Mine At First Sight
Chapter 25 - Reconnecting

▪️L E N N A▪️

Edric and I were standing in the castle’s courtyard.

The morning sun was shining brightly, and my fingers were nervously fiddling with the front of my dark-coloured dress. My curly hair had been combed back neatly into a tight bun, and my eyes remained anxiously fixed on the arched gateways.

Grabbing one of my hands in his, Edric’s voice was soothing as he commanded, “Relax, Lenna. Everything will be fine.”

His thumb grazed over a particular white patch of skin on the back of my hand and I immediately felt myself calm down, allowing myself to enjoy the comfort his touch brought me.

A few minutes later, the horses’ heavy hooves echoed across the courtyard before two carriages pulled up. I held my breath and squeezed Edric’s hand tightly, waiting for the occupants to exit the large wagons.

My father’s radiant red hair was the first thing I saw, followed by the smooth brown skin of my mother’s arm, as her husband held her hand, helping her to the ground.

“Mother! Father!” I yelled, leaving Edric’s side to run towards my parents.

Enveloping them in a big hug, I held them tightly for a moment before I heard the voice of my brother, “Hey! What about me?”

Chuckling softly with tears in my eyes, I dragged him into one big group hug.

It was so good to be reunited with my family! Especially when only mere months ago, I had no idea if I would have ever laid eyes on them again.

“Your butt has gotten bigger!” Waldemar teased me as we all parted.

“Excuse me! That is no way to talk to your sister, young man!” Lissa, my mother, scolded in a soft voice, causing him to mumble an apology.

My father chuckled, the sound immediately dying in his throat when my mother’s hazel eyes glanced at him.

“I missed you too,” I said while ruffling my brother’s hair.

“Your Majesty!” Wilhelm, my father greeted the Lycan King with a low bow, my mother and brother joining him.

Stepping to the side, I watched as Edric welcomed my family.

A soft giggle escaped me while noticing the fleeting expression on his face. Edric seemed almost nervous when my father introduced him to my mother. Though short in stature, I had told him not to let her dainty features fool him, for I often feared her soft-spoken voice, more than my father’s booming one.

“Oh my, so this is what Lenna looks like when she is in love?”

The teasing voice of Dakini whispered in my ear, making me turn around with a squeal, my arms quickly moving out to hold her.

Embracing her tightly, I said, “I missed you so much!”

“And I you! I cannot wait to catch up,” she gushed while squeezing me tightly.

Dakini said that she wished to be my chamber maid, even though I had insisted that I did not need one, as the task was being handled by someone else. She stated that, even though she could not fight, she wanted to do her part, and since that had been her role at my old home, she desired to fulfil it in my new home as well.

My best friend would not let me say no, and so it was decided.

Once Dakini had settled in, she would create a routine of seeing about my chambers during the day while I was out training. Then she would meet up with Suvarna and help her with whatever else was needed.

I honestly could not wait for them to meet!

“Lenna!” Edric’s voice pulled me from my thoughts as he came to my side. “Can you escort your guests to their chambers? I wish to speak with your father privately.”

Finding it odd, I itched to ask him why, but I knew that now was neither the time nor the place.

With a small smile on my face, I did as I was told. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

Watching them walk away caused my mind to go into overdrive. My curiousity was almost overbearing as I wondered what Edric could possibly need to talk to my father about without me being present.

Surely, if it concerned the upcoming war, I should be present, no?

At the insistence of my brother, I gave a quick tour around the castle before escorting them to their various rooms. Once they had rested from their journey, we would all have dinner together, as instructed by the Lycan King.

Still reeling from the excitement of being reunited, Dakini followed me back to my room where I filled her in on everything.

“I cannot believe it; you and King Edric are a couple! Words cannot describe how gorgeous that man is! You two look so good together, I can’t wait for the two of you to have children, they’ll be so cute!”

I almost choked at her words, “Children? Slow down there!”

