CHAPTER 12- LORELEI&BELKAMvsCASTIEN
The man hugged the woman from behind, reaching out a her pregnant bump and caressing his baby with a broad smile on his face. Then he looked at the woman and kissed her sweetly. At that moment her face tinted with pain and a great amount of blood shed from her body, the man looked terrified and he called for a doctor.
Several hours went by and her face grew weaker and paler as she bled her life out. With her final push she smiled at her baby and her eyes fixed on the void, the man started to scream, oversharing the baby's cries.
I felt an excruciating pain running through my body and I knew it.
LORELEI POV
I awoke from yet another tormenting nightmare, my heart heavy with the absence of someone to comfort me. Longing for the warmth of companionship, I reached out to the vacant space on my bed where Belkam used to rest. Despite his unrequited love for me, he was my dearest friend, and his absence left a void in my heart that no one else could fill.
That morning, Belkam set out to negotiate treaties with neighboring packs. Evading the watchful eyes of my guards, I slipped out of the window and made my way to the deck, where my wolf's restlessness manifested in wild abandon, tearing at my clothes. The freedom we sought was intertwined with the urgent need to find him. And there he was, amidst a dispersing crowd, his eyes meeting Historia's before he strode over, a joyful smile illuminating his face. With a leap of joy, Historia and I threw ourselves into his waiting embrace.
"I have missed you more than words can express," he exclaimed, enfolding me in a tight embrace.
"And I you. I had to see you, to bid you farewell," I whispered through tears, nestled against him.
"I will reclaim your heart during the upcoming hunting ritual," he vowed, pressing his forehead to mine and draping his coat over my naked form.
As I watched his boat recede into the horizon, his promise echoed in my mind. Wanting to spare him the confusion, I returned to reality upon hearing the approaching footsteps of my guards.
"Luna, Alpha Castien summons you to the court," Historia's voice resonated with excitement in my mind.
Hastening to meet my mate, I forgot to change out of my disheveled state. Upon encountering Castien's stern countenance, he seized my arm and ushered me into the courtroom, demanding, "Explain to me why you defied my orders."
Sensing the simmering anger beneath Castien's controlled demeanor, I felt a familiar sense of dread creeping over me.
Once again, our minds intertwined, and he felt the raw fear pulsating within me. Gradually, his hold transformed into a firm embrace, and he tenderly cradled my face in his hands, delving deep into my eyes. "I apologize... it's just... The mere thought of losing you to another male churns my insides."
"From the moment I was but a child, I awaited your presence. The bond between us materialized under the crimson moon on the night of your birth 18 years ago, the ethereal connection guiding my existence, driving me to the brink of insanity. It was only at the ball that I could finally visualize your visage, liberating me not only from a preordained union but granting me a newfound purpose to live." Castien was, in many ways, already a man, a rarity among Lycans of his age who had yet to find their destined mate.
In a sudden revelation, the proximity of his bare form to mine sent shivers down my spine... With a swift motion, he undid the clasp of my cloak, the fabric cascading to the floor with a weight that seemed to anchor it in place. His golden orbs roamed over my exposed figure, lingering with an intensity that set my heart ablaze and left me parched. The charged atmosphere enveloping us seemed to thicken, heightening our mutual yearning to unparalleled depths.
Locking eyes with me, he drew closer, inhaling my essence with fervor. Lifting me onto the wooden table, he began to trace the contours of my body with gentle caresses, igniting sparks with every touch that elicited a soft whimper from my lips. His hand ventured lower, teasing without possessing, rendering words unnecessary in the presence of our palpable desire. His gaze conveyed a fervent longing, a silent plea for consummation. Yielding to the overwhelming urge, I slid my hands beneath his shirt, reveling in the sculpted contours of his physique, tracing a path along his abdomen. A gasp of pleasure escaped him as our lips brushed together, culminating in a fervent kiss that deepened with each passing moment, tongues intertwining in a dance of unbridled passion. Our shared breaths quickened, a mutual eagerness blossoming between us. A searing heat ignited in my core, an insatiable yearning to be claimed by him, prompting me to press myself against him, eliciting a guttural moan of ecstasy and a tremor of longing.
"Lord Castien!" A guard barged into the room without warning.
"Leave! NOW!" he barked in protectiveness, shielding my exposed form from prying eyes.
"It seems duty calls," he sighed in frustration.
"I wish to go hunting. Will you accompany me... please?" I ventured, a timid smile gracing my lips.
"I shall, but refrain from tempting me so," he implored, his lingering desire permeating the room, rendering the air thick with longing. Grasping me by the nape of my neck, he sealed his promise with a fervent kiss, whispering in my ear, "Until we meet again."