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Chapter 25
Aeyron chuckled, but the look in his eyes was rather unsettling. "What a ridiculous notion. Perhaps that power he constantly babbles on about finally fried his brain."
But I wasn't convinced. For the first time since I arrived in North's palace, his Second in Command wouldn't meet my eyes.
"You believe him."
"Of course I don't. People can't be stars-"
"You're lying." I narrowed my eyes at the guilty look that flashed through his. He did believe the seer, regardless of how insane the thought was. He just didn't want to admit it, but eventually he let out a sigh.
"It's not that simple. The seer might be a nuisance to the kingdom, but he still communicates with the spirit realm. I would not believe anything he says, my lady- but that doesn't mean some of it isn't true."
"The King wants me to forget that I was ever in the library." I murmured more to myself than him once he settled back in his seat, the guilty expression swarming his eyes gone.
"Perhaps that would be for the best."
I rolled my eyes at that statement and let out a tired sigh before closing the book resting in front of me. "I am getting rather sick of everyone saying that."
His dark eyes slanted towards mine before he reached up and ran his strong fingers through his sand-colored hair. "Yes, I imagine you are. But, believe me, Emrie," I knew what he was going to say was true based simply on the fact that he didn't put the 'lady' in front of my name.
"I would tell you everything in a heartbeat if it were that easy."
"And why isn't it?"
"The King has his reasons."
I scoffed at that answer, what a ridiculous one it was. It was pretty much the same response from Terif every time I asked him. North didn't want me to know anything, so his Generals wouldn't bother telling me.
"Do you even know what those reasons are?"
He chuckled once again, and his brown eyes seemed to dance in amusement as he played with an absent pawn from the chess board always ready at the table.
"More than I would like. But they are important, and I agree with them enough to not disobey him."
"Of course you do." I grumbled and leaned back in my chair with an exasperated sigh. I honestly didn't even know why I bothered asking anymore. Aeyron rolled his eyes.
"Listen my lady, North does-"
"Emrie."
His words were suddenly cut off from the almost vicious growl tearing through his own chest. There was a flash of blue, a bright blue so electric that I knew it could belong to no one other than the King- and then the Second in Command was gripping impossibly tight onto my wrist.
My eyes widened in alarm.
"Aeyron? What are you doing-"
"Emrie." He growled again, his brown eyes completely hidden behind the bright blue of Eirik's glaring down at me in such anger that it made my stomach flip. The grip the large General had on my wrist only tightened, and I gasped at the sharp zap of pain it shot through my arm.
"North..." My voice was a surprised whisper as Aeyron continue to growl and stand to his feet- pulling me with him. "What's going on?"
There was another flash of blue, and the General snarled before reaching up with his free hand to press firmly against the side of his head- his eyes closing in pain. "North." He growled deep in his throat, his voice sounding much more like his own- although his grip on my wrist only hardened.
"Aeyron let go, you're hurting me."
But he didn't let go, he didn't seem to hear me at all. The General was hunched over at the waist, his large palm pressing into the side of his head as his eyes shut tight against some unseen pain. The hand around my thin wrist only seemed to tense with each passing second.
The large wolf-borne growled, and his body began to shake as I tried to desperately pull my wrist from his grasp. His eyes suddenly shot open, but they were no longer the blue of the King's or even his normal brown- they were black. The black of a furious wolf.
A wolf he appeared to have trouble controlling.
A vicious snarl tore from his lips, his gums pulling back to reveal sharp, pointed canines. My eyes widened in panic. I've only ever seen North and Terif shift before, and neither of them made it seem as painful as Aeyron was. He acted as if he were forcing the change to stop, but was failing miserably.
I tried to take a step back as a horrible growl tore from his still human lips, but his grip would not loosen. There was a moment of silence, a painful, dead silence, before the man in front of me slowly started to become less and less human.
There was a horrible pain shooting up my arm, and then a sound of loud crack echoing around them room. I screamed as a white, hot agony enveloped my wrist and hand- the horrible slivers of pain zapping up the rest of my arm. And yet, he would still not let go.
"Aeyron please!"
I honestly thought he was going to change half-way and straight up eat me, like I thought the Kind would have done all those months before- until another howl sounded around the large sitting room. I glanced up just in time to see the familiar dark brown fur of Terif's wolf running full speed at us.
