For all the boldness I'd shown yesterday night, it was gone out of the window by the time the sun settled over the horizon.
My eyes fluttered against the harsh lighting falling over my face as I squirmed in Valerian's arms.
He had his huge arms wrapped around me, clutching my body to his as if holding a teddy bear.
Rubbing my eyes, I stare at my mate sleeping peacefully in front of me.
Dark thick lashes framed his eyelids casting a shadow down his face. His hair was a complete disheveled mess over his head-a part of my doing-but somehow it still managed to make him look irresistible. His lips were slightly tugged upwards at the sides as if he was smiling in his sleep.
I couldn't help my own lips from stretching into a wide smile as I brought my hand up to gently brush away the messy hair over his forehead. I don't know why I do it but before I could think much about it, I find myself inching closer and kissing his forehead softly just the way he'd done to mine many times yesterday night.
Valerian stirs in his sleep pulling me flush against his naked body and I feel my cheeks heat up as the events of yesterday night come flashing back.
We'd awoken thrice in the middle of the night and every single time we'd ended up doing the same thing, more wilder than the previous round. Pleasuring each other to the point of exhaustion and then falling asleep under the duvets. Infact, it was a miracle we'd had any sleep at all.
But now when I was finally out of the desire induced state and everything sunk into my head, I couldn't help myself from feeling flustered over my mind.
To add to it, at that very moment, Valerian decides to flutter open those green eyes to stare right at me reminding me of the way they'd peered into mine yesterday night as he'd pounded into me.....
Groaning, I pull the duvet over my head hiding my probably crimson cheeks from his view.
Ugh! What is wrong you Kaitlyn?! Why are so shy all of a sudden?!
Valerian seemed to have the same question in mind as he tries to tug at the duvet to look at me, "Kate?"
You're mine, Kaitlyn.
My heart picks up its rhythm as the words from our first time run through my head. I plaster the duvet over my face as even his voice reminds me of everything not-very-holy we'd done.
Valerian's throaty laughter booms in the entirety of the room as I don't budge from my hiding. Before I can comprehend why he's laughing, I feel the duvet lift from the other side and then Valerian is looking at me with an amused smile on his face as he gets under the cover to join me.
Before I can hide off again, he pulls me firmly against him making me gasp at the way I could feel every inch of him. My heartbeat accelerates more than ever and my cheeks grow unsually warm as I shut my eyes to avoid looking at him.
"And I thought I was the virgin here." Valerian muses still holding onto me tightly.
"Virgin, my foot." I mumble under my breath, "How can a virgin. . ." My voice trails as I bite back the words.
'. . .FUCK LIKE THAT? IT WAS THAT GOOD, HUH?' Pretty slurred and I could feel her throwing a wolfy smirk my way, wiggling her brows suggestively.
'Shut. Up.' I curse her out in my head and cut off the mind-link.
"I had seven centuries to learn my thing, you know. I never thought it'd be possible but I knew if I had a chance to be with you, I was going to make it really good for you. I dont know whether I was actually able to do it but I knew one thing certainly, it was only ever going to be you. No one else." Valerian's words snaps me back to reality.
Good? That was so much more than good. The man has no idea.
My heart warms at his words and I slowly open my eyes to stare at him. The stark emotion in those green orbs renders me speechless for a moment.
"Thank you." I extend my hand to hold his face, "For saving yourself for me. And I'm sorry I couldn't-"
"Hey, hey." He holds my face in a quick swoop, "I didn't tell you about myself for you to feel sorry about yourself. You didn't even know you had a mate, Kate. Even if you did, I could never stop you from choosing to live your life the way you want. Or stop you from being with anyone other than me. Because deep down I know, your happiness matters the most to me. No matter what." He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.
How did I get so lucky with this man?
As if noticing my sudden blurry eyes, he brushes his thumb across my cheek and passes me a teasing look, "I would not deny that I was jealous though. Thinking about someone touching you, like this. . ." His index finger trails down my face to my lips down my throat.
My breath hitches in my throat as they trail lower and lower down to my stomach. But just when I think it'll go even lower, he flattens his palm over my stomach and in a smooth sensous swipe glides them up to cup my breast.
"Or holding these like this." He squeezes the flesh making me let out a moan. That drugging heady sensation buzzes all over my body again, raising tingles on every inch of my skin.
"Or hearing you making sounds like this." His finger kneeds the bud as I shut my eyes and let out a breathless sigh.
"Or looking into your eyes while doing something like this," In a quick movement, he flips us over. I land on my back with him on top of me and the sheets over us like a tent.
I gasp as he pins my hands above my head and starts positioning himself between my legs.
"Val. . ." I call out making his darkened eyes bore into mine.
We're just seconds away from another round when a loud knock snaps us out of our bubble. In shock, I push Valerian and the covers of off me.
"Open the door, Sleeping Bitch!" Narcissa's shrilly voice yells from the other side.
I turn to Valerian in a panic but he's busy burning holes at the door and frowning. I poke his shoulder to gain his attention but he just gets off the bed as if ready to march towards the door, butt naked if I might add.
"How dare she call you that?" He fumes, "I'll go have a word with her."
My eyes widen at his words and without thinking much, I spring off the bed myself and run up to hold him back.
"What is wrong with you?!" I shriek pulling him away from reaching the door.
