Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 45

NATASHA.

I snuggled closer into Aiden’s embrace, a small smile dancing on my lips. Yesterday had been such a long day, but it ended well, although Erin pushed me too hard and all I want is to spend the rest of today resting. The early morning birds chirped happily away as a bit of light spilled through the drawn curtains.

It was always cold in the mornings, so a blanket and a warm hug always works best.

I snuggled more, sucking in his deep scent to clear my mind from yesterday’s daze. It seemed he’s still asleep because he was breathing heavily with his arm draped over my waist in a protective embrace. It was past midnight when we got to bed, tired and exhausted.

Now, as I stared at Aiden’s face relaxed in sleep, with his brows pulled in, I couldn’t help but study the small details on him. His face was facing mine, and he laid on his stomach, with his right arm secured perfectly on my waist, while the other was tucked underneath his head. I felt a certain urge to run my thumb against his bottom l*p. How would it feel? Would that wake him up?

‘Ugh! Just do the damn thing! Touch him if you want, I bet you he’d love it!’ Erin said as she startled me. Wasn’t she asleep?

She stirred a bit before I felt her fully awake. There is just something completely different about her today, a certain tempo from the way her heart normally beats.

‘Nat, I shifted! Goddess, I was… marvelous yesterday. Leo said that!’ she said as she jumped around aimlessly.

My lips stretched wider, and I found myself holding onto Aiden’s bare torso even more.

‘Was it that good?’ I asked.

‘Good? Nat, it was everything! I had my first hunt, touched the earth with my paws, inhaled the breath of the forest, felt the wind against my fur. I…I…’ her voice caught a bit, while my heart squeezed at that. ‘I have never experienced anything as beautiful as that,’ she added, dropping her head on her paws and laying down with a happy and dreamy look.

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes and I fought hard to hold back. Crying now wouldn’t be good for either of us. But Erin’s reaction was making me a nervous wreck.

‘Hmn, are you saying not even Aiden’s k****s made you feel that way?’ I tried to tease.

She scoffed, sat up and licked her nose. ‘That’s entirely different. Last night, it was just…me. Embracing myself for who I truly am with no more fear. I have been scared all these years, that has hindered me from ever trying or be willing to shift. But I did yesterday, Nat, and you let me experience it all without interrupting.’

‘Because it was your moment. More about you than me, and I’m happy to see you this happy, Erin.’

‘Aiden’s k****s on the other hand makes my knees weak. I bet you I can turn to a purring mess when he decides to take this to another level,’ she said dreamily.

‘Another level as in…?’ I asked, eager to hear what she said.

‘Don’t play dumb, Nat. I know you want that tongue kissing you looked up when we returned from that date. What is it called again?…oh! I remember, french kissing,’ she gushed. ‘Imagine how that would feel with no cold ice cream in between and…’

‘Shut up, Erin!’ I cut her off quickly, feeling the way my stomach turned. I already had the picture perfectly etched in my brain now, and I’m certain it would only vanish when Aiden brings it to life.

‘What? You always try to shut a poor wolf up every time I share my fantasies with you. You can do the same, I won’t cut you off. Oh, good thing you blocked off our connection yesterday, I wouldn’t have wanted to hear you moaning in my ear with Leo’s tongue on me,’ she finished.

‘Uh-huh, I wouldn’t dare interrupt Leo licking your belly,’ I teased again. ‘Besides, it seems he beat you to it. Licking you before you lick him I mean,’ I smiled.

‘I don’t mind. His tongue is MAGICAL! Besides, I fulfilled a bit of that the day you licked the scar. Oh, Leo has it too,’ she said.

‘They are the same person. It shouldn’t be a surprise they both have it. I saw it briefly yesterday before you took over,’ I replied.

‘But it was surprising to see him with the mark. The wolf tattoo,’ she said thoughtfully.

‘He does? Hmn, this must be deeper than I thought.’

‘Yeah. Leo did say the Priestess will have more answers soon. Oh, Nat, did you see how he chased me around? I felt all giddy at that time,’ she jumped, the anxiousness when she spoke about the tattoo completely vanishing. ‘I caught an insect too!’ she added.

I couldn’t help laughing out loud this time. Erin is everything! And her happiness is contagious.

Perhaps, it was the way my body shook, or the sound of my laughter. Regardless though, Aiden shifted a bit as an unintelligent murmur left his mouth. When his eyes lazily opened, and I found myself staring into his dark swirls, I squirmed.

