The Beast And The Blessed by Ashley Breanne
Chapter 66
Killian’s P.O.V.
Natalie pulled my shirt on quickly when we got back to the car, and I shielded her back as all of my men were staring. They weren’t trying to get a look at her skin, I knew that. They were transfixed by seeing her wolf.
Lycans were normally double the size of regular werewolves when we were in our full beast form. Yet, Natalie was just as large. It was also her pure white fur that made everyone stop and turn. They didn’t exist that we knew of. The closest we had to her coloring was the wolves that lived up in the snow regions. But even they had spots of grey.
Natalie was the most stunning wolf I had ever seen, and they agreed. If it weren’t for that and the immense amount of power she was putting off, I would have been livid that they had watched her slip into my shirt.
But even I was a little star-struck. I was proud as hell. My mate was a descendant of the moon goddess. She was strong, powerful, and…
My eyes traveled over her face as we began the journey home.
In Shock. She was in shock.
Her lips were parted, and her eyes were wider than normal. They were glossy and barely blinking as she stared ahead at the back of the passenger seat. Her skin was pale and sickly, the blood had been drained from her face, and her hands were clasped in her lap above her thighs.
“You did wonderful, my mate.” I leaned over and whispered, my lips brushing against her ear softly. She took in a deep breath before turning to face me. I had expected to see water lining her eyes, or for her lip to quiver.
But the lack of emotion there had me even more worried.
She was lost in thought, thoughts I couldn’t even begin to guess as her blank stare looked right through me. “When can I start training in my fur?”
I pressed my lips together, biting back the laugh at her question. Out of everything she could have asked or said, that was at the bottom of my list. ‘As soon as you would like.”
“Do you really think she is my mother?” Her question was paired with her looking away, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. She had already lost her mother and father. To find out that she still had a relative out there, one who had abandoned her was not easy.
“I do think she is the one who birthed you.” My agreement was met with silence, and I looked over her profile. She was stunning. Ever since I first saw her, I was taken by her. But it was the power radiating off her that had me floored. “The amount of power in The Sanctum… I feel it in you. At first, it was small, but over time it has grown more prominent. I can feel it very clearly now. It’s as if I were sitting next to a full-blooded witch.”
A direct descendant of Selene. That was how the witch had put it.
Although she had mentioned Natalie getting her fur color from her. Since she had jet-black hair, I had to assume that she was more than what met the eye. “I don’t know what to do with that. I just wanted to shift into my wolf.” She mumbled, closing her eyes and letting her head rest back.
“You embrace it, my love,” I whispered, as I reached over and grabbed her hand from her lap, my thumb moving back and forth over the smooth skin.
Natalie’s eyes opened as she turned to me. The empty glaze was gone, but so was the hurt. She looked torn, but the faint smile on her lips made my heart thump just a little bit harder during its next beat.
She opened her mouth to speak but snapped it closed just as quickly as the vehicle came to a stop. The gate of the city stood tall and strong before us. The metal glinted in the sun.
“The pack had been waiting to see you. Are you up for a short run?’ I didn’t want to push her into anything more when she was already so exhausted and more than likely overwhelmed. But I couldn’t deny our people their happiness and wanted to ask her instead of making the decision for her.
If it were solely up to me, I would have had us driven right up to the door of our home where she could relax and recover.
But she nodded as she glanced out the window.
I jumped out of the car, ignoring the early morning nip in the air as the sun was just starting to rise. The pack was quickly lining up on the streets, each person sported a large smile as they woke on their own and came to share in the excitement of their queen’s first shift.
Natalie took my hand as I helped her out of the car, standing in front of her to block others from catching an eyeful of my n*ake*d mate beneath my shirt. I knew they didn’t mind, but I was positive Natalie would have. She had the power of a Goddess but the confidence and modesty of a human.
It took only a moment for her to shift, and I followed behind her, transforming into my Lycan.
I could hear the joy and gasps from the pack when they saw her. Her large form was bigger than even some of theirs. Her pure, snow-white fur was truly a sight to see, and I had never been witness to a more beautiful creature.
But it was her power, her magic. Magic I wasn’t even sure she was in tune with yet, that radiated off her. As we took off at a light jog, the pack clapped and cheered, waking anyone who might not have been up already.
When we passed, they all submitted, dropping their heads and exposing their necks to their leaders.
The trip through the city was quick, and I smiled at my mate as I felt and watched as her mood dramatically improved. The pack had always accepted her, but the open celebration of her had her feeling loved. It pulsed through our mate bond brightly.
Standing at the entrance to our home, up on the marble steps, was our family. Charlie clapped with excitement, and the bear next to her stared down at her with a look of wonder. Joselin stood next to them, her hands in her back pockets. The staff I had grown up with lined the entrance, standing tall, only to bow as one unit as we came to a stop. One of the maids stepped forward with a silk robe for Natalie, holding it up in front of her, and my mate shifted back behind the fabric curtain as I stood behind her.
“I knew you could do it!” Charlie cheered as she rushed forward, and Natalie smiled graciously at her, accepting her hug. I stayed silent as the girls spoke animatedly, but I could see that Natalie was still bothered by what had happened. I pressed my hand to Natalie’s lower back, enjoying the way she shivered beneath my touch as I guided her inside before she could accidentally say something that we weren’t ready for the rest of the kingdom to hear just yet. My nose wrinkled as an offensive smell wafted through the front door of the castle, and I clenched my jaw as I laid my eyes on my best friend’s handy work. The beautiful floor had been destroyed by deep and thick lines that were burned into it. The design of the symbol was brilliant, and I had no doubt Joselin had improved upon it to fit our needs.
It didn’t make me any happier that the floor had been destroyed, but it was a small price to pay for security and safety.
“Oh, my goodness!” Natalie exclaimed as she examined the deep burn marks and stepped into the room. The marks started at the doorway, and there was no way to enter without stepping through it. “Is this at every entrance?”
Joselin nodded silently, but I could see the pride on her face as her hard work was acknowledged. “Every door. I have a plan in place, but this is the best I could do on short notice. I’ll be busy working, making sure no one can access the castle through other means over the next few days.”
I lowered my head as I glared at Joselin. She was up to something, and by the way, she stared at me as she smirked, I knew I wouldn’t be happy.
“What are you planning, Josie?” I growled, but she just laughed as she flicked her hand around the room to gesture to her hard work. ‘This, but larger! Something that will go around the castle. An entire ring of them!” She exclaimed excitedly. I narrowed my eyes, knowing that would take a long time, but Joselin just bounced once on her toes before turning back to Natalie.
My mate smiled at me with a twitch in her cheek before she turned to the witch. I knew whatever she was about to say was difficult for her based on her tense shoulders. “Joselin, I know that will keep you busy. When you have a moment, I am ready for you to run your tests.”
Joselin’s eyes widened in excitement at the prospect of getting her hands on Natalie’s blood. I let out a deep breath in relief that Natalie had finally agreed. It was time that we got more answers.