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Fie Wright's P. O. V
The walk back to the giant castle I now call home was a short one as Malleus' swift pace covered ground quickly. All the while I was tucked into his arms and bounced up and down with each footstep. My face cradled into his neck as I inhaled to my hearts content, his unique smell driving me stir crazy especially after the rough night I spent cradled in his arms only to wake up to a sight that drove my wolf into a maddening stupor.
"Your wolf is beautiful." Malleus utters, breaking the silence while also rendering me speechless. Those simple words having so much significance to not only me but my wolf who howls internally, thrumming with pride and pleasure at our mates approval of us. I smile gently, hoping he doesn't sense it since my head is still borrowed in the crook of his neck. Calming my palpitating heart down, I lift my head and mutter a somewhat shy 'thank you.' Not showing him how such simple words mean the world to me.
"I'm not going to lie, but I was a bit disappointed at not seeing your wolf." I say nonchalantly. What takes me by surprise is how my mate stills for a second, his body movement faltering on the wet patch of grass before resuming his footsteps once more. Droplets of rain continue to come down in a gentle drizzle as Malleus lets out a low sigh, tightening his arms around me as he places a soft kiss on my forehead.
"Maybe next time." He says while I nod, trying to not let his endearing actions render me a hot mess.
The trek continues for a bit and it makes me realise how far Malleus actually took me, out of reach from any wolves that would dare to attack the King's mate. I nearly cringe at the thought of that happening, already imagining what a blood bath that would be.
As the castle comes into view from between the thick foliage, I expect Malleus to let me down but he shows no intention of doing so as he doesn't halter in the slightest. My mind takes me back to the first time I saw the castle, my breath catching in much the same way at the sheer beauty of it all, still not being able to comprehend its entirety.
A low gasp escapes me, suddenly remembering the sole reason why I came hear. My own wolf whines, not liking how I forgot the entire reason. Sitting up straighter, I try to connect my eyes with Malleus but falter with the movement.
"What is it mate?" He questions, eyebrow arched but not seeming too bothered at my gasp of shock.
"The others who want to cure Luna Aria. Did they reach? Have you heard any word from them?" I question, my voice going down with the guilt I'm feeling as I do the math, they should have reached home either yesterday or today, I think disdainfully. Not liking at all how I've forgotten something so important as my Luna being treated.
"Calm down Fie," Malleus soothes as he rubs his arm up and down my back, "I contacted them yesterday. They've been slowed down with the torrent of rain and should be reaching sometime now. I'll contact them once we get you out of this rain and into a warmer place." He says with finality in his tone, letting me know that me edging him to contact them won't work until he tends to me.
I nod after a slight pause, disliking how I can't mind link with them due to the distance put between us. I'm surprised even Ezra hasn't mentioned anything about his father and the rest of the small group.
Our surroundings change to that of the garden and from here I can see the gold glint of the outside patio door. My ears strain so I can listen into the castle but surprisingly the hustle and bustle that usually surrounds it doesn't exist. My hearing appears to prove correct as we step inside, only to find not even a single worker. I frown at the lack of noise, not liking how silent it is especially considering the time of day, the early mornings causing the castle be brimming with people as it's swept clean along with the advisors and other officials running around trying to escape the King's wrath.
"Where is everybody?" I ask curiously, wincing as my voice travels in the long corridor as my mate leads us both to our room that is up a few floors from here.
Malleus looks at me for a split second before redirecting his blue eyes, "I told them all to vacate from this area. I do not need anyone's prying eyes landing on you in this state." He announces, his hand reaching to the hem of my shirt to pull it further past my thighs with a low grunt.
I roll my eyes at his possessiveness, ignoring his further grumbles at the reaction I'm giving him as he stomps towards our room which we reach within seconds. He doesn't pause till we reach the bedroom, depositing me on the bed in one quick motion before heading to his dresser and taking out some fresh clothes which he throws at me, "Take the wet shirt off," he mutters while I cock an eyebrow at him.
"I need to shower. I'm covered in mud," I mumble as I look down at my visible thighs that are smudged with muddy streaks all over them. I catch sight of Malleus' lingering gaze, noticing how his gaze darkens as he clears his throat before nodding his head in a jerky manner.
My shower doesn't take long even when I have to wash my hair as I sit around for a few minutes to let my conditioner set in my hair, knowing it'll turn into a frizzy haystack if I don't take the rigorous course of action. The rest of my steps are rushed out since I know Malleus will be outside waiting for me and I hate making people wait longer than necessary. Fifteen minutes later, I'm stepping out of the bathroom, fully dressed and ready for answers.
I take in Malleus' own attire, his clothes changed and the smell of soap lingering in the air, different from the one I used, which signifies he's taken a shower himself and gotten here back faster than I have. Malleus nods at me and motions for me to take a seat besides him on the bed. I pat the top of my head to make sure it's secure in its loosely done bun as I make my way over to the bed to sit right beside him.