Aeyron's talon-like fingers let go of my skin right before the other wolf collided with his mid-transitioning body. I stumbled backwards in a hurried, frenzied manner- my no-doubted shattered wrist clutched protectively to my chest as I pressed my back against the nearest wall.
Aeyron finally finished shifting, and I stood in shock, pressed against a wall watching a wolf the color of sand snap and viciously bite at Terif.
What in the actual fuck was going on?
"Emrie."
His voice sounded in my ear over the loud snarls and growls of the two fighting wolves, before I even saw him. A flash of wind swept past me before I was gazing up with wide, and slightly horrified eyes, at the King.
"Emrie-" He started again, his hand reaching out for me, but I flinched away. Hurt flashed across his bright gaze.
"You caused this. I know you did." I heard myself saying even though I wasn't fully aware of what my body was doing at that moment. My mind was too busy reeling over how- how animalistic Aeyron had suddenly become, and how he snapped my wrist like it was a twig.
"I did not mean to." He spoke softly, his eyes flashing with so many different emotions that I couldn't pin point just one.
I glanced away from him and around his large shoulder just in time to see Aeyron's huge wolf being pinned to the ground by Terif's. My breathing came out as a shuttering breath.
"Emrie, I am truly sorry. I didn't mean-"
"My wrist, i-it's broken." I heard my voice mumble again, my eyes flickering back and forth between the King's and the two wolves at the opposite end of the room.
"I can fix it-" He was reaching slowly out for me again, but like last time I jerked uneasily away. A pained frown pulled at his lips.
"What did you... H-How did you-" I couldn't think straight, and I could barely make any coherent sentences- but he seemed to understand me anyway.
"I can enter any of my people's minds, for a brief period of time- and control them if I wish." His voice was hesitant, his eyes narrowed slightly in concern as he watched me like a parent would a newborn infant.
"You broke my wrist?"
"No! No I would never." He was shaking his head in absolute denial, his eyes horrified at the simple notion- but I wasn't necessarily convinced. He even said he was in control for a moment...
"I learned something about the seer, something that pissed me off enough that I couldn't think straight. But I had to check on you, I had to make sure you were okay. I was mad when I entered Aeyron's mind, too mad to ask permission and I ended up fucking up his conscious. His reaction was his wolf's instinctive response. Defense. Neither one of us meant to hurt you."
I believed him, and it wasn't only because of the sad, regretful, and guilty look that suddenly swamped his beautiful blue eyes. I knew he would never purposefully hurt me. I knew none of them would. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that still didn't ease my slightly fear.
"What did you find out about the seer?"
The wolves still slightly squabbling behind him were slowly starting to calm down. Terif seemed like he was only trying to stop Aeyron's wolf from hurting himself, or us for that matter, as the lighter wolf went crazy. Honestly, I didn't blame him. I would probably freak out too if someone had suddenly infiltrated my mind without warning.
North hesitated, his tongue flicking out to lick his full lips as his eyes glanced away. My jaw clenched at the sight, and I cradled my throbbing wrist tighter against my chest. Just another freaking secret he wasn't going to share-
But then his eyes were hardening and snapping back to mine before I had time to process it. His large body leaned down closer, so close I had to press my back against the wall so our noses wouldn't touch.
"He was inside your head. He had put thoughts into your mind, Emrie. The other day when you met him in the library, you were never going to leave my room if it weren't for him."
I couldn't stop the gasp that tore from my lips as his blue eyes flashed in anger. Liberius had been inside my head? Putting thoughts there? But how... My head, along with my wrist was beginning to throb.
For the first time in a long time, I just wanted to lay in bed and cry. Both from the pain, and the knowledge that my mind had literally been invaded. I had no idea how his Generals could stand North popping in and out of their heads whenever he pleased. Then again, I was no wolf-borne.
"I will kill him, little Emrie. I will rip him apart limb by limb and feed them to those souls he seems so desperately attached to."
There was no threat in his tone, only a stark promise- and it made my head pound even more. My eyes widened as my arm zapped with pain again, and I pressed it harder to my chest like that would ease the discomfort.
His eyes flickered down to my hand at the action, the hard, icy blue softening as he leaned a little way away from me. "Let me heal you." It wasn't a question, or a statement either really, but more like a request that he planned on fulfilling if it took his last, dying breath.
