Fie Wright's P. O. V
Waking up at the crack of dawn is something I can never get used to. It's as if my body is physically unable to comprehend anything let alone carry out any sort of daily activities. That's why whenever I have plans to get up at the God forsaken hours of the early morning light, I make sure to simply not sleep. It's much easier for me to be dead on my feet rather than insanely groggy. That was my plan for the day when we had to meet up with Althea to work her magic but things hardly every go to plan.
Hence, why my Malleus is currently cooing at me, coaxing me in whatever way possible to pry open my eyes so we can get started on our important day. All my mate gets as an answer is a long drawn out groan while I scoot further into his warm embrace, practically preening as he softly rubs at my back with one hand while threading his fingers through my hair with the other.
"Come on baby. You have to wake up. Your tea will get cold." He whispers softly in my ear, continuing to rub in between my shoulder blades. Another groan escapes me, the sound echoing out around us as if my mate is torturing me for information instead of comforting me.
"Ugh. Fine." I say with a grunt, pushing myself out of my mate's hold so that I'm able to sit upright on my bed. I already know my appearance is a sight to behold with my hair sticking up every which way, my face overly puffy like it gets whenever I sleep and red marks stretched out across my cheek where I was laying on it. With squinted eyes, I glance over at Malleus who is already gently placing the cup of tea in my hands, placing a soft kiss to the crown of my head while I give him a quick once over.
A simple black button up shirt followed by black jeans and a pair of combat boots being his go to outfit for today, something he can easily shift out of without getting trapped in the mess. Hopefully no shifting will be needed today.
"When did you get up?" I question in a soft murmur, not having felt the bed dip and his lack of presence like I usually do.
"An hour ago." He comments while lifting me up, making sure my grip is steady on the mug filled with tea as he shifts me comfortably into his lap. "I took a shower, got changed and came back to bed so you didn't notice my lack of presence too much."
Malleus knows he's playing a dangerous game because I will fall back asleep with no remorse whatsoever.
Glancing over to the windows which line the left side of the room, I take in the pitch black of the night which is only rivalled by the quick flash of thunder which streaks across the sky, followed by a deafening clamour which makes the windows rattle in their panes.
"You're in a mood, aren't you?" I tease, my chin pointing towards the gloomy sky to which he merely scoffs.
"I told you once before it doesn't work like that." He tries to convince me otherwise but I give him a pointed stare, already knowing his little tricks. Well only knowing a few handle since the man is still pretty much a mystery to me. "Now, come on. I want rush you for your tea because I know how cranky you can get but you'll have to take a quicker shower then. Ezra is already up and bouncing around, I've had to put guards outside his door in order to contain him." Malleus inputs while I gasp at his words, deftly smacking him on the arm before quickly rubbing at the spot in the second to soothe it.
"He's not some prisoner." I say with a disgruntled tone while sipping at my tea, sadness coursing through me when I realise I've hit the shallow end.
"He was going to come barging in to wake you up." Malleus utters with a smug look to which I huff, not admitting he did the best damn thing in the world when he says it like that. Letting myself bask in his warmth and comforting hold, I finally get my bearings together and reluctantly get off of the bed, the mere act taking all of my will power as I trudge to the bathroom, ready to freshen up.
Knowing that I'm short on time, I do my routine in a monotonous but somewhat hurried manner and within the next fifteen minutes, I'm exiting out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around my body and my damp hair lying limply on my shoulders. My next destination being the closet where I can rifle through my clothes and get a simple outfit together.
I raise an eyebrow while passing Malleus, grinning at the way his eyes darken while his eyes trail down the entirety of my body. It's a small act but the fact that he reacts as if he's seeing me in such a state for the first time all over again just makes me feel that tiny bit more confident. I feel as if he'll never get over me being his mate just like I'll never be able to get over him.
This dependency we have on one another would have sent me running for the hills if it wasn't the fact that the gorgeous man still eyeing me was my mate.