A sudden thought ransacks through my brain as I furrow my brows and look up at him, crossing my legs in the process. "Wasn't I supposed to get my bed delivered soon?" I question as I think back to how I'd fallen out of bed, only for him to demand I sleep with him till he orders a new one big enough for probably ten people, with no exaggeration.
Malleus raises a single brow at my words as he shakes his head, moving his body so he can easily rest against the headboard, I wait for him to answer but all I get is his body leaning towards me as he grabs ahold of my hips and pulling me towards him till I lay in his lap, the motion reminding me of a little toddler sitting in their parents lap which I dispel with a quick shudder.
"The bed is still coming in. It took a long time to place the order." He says with a casual shrug as I lean into him, one part of me itching to find out about my Luna but the other part loving to wrapped up in his embrace as I settle in between his legs, my head pressed to his chest.
"Hmm." I mumble, a smile tugging at my lips which I try to bite down on, knowing Malleus is trying to subtly lie his way out of it considering no arrangements to my bed have been placed. I, of course, checked in with Asha beforehand since it was taking a while and when mentioned, the woman had no idea what I was talking about.
"Are you sure it isn't that you haven't placed the order?" I ask, trying to mess with him. Instead I'm met with a casual shrug of his shoulders as I tilt my head to look at him, the man not at all ashamed to be caught out.
"Of course it is." My lips part at his words, my brain trying to figure out how to reply to him but coming up blank, causing me to slowly nod my head.
"Asha is on her way with the information in regards to the whereabouts of the party. They were to check in with her twenty minutes ago or so I presume. She'll be here any second." He announces while I let out an exhale of air, my shoulders droop and I feel like tension that I didn't even know existed has been lifted off of them.
True to his words, a knock is heard from the front door, the sound travelling all the way to our room especially with our keen hearing that makes it clearer than ever. Malleus eyes glaze over, the man not bothering to open his mounts while I try and slip out of his arms but sighing when I realise there's no chance of that happening when they tighten around me. The sound of the door opening and closing, followed by quick footsteps alerts me to someone entering the room. Asha's face popping through the open doorway, a worried look on her face that causes my smile to diminish. Not even the elation of being in my mate's arms stopping me from getting anxious.
Asha barely finishes taking her first step when I catch myself feeling cold at the lack of my mates touch and warmth, a breeze drifting passed me as Malleus stands in front of the woman, arms crossed and a formidable look on his face.
"What happened?" He gets to the point, voice stern and aura demanding.
Asha sighs and rubs at her temples, "The mage that was supposed to get into contact with me hasn't bothered reporting. I tried to contact get into contact with him through the other mages but they're saying he's blocking them out." She finishes quickly. I frown in confusion, not liking the thick atmosphere.
Malleus glances at me over his shoulder and then back at Asha before taking a seat on the chair situated on the far wall. His eyes close and from his lax state I can tell he's trying to mind link with someone. Most probably Marcus or someone from my Pack. My own worry starts to grow for Malleus as his arms clench around the armrests. Without knowing what I'm doing, I hurry over to my mates side and sit down at his feet, my own hands covering his as my body goes on autopilot. I'm left baffled, not knowing what's going on but the slight takeover by my wolf makes me realise that she knows exactly what she's doing. I nearly smile when I can feel Malleus grip loosening under my own, his strained expression fading into a relaxed state as his clenched jaw slackens and his tightened eyes loosen up.
"Your wolf understands the strain it takes for the Alpha to connect to your Pack from an entirely different realm," Asha kindly inputs, probably noticing how confused I am, "Delving between the folds of this world and the next can only be done by the King. Anyone else who tries will be drained of their life sustenance then and there."
My jaw drops as my eyes start to flicker worriedly from my mate and then to Asha. The worry coursing within me increasing ten fold at the mere thought of the anguish he's going through.
"Relax, my Queen. He is in control of it. King Malleus just needs to focus which is what you're aiding him with." She finishes while I loosen up in my anxiousness just a bit, the worry still gnawing at me but at a lesser degree.
"What's going on Asha?"
The Head Advisor lets out a despondent sigh as she comes up behind me, only to detour and take a seat at the other chair in the room. I shift about to make myself more comfortable on the floor, crossing my legs but still making sure my hands are connected to his.
"A mage can only block their fellow mages out unless a spell has been casted. Their are strict rules against that are placed by Malleus since he wants seamless communication between and among all the species. The mage was on duty as well which means he wouldn't have purposely blocked himself off from us," she pauses as she glances at my mate with a shake of her head, "The only other way you can be blocked out is if the mage in question is unconscious or dead. This does not fare well for the rest of the party." The end of her words causes a pit of worry to develop within my stomach, the situation becoming more and more dire as the seconds tick on.
I don't even realise how much time has passed until I feel Malleus' hands moving under mine, the action causing my eyes to lift to his as his once glazed over blue eyes now turn to their dark depths. "Malleus?" I question as he sits up straighter, my hands slipping from over his and into my lap as he rubs at the expense of his forehead.
