The Lycan's Princess, page 17
“Ah, Khal,” she clawed at his hips and hauled him against her, sobbing with the static promise of another earth-shattering release. Mara bucked into his sloppy plunges and writhed beneath his bulk as she was pinned to the ground. She had no option but to hold on for dear life as the precipice dangled within her hazy vision. Her whimper crawled from shuddery lungs, legs binding around his hips in ingrained instinct. “K-Khaldur, l-love you so much—”
He kissed her sweaty brow and weakly huffed. “I love you, too. From the beginning, you were always the only one for me. My Sol.”
They clasped onto each other as the cresting wave finally broke. Mara buried her face in his shoulder while he spilled inside her, hot gushes that bathed her womb and dripped down her thighs. His groans seared into the damp space of her nape, where he skated his teeth over her pulse. Soft nibbles wracked lingering quivers up her limp frame and a broken sigh hitched from her chest. She combed trembling fingers through his disheveled hair while they both caught their breath.
Gradually, Khaldur shifted onto his elbows to peer at her. His husky timbre was roughened from their lovemaking, and his cheeks were still flushed pink, a drowsily sexed-out expression mellowing his features. “Are you okay?”
“Mhm,” she tipped her chin, requesting a kiss. He smoothed his lips to hers in a soft caress, and when they parted, she murmured. “How about you?”
While he might’ve been distracted from his problems at the moment, she knew his mind still weighed heavy with the absence of his sister. As the older brother, he was always going to worry about her. Mara hoped for his sake, and Audrey’s that wherever she was, she was safe.
Khaldur cradled a palm to the curve of her jaw and mushed a thumb to her cheek, smiling when she squawked in protest. He kissed the tip of her nose as open adoration and unrelenting love poured from emerald eyes.
“Yeah. I’m alright.”
Chapter 25
There was a reckoning within Khilux that radiated from the capital city of Biliea. Audrey’s departure with Nolan and his connection to the Pruissuthen crown were reported on by voracious media. It was an admission they had to make. The truth of their situation couldn’t be hidden if they were to retain their peoples’ trust.
They were lambasted by some, their claims that Audrey’s ‘erratically wild tendencies’ and ‘erroneous lack of foresight’ made her a liability to the royal lineage and country as a whole. Old photos of her during her partying phase were unearthed and plastered across platforms. Frenzied reporters shouted that this was surely grounds for stripping her title.
Mara knew how quickly public opinion could sour. It was her parents’ greatest fear and a large part of why they kept such a stranglehold on the dire importance of appearance. History showed that enough scandals had toppled many empires before theirs.
Any ruler worth their salt understood that it was the opinion of their people that kept them in power. A shift in perception, be it good or bad, always had a corresponding response.
Thankfully for the kingdom of Khilux, the royal family was beloved by many more than their vocal but minority opponents. As king, Deacon bore the brunt of the ensuing fallout. He humbled himself before his country and requested forgiveness from not only his people but also his son.
“It was wrong of me to make you hide such an important part of your identity,” Deacon rubbed a palm up his nape and sighed his regret. He gazed across the glittering lake that stretched beyond the stained-glass windows of his study and turned back to his desk, gently straightening a framed photo of his children in their regal finery. “I’m sorry you were forced to reveal yourself in such an unfortunate circumstance.”
The faint shifting of couch cushions drew Mara’s attention to her husband as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He stared at Deacon beneath his lashes and eventually murmured.
“You didn’t make me do anything I wouldn’t have done on my own.”
“Maybe not, but it was still my responsibility. When you first manifested your Lycan form, I should have made a formal announcement. I didn’t. I was afraid,” he paused and rubbed his jaw, mouth flattening in a frown while he slowly continued. “I was afraid that the Pruissuthens would take you. I thought it was better to hide you from the world than to risk losing you. I never asked what you wanted to do.”
“We can’t change what’s happened. The past is behind us. Even if we could somehow go back, I wouldn’t change anything. I don’t blame you for any of this.”
Deacon swept aimless fingers along the corner edge of the picture and hummed on a soft exhale. “No, I know you don’t. I’m telling you this because I want you to understand that none of what has happened these past few weeks are your failures.”
Khaldur flinched in surprise, and his mouth opened on silent vowels before he found his voice. “I…but it was my fault. Nolan—”
“You did what any older brother would do in the same situation. That was not a mistake. Whatever the case may be going forward, we will all come out of this together,” he stressed this word with a pointed stare, and Mara knew he was addressing the rift between Khaldur and Roselyn. “Before anything else, we are a family. There’s no obstacle we can’t overcome as long as we remember that fact.”
Khaldur said nothing but dipped his head in a slow nod.
“We know Audrey is safe, and she’s agreed to keep her personal guard with her. I’ll be informed of her location as needed. As for Nolan…he doesn’t know it, but this will be his only chance to prove himself. I won’t tolerate any of the previous behavior he’s shown her.”
Mara saw Khaldur’s knuckles whiten, briefly tensed until he relaxed a moment later. “…Alright.”