Slipping into an outfit that is somewhat similar to what my mate is wearing- give or take a few things here and there such as a long coat to keep me safe from the harsh rain outside - I refocus my attention on Malleus who extends his hand out for me to grab, a clear sign we're going to be heading out now. Even though I've been over the plan numerous times in my head, I still feel on edge while my stomach dances around with a bad case of butterflies.
"We've gone through the entire plan, don't worry about it." Malleus whispers to me so only I hear, the both of us reaching a small gathering which consisted of the Head Mage, Apollo and a surprisingly anxious Asha who taps her foot in a continuous rhythm.
"We're also expecting things to go wrong anyway." I mumble back to him just as someone else approaches us from the other side. My brow raises a fraction of an inch before it drops back down, not wanting to make my surprise obvious as Keir stalks his way towards the group but then pausing a foot away, not mingling with us.
One glance at Malleus has my suspicions confirmed, knowing he purposely called the wolf not only as a security measure but also because he feels like the mate bond will work in our favour if worse comes to worse.
"We should be leaving now, Magus. The witch awaits us at the edge of the forest." The Head Mage speaks up, a gummy smile being sent Malleus' way to which he nods, turning to me. Taking in a deep breath, I signal for him that I'm ready to get going while Asha gives her mate's hand a loving squeeze before letting go.
"Good luck, I guess." Asha announces to all of us before falling back while we head on and out of the castle. The rain batters against me but thankfully my coat takes up most of the moisture, my clothes underneath safe for now while Malleus treks on as if the rain isn't soaking his clothes and making them cling to him for life. I guess he's dead set on all of this going wrong which is why his clothes don't bother him, they'll be getting ripped to shreds in less than half an hour according to him.
Our exit out of the castle is a familiar one as we take the back exit we did a while back, the front entrance hardly being used unless large deliveries were taking place. As soon as I step through the gate, a resounding sigh escapes the small group except for the Head Mage who grins wider and beckons behind me, motioning for her beloved friend to hurry along.
"For a second I thought you guys would leave without me." Ezra says in a jubilant tone while he gathers his footing after running to catch up to us.
"We were." Is all Malleus says curtly, the rest of us lapsing into silence as we trek down the hill and to the outskirts of the sleeping city. The silence that greets us causes my hair to raise on end and this simply causes me to scoot closer to Malleus. The lack of sound increasingly creepy but getting better as we near the forest. My moment of ease stripping away when the forest too sounds void of all life. No badgers, owls, or foxes making a peep. I can't even pickup on the usually nearly silent scuttling of rodents against the forest floor, well, all except one.
The exceptions eyes glow in the dark, almost as if the familiar is a lighthouse calling the boats to shore.
I deftly note the way the familiar glances at all of us, stopping on Kier and taking one incredibly long look before turning its attention back to its master. It appears the familiar is smarter than the two mates.
Who would have thought?
"Good morning. Sire. Wonderful day isn't it?" Althea chirps up while spreading her arms out in front of us, catching the drizzle of rain as the woman stands drenched from head to toe. I crack a small grin at her antics, liking the way she's so unbothered with everything going on.
Even if she ends up stabbing us in the back, I doubt I could hate her for it. That's actually a lie. I'd switch modes in a second.
"A good a day as any to get this mess sorted." Malleus says with a nod, hands crossed in front of his chest while I have to hold back an eye roll at his attempt of trying to appear intimidating. I mean from an objective point of view he probably does look threatening with his stern stormy eyes, brows pulled down and jaw clenched. His biceps straining against the black shirt that clings to him with the wet weather.
It's not good to get distracted in such a situation but I find myself giving my mate a discreet once over, clearing my throat when Malleus catches my gaze at the lost moment. His own eyes darkening even further.
'Stop.' I think over the mind link although we both know it's me who started this mess since I can't control my own damn self.
"Shall we?" Althea speaks, not really waiting for an answer before she makes her way into the forest. I wasn't expecting much of a trek and thankfully we aren't faced with one as our short walk leads us to a large clearing. My eyes peer into the dark forest, trying to see as much as I possibly can even with my enhanced sight as my eyes twitch with each step that's taken on the opposing side of us.
