The Beast And The Blessed by Ashley Breanne
Chapter 46
Natalie’s P.O.V.
I felt like a coward as I ran from his office.
“I’ll give you some time to think about it.” I had muttered at his shocked expression before taking off like a bat out of hell. It was clear that I had taken him by surprise. We had just started a real relationship, and I was pushing for him to take the next step.
For most mates, they marked each other right away. With Killian’s history, I wasn’t expecting him to just jump on the bandwagon and throw away his hesitations. But I was hoping he would consider it.
It would be a huge step in our relationship, but it would also be a big deal for our people and kingdom. To mark me would be to name me as his mate to the world, as his queen. The people would have something to be happy about… or I would hope they would be happy about it. In dark times like this, it was a good idea to give them something positive to think about instead of just the bad of the war and attacks.
At the same time, it might not be a good idea to distract anyone.
I was torn.
What was pushing me over the edge was how badly I wanted to shift. I could feel it, my wolf, laying under the surface in wait. Every time I got angry, I would shake, and my mind would feel so full as if I wasn’t alone. Then… nothing.
It was gone, and I had to continue to go about my life as a human among wolves.. among Lycans. Something in me was telling me that his mark would be the thing that would push me over the edge. It would force my beast forward, and I would be able to shift. I would be able to walk out onto that battlefield feeling like an opponent and not a snack.
I would have a better chance of walking back off the field when it was over too.
It would take a tremendous amount of training, but I was willing to put in the work for him, for Killian. Any hesitation I had about us was gone now. He was mine, and whether he marked me now or a year from now, he was stuck with me.
“Your highness,” One of my new guards, George, called out, and I turned to face
him. I had not spoken to them yet. Beyond now they seemed determined to keep their answers short and to the point. I knew them to be Thomas and George, but just like Tobias, they were seen and not heard.
“Yes?” I was curious about what he finally had to say, but my mind was still traveling down the path of my mark.
Once I received it, I would go from Your Highness to Your Majesty. It would be odd to hear it directed at me, but with each passing day, I was looking forward to being Killian’s queen more and more.
“I have received word that Heath is awake and lucid.” His words made my thoughts melt away, and I smiled widely.
“That’s wonderful! We should go see him!” I said, pausing a moment when I felt the familiar presence of my mate approaching.
“Not without me.” His deep but calm voice had an underlying firmness behind I knew he was still on edge after the death threats I had received during my first visit. “If either of them so much as looks at you wrong, I will rip out their throat.”
He didn’t wait for me to respond before turning and walking down the hallway.
My heart fluttered at his protective ways, and I jogged after him. His hand brushed against mine at my side, and I pushed my hand out further and intertwined our fingers.
He didn’t seem to mind, or at least, he didn’t pull away. But I was still worried that maybe I had pushed him too far by asking him to mark me. He didn’t quite seem ready for it, and I had expected my request to cause him to withdraw from me for a few days. That had become the normal practice. I did something that annoyed him or pushed his boundaries, and he shut down for a little while.
Maybe his boundaries had changed as our relationship did, or maybe he wasn’t as opposed to it as I had thought he would Butterflies swarmed in my stomach as I looked up at him. He remained void of emotion as he walked, guiding me down the hallway. While he didn’t look at me, the comforting squeeze of my hand told me that he knew I was staring up at him.
Everything about him was attractive to me. I loved his jawline, his lips, his cheekbones, and his eyes. His dark brown hair was calling out, begging for me to run my fingers through it. His broad shoulders and muscular arms made my knees weak, and I adored the way he touched me so gently and lovingly with his hands.
I hadn’t realized how long I had been staring at him until he suddenly turned down the hallway toward the infirmary. A flush of heat ran up my chest and neck as I tripped over my own feet and stumbled before correcting myself.
Killian grabbed my elbow with his other hand to steady me, smirking as he looked down at me knowingly. I looked away as my blush got worse, only for my smile to fall when Joselin appeared in the doorway of the infirmary.
I could only imagine what horror and panic she had caused this time.
There was no screaming, so I took that as a good sign.
The darkness I had felt last time was still coming from his mother’s room, and I glanced at the door as we walked by. But then it was gone.
The infirmary was light and airy. The cloud of death was no longer hanging thickly in the room from the curse. Both men were still chained with the reinforced metal, but they were as calm as they could be with Killian glaring murderously at them.
“It’s gone,” Joselin said with what appeared to be a pout. She didn’t like that she couldn’t figure it out, and I was sure that she loathed the fact that she had called the council in when any trace of the magic was now gone.
I stared at Heath in fascination. I had seen him at his worst only a few days ago. Now, it was hard to imagine that he had ever been like that at all. If he wasn’t in the infirmary, I would take him as the image of perfect health.
“I can feel it. The darkness isn’t in here anymore.” I whispered in wonder, trying to pull my hand away from Killian’s as I stepped closer to Heath, but he refused to release me.
Joselin spun quickly to face me. “You could feel it? My, my. You are full of surprises.”
“Couldn’t everyone? It was so thick and suffocating in here last time.” I pulled my arm again, hiding my relief when Killian let me go. He moved with me instead as I got closer, placing his hand on my lower back to signal for me to stop when he felt that I was close enough. “How are you feeling, Heath?”
He dipped his head in submission, and guilt washed over me as he begged for forgiveness. “Your highness, please forgive me. I wasn’t in control. It wasn’t I would never wish you harm! Please, please understand!”
I nodded rapidly as he spoke, wanting to calm the man and a*s*sure him that I did understand. “I know, Heath. I know. I am glad you are better. And you, Nolan? Are you feeling better as well?”
He too, dipped his head with a polite, Yes, your highness.” But I could see the exhaustion on his face.
“I would like to keep you under observation for another 48 hours. If things remain as they are now, you will be released under guard until we have more information and are confident that it has passed.” Killian ordered with his jaw tight. “But if you ever threaten to harm my mate again, curse or not. I will end you.”
Both men nodded in agreement, keeping their eyes down as my angry and protective mate turned and gestured for me to exit first. Joselin turned and walked by my side as we left the infirmary. I could feel her stare boring into the side of my head. My hands fidgeted at my sides nervously, and I briefly wondered if this was how Killian felt when I had been staring at him on the way here.
“I want to see your blood,” Joselin said as she tilted her head like a dog hearing an unusual noise.
No, this was defiantly not the same.