking the fact that she simply wanted to get away because someone was coming. Shouldn’t she be willing to show me off too?

While I may understand she wasn’t used to this, it still didn’t take away the sting of what she wanted to do.

“But what if that is Mama…”

“Natasha? Are you okay?” A woman’s voice drifted through the door. It took me a moment to understand it was Tiffany’s voice.

“Your Majesty? Everything okay?” I heard Kane’s voice as well.

“Come on in,” I replied, tightening my hold around Nala as she buried her face in my chest, as though afraid to face her subjects simply because she is in my arms.

Somehow, that made me laugh and I bent to k**s her forehead before I looked up to see Tiffany and Kane staring at us wide eyed.

“You’re awake,” Kane finally said.

“Yup. In the flesh as you can see. Wrapped in my mate’s embrace.” I grinned.

Nala pinched me, and I couldn’t hold back the ‘oww’ sound that escaped my lips.

“That was wicked,” I whispered.

“And what you said was unnecessary,” she whispered back.

“Well, I guess I’ll go to sleep now since everything seems to be okay now,” Tiffany said. “Goodnight, Natasha,” she added, a teasing tone to her voice.

“I’ll sleep in one of the guest rooms as well. It is late already and I want to be sure you’re fully awake.” Kane said.

“Thank you, Kane. Have a goodnight rest in the cold with your blankets. ALONE,” I laughed, stressing on the word ‘alone’ before I winked at him.

Kane scoffed, raised his middle finger at me before he pulled the door open and followed behind Tiffany.

“You are mean and soooooo….” She trailed off, finally raising her head from my chest. I already missed the warmth.

“So amazing?” I asked, the side of my mouth curling up in a small grin.

“You’re…you’re…ugh! Forget it.” And she laid her head back.

I ran my hands on her back, letting it measure the expanse of her back.

“Does this happen most of the time? The burn acting up I mean,” she finally spoke.

“Once every few months. But mostly only when I get angry a lot.”

“Why? What has your anger got to do with it?” She asked, sounding dumbfounded.

“I got the acid and those plant combinations poured on my back while I was angry, Nala. Weird as this may sound, my body always acts up when I get angry. It’s nothing magical and I’m not cursed, that I’m certain of. It’s just something my body built on its own and reacts to it that way when I get angry. Besides, a combination like the one I got burnt with is deadly and almost never heals completely, especially since the plants used are magical plants.” I explained.

“So your body acts up when you’re angry. Like it’s building a defense mechanism against your mind and your anger,” she said thoughtfully.

“Exactly. I have a trauma with burns, and my body mostly shuts itself off, and the burn acts up when I get too angry. Like you said, it’s like a defense mechanism.” I answered.

“Makes sense, although I wouldn’t get it past my feeble mind and brain that this is magical,” she laughed a bit.

“Most people would think that way. But it’s just something I need to learn to control more. I mean my anger.”

“Why were you angry?” She asked quietly.

I debated telling her, but I knew this wasn’t the right time. Besides, the ceremony was in two days and I need her sane.

“You don’t have to tell me now if you don’t want to,” she placed her hand on my chest and let her fingers trail the muscles around it. “But I do not want to see you in pain this much next time. So please, whenever you are about to get angry, remember how it’ll break my heart to see you in pain.” She mumbled.

“Oh, Nala,” I tipped her head up, stared into her deep brown eyes and allowed myself to drown into its swirls. “Thank you.”

She simply nodded and returned her head to my chest. She seems to like the position.

“One of the reasons Mav left was because of the burn,” I began. “He blamed himself for it, and when he and Baba fought over it, and the other issue, he left. Baba never really liked him. He never really treated him like a son.” I finished.

“Why?”

“Because like he likes to call it, Mav is the product of his mistake. So he never liked him.” I replied.

“A mistake?” She pushed up and looked at me. “Why would he think of his son as a mistake? Was that why the history books never mentioned him as the king’s son?”

“In a way, yes. Baba took a royal concubine when Mama was yet to conceive me. However, six months after Mav’s mother got pregnant with him, Mama got pregnant as well. And that was when the hatred started. Sometimes, I blame myself for all of it. If I wasn’t conceived, Mav wouldn’t have suffered that way. And I…”

“Don’t say that,” Nala placed her hand over my mouth as shook her head. “You aren’t to be blamed here, and I’m certain neither is Mama. When she spoke about him the first time we met, she was sad, and I could see she would do anything just to see him again.”

“That was because she took care of Mav like her son. He and I grew up like twins, especially because I am a lot more muscular and taller than he is. We never even knew we shared different mothers until Baba decided he wanted to tell Mav that when we were twelve years old. Mav never showed Mama that he knew, neither did he tell me about it. I only knew when we turned eighteen,” I sighed, the memory of the dark day returning to me.

I hated it.

“So Baba does not like him only because his mother was a concubine?”

“Yes,” I answered. “But it makes no sense to me. And it hurts, Nala. It hurts so much when I recall all he had to endure for my sake, and the way he had left. We have no idea where he is or if he’s still alive.”

“I’m so sorry,” Nala mumbled, hugging me tightly. “So sorry you both went through all of that.”

I hugged her back, as I tried to push back the sadness threatening to take over so I wouldn’t ruin our perfect moment. After a while, Nala pulled back and smiled.

“Guess what? I’m ready to go to the ceremony with you. And I’m ready to be introduced as your queen, Aiden.”

The grin started slowly, before I felt my cheeks hurt from the way it had expanded. In seconds, Nala had succeeded in turning my sadness to happiness.

I knew she was nervous, yet, she was trying to brave up and do this. So, I thought to try to, after all, we’ve both had long tiring days.

“Let’s go on a date in the morning, Nala.”

Her eyes lit up, before her face dropped. “The ceremony is the day after. I need to prepare and…”

“We’ll be back early. Besides, you don’t have to do much at the ceremony since it’s not our official marking ceremony. All you have to do is be yourself, and shift during the wolf dance if you want to.” I explained.

“I…I have to shift?” She asked wide eyed.

“Only if you want to,” I replied as I took her hands in mine. “No pressure.”

“I’ll think about it,” she replied with a nod. “But do you think the date is a good idea? Don’t you have work to do and preparations…”

“Like I said, we’ll finish early and get back home in time. Besides, a king has to woo his queen, don’t you think?” I asked with a wink.

She laughed, playfully hit my chest and laid back again. “You’ve got yourself a date then, King Aiden.” She yawned.

“Thank you, My Queen. Now, go to sleep. It’s past 2:00am already.”

“Thank you for coming back to me,” she mumbled after a while, as I laid on the pillows and laid her head back on my chest before I wrapped my arms around her.

“Thank you for being there,” I mumbled as well, suddenly remembering that I had last showered yesterday before I had left for the meeting with Matteo. I must smell real bad right now.

“I’ll go take a quick shower,” I said as I tried to untangle myself from Nala’s embrace. “I smell really bad.”

“No, don’t,” she rushed to say. “You smell just fine, Aiden.” She added, securing her arms even more around me.

As her breathing slowed down, I allowed the reality of what was happening sink in.

Nala and I were sleeping on the same bed. In each other’s embrace.

Best. Night. Ever!