1 I

I growl as a foreign scent hit my nose, my ears perk up and my heart begin to beat slightly faster.

I subconsciously start to deviate from my patrol team.

"Your Highness?" One of the patrol team hesitantly speaks up momentarily snapping me out of my daze.

I snap my head in their direction. "Continue on without me, i'm going to check something out at the west border."

"Need any backup?" Someone pipes up.

"No I'm good." I mutter loud enough for them to hear before I sprint off into the woods.

I contemplate shifting but decide against it. The scent was weak almost like the creature itself is the same. I didn't wish to scare it upon my arrival.

After sprinting for a few more minutes in my human form, I start to slow down as the scent grew closer. I weave my way through the trees and vines on the land before stumbling over something.

I glance down and spot an injured male curled up into a ball under a willow tree, unconscious.

Tingles shoot up my leg and I feel myself perk up.

I carefully bend down to scoop the passed out male into my arms and started to walk back to the pack.

I mindlink the pack doctor informing her about the new patient I would be bringing in soon.

As I re-adjust the large male in my arms he begins to stir and mumble things under his breath.

"Shh." I soothe as I brush his hair away from his face before carrying on.

Soon enough, I reach the pack house. As I walk through the house and toward the medical room people begin to whisper.

I ignore the curious pack members and make my way to the doctor my focus solely on the male in my arms.

"My king." Lydia, the pack doctor bows.

"Lydia, as i've said before, call me Nyx." I mumble scornfully as I lay what I believe to be my erasthai down on the hospital bed.

Lydia scoffs. "You went through way to much to be king for me not to call you by your title."

I hum amusedly as I watched Lydia check the male's vitals. "What's wrong with him."

Lydia sighs. "He's pretty scratched up, he has cuts all over. Some fresh, some not."

I growl involuntarily.

Lydia ignored me and continues on. "The worst of it would have to be on his chest. The cuts are deepest there. Hand me the antiseptic won't you?" She gestures towards the medical table.

I do as she says, walking over to watch her work. "Why isn't he healing?"

"I don't believe he's like us."

I wrinkle my nose. "A human?" That would be a pain in the ass to explain.

"One of the fae I think." Lydia mutters as she continues to clean up the cuts.

I lift a brow. "Aren't those rare?"

"You'd think as king you'd know these things."

"Hey!" I exclaim, offended.

Once again, Lydia ignore/ me. "Is he your Erasthai?"

It's my turn to sigh. I reach out to hold his hand and feel the tingles travel up my arm. "It seems so."

"You don't sound pleased."

"He's weak." I state blandly. "And not a lycan."

"The first can be remedied. Does the second matter?"

I frown. "You know it does. Not only is he a threat to my throne, he's a complicated threat."

"You think they will want him to replace you." Lydia states.

"I know they will."

"He's not lycan."

"They'd rather have a non-lycan on the throne than a woman. That they have made clear." I sneer. "But the people won't like it and it'll cause trouble, trouble the kingdom really doesn't need at the moment."

Lydia grunts. "All done." She informs me in reference to the male laying in the table. "He should wake up in a few hours."

I hum my acknowledgment and thanks, too busy staring at the older cuts on my erasthai's body.

"Want me to bring you a chair?"

I shoot Lydia a grateful smile. "You rock."

"I know." She exits the room.

A few minutes later a young pup comes in carrying a chair and places it down next to the hospital bed.

I shoot the young one a smile and they shoot me a nervous one right back before exiting the room.

I get comfortable in the chair before mindlinking my second in command. "Klaus, can you please bring the paperwork to the medical room."

"Nyx? Are you sick again? I won't let you work if you're sick."

"No no, I'm not the sick one. Just bring the documents over and I'll explain."

"Okay."

I chuckle to myself as I could practically hear Klaus huff in my head.

A few moments later there was a knock on the door. "Nyx?"

"Come in Klaus."

Klaus pushes the door open and walks in carrying a bunch of files

"I was quite worried you'd be too stubborn to bring them." I gesture to the files.

Klaus huffs just like I imagined he would. "Well I was quite worried you were attempting to overwork yourself nearly to death, again." He crosses his arms.