Dakini giggled, her excitement still very evident while she happily clapped her hands together, “Yes, children! Like at least three! Just imagine, soon you will be Queen!”

Grabbing her hands to calm her eagerness, I warned, “Let us not get ahead of ourselves, we still have a war to face.”

“Yes, but that does not mean that you should forget what you’re fighting for. Have you two, you know…” Dakini’s cheeks flamed at her unfinished question.

“We have, although I all but had to beg him to have sex with me!” I replied with a soft laugh at the end.

“Do you think he initially held out because you asked him? Like how you asked Berengar?” Dakini probed, leaning back into the cushions of the chair.

Hearing the questions caused my brows to crease.

Thinking back, I now realised that initially, Edric had done his best to avoid my sexual advances.

At first, I thought that it was because he was restraining himself, wanting to make our first time extraordinary, and not some random romp against a tree somewhere. But now, looking at the situation from a different angle, it would make sense that the Lycan King would have wanted to assert his dominance, especially where our first time was concerned.

“I never really thought about it like that, I wonder what made Edric change his mind?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Dakini retorted with a smirk before continuing, “It’s only so long a man can hold out where sex is concerned.”

At my friend’s words, I could not help but wonder if I had somehow forced Edric to be intimate with me sooner than he had wanted. After all, it was clear that he wanted to lead, to be the one to initiate things and introduce me to new experiences.

Before I could give the notion any more thought, the sound of Dakini’s soft voice pulled my attention back to her.

“Do you regret things between you and Berengar?”

“No, I don’t. But a part of me does wish that I had waited,” I murmured, my fingers fiddled with the hem of my top.

“Speaking of your werewolf, where are Vizra Rorik and his family? I wasn’t too sure if they were arriving before or after us,” she asked, while looking out the window.

“They should be here by tomorrow. Almost all the werewolves and humans who will be fighting in the war have arrived. Once everyone is accounted for, the really intense training will commence,” I reflected with a soft sigh.

As though sensing my anxiety, Dakini placed one of her hands over mine, “Don’t worry, Lenna, you’ll do great. The empire has faith in the Lycan King’s ability to keep us safe, and with you at his side, I’m more than confident that everything will be alright.”

Nodding, I smiled at her words.

“Now, tell me, what was it like having sex with a Lycan?”

I could feel the skin of my cheeks tingle as I proceeded to give her all the juicy details.

After some time, once we had finished catching up on each other’s lives, the fatigue of Dakini’s journey caught on.

After changing my clothes, I escorted Dakini back to her room before making my way to the garden on the balcony where I proceeded to water the plants.

My body hummed in excitement, happy that my family had arrived. I was looking forward to having dinner with them.

Being able to talk with Dakini had been so refreshing, as even though Suvarna and I were close, there was just an extra special bond I had with my childhood friend that could never be replaced.

Humming softly, I finished tending to the plants, getting lost in my thoughts.

I could feel Edric’s presence as he made his way into the garden. I smiled when he stood behind me, his strong arms pulling me against his chest, burying his nose into the crook of my neck as he inhaled deeply.

“Your brother’s right, your butt did get bigger,” he grinned against my skin while rubbing himself against my backside.

“Well, everyone else seems to like it…” I teased in reply, seductively swaying my hips, knowing that my pants outlined the shape of my curves.

Turning me around swiftly, Edric backed me up against the stone balcony railing. The movement knocked the air out of my lungs as his hands tightly held on to my waist, his fingers pressing into me.

His pupils dilated while he rumbled friskily, “Who is this ‘everyone else’ that you speak of? Let me go gauge their eyes out…”

“Edric!” I exclaimed and playfully slapped his shoulder. “Don’t be mean!”

Bending his head to capture my lips, he hungrily slanted his mouth over mine. He left me breathless while his kisses had me arching into him, my hands fisting as they tightly gripped the front of his top.

“What can I say, I just want to protect what belongs to me,” he flashed a grin before lifting me up onto the flat surface of the railing.

