Page 48 of Lycan Prince's Secret Baby

Then, the burrowing sensation came, like thorns swirling through my veins, and I cried out in pain. My knees gave out as the pain lanced through my body. The soft sheepskin rug on the floor was welcome beneath my knees but did nothing to soothe the sensation burrowing into me as if fangs and claws were tearing at my limbs.

But then, as suddenly as the pain had come, it disappeared. I untensed from where I’d curled up on the rug. A beautiful emerald light played around me. For a moment, as I blinked open my eyes, I thought the shimmering light of the Aurora Borealis was spilling through the window. But the night was still silvery from the moon and starlight alone.

I was startled to see Kyle’s clenched fists and forearms straining against the pain I’d been suffering a moment ago.

Amidst the emerald-green light of Kyle’s aura was the scent of pine. My gaze shot to Lina, nestled in the center of Lyvia’s bed, as the witch proceeded to chant. Over Lina, too, the same light shimmered like emeralds in the night. A sweet ripple of warmth rushed through me as I realized Kyle was shielding me and Lina from any pain.

My mouth fell open as I watched sweat beading along Kyle’s forehead. He’d taken all of the pain I had been enduring, as wellas his own. Kyle dropped to his knees on the rug beside me, and my arms shot out, gripping his forearm and squeezing it in an act of solidarity now that he’d shielded me from the pain.

My wolf nipped and yowled beneath my skin, hurt at the pain on our mate’s face and touched by the way he’d protected us. I ran my hands along his bare arms and shoulders, wishing I could help as the agony on Kyle’s face etched itself into deep grooves.

As he let out a deep cry of pain and dropped to the floor, my heart stampeded in shock and empathy. I ran my hands through his short, ebony hair and down his neck and back, aching for him to be okay. His sculpted jaw was clenched as if it might break. Veins threaded down his neck as if they were in danger of rupturing.

When I thought I’d scream at the agony etched on Kyle’s face, the pain shadowing his features finally melted away. His body deflated, sinking into the rug.

“Kyle, Kyle?” I called out, my heart thumping madly as I silently begged Igaluk for him to be okay.

“Are they alright?” Kyle asked, his voice distant.

They.

My heart twinged as I realized he was asking about me, too.

A sigh of relief escaped me. He was alright and talking.

“They’re both good, Kyle,” Lyvia assured him, suddenly bending down to us with Lina wrapped in her arms.

“Better than good. Lina’s healed,” she said, smiling brightly.

Once again, Lyvia seemed like the sun as she handed me my daughter, Lina’s little face, calm and composed in a peaceful slumber.

In the moonlight and with Kyle’s pine scent wafting from his sweat-slicked skin, everything felt right with the world. As the emerald hue of Kyle’s aura drifted away, and mine reached out to our daughter, too, I felt warmth and calm sing from her, the gentle hum of her favorite song drifting from her.

“The rhythm of nature will cradle your soul,

In the embrace of the night, you will be whole.”

The final verse seemed to have the ring of prophecy about it, and I clasped her tight to me. Lina was healed.

“She’ll no longer need the energy transfers,” Lyvia continued.

Kyle lay on his back, his chest slowly easing as his breath and heartbeat began to steady. He didn’t open his eyes, and my heart clenched as I looked worriedly at Lyvia.

The witch’s hand swept over Kyle’s brow, and his eyelids fluttered but didn’t open as if he didn’t have the strength. “You’ll be okay, too, Kyle. You just expended an awesome amount of energy. You’ll likely sleep for days.”

A surge of thankfulness went through me, and I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The fact that Kyle had taken all of my pain on his shoulders weighed on me.

“How about we put him in my bed so that he can sleep?” Lyvia asked me.

I nodded. “I’ll get Roman to help him up.”

In a moment, Roman had helped Kyle up and into bed. And as Kyle fell into an exhausted slumber, and even as I lingered, allowing Lina’s sleeping form to rest beside Kyle as he fell into a contented sleep, I felt myself letting go of the bond we’d forged over the last month.

Lyvia was right about Kyle needing rest. It was another five days before he was up and about again. I’d visited him with Lina over his convalescence so that he could see Lina and enjoy her being in full health. But I began to distance myself now that he was better. I asked Lyvia instead to take Lina to spend time with her father, purposefully withdrawing from Kyle.

I knew that putting space between us and ending spending time together was the only way that I could be strong enough to do what needed doing and cut the mate bond. I would always appreciate what Kyle had done for Lina in the ritual, but it didn’t change things. Our mate bond was still a challenge and somethingIneeded to overcome and finally put in the past where it belonged. Yet, the first few days were harder than I expected. It wasn’t until I was forced to go without that I realized how accustomed I’d grown to being surrounded by Kyle’s pine scent and the intimate touch of his warm hands as he plaited my hair or his wolf pressed against mine.

One evening after just having got Lina to sleep, I settled myself down to catch up on sleep. It was early, but I had a feeling she’d be up again throughout the night so it was likely best to get some shut eye. But it seemed as if my eyes had only just closed when the feel of Kyle’s lips on mine and his musky pine scent enveloped me. The feeling of his hands caressing my breasts and trailing down my body shuddered through me.

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