Deacon looked to Mara as she crawled a gentle touch to his knee, and he smiled fondly. “Ah, my dear Mara, how are you doing? I don’t think I’ve asked you that yet in all the excitement we’ve been through.”
Her cheeks rounded while she returned his grin. “I’m doing well, thank you. You know I love this family and everything that comes with it.”
“And we love you. I couldn’t anticipate how events would unfold so soon after your wedding, but I’m glad you’ve been here to support that one,” he arched a brow at Khaldur while he huffed a quiet breath to his father’s enjoyment. “You’re a gift to this house. Truly.”
Her face warmed at his praise, and her tongue decided that now was a perfect time to stop functioning. It took more effort than she’d like to admit to choke out a flustered ‘thank you’.
Deacon hummed a soft sound and approached the pair, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “This will pass, and once it does, I want you both to take a vacation. Go on your long-overdue honeymoon. Maybe work on a grandchild or two while you’re at it—”
“Father,” Khaldur groaned, and his face reddened in mortification. “Please, don’t.”
He shrugged. “I just thought I’d put it out there. No pressure.”
Mara coughed a staggered laugh and nudged Khaldur in the flank, grinning at the king. “Sure, no pressure. I’ll certainly keep that in mind.”
“That’s all I ask,” he strolled toward the door and looked back over his shoulder as he turned the handle. “Khaldur, please speak with your mother.”
She expected him to disagree. He hadn’t spoken to Roselyn in the days since their argument. Mara had been gently encouraging him to reach out, but he’d resisted her attempts, deflecting to other topics or taking her to bed when that failed.
“Okay. I’ll talk to her this afternoon.”
Mara tried to hide her surprise as Deacon gave a satisfied nod and wrapped his knuckles once against the doorframe as he passed through. “Thank you.”
Once he was gone, she looked to him with arched brows. “Really? You’re going to talk to her?”
Khaldur took her palm within his and raised it to his lips, kissing the center of her wrist. “Yes. I don’t agree with her actions, but I can’t punish her forever. She did what she thought was best…and I miss my mother,” Mara cooed her approval, and his face scrunched in mild amusement while he continued. “While I’m doing that, why don’t you find out where Wren disappeared to? I haven’t seen him in a concerning amount of time.”
“Oh,” she cleared her throat and met his quiet stare with a sheepish smile. “He’s been, um…busy.”
His mouth twisted. “I’m sure that’s code for something I’d rather not know about.”
“Smart man.”
“Hm,” he gave her hand a parting kiss and pulled her onto her feet, guiding her from the study with a light tap to the small of her back. “I’ll call you when I’m finished with my mother. If you need anything before then, let me know. Alright?”
Mara waved away his concern. “Okay. Take it easy on Roselyn.”
He lifted a brow. “I’ll do my best.”
“Khal.”
“That’s all I can promise,” he kissed her cheek and began to walk backward down the hall, calling as he went. “I love you. I’ll see you soon.”
“I love you, too.”
Khaldur beamed, winking at her before he rounded a corner and disappeared.
Now, where should she start?
***
“I can come back later if you’re busy.”
Mara had little difficulty finding her cousin. The guestroom he was using was in her wing of the castle. No. The problem wasn’t locating him. It was his company currently glaring hellfire at her while she shuffled in the entry.
“N-No,” Wren shoved the mussed curls from his face, unruly strands a frizzy halo on one side of his head. “What do you need, Mara?”
He was bare-chested, and his fly was open.
She’d seriously come at a bad time.
“Y’know what? I’ll just go. Let’s have this conversation later—”
Wren snapped his palm around her wrist before she could turn to leave, frowning in confusion. “Seriously, what is it? Did something happen?”
She carefully pried her wrist from his hand and grimaced. “Everything is fine; I’m only here to check on you. I didn’t know you had a visitor.”
Geilu draped herself over his back, chin hooked on his shoulder as she huffed a near-silent laugh. Wren peered at her from the corner of his eye and cleared his throat, returning his bashful attention to Mara. “Yeah…”
They stood there awkwardly for the pause of a single breath before Geilu apparently had enough. She curled her fingers around his hip and squeezed the muscle there in emphasis, whispering something indiscernible into his ear. Wren flushed high in his cheeks, and his pupils dilated to overtake the mahogany of his irises. He flinched into her touch, and his mouth floundered on a wheeze.
Geilu smirked, her lips curled with lascivious intent, and shot Mara a raised glance. “Your majesty. I believe you will need to have your talk later, as you suggested. We are a bit…occupied at the moment. You understand, I’m sure.”
Mara needed no further prompting. Hands splayed in front of her, she shook her head and swallowed the urge to gag. “P-Please, say no more. I’ll be out of your hair in a second,” she glanced at Wren and found him squirming in place. “Are you good?”
They’d been friends for ages and family for longer. She could confidently say that he played a large part in defining the woman that she was today. When she needed a voice of reason, he was there. When her parents made her feel like a ghost in her own home, he talked her down from a spiraling ledge. He was and always would be her best friend.
So, when a slow smile spread across his glowing face, she knew he was alright. More than alright. She might not understand what was going on with the pair, but he was clearly an active participant.