Laughing softly, I replied, “I honestly don’t think that anyone would be brave enough to try and steal me away from you. And even if they did, I wouldn’t go willingly.”

“You better not, woman! You’re mine…” Edric muttered huskily.

He then moved to stand between my parted legs, one hand on my waist, while the other moved to the back of my neck to pull me in for another heated, toe-curling kiss. I softly moaned into him, enjoying the feel of his strong body against mine.

As we parted for air, I whispered, “The same goes for you, my King. You are mine…”

“I love it when you get all possessive on me,” he growled softly and nipped at my bottom lip.

My fingers fiddled with the strings by his collar while I puckered my lips slightly, trying to think of a way to surreptitiously ask what had been on my mind since we parted earlier. But I had never been good as such things, so I decided to just outright ask him.

“So… What did you and my father talk about?” I bat my lashes at him.

Edric tenderly touched his nose to mine as he answered, “Nothing that you need to worry your pretty little head over.”

Huffing, my pout broadened, for I knew that no matter how much I begged, he would not tell me. Laughing softly at my facial expression, he kissed me until my pout turned into a smile and my cheeks tingled with a sizzling heat.

Moving my hands from his neckline to his hair, I played with the thick, dark locks. The pads of my fingers massaged his scalp, forcing a soft groan from him. The sound went straight to my core and my arousal increased as I tried to push my pelvis against his.

I wanted him so badly.

Sensing my desire, Edric slowly broke the kiss.

The look in his grey-green eyes told me that now was not the time for such things, and that it was not up for discussion, which in turn caused me to bite my lower lip.

Without warning, he lifted me off the railing, causing me to yelp in surprise.

As my feet touched the ground, I crossed my arms over my chest and moped in a playful way, letting him know that I was not happy about not getting into his pants.

In retaliation, Edric spanked my ass, “Don’t be such a brat! I promise to fuck you later, but now we’re needed on the training grounds.”

It seemed that with all the excitement of having my family visit, I had almost forgotten that we were to meet with Odun and Abidan. They wished to test out some weapons with us, and I was eager to see what they had come up with.

Later that night, the atmosphere in the dining hall was nothing short of ecstatic.

We sat at our usual table, only this time, Edric had made space beside him so that we were both seated next to each other at the head of the large table. It was the first time we had ever sat side by side like this in front of everyone.

Though surprised, I did not openly question this, as everyone in the castle knew of our relationship. Also adding to the fact that I knew he never did anything without a reason.

The glint in the Lycan King’s eye should have told me that he was up to mischief.

Halfway through our meal, while everyone happily conversed with each other, I felt Edric’s left hand begin to sneakily work its way under the light material of my dress, his fingers teasing my skin.

Doing my best to keep a straight face, I brought my goblet up to my lips, taking a sip of wine while my free hand attempted to remove Edric’s fingers from my thigh, but his grip was too strong.

Not wanting to bring any unwanted attention to us, I sighed and squeezed my legs tightly together. I had hoped that that this would prevent his tantalising touch from moving any higher.

Even though I desperately wanted him to.

I tried thinking about dead rabbits, forcing myself not to become aroused, as it would be very embarrassing if the other Lycans smelled my desire.

Glancing around at the table, I observed that everyone was still busy eating and chatting.

Leaning into Edric, I whispered, “What are you doing?”

Taking his time to chew, he then swallowed before answering, “What does it look like? I’m placing my hand on your thigh.”

“But why?” I smiled through gritted teeth.

“Because I can…” Edric replied with a grin, before whispering against my ear. “Now finish eat your dinner before I move my fingers higher…”

With that, he turned away and continued conversing with my father, as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Grumbling to myself, I stabbed at the mashed potatoes before shovelling a large forkful into my mouth.

There was no point arguing.

“Hey, Lenna!” Waldemar called over to me.

“Yes?” I answered, my body relaxing when I felt Edric remove his hand.