It's as if the seconds have slowed down into hours, the sound of three steady heartbeats slowly approaching us as our party steps into the middle of the clearing. I grit my teeth in annoyance as the others take longer, almost as they want to add some dramatic suspense to the entire situation.
Hurry the fuck up.
My wish is granted quickly as Theodore, the Keeper of the Gate steps into view with two other witches in tow. I almost let out a sigh of relief, one part of me thinking they'd be your typical unhinged witch with a mass of wolf unruly hair and tattered clothes. Thankfully they look normal enough to me as they come within a few feet of us. One of them standing taller than the other who glances around with shining brown eyes in curiosity.
"Norma. Lucy. I'm glad you could join us. I'll skip past the introductions because that's boring. Anyways, shall we?" Althea asks after glancing from our group and to the other group.
The two women hesitantly share a look before glancing at Althea and then running their vigilant eyes over the rest of us, eying our group of five not if you include Althea who can't really be trusted at the moment. We'll just have to see how important that promise was to her.
The Head Mage hobbles forward, arms outstretched and a wide smile on her face as if she loves invading other people's minds. The two witches take a step back but a sharp glance from Theodore has them rooted in place. It's only a brief moment where the Head Mage clamps her hands on each side of their heads, muttering something under breath which I'm positive aren't incantations. I see no glow of light nor are there gasps of pain but instead, the woman steps back and shrugs in discontent at Malleus, upset she didn't get any juicy information.
Althea then gestures to us while the witches walk forward and form an impromptu circle, Malleus being the odd man out as he steps into the makeshift circle while the rest of us scatter around them. My eyes focus in on the witch standing right next to my mate, Althea flanking his other side which puts me at some ease.
Ezra stands right behind Althea, his gaze focused on the fox instead of the woman who is currently muttering incantations followed by the other two. Malleus remains silent and at this point I'm not sure if he's trying to get rid of the magic with them or letting them siphon off his magic if need be when they hit their limit. He did assure me that if the latter was going to happen, he'd put a cap on it so they don't try and take more than necessary.
I shift uneasily from one foot to another, glancing at each of the witches in turn as their foreign words grow louder and louder. It's almost corny the way the wind picks up speed, my hair being lifted up and tussling all around me but the rain stays the same, deciding not to increase in intensity.
I take a discreet step forward, wanting to be as close to my mate as can be just in case I need to jump into action at any moment. I know my mate can take care of himself but that's not going to stop me from hovering over him like a dotting mother. Apollo catches my eyes from the other side of the circle, mimicking my steps as he tilts ever so slightly into an offensive position, nodding his head at me in understanding.
I brace myself as the wind picks up speed even more, the sounds of their incantations getting cut off by the howling of the wind and the thunder erupting in the distance. Pulling my coat tighter around me, one part of me wishes I'd have brought my whole damn blanket with me if I knew it was going to get cold. The other part, however, knows that the chill in the air isn't natural, not to the extent of it seeping into my bones and practically clawing at my insides to rip me apart from within.
A gasp leaves my lips as I jump back along with everyone other than the people in the circle. The flash of thunder striking so close to us and causing the grass to singe a few meters away from us. I brace myself for the deafening sound to reach us in a few moments, cringing as my ears ring with the force while a short whine involuntarily escapes Ezra who shakes his head from side to side.
I hold in my breath, noting how the rain and thunder has stopped and the once battering wind now coming to a halt. Goosebumps erupt on my skin as the hair on my body stands on end. Silence echoing so loud that it's ten times more deafening than the thunder that struck just a few meters away from us. A wisp of black grabs my attention as I watch black mist rise from the frozen ground like the mist you see leaving the ocean in the early morning. It's as if it has a life of its own the way it twists and curls, fighting for its life to not be taken out of what sustains the black magic.