The chaos behind him had died completely down, but Terif was still standing protectively between us and Aeyron's sand-colored wolf began to slowly shift back. I brought my gaze back to Eirik before giving him a small nod.
I've seen him appear only as an apparition, seen him make small tornados in his palm, and now infiltrate someone's mind. I had no doubt he would be able to heal anything if he wanted.
His shoulders eased slightly when he reached for me once again, and this time I actually let him. "I should kill him for hurting you." He murmured as both of his large hands came up to gently cup my wrist. I watched with wide eyes as he began to slowly raise my hand to his lips.
"But I know it was not his fault. It was mine."
I stared in awe at his blue eyes as they locked with mine, his large hands holding my wrist as his warm lips pressed against the underside of the quickly bruising bone in a gentle kiss. His eyes flashed and then the pain was fading easily away, the black and blue of the skin disappearing.
Whoa...
"All better." He murmured against my skin, but did not lower my hand. His lips brushed against the underside of my wrist once again, his blue eyes glowing softly against the black of his short hair. He truly was beautiful...
"Emrie, I'm so sorry."
And just like that, our little moment was severed.
The King growled, his eyes darkening as his head snapped to the side. "Forgive me North, I could not control it. I wasn't expecting for you-"
"I know." He snapped as his hand gently lowered mind once again. I flexed my fingers and rolled the healed boned. It didn't hurt at all, it was like it had never been broken to begin with. "It is not a mistake I will be making again."
Aeyron's brown eyes locked with mine, and despite the desperate plea in them I couldn't bring myself to hold his gaze for too long. And it had everything to do with the fact that he was one-hundred percent naked in front of us- and he didn't seem to care.
I could feel the red, hot, heat travel up the back of my neck and into my cheeks at the sight, even though the King placed himself directly in front of me. I forgot how little the wolf-bornes cared about their nudity after shifting.
"Go put some fucking clothes on." North snarled, his large back staying directly in front of me in some attempt to block the very naked male from my view.
"Why? I think my lady is enjoying the view-"
I squeaked and the growl that tore from Eirik's chest was so vicious it made my stomach flip. Aeyron suddenly laughed, and the sound seemed to fix all the mess that had just ensued.
"I'm joking- just joking."
"Get the fuck out now." North snarled, and Aeyron gave us all one last chuckle before leaving- Well, sauntering out of the room without a care. My cheeks were still stained a blood red.
"Go shift elsewhere, Terif." There was still a hard bite to North's tone, but his shoulders visibly eased once his Second in Command had left.
There was a very animal snort, and I peeked around his large arm just enough to see Terif's wolf give the King an eye roll before walking casually out of the room- like he hadn't just been in a fight with another wolf.
The King eased completely once his Delta had left, his shoulders dropping as his large hand reached up to tousle his dark hair. "The patience I have with those two is beyond bounds." He grumbled before turning back towards me, his blue eyes flashing in the darkening room.
"Patience?" I asked with quiet disbelief. He seemed angrier and more fed up with them than anything else.
His full lips quirked up at the corner, and his blue eyes flashed. The rather sly look sent butterflies raging throughout my stomach. I felt a blush heat my cheeks for a completely different reason.
"Yes, patience. There are very few people who I would allow you so casually like this- much less let them walk away from revealing themselves to you."
I couldn't hold his gaze any longer, the embarrassed heat on my face and neck wouldn't let me.
"It will be dark soon. I'm sure you are tired. I will escort you back to your room." He changed the subject, thankfully, before reaching for my no-longer-injured hand. I let him take it without a fuss.
"I promise that I will not be so foolish in my anger again." His deep voice was a soft murmur, his blue eyes gentle as they gazed warmly down at me. I gave him a small smile.
"What do you plan on doing with Liberius?" I asked softly a moment later as he led me slowly down the hall. His large body stiffened beside me, before he let out a deep breath of air.
"Isn't it obvious?" His voice was dark, the tone in it hostile as we pulled to a stop outside my door. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Obviously not if I'm asking."
His eyes widened at that before narrowing with a rather sickening gleam dancing across his gaze.
"I'm going to kill him."
-&-
A soft knock disrupted my unrestful sleep. I had been in and out of a dream-like state all night, never able to actual drift off. In all honesty, I hadn't had a decent night's rest since the time I slept beside the King- three days ago.