‘A morning k**s, Nat. Give him a morning k**s,’ Erin said as she wagged her tail.

‘Uh, morning breath, Erin,’ I replied, rolling my eyes.

She rolled her eyes as well before she scoffed. ‘You think he cares? He’s so into you that he wouldn’t mind. In seconds, you’ll have him clutching you tightly under him if you have enough guts to initiate the k**s,’ she finished, laying back down.

I ignored her, and instead, kept my gaze and attention fixed on the man laying with me tucked into him. Hmn, I like this. I think cuddling is my new kink.

‘I’ll take the licking then,’ Erin said with a grin.

I g*****d, wondering what had come over her. It’s as though she had completely changed after her shift. Like more sassiness and confidence had been instilled in her. Not that I’m complaining, but I’m certain she’ll soon drag me into her mess.

“Kin tashi? (You awake?)” Aiden’s throaty voice rolled into my ears, and I swear to the Goddess, something dropped in my pants. Yup, a total freaking mess!

“Yeah,” I replied, my breath hitching. My voice was a bit husky. “Good morning,” I said.

He dragged his arm that was on my waist up to my bare arms. “Morning,” he murmured. “How was your night? Still tired?”

“My body is sore,” I blurted.

“Sore?” Aiden asked, his eyes opening completely. “Sore in what way, Nala? And where exactly?” he continued, his eyes darkening. His hand pressed on the curve of my back.

It took me a moment before I finally realized what my words may have implied. I sat up quickly, but because I’m not strong enough or quick enough, Aiden held me back, and in mere seconds, I was beneath him, his big body framing me, while he pinned my hands on either side of my body.

“Where are you going?” he asked, laughing lightly.

“Uhmn, I need to brush my teeth and floss and…”

“Are you preparing yourself for a morning k**s?” he asked as he leaned down, his lips lightly grazing my neck.

‘Hmn. I think I just fell for him even more, Nat,’ Erin purred.

“What? I never said that,” I flushed, wishing I could pull my hands away and cover my face.

“We can fix that, Nala,” he murmured, his lips moving down to my jaw, the sensation of him speaking against my jaw sent wild tremors through me. “Permission to give you a morning k**s?” he asked.

“No, no!” I was panicking. How does he expect me to let him k**s me without brushing my teeth? Not happening. “I haven’t brushed yet and…”

“Kissing doesn’t always have to be on the lips. Besides, you asked if I could teach you how to k**s just two days ago. We can start by trying other places. Like this,” he mumbles. Then after a while, my toes unconsciously curled when I felt him place an open mouthed k**s on my neck, his beard feathery against my skin.

Dear Goddess! Please, not another wet sticky substance in the pants! I thought, parting my lips open so I can breathe better.

‘That is definitely one hot k**s, Nat!’ Erin cooed, leaning more into the bond.

“Now, that’s one way to k**s, Nala,” he looked up, eyes dark with swirls of gold as he looked down at me. “I can do this too,” he g*****d, then captured my ear sensually between his teeth and pulled lightly, then sucked on it. My eyes rolled back, I caught the sheets in my hands as I shuddered. Oh Goddess! “How’s that?” he asked, placing another open mouthed wet k**s at the crook of my neck.

“Um…” I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat.

“Have I rendered you speechless, Nala?” he asked, chuckling.

“I think you’re crushing me,” I finally managed to say. It wasn’t what I wanted to say, honestly. But I would hate to admit that he did make me speechless.

‘Well, you can make him speechless too, Nat,’ Erin said wickedly.

‘Shut…’

‘Don’t you dare shut me up! I’m only trying to help you here,’ she cut me off.

I rolled my eyes as Aiden rolled over with a smile. “Sorry about that,” he said.

We laid back, cuddling.

“You did great yesterday, Nala. Both of you,” he said, kissing my forehead.

“You did great too, Aiden,” I mumbled. “Thank you.”

“You have no reason to thank me every time. You and I are mates, and I’m certain you’d always be there for me when I need you.”

“Always,” I sighed.

“You saw its eyes glow, right?” he asked quietly.

I nodded. “I am scared,” I admitted.

“There’s nothing to be scared of. I’m sure we’ll get our answers soon. The Priestess must have left already to bring the woman she told about.”

“Erin said earlier she feels a presence within her. And it’s not yours since we aren’t marked yet. But she said it’s as though someone was there with her, and it felt familiar,” I told him.

He was quiet for a moment. “We’ll explain that to the Priestess when she returns.”