I wave away his statement like it us nothing. "Gimme." I sat as I made a grabbing motion at the files.

Klaus pulls back quickly. "Uh uh uh, not until you tell me who that is." He says, pointing at the hospital bed I was sitting beside at the moment.

"Oh him? He's just my erasthai."

Klaus looks at me stunned and I seized the opportunity to grab the files from him.

"Your what?" He asks after finally regaining his wits.

"My erasthai." I repeat flipping through the files.

"Why's he in the hospital? How'd he get those injuries ? What're you going to do? Is he even a Lycan, he doesn't smell like one, How-" Klaus begins to ramble, running his hands through his dirty blond hair nervously.

"Klaus." I raise a hand and Klaus paused. "Breathe." I remind him.

He follows my cue and takes a breath.

"To answer your questions, dumb as some of them might be. He's in the hospital because of said injuries, I'm going to wait till he's conscious to speak to him before anything. No he's not a lycan, apparently he's at least part fae and that should do it."

Klaus looks to me worriedly. "What does this mean for your throne?"

I shrug. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Klaus eventually leaves and I am left with my paper work and erathsai. I work for a few hours, signing and proofreading dozens of things before I decide to take a break.

Soon enough I pass out from worry and exhaustion and I don't wake up until I hear movement.

I jump awake immediately and glance around. At first nothing seems out of place until I lower my gaze to the bed my head was recently laid upon to see it empty.

I groan quietly. "Please come out." I say to seemingly nothing. "I do not wish to hurt you."

The air beside the curtains shimmers unnaturally before returning back to normal.

I rise from my chair slowly. "Please." I plead.

The air is suddenly no longer air and turned into the injured man. I take in his features properly as he watches me cautiously.

He has messy jet black hair, or perhaps that was because he was tangled in bushes not too long ago. His skin is a nice and dark and his eyes, his eyes are the most beautiful shades of brown.

I smirk slightly as I notice the shiver that travels down his spine at my gaze.

"How did I get here?" His voice comes out scratchy and low.

"I brought you here." I sat softly, not wanting to startle him. "I found you in the woods. I'm Nyx."

He hums.

"And you are?" I ask hesitantly.

He narrows his eyes slightly at me. "Fae."

I chuckle loudly. "Fair. Do you plan on staying by the window for the remainder of the night or are you going to come over here and rest your wounds?"

"I don't trust you." He admits honestly.

"And yet you're still here." I note.

"I-I-"

I relax back into the chair and cross my legs, patting the bed. "Sit."

My erasthai surprisingly does as requested, sitting as far away from myself as possible.

"Can I ask what you were doing by the west border?"

My erasthai ignores me. "Why am I here?"

"I already told you, I brought you here."

"Why?" He presses on

"You were injured." I state simply

"I trespassed, I'm a member of the fae court."

I shrug again.

His eyes narrow at me yet again. "Who are you?"

"Nyx."

He stares at me blankly and I do the same. "I'm going to lie down now."

I nod as I stand up from the chair. "You should."

"Are you leaving?" He asks quietly.

I chuckle again. "No, I'm shutting the window you left open." I say as I do just that.

"Oh."

A few moments of silence pass and I return to my chair.

"If I tell you my name will you tell me who you are? Who you really are?" He inquires.

"That hardly seems like a fair deal."

"What?"

"I think you already know who I am."

His eyes widen comically. "What?"

"Just as I believe I already know who you are."

"You do?"

I nod. "I believe so."

"H-how?" He stammers.

The small smile on my face vanishes. I clear my throat awkwardly. "If I'm correct then it's because the seelie court is searching for you."

I watch fear take over his emotions. "What?" He chokes out.

"So I'm right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He denies.

"Oh it's definitely you, you just lied. Normal fae can't do that."

"I'm not who you're speaking of." He croaks desperately.

I lift an eyebrow. "You aren't ?"

He says nothing and I sigh. "You should get some rest."

He nods and quietly lays down, rolling onto his side.

We stay that way, Him lying on his side and I sitting in my chair in silence for a while.

"You're the female lycan King aren't you?" He pipes up, breaking the silence.

"I am."

"Okay."

