Sitting in the kitchen my foot tapped on the floor. I had woken up and gotten dressed without saying a word to Andrew. I was in a long sleeve shirt, it was tight on my arms but loose and covered up to the base of my neck. I had on a pair of blue jeans and regular sneakers. My hair was wavy from the way I slept and fell down the side of my face as I looked at a stack of pancakes Andrew placed in front of me, "Eat." He said and sat beside me. I was anxious, I knew he could sense how nervous I was as he grabbed my hand. I looked over to him as he offered a smile. Andrew had just gotten out of bed and came to cook. He still had on a pair of pajama pants and a sleeveless shirt. His hair was tousled around.
When I woke up I saw that Andrew had stayed on his side of the pillow wall, but his arm had sneaked under the pillows and wrapped under my waist. I woke up to his hand as my pillow and my body being almost covered in pillows as it tried to get through to him. Shaking my head clear of the thoughts I looked down and pulled my hand out of his as I started to cut the pancakes, "When will he be here? And who will all be here?" I asked Andrew. Andrew's response was only a yawn as he took a sip of his coffee.
"In an hour I suppose. And as I said last night he's coming as a friend. So just him." Andrew said and looked at me, "Calm down little mate, I'll keep you safe." Andrew said and smirked towards me.
"If he wants me dead, why does he care about this?" I asked him.
"It's complicated." Andrew said and watched as I took a bite of my pancakes, "Amory had a role to keep up. A human knowing about werewolves can be extremely dangerous. If he let you off easily the wolves could have turned on him."
"So he threatened my life and taunted me to keep up with appearances?" I asked Andrew and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Andrew said and took another sip of his coffee, "I'm glad he didn't kill you."
"Would he, even though he knew I was your mate?" I asked him.
"No." Andrew said and took in a deep breath, "No, Amory and I have been friends since I've entered his family, we could be considered brothers. He's told me his secrets and I've shared mine."
"What if he had killed me?" I asked Andrew.
"I wouldn't forgive him." Andrew said and looked towards me, "To lose my mate after finding her, it would have been the thing that killed me."
We sat in silence after that. I ate my pancakes as he drank his coffee. Freezing rain smacked against the window as I looked out to the muggy cloudy sky. Not a ray of sun in sight. Once I finished my pancakes I walked out of the kitchen and stood in the living room. Shaking my body loose, I looked at the stairs that led up to our room. Andrew walked up behind me and looked down at my face, "What are you looking at?" He asked. I softly smiled and looked up at his curious eyes.
"Just looking at the stairs." I replied and shrugged my shoulders, "I've been trying to keep my mind empty at the moment."
"Why is that?" Andrew asked.
"So I don't get too nervous." I whispered.
Andrew softly groaned as I listened to the cup rest on the small coffee table. He walked up behind me and placed his arms around my body. He held me to his chest as he rested his chin on my head, "You have nothing to be nervous about." Andrew said. Closing my eyes I soaked in his warmth as my head leaned back to rest on his chest. This was the closest I've ever gotten to him, the most he had held of me. My heart started to skip beats as I shuffled softly under his weight. Something about this position felt so intimate and I couldn't get enough of it as his hands rested on my hips, "Are you nervous now?" Andrew asked in my ear. Goosebumps filled my arms as I looked over to his right brown eye.
"No." I said and turned in his arms, "You are using the mate bond to your advantage aren't you?" I asked him in an accusing tone.
"I'm calming my mate down." Andrew said as he pulled me closer to his body, "There is nothing wrong with that."
"If you say so." I whispered and walked away from his embrace. Andrew looked at me confused as I walked towards the couch and crossed my legs, "I've got to train." I said and looked at him.
"And what is this?" Andrew asked.
"Meditating." I replied and smirked as I closed my eyes, "Clear the mind and relax the soul."
"I can think of another way to relax your soul." Andrew muttered. My cheeks heated up as I peeked at him.
"Go get dressed." I said and straightened my back as I started to grow serious.