“Alright.” I replied. I wanted to ask about Matteo and Camila. I wanted to ask if he knew why they weren’t at the ceremony. But I guessed he must have known about it, and I dreaded ruining our moment by bringing them up.

‘I saw his parents,’ Erin grumbled. ‘And I nearly peed right there.’

‘I saw them too. But they looked…different.’

‘I noticed.’ she mumbled.

To break the silence and the thoughts of my old pack, I decided to talk more.

“Sooo, tell me, how old were you when you first shifted?” I asked.

He grinned. “Are you just asking? I thought you looked me up on the internet,” he answered.

“Nop,” I popped the p like he normally does. “I wanted to hear you say it.”

“Twelve,” he replied.

“Wow! That early?”

“Yeah, Lycans shift at an early age.” He said. “Werewolves at sixteen.”

My eyes widened. “How did you know?”

“Well, it’s common knowledge that wolves replace their mates at twenty, and shift at sixteen. I did a bit of research. Hope you don’t mind.”

“And how much have you learned about me?” I asked, eager and scared to hear what he was going to say.

“That you’re the most beautiful woman ever!” he grinned.

I laughed. “That makes no sense.” I wiggled my finger at him. “What’s your favorite food?”

“Tell me yours first.”

“I love everything about food. But I hate nuts and beans,” I mumbled.

“I love beans. I don’t think there’s any food in particular that I hate. But I do dislike rainfall. Utterly. Do you have hobbies?”

I nodded. “Drawing. Writing poems. Traveling,” I counted with my fingers before I looked up, “Does playing in the rain count?” I asked, batting my lashes.

“You draw?” Aiden asked in surprise.

I winced a bit. “It’s been years since I last did. Say, four years?” I sighed.

“We’re gonna have to fix that,” he murmured, kissing my forehead.

Silence stretched. I shut my eyes, just enjoying the way Aiden’s fingers trailed my arm back and forth. Soon however, he shifted, before I heard him speak.

“Leo wants to say hi,” he said.

Erin’s eagerness was more than mine as she quickly sat on her haunches, tail wagging behind her. I sat up as well, watching as Aiden’s eyes danced from golden to dark before they finally stayed in golden.

There was something entirely different about the aura Aiden carried now. Totally different. More powerful. More intimidating. Less comfortable.

“Hi!” he grinned, tucking his legs under him as he sat back. “Trust you had a wonderful night’s rest, Kamla,” he added.

“Hey,” I mumbled shyly. “I guess so. You?”

“Like a baby!” he chuckled, swiping his tongue over his lips. “Just wanted you both to know that I am proud of you. Thank you for pushing through. Thank you for fighting.”

I simply nodded, unable to fathom what to say. I had thought Erin would want to take over, but she simply leaned in without doing that. She was…emotional. Just like me.

Having them always tell us we did good, and how proud of us they are every time we take a step through healing makes it a lot easier to embrace the changes and push forward to do better. It was like knowing they’d always be there to encourage us gives us more courage to face all this.

Somehow, just acknowledging that now made my eyes well up. Everything becomes easier when you have others beside you. Supporting you. Cheering on you. Both Erin and I felt that, and it shook us.

Dazed, and still in my emotions, I brought my palms and rested them on Aiden’s cheeks. He m****d, closed his eyes and shifted closer, covering the little distance between us.

“Do…do you want a hug, Leo?” I asked timidly.

“Leo?” he grinned, before he circled his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. “I thought I was called Sarki yesterday.”

I laughed softly. “That was all Erin,” I replied, loving the warmth of his body pressed against me. I would never get tired of these hugs. They make me feel wanted. Protected. Loved. There was just something utterly endearing about being wrapped in these strong arms. Always.

I let my fingers trail the soft curves of his burn scar, and Erin purred and m****d. After yesterday, I was sure she felt more connected to them, especially through the primal side.

Suddenly, I heard Aiden chuckle, or maybe, Leo before he tightened his arms around me and placed another k**s on my neck. I knew instantly that it was Aiden.

“Leo says you were making his sack full, as always, with just the hug,” Aiden explained.

Ahh! The sack, I thought as I laughed as well. Typical of the primal side.

“I love it when you hug me,” I confessed.

“We can do it any time you want,” he replied, tightening his hold.

Then slowly, It felt as though his fingers reached through the depth of my soul and he was massaging the tension around my shoulders. It was …soothing. Magical.

Unable to hold back my curiosity, I asked, “What was that?”