"I tried to communicate with Marcus but his mind link is blocked off just like the mage's. I couldn't contact his wolf either. However, his life essence is still present, he must be unconscious as well. I contact your Alpha, Fie," he says as he pins me under his gaze, "Alpha Tyrell said they haven't reached the Fenrir Pack. The surrounding Pack's also haven't reported any activity." He grumbles as he makes a move to stand but then realised I'm blocking his way, without him saying, I stand up. My actions robotic with my emotions on haywire, trying to process exactly what's happened to my pack members.
"I need to head to the throne room. Call a meeting with the necessary people." He announces to Asha as he makes his way to the door, the woman following after him along with me. None of us missing a beat until the man turns to me with a slight pause in his steps.
"Fie, maybe it's best if you-,"
"Nope. I'm coming with you." I say with finality in my tone. Malleus grunts with a shake of his head as he motions for Asha to go ahead, most probably so she can sort things out as quickly as possible. "Fie, I don't think it would be the best idea. You're emotionally attached to this and just in case something goes wrong-," Malleus cuts himself at my blank stare.
My arms crossed over my chest and stance firm, I cock an eyebrow at the man I call my mate as I open my mouth, "If you're going to use that excuse, you should have thought about it before I became an advisor to you, my King who is also my mate. Every single decision I take while being your mate will have an element of me being emotionally attached. Besides, I'm supposed to be the Queen aren't I? What better way to test out my capabilities than right now? Now please let's go before we waste any more time." I finish firmly, my stance not the one of lightly letting go of this whole scenario. Malleus seems to recognise the glint in my eyes as he lets out a sigh of defeat.
The man bends down and presses a kiss to my forehead, my eyes closing involuntarily and then fluttering open when he steps backwards, his large hand finding the small expanse of my back as he pushes me forward. The both of us make our way downstairs and to the tunnelled path I haven't crossed since I first came here. My mind jolting back to the memory of how I first came here less than a week ago, the entire time I was lead to the room after meeting my mate, how scared I felt and not understanding what was going on. It's been such a short span of time but I have a gut feeling that things will get worse before they get better.
I just hope it isn't at the sacrifice of being happy with my mate.
One quick side look at my mate dispels my thoughts, my wolf berating next amidst her unintelligible growls at the mere thought of such an action occurring.
It doesn't take long for us to enter the throne room, every aspect of it the same except for the lack of people this time. Only three stand in front of the throne, excluding Asha. My gaze connects to that of the minister I saw here the first time, an instant dislike clicking within me at how haughty his nature is. The balding man returns my gaze, his expression unimpressed as he thins his lips with a quick one over of my attire.
The judgement simply making me steel my spine up further, walking with what little confidence I can carry around as I walk besides my mate in sweats. My other half pulling the unfashionable piece of clothing off much better than I can.
"Your Majesty, what appears to be the problem?" The minister asks as he diverts his attention off of me and towards the King who leads me up the steps and towards the throne. I falter in my steps at Malleus' train of thought as he motions for me to sit in the daunting chair while he walks behind it. My mouth goes dry at the symbolism which doesn't go unnoticed by Asha who tries to hide her smile behind her hand. Before I can protest to anything, Malleus firm hold appears on my shoulder as he forcefully makes me sit down while he resumes his place behind the throne. The chair much to my surprise is cushioned and comfortable, not quite the hard feel of metal under my behind like I expected of it.
My wolf appears to be loving the attention as she howls away in my head, her once dispirited mood now disappearing within seconds.
Two out of the three people in the room are men whereas the woman catches my attention. Dressed in am immaculate robe that flows down to the ground, swirls of scripture embossed in gold thread showing up strikingly against the deep blue velvety material. The woman's face is covered by the same material in the form of a hood. The only thing visible under it being her tendrils of dark hair and her bony hands embellished in a copious amount of rings.
"Arabella, the mage that was sent with the rest of Fie's pack hasn't reported back to Asha like he was commanded. I cannot get into contact with him nor the rest of the group. Do what you must. Fast." He declares as the woman bows at her King, the shifting slightly on her head due to the movement.
"I will need half an hour. Then I will let you know what I have found, your majesty." The woman's voice is gravelly and frail at the same time but holding an edge of power concealed within that even has my wolf haltering in her howls as she cocks her furry head after the mage who leaves the throne room.
"We have matters to discuss." Malleus says, his voice travelling through the room and to the other three remaining people. They all nod in understanding with a slight bow as my mind remains fastened on the mage who just walked out of here. Wanting the half hour to be over and done with as soon as possible without dragging on like I know they will.
Taking my attention back to the other people in the room, I can feel my shoulders straightening and stance turning erect under Malleus hands, a sudden wave of power flowing through me as I stare down at the people in front of me.
The image of a throne right next to this one filtering through my mind as Malleus and I sit here together, listening to hours upon hours of complaints and duties.
I could get used to this whole Queen thing.
———————
AN: Guess who updated just a bit late because they had consecutive exams. Yup it was me but I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Hehe.
Question: What are sexiest and least sexiest names you've heard?
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