Chapter 26

Nora held a bedside vigil for the rest of the afternoon and into the night, refusing to leave her father’s side. She assisted Rhona with rebandaging his wounds each time blood began to seep through. Nora couldn’t imagine he could handle any more blood loss, but Rhona assured her it was slowing and would likely stop soon.

Agatha, despite her willingness to bring harm to her kingdom, kept a well-stocked, well-organized infirmary. Rhona had found powders that increased healing speeds for severe cuts and used them on Edward.

Kellan remained in the infirmary with his wife. He and his wolf needed to be close to her. He was serious about never letting her out of his sight again, despite how unreasonable she found it.

Deep down, Nora knew Kellan was terrified to be away from her, always thinking the worst could happen. The second he’d left her this morning his worst nightmare had come true.

So, despite being annoyed at the constant traffic of wolves, couriers, and Councilmen flowing in and out hour after hour, Nora did not complain. He was trying to do everything, to be everything. To be a good husband, to be a good king, and to be a good friend to Edward and Foley.

Nora looked upon him with pure admiration, knowing the challenges of his position were daunting, especially now. Kellan updated each member of the Council on everything he knew. He asked their opinions on the best approach to gaining permission to hunt Agatha and the vampire across borders without starting a war.

He wrote to Flynn, knowing he would want to know Edward’s whereabouts and that he’d been injured. Flynn would not be able to leave Gwydion as he was in charge while Edward and his daughters were away.

Kellan worked nonstop, but gave no outward sign of fatigue. He was serious and efficient in his actions. He was exactly what Burghard needed him to be.

At some point near midnight, Nora dozed off in her chair, leaning her head and arms onto her father’s bed. She awoke to the low rumble of Kellan’s voice, speaking quietly.

He’d turned his chair to face Foley’s bed. There was a small lamp lit on the table next to it and Nora could make out a part of Foley’s head beyond her husband’s wide shoulders. She glanced at her father, but there was no change.

“Come here, Mate,” Kellan called to her.

Nora sat up and stretched, trying to get feeling back into her arms.

“How did you know I was awake?”

“Your breathing changed.”

Nora grinned and walked around the bed to her husband. He opened his arms and she readily sat in his lap. She was too tired to argue over what was appropriate behavior in the castle’s infirmary, or the fact that he was giving her orders again. This was one order she didn’t mind following.

“You were talking, how could you know my breathing changed?”

Kellan tilted his head and responded, “Half of me is always focused on you.”

“Your wolf-half?” she smirked.

“Smart and beautiful. How did I get so lucky?” he asked before pulling her closer and kissing the corner of her mouth.

The person in the bed closest to them cleared his throat and Nora jumped, startled the patient was awake.

“Foley!” she exclaimed, ecstatic he was finally alert. “Forgive my manners. I didn’t realize Kellan was having a two-way conversation. How are you feeling?”

Foley laughed quietly. “Talks to himself, does he?”

“What? Oh, no, but he’s been speaking to both you and Father, trying to coax you out of whatever spell you were under.”

Foley looked at Kellan, appreciating his dear friend more than ever.

“Were you discussing the attack? Do you remember what happened? Did you find any information at the Temple? Oh, my sisters! Are my sisters well?” Nora questioned Foley, mercilessly.

Foley blew out a breath, thinking on what information should be divulged this night. Kellan, understanding Foley’s expression, stood with Nora in his arms.

“It is late, my love. Let’s allow Foley a good night’s rest before bombarding him with questions.”

Nora pressed her lips together to stop another inquiry from escaping. She felt ill at ease over interrogating the poor wolf.

“I apologize, Foley. I’m just … not myself today.”

“No, you have every right to answers, Nora,” Foley replied gracefully.

“We’ll talk in the morning. Good night, Foley,” Kellan nodded then strode out the door with his mate still in his arms.

* * *

Kellan sat Nora on her feet. Now that they were alone, he released his hold on his thoughts and projected them to her. Nora stumbled, and Kellan put up the block again as he reached for her.

“Sorry, my love. It was difficult to block everything for so many hours and I didn’t realize things would come out so forcefully.”

Nora rubbed her temple. “No, it’s fine.”