"She called you that." He mutters like a stubborn child trying to storm towards the door again.
I wrap my arms firmly around his torso and drag him far far away from the wooden door Narcissa kept banging at.
"It's really not the time to get protective, grumpy." I tug him towards my closet and push him into it.
"What are you doing?" He asks looking at me in confusion, his lips set in a pout.
He almost looked too cute for me to just drag him back and kiss him to my heart's content. But we were in a precarious situation here.
So, with a stern look, "You stay here until I get her out of the room."
When it's apparent he's listening half-heartedly, I place a finger below his chin and raise it, "If you try to act smart, I'll bury you alive in my closet."
Valerian stares at me before a slow smirk pulls at his lips, "You look too hot right now." His eyes sweep down and that's when I realize I'm equally naked as him.
In my flustered state, I shake my head "Valerian, you pervert." I mumble shutting the door in his face but the moment he's out of sight, I couldn't help the cheeky grin from spreading on my lips. He is really something.
I turn around to walk towards the door but a hand stops me. Narrowing my eyes, "What now?" I turn towards Valerian only to be surprised when he pulls me towards him.
Placing a kiss to my forehead with a heartbreaking tenderness, "Be careful." He whispers into my ears before kissing my cheek, retreating back into the closet and closing the door.
I stare at the shut door in stupor, my heart drumming in my chest with a foreign feeling but another loud bang on the door and I return back to the present.
"Wait, I'm getting up!" I yell back, "Stop banging the door!"
The bangs stop for a moment before starting again. I groan as I quickly pull in a robe from the night stand and hide Valerian's clothes under the bed.
Running to the door, I pull it open to be met by Narcissa's fuming face. She walks into the room as if she owns the place before her confident steps come to a sudden halt,
"What's with the strange scent in the air here?" She asks looking around quizzically.
I bite my lip as I realise the scent of our nightly activities still lingered in the sheets and Narcissa having the royal lycan's sense of smell didn't help at all. It was a fortune that Valerian's scent was hidden due to Dulcamara's enchantment. Or he'd have been long caught during all those visits and today.
"Two people were at it in my room when I came here to rest yesterday." I lied praying to the moon goddess she bought the lie.
Narcissa being the dumber person out of the rest scrunched her face, "Here? In your room? Don't these common people know not to enter the royalties room? Not a night since your coronation and people have forgotten their place already. What kind of a queen would you make-"
I appear in front of her in a flash and raise a finger, "Just because I'm not telling anything doesn't permit you to speak to me like that. I could command your execution for speaking to your queen like this."
Narcissa suddenly laughs at my words, "Oh, rejoice being the queen as long as you want. Once master ends Valerian, you'll become his slut and my kingdom will be completely mine without worrying about any heir taking it up. Not even your estranged brother. Master will kill your twin if that boy ever decides to show up here. That's the prize I get for taking his side."
My twin. . .
God, this people couldn't even spare him?!
"You're a greedy person, Narcissa." I retort bitterly but the woman just snorts telling how everyone is greedy as she walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her. But not before asking me to get downstairs to perform my queen duties which I didn't deserve to have.
My fists clench as I feel my anger boiling. Just few months ago, I had nothing to do with these people. All I was focused was to kill Valerian and fulfill Victor's wish. Who knew I'd get caught into this mess? Who knew I was always a part of this mess?
"Hey, don't listen to her. I know you'll make a great queen. I trust you, Kate." Valerian's gentle voice makes me turn to him.
My heart warms with something as I take into his worried face and the way he held my hand in his and hooked our fingers as if assuring me he would always be there for me and he knew my worth.
Despite myself, ignoring his nakedness, I whisk into his arms wrapping mine around his torso, "You're the best thing that has happened to me out of all this." I say to hear his heart pick up pace under my cheek where it rested over his chest.
I smile.
Indeed, the best thing.
*
*
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-----------Valerian-----------
The goofy smiles and the maddening grins on my lips couldn't go down no matter how hard I tried even after returning back to my castle.
Everytime I shut my eyes, Kaitlyn's face pops into my head. Her scent, her smile was permanently embedded there. I still remember the way her skin had felt under my hands, hear those sounds she had made yesterday night. But despite how wonderful it had felt, my mind was stuck on the words she'd said after Narcissa had left.
You're the best thing that has happened to me out of all this.
I couldn't help the joy the words caused, from increasing more and more with each minute. It finally seemed like she was starting to feel atleast something and that thought alone was enough to make my heart grow twice the size.
I was a goner for her and I didn't even mind it.
"Quite happy, aren't you princeling?"
The deep feminine voice makes me stop on my steps. I turn to the source to find Dulcamara leaning against the beige corridor wall with her arms folded above her chest and an eerie smile on her lips. Something about the smile sent a shiver of terror run down my spine.
"Greetings, Dulcamara." I address the fortune witch, nevertheless.
Dulcamara just smiles before getting off the wall and walking towards me. Once in front of me, "I did say all the roads lead to Rome, didn't I?"
Before I can comprehend her words, she walks away leaving me with a sinking feeling in my chest as realization dawned on me like an approaching truck in the middle of a road.
I'd totally forgotten of her warning yesterday.
Dulcamara just had to give the creeps to my poor boy😪
Any theories on what Dulcamara's words might mean? I'm curious👀