“Yeah, I’m good. It looks like you and Khaldur were right. I never stood a chance.”
Mara snorted and began to back away before she really overstayed her welcome. “None of us ever do. Don’t tear the room apart, okay? This one is my favorite.”
He started to answer when Geilu offered a tight smile and promptly shut the door, yelling an insincere apology from the other side.
Gaping at the door, she quickly skirted away when the telltale sound of a moan reached her ears.
No. Nope.
She didn’t ever need that visual of her cousin.
Mara checked her phone and found she didn’t have anything from Khaldur. She could go back to their suite and wait for him, or…
She could track him down herself and surprise him.
She’d been waiting for him her whole life. Now that she had him in mind, body, and soul, there was nothing that could stop her—no one who could dissuade her—from going to him.
He was hers.
Her lover.
Her husband.
Her mate.
Her Lycan prince.
Epilogue
“Be nice.”
“What?” Khaldur lifted his head from a pile of pillows and cracked open a bleary eye. He hadn’t shifted an inch during his hour-long nap until his phone warbled from the bedside table. It was Audrey calling to remind him that she and Nolan were on their way to the cottage. He scrubbed a palm over his face and stifled a yawn. “I’m always nice.”
Mara pulled open the bedroom curtains, and he grumbled as light spilled inside. A powdery slurry of snow drifted past the window and blanketed the valley in a perfect visual of winter. She pressed her fingers to the frigid glass pane and gently chuckled.
“Right. You told Nolan he was on thin ice yesterday.”
He pushed himself into a seated position and offered her a lopsided grin. “In my defense, he was on thin ice. The lake wasn’t completely frozen. I wasn’t going after him if he fell in.”
Mara arched a skeptical brow and pulled back from the window, rubbing her chilled hands together. “Mhm, and what about the day before?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” his feigned look of innocence was unconvincing to them both as a sneer cracked his façade. “It was an accident. He should have ducked.”
“You nailed him directly in the face with that snowball. There was no ducking to be had.”
He shrugged, unrepentant.
Mara rolled her eyes and rounded the bed to stand beside him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to tug her down, groaning his dismay when she resisted. “Lay with me. I had to work all morning so, let me hold you. I need to recharge.”
She brushed a thumb down the slope of his cheek and quietly tutted. “We both know you won’t stop at just holding, Khal. C’mon, get up. They’re going to be here any minute.”
“They can wait. Better yet, tell them not to come.”
“You would leave your pregnant sister out in the cold?”
He nudged his forehead against her belly and sighed in defeat. “I’m no monster.”
“I know.” Mara laughed and kissed the top of his head before she stepped from reach.
They’d been up in the mountains for the past week, and Audrey and Nolan had joined them three days ago. Khaldur was vocal with his displeasure, growling, and huffing until Mara told him to quit pouting. The siblings’ relationship had improved in the months since Audrey’s departure. She wasn’t sure that they would ever return to how things were before, but she didn’t think that was necessarily a bad thing. People changed. Relationships evolved. Mara was confident that even with their shifting dynamic, the two would never lose love for each other.
Khaldur grudgingly stumbled to his feet and shambled into the bathroom to fix his hair. He had let the strands grow long after she’d nearly broke into tears when his barber buzzed his entire head for a military function. Now she was fiercely territorial.
The sink turned on as he splashed water onto his face and asked. “Have you heard back from Wren? Are we still on for the holidays?”
Her cousin had since relocated to Pruissuth to live with his mate. He’d accepted his fate more readily than she could’ve anticipated. While she was sickeningly happy for him, she did miss having him around.
“As far as I’ve been told, the plan still stands. I don’t think Geilu has the heart to ever tell him ‘no’. Poor woman.”
He barked a laugh and puttered back into the room, fishing a fresh sweater from the dresser. “Please. ‘Poor woman’ nothing. She’s relentless. Do you know how many of our envoys she’s sent back?” he answered his own question when she shot him a confused glance. “Eight. She says they’re too fragile. What does that even mean? Do you think she’s been trying to fight them? I’ve told her to pick someone herself if she finds my selections so terrible—why are you laughing?”
Mara covered her snort and pointed a finger at two strands of hair sticking straight up from the back of his head. “You missed a spot, baby. Come here.”
He shuffled over and lowered himself so she could reach the messy strands. She combed her fingers through until they laid flat and patted his shoulders in satisfaction, muttering. “Perfect. There’s my big guy. So handsome.”
Khaldur flashed a roguish grin, and lowly rumbled. “Don’t get me started. You know how impressionable I am. Audrey will cry to my mother if I leave her out in the cold.”
“Hey, you can’t put that on me. You’re responsible for your own actions.”
He raked admiring eyes up and down her frame and his mouth curved in a slow leer. “Ah, am I? Can you blame me when you look like this?” his hands found purchase on the round of her hips, and he reeled her into his arms, humming. “I’m weak to my wife. What can I say?”
Straightening his collar, she smirked. “Save it for later, lover. I think I hear them pulling up. Remember; nice.”
He groaned something half-hearted and caught her hand in his, nipping her fingertips. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