With my eyes closed and my hands relaxed on my knees. I focused on the air around me, and my breathing. Was I breathing too fast? Was my heart racing or falling behind? I then turned towards my body. Was my body relaxed? I could feel small areas that stung and forgot about them. I accepted the pain and moved on. I moved through every flaw I had and moved past it. After a few moments I felt the sense of relief fall on me. I slowly started to breathe through my mouth and exhale out of my nose. My body was silent, everything had gone quiet as I relaxed in my tired form.
"Victoria." Andrew whispered as he shook me. Slowly I opened my heavy eyes and looked up at him, "Hey there." He said and crouched in front of me, "Amory is a few minutes away. I thought I would wake you up." I looked around me and then down to my sitting position. My body felt so light I only smiled as I looked towards Andrew's handsome face.
"Mediating clears the mind and the soul." I whispered as I looked at his parted hair and shadowed face, "You look like you did when I first saw you." I whispered as I looked at the white long sleeve shirt he had on. The buttons stopped right before his neck. He also had on a pair of dress pants. If he had on the dress coat and tie it wouldn't be the Andrew I knew, but the Andrew who almost killed me. Andrew smiled as he looked up to me.
"I thought I would clean up." Andrew said and tilted his head, "Maybe after this we could go get lunch."
"Will his majesty be okay with that?"
"If he isn't, I'll still take you." Andrew replied smoothly as he grabbed my hands and helped me off of the couch.
Something about his appearance made me feel slightly uncomfortable as I stepped away and looked at the hardwood floors. Running my fingers through my hair I sighed as a pair of headlights turned into the driveway. The brightness shining into the living room turned off and the car door opened. Andrew moved to the door as I stood frozen in place. My heart raced as I stared out to the rain as a figure walked around the car and towards the door.
A buzzing noise filled my ears as I lowered my head. "Maybe I'll allow you to heal and take you to my bed instead. You could be my new plaything." His disgusting smile filled my head, his freshly shaved face and his brown liquid eyes. "Will you kill her for your King, Andrew?" Andrew said he wouldn't get in the way. But he had asked if someone else would.
My blood ran cold as I heard the door open, "You're lucky little human. Next time we meet you might not be so lucky." His voice, so deep and dark, haunted my head. He was another monster. Another one who lurked in my nightmares. I held my breath as I listened to Andrew loudly greet the Alpha King. His arms were quickly around the man who wanted me dead, "I've missed you." The Alpha King said as he walked into the house and looked around. His facial features were sunk in and his cheekbones stuck out. His black hair was wet and curled. His plump lips pouted as his brown eyes found mine. His nose stuck down, and his face glowed in the house, "Victoria." King Amory purred. Looking at Andrew I could see his relaxed face as I nodded towards him.
"King Amory." I said and sat down on the couch.
"No need for formalities, I'm not the Alpha King now." Amory said and sat on the rocking chair by the couch, "I'm here to help Andrew, he is my friend."
"Victoria knows that." Andrew said as he sat beside me, "How have you been?"
"Bored." Amory said and leaned head back sighing loudly, "My new guard is a stick up my ass. I had to threaten him so he wouldn't follow me here today."
"Let me guess, Bael?" Andrew asked. Amory sighed as he nodded, "He's loyal-"
"Too loyal." Amory said, "I asked him once to wipe my ass and he was going to!" Amory said with wide eyes. Andrew chuckled as he nodded.
"Sounds like Bael." Andrew said. Andrew looked towards me and then slowly stood up, "I'll show you the room."
"Oh yes. The intruder." Amory said as he followed Andrew towards the stairs, "Tell me Andrew, how is it having a human mate?" Amory's voice softly drifted away as the two men walked up the stairs.
Sitting on the couch I tried to remember how to move my muscles. I tried to calm my racing heart as I listened to the floorboard creek. The sound of ice hitting the window filled my ear drums as I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. Taking in deep breaths and holding it until I felt as if I would pass out before exhaling.