“Eckart was telling me that you beat Eginhard in a fight? Is that true? Did you really beat the Lycan Prince?”

“Hey!” Eginhard scowled with a feigned look of hurt on his face.

The sound of Eckart’s giggling filled the air before he said, “There’s no need to be embarrassed, big brother. Lenna’s whole body glowed and then you went splat on your bum!”

Everyone at the table erupted with laughter at the young boy’s animated hand movements.

I felt myself cringe as I saw Eginhard’s cheeks redden.

“Will you show me how you fight, Lenna?” Waldemar then asked, his eyes hopeful.

Before I could answer, Edric spoke up for me, “Of course she will. We can put on a demonstration after dinner.”

“Really? Will I get to see your Lycan beast King Edric? Prince Eginhard and his friend Ulrik showed me theirs earlier,” my brother eagerly prattled.

“Waldemar!” the appalled voice of my mother resounded.

Amused, Edric waved his free hand, “It’s alright, Lissa, the boy is just excited.” Turning to Waldemar, he answered, “Yes, I will show you what a real Lycan looks like.”

“Hey!” Eginhard and Ulrik said in unison.

They both pouted, their almost identical scowls causing everyone to laugh once more.

About an hour and a half later, while everyone else went down to the training grounds, I headed up to my chambers to quickly change out of my clothes and into something more appropriate.

“I’m so happy for you, Lenna,” my mother said while hanging up my dress.

“Thank you, but what for exactly?” I asked, putting on a pair of pants and a shirt.

“Oh, come now! I meant your romantic relationship with the Lycan King. You’re absolutely glowing, and he’s no doubt besotted with you as well,” she smiled, while tying the laces of my top.

My cheeks tingled as I stood still, allowing her to finish dressing me.

“He may not be falling at your feet in public for obvious reasons. He is the King after all, and as such, has an image to maintain. But as your mother, I can tell from the way he looks at you, that he would move the world just to see you smile. I’m so happy to know that you are being cared for and loved.”

My mother’s hazel eyes shimmered with unshed tears and seeing her get emotional had my throat clogging.

“Oh mum! Why are you crying?” I asked as we hugged.

“Because I’m just so happy! You have no idea how worried I was when you left home. Of course, from reading your letters I was able to relax a bit, knowing that you were alright. But being here and seeing the two of you together, now I know for sure that you are in good hands,” she pulled away to compose herself.

My own eyes watered and I blinked and cleared my throat.

“Now, Lenna…” my mother began, her tone more serious, “I hope that you’ve been behaving yourself and not giving the Lycan King too much trouble.”

“You know me–” I began to say.

Cutting me off, she interjected, “Exactly! I do know you, my dearest daughter. And I know how that mouth of yours can be sometimes! I just hope that you’ve been remembering your manners. Just because he’s your lover, doesn’t mean that you can disrespect him. He is still your King.”

I could feel the stinging of my cheeks intensify.

“Just promise me, that no matter what happens, you’ll always keep your wits about you. I know how you can be when you get passionate about things. You often forget your place and allow your tongue to lash out freely.”

Bowing my head in shame, “I know, but I promise that I have not done anything to embarrass the family too much. I might not be as reverent as you would like sometimes, but I have never disrespected Edric. Not once! Even if I want to hit him over the head with a frying pan on occasion, I try to keep my cool.”

“Yes well, that be men for you, one minute you want them near you, the next you can’t stand the very sight of them!”

A chuckle escaped me as I listened to her words.

“As much as Edric may get on your nerves at times, just remember to work as a team. Communication is important in any relationship and with the threat of war, you two will no doubt have your own individual battles to face. I just urge you to have patience. You always lacked that, you get that from your father,” my mother joked at the end.

I pouted while making a face, “Yes well, I think Edric and I have our own unique way of communicating, and trust me, mother, if I ever get out of line, he would quickly remind me of it.”

“That poor man has my sympathies, but I suppose it would take a Lycan King to tame you,” she teased as we exited my bedroom.