She, too, was thinking of connecting her mind to Kellan’s once they were in bed. They would have to learn to better control the flow of information if it was going to be this overwhelming. She concentrated on sending out just one message to him, that she was fine, and he shouldn’t be concerned.

He cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb across her soft skin. “I was going for intimacy, but I almost knocked you down.”

Nora laughed and reached up to his hand, pulling it away from her face. Before he could react, she jumped up, wrapping her arms and legs around him.

“I think I like it better when you carry me around,” she said, her eyes filled with mirth.

“Really?” he assessed her skeptically.

“Really. Well, unless your intentions are to tie me to the bed again.”

Kellan narrowed his eyes, a low growl in his throat at the image of a naked Nora tied-up, at his mercy. He would wipe out the memory of the last time she was secured to their bed and replace it with a new one.

Nora put her mouth to his neck, feeling the vibration of his growl. She wanted him to growl while he was inside her. It was extraordinarily exciting, knowing he was the ultimate predator, but that she was safe in his arms.

“Do you trust me, Nora?” he asked.

Nora stopped kissing his skin and looked at her husband.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Good.”

Kellan tossed her on the bed and she bounced several times, giggling. She liked playful Kellan.

Kellan ripped off his shirt and threw it aside. He undid his belt as he stalked towards his mate, leisurely pulling it free. Her giggling stopped as she watched him remove the leather strap and place it on the bed beside her.

“W-what are doing, Kellan?” she asked, breathless.

Keeping his eyes on her as he removed his boots and his pants, he answered, “I’m going to tie you to this bed.”

“Kel—”

“This time, you’re going to love it, Wife.”

Nora sank back onto the bed as his naked body crawled over top hers. He ran his nose up one side of her face and down the other, scenting her skin.

Goosebumps covered her flesh. He was barely touching her, and she was already aroused, growing wet with her need for him. Kellan’s breath tickled her skin as he licked the mark he had left on her this morning.

“Kellan, please,” she whined.

Kellan licked up her throat, following the path of her pulse. He kissed her lips and sat up to straddle her waist.

He reached behind him and cupped her mound. Nora instinctively tried to rub against his hand, but she couldn’t move her hips with him sitting on her.

“Is this mine, Nora?”

Nora licked her lips, loving his possessiveness.

“Yes.”

Kellan released her mound and reached to his sides, gently encircling her wrists. He brought each one to his mouth and kissed her palms before pushing them over her head.

He crossed her wrists and reached for the belt. He kept his movements slow, wanting this to be sensual, to be different than the last time. This time, he wanted her submission.

Once the belt was secured, Kellan unsheathed his claws. Nora watched, wide-eyed, as he tore through the fabric of her shirt. He pulled the tattered garment apart, exposing her breasts.

Kellan gently circled both nipples with his razor-sharp claws. Nora was enthralled with what he was doing, with how he was using the parts of him that were wolf to spark her desire.

“Does my mate like that?”

“Yes,” she sighed.

Kellan crawled further up her body, softly raking his claws up her chest before retracting them. He was now straddling her ribs, but not putting any weight on her. He massaged her shoulders, working his fingers up her neck and to her face.

“Open your mouth, Nora.”

Nora complied, and he put two fingers in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around before sucking on them.

“Naughty wife,” he admonished, fighting a smile. “You’re perfect.”

Kellan removed his fingers and rubbed Nora’s saliva on her lips.

“I want you to kiss me,” he said.

Nora looked up at his face. “You’re too far away.”

Kellan shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about kissing my lips.”

Kellan grabbed his cock and Nora blinked hard, comprehending he meant for her to kiss the body part in his hand. It seemed incredibly wicked to do such a thing, but she found she wanted to know what he tasted like.

Nora watched as Kellan stroked his erection. He did it slowly, surely, until a small bead of liquid appeared at the tip. Nora’s lips parted and she sent an image into his mind.

Kellan almost came as soon as he received the vision of Nora licking and swallowing his pre-come. His mate was enjoying their little game.

“Do you want this in your mouth, Nora?”

She nodded.

“Say it.”

“I—I want you in my mouth.”

Kellan adjusted himself close enough for Nora’s lips to reach him. She tentatively licked the drops of liquid off his crown and swallowed.