A tinge of discomfort makes its way through the mate bond, my eyes flickering immediately to Malleus to see his hands balled into fists and his breathing getting slightly heavier. I try my best to send feelings of comfort and love through the link, entranced by the way his breathing lights instantly and his knuckles regaining colour from the pale yellow that marred them moments ago.
I'm so focused on marvelling at the glory of the mate bond and my mate which accompanies it, that I almost miss the blur of motion occurring from next to Malleus.
That's when everything it's rock bottom.
I freaking knew this wouldn't end well. Not when it comes to having luck like we do.
Making eye contact with the taller of the two witches, I enjoy the way her eyes widen with fear just as my lips curl into a snarl before the shift occurs. Bones snapping and curling back into shape, sinew twisting while hair sprouts out of my pores in a rapid feat while I lunge. My shift complete mid air as the clothes I wore seconds ago tear to tatters but only one goal on my mind.
I welcome the taste of blood and raw flesh in my mouth as I latch onto the witche's side, not letting go as I lock my jaw but watch as she drops her hand that was aimed at Malleus. The blue magic swirling in her palms missing my mate by an inch who snaps into action almost a second after I did. That's all it takes for chaos to ensue as I let out a yelp, my body being thrown a few feet away after getting zapped with the blue magic that the witch pointed my way instead.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts and the pain away, I regain my footing and start running towards the witch who dared to hurt my mate. Unfortunately I don't get much of a chance as Malleus outstretches his arm, hand latching on to the woman's shoulder and then releases the most aggressive growl I've ever heard. My paws dig into the ground, trying to slow down my body as my wolffish features turn into the human equivalent of a grimace. My mate doesn't take another second, grabbing the woman's head and breaking her neck with a swift movement of his hands.
So tuned into Malleus, my wolf and I being to rejoice at the fact I managed to save my mate from getting injured that I nearly miss Althea's words floating towards me.
"Oh no." Her voice is laced with dismay, a tsk sound escaping her a moments afterwards but her eyes not trained on Norma, instead she's watching something behind me.
Twisting around, my eyes widen considerably as I catch sight of eight more witches emerging from the tree line. I barely get a chance to take it all in before two wolves dart in front of me, attacking the witches head on. I let out a grunt of annoyance, not liking the way Ezra tried to steal my spotlight by delving into battle head first.
Who does he think he is? The heroine in every book and movie that thinks she's worth more than her salt only for her to get injured not even half way in. I don't think so.
Letting out my own snarl, I run head first, latching onto whatever witchy part I can get a hold of. My glory is short lived as I feel something grabbing onto the nape of my neck. I twist and turn, trying to gnaw at whoever dares to grab ahold of me like a mother cat does to her baby kittens.
'Malleus?' I grumble out, not at all amused by his behaviour as he drops my nape but grabs me from across my stomach. I try to squirm about, wanting him to drop me since I nor my wolf enjoys the lack of ground beneath our paws. The position is awkward as one of Malleus' arms is around my lower belly while the other arm is right underneath my front legs. I whine at the position, feeling like some rabid mutt that's being taken off somewhere by its owner for a scolding.
I'm quickly deposited next to a grumbling Althea who is perched on the ground as if her coven isn't being ripped apart in front of her.
"You keep a close eye on Althea. Keir is here to keep an eye on you both." I glance up but let out a huff, not able to see anything of the other wolf since he's hooded up like the freaking grim reaper.
'Stay safe love.' Malleus adds mentally which I return with a roll of my eyes.
"I'll be back soon. Give me fifteen minutes." Malleus grunts before stalking off, getting ready to take apart of the action which I desperately want to join.
Stupid Kings and being their stupid mate's.
—————
AN: Not me updating this chapter like I just didn't have a melt down over my exams being so close. I know anything and I'm freaking out and why did decide to do law? Someone smack some sense into me. Idek if I like this chapter and how it's turned out but it's the best I can do. Also I have like 4 more chapters left of this book? I'm including epilogues in those 4 chapters and stuff so yeah.
Question: Would you rather have to always hop around on one foot or have to always squat?
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