I stand with her in my arms and land a gentle swat to her bottom. She gasps and turns wide eyes to me.
"You spanked me," she says, affronted.
I smirk at how cute she looks. "Be a good girl and I won't need to spank you."
She looks like a fish out of water as she sputters. Instead of addressing the unspoken questions I can see in her eyes, I cup her face and kiss her lips. It doesn't take long until she's kissing me back. When she tries to deepen the kiss, I pull back.
"Let's eat, babygirl. We can talk later."
Chapter Seven
Sera
Kael wraps me in a fluffy towel before picking me up. I giggle at him treating me like a princess.
"You know I can walk, don't you?"
"I like carrying you. My wolf is barely contained right now. Until you're marked, I'm keeping you close."
My heart skips a beat. I love that both he and his wolf are so possessive of me. My wolf feels the same. Being close isn't a problem at all. He walks us into a massive closet that smells like him. It has my body heating all over again. Being surrounded by his scent makes me almost feral for my mate. He puts me on my feet, then pulls a soft t-shirt over my head. I know he's aware that I can just manifest clothes for myself, but wearing something that smells like him is way more appealing.
Kael puts on a pair of sweatpants and swoops me up into his arms again. He carries me to a small table that's laden with food dishes. Everything is covered by cloches, so I can't see anything, but it smells delicious. Kael doesn't put me in my own chair; instead, he sits with me on his lap. I'm not complaining. I snuggle back against him, loving being so close.
He lifts the domes, and my mouth waters at the food laid before us. Crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, thick waffles with blueberry compote drizzled on top. Everything looks and smells delicious.
"Wow, this looks amazing. Much better than the meal I thought I'd be eating next," I say with a grimace. I was resigned to eating whatever my wolf hunted. I don't necessarily mind eating in wolf form as long as I don't think too much about it.
I never thought I'd be in such a safe position so quickly. I thought I would have to live on the run for a long time. I had hope I would find somewhere to belong eventually maybe among humans. But finding another wolf pack, not just that, but the royal pack, is amazing. I'm still shocked that I didn't know there was a king of all the wolves.
It makes me wonder if my mama knew. She had to have known something. Otherwise, why would she be so adamant that I run to the east? Why didn't we leave the pack sooner if she knew there was a safer place for us? I have so many questions, but I will never get the answers. My mama is gone forever, and I'm alone in the world.
I don't realize I'm crying until Kael turns me in his lap, so I'm straddling his thighs. He wraps me in his strong arms and runs his hands up and down my back soothingly.
"I'm here, little wolf."
I bury my face in his neck and let the emotion flow through me. He doesn't try to force me to talk, nor does he offer meaningless platitudes. He just holds me as I break down. I'm not sure how much time passes before my tears subside. I feel completely hollowed out by the end.
"I'm all alone now," I murmur.
"You have me, babygirl. I won't ever let you be alone again. If I can't be by your side, Saint will be there," Kael says with surety.
It makes the band around my heart loosen slightly. It doesn't bring my parents back, but one inhale of Kael's scent reminds me that my mother sent me to him. He presses a kiss to my forehead, and we sit quietly for a long moment.
"Thank you," I say with appreciation.
"No need to thank me. I wouldn't be anywhere else. We're mates. Together is where we're supposed to be."
He says it with such certainty that I know he truly believes what he says. I realize that in his world, it is that simple. He obviously grew up in a pack where mates were allowed to be together, not like mine, where mates were ripped apart at the head Alpha's whim. It warms me from the inside out knowing that there is something better than where I was raised in this world. It makes me wonder why my pack is so different. I can't see Kael agreeing to how it is run, and he's the king, so he should know, right?
I press a smacking kiss to his cheek. My stomach picks that moment to growl, causing us both to chuckle. It lightens the mood from my heavy grief. Kael picks up his fork and feeds me a bite of eggs. They melt in my mouth and are probably the best eggs I've ever tasted. He feeds me bite after delicious bite of our breakfast, taking his own bites in between.
"Keep moaning like that and I won't be held responsible for what I do," he growls.
I squirm on his lap at the sensual threat. I want that so bad. I don't want him to wait and take things slow with me. I want my mate. I turn so I'm straddling his lap again. He raises a brow as if to question what I'm doing. I'm feeling bold. Both my wolf and fae sides are encouraging me to claim our mate. I want it too, desperately. I press my lips to his and bury my fingers in his thick hair. It only takes a few seconds for him to take over. I moan into his lips as he devours me. Our tongues tangle together as he deepens the kiss. I'm so lost in the moment that I don'trealize we've moved until my back is pressed into the softest bed I've ever felt and his big body is hovering over me.
"You sure you're ready for this?" he asks.
It's clear he's fighting his wolf for control. It's endearing that he thinks he needs to protect me from this. Especially since it's all I've dreamed of. Having a Goddess-given mate is all everyone desires.