They stared at one another. He could tell Nora was unsure what to do next. He liked her innocence as much as he liked her bold curiosity.

“Wrap your mouth around the head and use your tongue, like you did on my fingers.”

Nora did as he instructed, and Kellan groaned at how hard she sucked on him. He wouldn’t be able to stay in her mouth for long, not with the way the little vixen was enjoying it.

“That’s my good wife,” he crooned. “Open further and let me inside your sweet mouth.”

Kellan pushed another inch inside and Nora continued to work her tongue against him. He retreated and did it again and again, keeping an unhurried pace.

Kellan reached down and grabbed a fist full of Nora’s hair. She moaned around his shaft as his pace began to increase. He needed to stop, but the feeling was so indescribably good.

Rarely had he let another’s mouth around him like this. A she-wolf’s incisors could be dangerously sharp, which gave many males pause. Kellan was a lucky bastard, indeed, that Nora was his.

Nora swallowed and he had to fight for control of his release. He began pulling back and Nora protested.

“Not tonight, my love,” he said.

Kellan reached back to her mound again and rubbed it, hard, over her clothing. “Tonight, I finish inside you here.”

Nora moaned again, desperate for him to keep rubbing. But he didn’t. Instead, he stood beside the bed and removed her boots. Nora lifted so he could undo her pants, but Kellan didn’t bother.

He flashed a roguish smile and unsheathed his claws again. She knew what he intended. Nora was glad she hadn’t been wearing any of her favorite outfits.

It only took seconds for him to shred the rest of what she’d been wearing.

“I’d apologize for destroying your apparel, but I am not the least bit sorry. In fact, this may be how I undress you from now on. It’s abundantly satisfying.”

Kellan ran one finger up the inside of her thigh. Nora bit her bottom lip, trying not to laugh.

“To make it up to you, I’ll give you a choice.”

“Oh?” she asked, very much wanting him to continue the path he was on with his finger.

“Do you want my mouth on you first? Or my cock inside you?”

Kellan’s crude language was titillating. No one had ever spoken to Nora like that, including Kellan.

“Choose, Nora. I find myself impatient to make you come.”

Oh, my, she thought. The look on his face told her he was quite serious.

“Inside me.”

Kellan moved onto the bed, grabbed her knees, and roughly pulled them apart. Nora panted, wanting more of his brusqueness.

She liked that she was trussed up on their bed with her legs open, submitting to what he wanted. She liked him gentle, but she also liked this more aggressive side of him.

She’d only had a glimpse of it before. She had a feeling he had been holding back, not wanting to frighten her. Nora didn’t want him to hold back anymore.

Kellan moved with the speed of a wolf, wasting no time aligning his body to hers. He gave her a hard, bruising kiss that stole her breath as he shoved inside her.

She cried out into his mouth, but he didn’t stop kissing her lips. Kellan stretched down with both hands, grabbing her backside, squeezing hard, as he pounded into her. He was like a man possessed, unrelenting in his movements.

Wind circled around the room, picking up loose items and scattering them about. It blew over their bodies, cooling their heated skin. The faster he drove into Nora, the harder the cyclone spun.

Kellan nipped the sensitive skin on Nora’s neck and she came suddenly, screaming wildly at the astonishing intensity of it.

Her enthusiasm was too much, and, pushing as far into her as he could, Kellan released inside his mate. It was the most intense lovemaking he’d ever experienced. Each time with her was better than the last.

As Kellan came back to himself, he let go of her bottom and brought his arms up to undo the belt. He checked the headboard for signs of scorching from the fire occasionally brought forth to her fingers, but it was unmarred.

Once her arms were free, she put them around Kellan’s back and hugged him as hard as she could.

“I love you,” she whispered against his cheek.

Though he’d felt her love through their link, she’d never actually told him. Hearing the words aloud was … everything to Kellan.

“Ah, Nora,” he purred, brushing his lips against hers. “My sweet, sweet Nora. I love you, as well. Always.”

Nora’s words had affected more than Kellan’s heart. He was still inside her and already hardening again. This time, Kellan went slowly—or, rather, as slowly as an alpha totally smitten with his mate could go.