“It’s part of my Lycan gifts,” he murmured.

“How many of them do you have?”

“A bit of everything. This was part of my healing gifts. I can reach through to someone and soothe away the tension. Same way I can heal others after making a connection.”

“What else can you do?” I asked, eager to know.

“I can compel others,” he winced a bit at that. “Although it is one I do not really like,” he added.

I noticed the shift in his tone. Perhaps, talking about his gifts was something he didn’t like. Enough pushing from me then.

“Aiden,” I called, pulling back a little to look at him. “If you ever need something from me, you’ll let me know, right?”

“Of course, Nala. Your presence alone is all I need. More than anything,” he replied, cupping my cheeks.

“I want to be there for you as well, the same way you have been there and still is for me,” I said.

He simply grinned, and I found myself grinning back as well.

His phone on the bedside drawer began to ring and Aiden g*****d before he moved back and picked it up.

“How can you call a mated man so early in the morning?” he scoffed into the phone.

I laughed, instantly knowing that it was Kane before I slipped down the bed and walked to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth quickly, washed my face and tried to tame my wild hair as I stared at myself in the mirror.

‘I think I need a new hairstyle. Just to seal the beginning of a new start for me,’ I told Erin.

‘That’s a good idea. Leaving the past behind and focusing on the future!’ Erin replied.

‘You are extra chippy today, Erin.’

‘Who wouldn’t be after a shift like yesterday and a delightful mate that played games with me and licked my belly? I am happy, Nat,’ she said with a wolfish grin. ‘Cheers to a better chapter of our life!’ she added.

‘Yes!’ I grinned. Today, I liked the way my face glowed, and the way my heart didn’t ache, or how I didn’t feel ashamed when I saw the silver scar on my neck.

Like Aiden said, this is part of me, not because I am weak, but because I had fought hard and won. Soon, I am going to pay them back with kindness and have them sink in the depth of their shame!

The door to the bathroom was pushed open. Aiden strolled in, brows pulled in and a worried look etched on his face.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

He picked his brush, latched some toothpaste on it before he looked at me. “I need to go to the Grand Hall. We have unexpected visitors.”

I frowned. “Is that bad?”

“I consider it bad when it is a witch dragon. A dragon, and a nymph,” he grumbled, then began brushing his teeth.

“A witch dragon? Was she the one the Priestess mentioned to have casted the spell on the Fiko forest at the request of the Luna?”

“Not really,” he answered, removing the brush from his mouth. “She’s an old friend, alongside the dragon and nymph.”

“I see,” I need to know more! Didn’t dragons and other creatures live on a different part? None of the supernatural mingle together, so how did they become friends?

“Want to shower together?” Aiden suddenly asked. He had a loop-sided grin etched on his face.

“I’ll pass,” I laughed before I left the bathroom.

Laughing seems easier these days and I LOVED IT!

*

It’s been three hours since Aiden left. After having breakfast and chatting with Tiffany for a while. We agreed that she’d call Allira and ask for samples of the hairstyles they have so I can go over and change mine. We also agreed that I’d get some henna on my hands. I was excited!

After that, I buried my head in reading more of the investigation we have done so far to see if I had missed something. Soon though, I set it aside since we’d be having a meeting in the next three hours and began a complete new research.

However, no matter how many times I typed in anything related to the Fikoians, nothing came up. I was getting frustrated with each passing second and so was Erin.

I was so deep in my research when the ringing of my phone startled me. I rushed to pick it, thinking it was Aiden. Surprisingly though, it was Donald.

“Finally! Someone decides to talk to me,” I said into the phone.

Nothing came through. I removed the phone from my ear and checked, the call was still on and connected.

“Hello? Donald?” I called, panic beginning to settle within me.

More silence, before I heard a loud sniff, a nose being blown and the throat being cleared.

“It’s over, Natasha,” he finally spoke.

If I didn’t know Donald, I’d have sworn that wasn’t him. His voice was rough, and edgy. And it sounded like…he had been crying.

Crying? Do men cry?

“I am a f*****g loser who can’t do anything right,” he sniffed again, and I knew instantly that he had truly been crying. “I thought she…”

“Calm down, Donald. Where are you right now? I’ll come to you,” I cut him off as I stood up.

“I’m outside your house,” he mumbled.

“Come in so we can talk, okay? I’ll wait for you on the pouch,” I said, already walking towards the main door of the living room.

“I just want to f*****g end this pain eating at me,” he said quietly before the call ended.

I ran out.