I let out a quiet groan and rolled slowly off the bed, my cold toes wiggling into the soft slippers at my bedside. The moon was high in the sky, and it appeared to have been for a while. Who could possibly want to talk to me in the middle of the night?
I walked sluggishly to the door, my head throbbing painfully behind my skull. The less I slept, the worse the headache.
Bright blue eyes were glowing down at me from the dark hallway the minute I opened the door. I blinked up at them before rubbing tiredly at my own. "North?" I asked with a drained yawn as he leaned casually against my open-door frame, his large arms crossed over his hard chest.
"What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep." His deep voice rolled easily off his tongue, a voice I would never grow tired of hearing. "I'm sorry to wake you." He gave me a soft smile, and that one small action caused my stomach to flutter in nervous butterflies.
"You didn't, I couldn't really sleep either."
His small smile pulled into a frown, and his sleek black shirt wrinkled as he uncrossed his arms and leaned away from the door.
"Sleep with me, Emrie."
"Eep!" I couldn't stop the startled sound from leaving my lips as my tired eyes snapped open in surprise. What did he just ask-?!
A smirk pulled at his beautifully taunting lips, and his blue eyes flashed in amusement as he leaned over me- a small chuckle emitting from his chest. "Not like that, my lady. Unless you would like to." His eyes flashed in quiet mirth, a look that seemed to only grow as red stained my cheeks brightly for the second time that day.
"U-Uh I-I..." I couldn't even think straight much less speak. The embarrassment was way too much. His dark chuckle pulled at my erratically beating heart.
"Sleep beside me. Like the other night. I think it would help us both."
His smile eased to that gentle, warm one he seemed to only save for me, but that sly look in his eyes did not fade. He found my embarrassment amusing.
"I don't think-" I started softly, my cheeks still hot as I tore my gaze from his.
"Stay with me, little Emrie. I do not think I will be able to sleep if you don't."
I still hesitated, a frown pulling at my lips as his eyes stared holes down into my hidden gaze. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to sleep beside him. But it wasn't proper, even for mates. Sleeping in the same bed while unmated was highly inappropriate.
But perhaps... Maybe it was different in his culture.
I hadn't noticed him leaning closer towards me, his large arm winding slowly along my waist until his warm lips were brushing softly against my cheek. My eyes widened at the sparks that shot through my body at the simple touch.
"I want you to stay with me." He murmured into my ear, his breath hot as it fanned the expanse of my neck.
"Please."
My breathing quickened in my chest, and my mind went to a complete puddle of goo. There was no thinking clearly with him this close, with him touching me the way he was. My eager head was nodding before I even realized it.
He pulled back with a satisfied grin, but his arm around my waist only tightened. "Sleepy you is rather adorable."
Heat only returned to my cheeks at the statement, but I kept my mouth shut as he eased me slowly from my room- like he was afraid I would back out if he went too fast.
I yawned as he closed the door behind us, his bright eyes were the only light in the entire hall. It was rather beautiful, in a creepy and eerie kind of way. It had to have been the magic inside of him that allowed them to glow like that, or his wolf- but I was leaning more towards the former.
A whole new wave of sleep washed over me the second we entered his room, and I was crawling into his bed on my own accord without bothering to wait for him. His quiet chuckle was like music to my exhausted ears.
"Eager little thing." I heard his dark voice murmur as I crawled under the thick covers and pulled them to my chin. It was a rather chilly night.
I was so tired, but still unable to fall asleep as he paused at the bedside. I frowned and squished further down in the comfortable mattress. I wasn't sure if it was because he was the King or because it was simply his, but the bed was ten times more comfortable than my own. And it smelled like him too.
I jumped slightly when the bed suddenly dipped deeply by my side, but his large, soft hand was easing gently over my blanket-covered arm before I freaked out too much. His deep sigh filled my ears.
"You're so small." He grumbled as his large body slipped beneath the covers. I was too tried to respond, but my lips pulled into a frown anyway.
I was not small.
Bare skin brushed against my arm beneath the blankets, and I let out a soft sigh as his warm touch curled gently around me. A soft heat enveloped my chilled body, but it became so warm I actually edged the covers off of me a bit.
Bare skin touched my fingertips, and I froze. He had taken his shirt off before lying down, and the hard muscles of his chest and stomach were just within reach. But I was too tired to act on my disastrous thoughts. He breathed heavily against my ear.
"Get some sleep, my little star."
-&-
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