I wake up with a start, instinctively reaching for my erasthai who's name I am yet to learn only to find the bed empty.

I groan. "Not again." I grumble under my breath.

"I'm here." A voice mumbles from behind me.

I turn around to see my erasthai dressed in different clothes, his dark hair wet.

"The medic told me I could take a bath." He fumbles with his fingers.

"It's fine." I let out a sigh of relief and rest my head back against the chair.

My erasthai makes his way over to the bed and sits in front of me. "My name is Caspian."

I freeze for a moment, abruptly pulling my eyes open. "What did you just say?"

"My name is Caspian." He repeats.

"Caspian." I mumble softly, his name feeling like honey rolling of my tongue. I like it. "Okay."

"Am I your erasthai?"

I freeze once again. "Who told you that?"

"The medic lady. She accidentally let it slip while handing me some clothes."

I curse Lydia under my breath before focusing my attention on Caspian. "I believe so."

"You're not sure?" He asks tentatively.

I slowly reach my hand out to his and watch as he reacts to the sparks. I feel the bond tug, hard. "I'm sure now." I give him a small, warm smile.

He stiffens and doesn't return my smile. "This is bad. This is really bad."

I send a look of undeniable hurt and confusion his way and his face softens momentarily. "I didn't mean you." He cries out softly, cupping my face in his hands. "You're perfect. It's just complicated."

I feel my heart speed up at the bold move but I quickly pull back and regain my composure. You are a king nyx, act like it.

"What exactly does complicated entail?"

Caspian begins wringing his hands. "Remember how you said the Seelie court was searching for me?"

I nod tentatively waiting for him to continue.

"Well if I really am your erasthai then they most definitely already know where I am"

I growl slightly at the insinuation that he wasn't my erasthai even after the prior confirmation but I instantly regret it as I notice Caspian flinch back subtly.

I hesitate slightly before placing a comforting hand on his. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He smiles weakly. "I know."

"So you're the prince they're trying to kill?"

Caspian flinches slightly at my use of words but nods all the same.

"You're here with me now though. You wouldn't intend to go back, they can leave you alone. Unless....you do wish to go back?"

Caspian remains silent while I smile encouragingly. "It's fine if you do. I would never ask you to abandon your court, I know how that feels."

"I-I can't just leave my people. The Seelie court will crumble under their rule. While the fae are often considered to be selfish, we protect our own. They won't do that."

I nod again in understanding and force a small smile when a thought strikes me as odd. "Wait, you said they know where you are...how?"

"I overheard my uncle talking to a woman, a witch I think, the night before I escaped captivity. She said you would be my mate, she said we would find each other. She also said that if my uncle played his cards right, we would mutually destruct and the throne would be his without a doubt."

I raise an eyebrow at his statement trying to take it all in.

"I didn't mean to come here, I- I didn't know where I was going. I was being chased so I just ran. I'm guessing they lead me here on purpose."

I intertwine my fingers with his to reassure him I wasn't upset. "Is that how you got those scars?" I ask softly. "From being held captive?"

He shrugs lightly. "Most of them, yeah."

I stare at him for a while, assimilating the new information while just admiring him and he stare back. For a second our eyes lock and I forget that there's a bunch of dark fae likely to storm the castle to take him away or with some plan to watch us both crumble and I just stare instead.

Then a stomach grumbles and Caspian looks down in embarrassment while I chuckle. Cute.

"Do you feel well enough to leave the room?"

He nods and I beam at him. "Onto the kitchens then!"

- - - - - -

"Nyx! put me down." Caspian huffs in annoyance. "I'm the one supposed to be carrying you!" His voice echoes through the empty walls of My wing of the castle.

"Gender stereotypes are overrated, besides you're injured. Don't think I didn't see you wince when we went up the stairs." I roll my eyes while I continue on.

Caspian pouts like a child but nevertheless relaxes in my arms still mumbling something about his masculinity vanishing.

I smile lightly at his antics before finally placing him down on a chair in front of the kitchen counter. "What would you like for breakfast?"

- -

A/N: Nyx is a girl.

Also the whole concept of calling lycan mates erasthais was inspired by Catching Genisis by Nikkireadw

I am unsure if it originated from her but that's where I got it from.