Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 26

AIDEN.

‘Does Nala stand a chance against a fierce looking Aiden?’

I read the text thrice, as my eyes kept drifting towards the photo attached.

Nala sent me a photo!

For a moment, as I stood in the changing room with my phone in hand, I couldn’t breathe. It was only after I felt the breath clogging in my throat that I opened my mouth and sucked in some, trying to capture the picture in my head. In my mind.

My breath broke again, and I gazed at the picture even more. This was my Nala. And I was not looking at her in flesh and b***d. Or during a video call. No. She had willingly sent me a picture of her and if that doesn’t say something, I don’t know what does.

At any moment, my heart may explode from sheer joy. I took in the curve of her lips, the way she had her hair parted into two on either side, the way she leaned against the car, and the way the clothes she wore accentuated her perfect thick curves.

Everything was just so…perfect!

‘Exquisite,’ Leo said in a gruff voice. ‘So beautiful. So innocent.’

I simply nodded, afraid that speaking up might break the moment.

“We are about to roll out,” I heard Kane called, and I gave him a quick glance to find him fixing the captain’s band aid on his left arm. We were all dressed in red with white striped jerseys.

“Coming,” I called, shifting my attention back to the phone to send Nala a response before I go.

‘You look breathtaking!’ I typed quickly, adding all the love and k****s emojis I could find before I sent.

‘Pfffttss…how many women have you told they look breathtaking?’ Leo mumbled. ‘This is our mate! Don’t you have anything better to say?’

‘What?’ My voice had a defending edge to it. ‘I only say that to Mama, and Lacie.’

‘Lies. You told Sherneil the same thing a month ago if I remember correctly!’ he sneered.

‘That was because she looked nervous after wearing her first jersey and I was simply trying to help,’ I replied, exasperated that we were even discussing this.

‘Indeed. After all, you always know what everyone needs. This time though, you’ve got it wrong. Breathtaking isn’t the right word to use for Nala…’

‘I told you not to call her that anymore! I gave her that name!’

‘I only used it so you can understand the context of what I was saying. Mine is better. Taste it on your tongue, Kaaammlaaa,’ he stretched the name as he said it and I couldn’t help but wince.

‘I’m about to play so leave me alone,’ I hissed, walking over to where my jersey was and picking it. I had been bare chested all this while, yet no one saw my new mark. Absolutely no one. Which is very weird and very disturbing.

‘No! You have to send a new text. That was lame! Just listen to what I say and type it, okay,’ Leo said then dramatically cleared his throat before he continued. ‘You look painfully beautiful, Nala. For a moment, your beauty nearly made me blind and I’m not sure if… no, don’t type that. It sounds lamer than yours. Here’s another one. ‘Damn, Nala! You look…’ he paused, his voice dropping a bit. ‘You look…Uhmn, Aiden, just tell her she looks beautiful,’ he finally finished.

‘I thought you were more creative?” I scoffed.

‘That is, but a fact. I am just still not over how hard that picture hits. Hence the reason why my creative juices are in the drain,’ he grumbled, tucking himself in the far corner of my mind.

I scoffed, trying to hold back the laughter threatening to spill as well as the clap back I wanted to tell him. But now isn’t the right time to mess with Leo, I have a match to play.

I looked up to find the teammates and the couch already leaving and I turned to Sherneil, who was standing on the far end in her jersey as well and gave her the briefest smile. She always trains with us but has never played officially.

“All the best in today’s match, Your Eminence.”

“Thank you, Sherneil. Perhaps one day, you’ll get to play when enough women decide to join,” I replied with a small smile.

“I know it is a far-fetched dream, but I do hope it happens some day,” She replied, looking around as she fiddled with her fingers.

“You should go back to the hotel. The sound here is too much,” I said quietly, noticing the way her eyes fluttered each time the cheers outside increased. She massaged her temple, parted her lips as she breathed in. She shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have let her be.

“I…I want to see the team play live, Your Eminence,” she replied, her voice shaking a bit.

I squinted my gaze, trying to understand if I had made the right decision by allowing her to be here.

I saw every move her throat made, it was something I couldn’t avoid as a Lycan. The faintest sound. The faintest movements. I always catch them.

The cheer from the fans increased and I knew the other team had stepped out, I also knew it would be too much for Sherneil to endure soon. I shouldn’t have let her tag along knowing what she deals with.

“Go. You can watch it on the television. Please.”

She placed her hand on her head, and I took quick long strides towards her. As I helped steady her on her feet, I could see how she was forcing herself to take slow breaths. The palpitation on her skin was evident. She looked calm on the outside, but I knew better than to think she was fine.

I clicked my fingers and one of the guards, as per Baba’s insistence that I always have them around ran to us.

“Take her back to the hotel,” I said quickly. “Don’t stop anywhere. Take her away.”

“Yes, Your Eminence,” he replied. But as he made to touch her, she moved back, shaking her head.

“I can stay,” she tried to argue, her eyes fogging over for a moment.

“No. You leave. Now!” I hissed.

Another loud cheer, and she paled.

“I think I need to throw up,” she mumbled, covering her mouth with her palm. “Air. I need air.”

I simply nodded as she turned and rushed outside, the guard following closely behind her.

Because I knew what she was dealing with, it was easy to understand her. Understand her actions. Her reactions.

And I just wished I understood Nala that much. But I need to give my all for that, and that is what I plan to do.

I turned my gaze back to my phone and decided to send another text to Nala before I left.

A- ‘No real words to describe how you look. Like I said, I am bad with words, but if I were close, I’d have shown you how much this means to me. Thank you for trusting me this much, Nala. I’m off to play and knowing you’d be watching is enough strength for me.’

Then I hit send before I remembered I didn’t ask her about her therapy.

A- ‘How was therapy? I’m sure you kicked it just like you kicked my heart with that picture.’

I sent it with a hint of a smile on my face.

‘I see you are upping your game here. Hopefully, you do more because I can see you miserably falling when she finally meets me,’ Leo teased.

However, before I could reply to him, my phone beeped with a notification of a message coming. I was eager to see, thinking it was Nala. But disappointment leaked in as soon as I saw Kamal’s name pop up.

I clicked on the message and began reading.

K- ‘He took the bait, Your Eminence. The Alpha of the Malakari pack requested an audience with the Grand King.’

F*****g bastard! About time I dealt with him!

‘About time we deal with him you mean?’ Leo hissed.

I ignored him and typed back a quick reply.

A- ‘Schedule the meeting with the Elders in two days and report to Baba like we planned. I am coming back tomorrow.’

With the new force that I’ll be dealing with Matteo soon, and the message Nala just sent me, I blew some air, set the phone in my duffel bag and ran from the changing room to the tunnel where I joined my teammates and we filed out.

The stadium was filled with people, and all sorts of smells warped through my nostrils as soon as I stepped into the field. I could smell the cold winter breeze, which was always the same for humans most of the time. The aromas from different foods were so strong I could actually taste them in my mouth. And there were cheers all over. The werewolves from the neighboring human country are all here to support my kingdom since they were out of the championship.

We stood side by side, the other team on the other side as both national anthems were sung. We then shook hands before we moved away. I watched as Kane and the captain Anthania exchanged the pennants. As the coin was tossed, I couldn’t help but feel proud of Kane. He handles the Captainship so well, which was why I never regretted giving the title to him.

We formed a circle afterward, prayed and hailed each other before we all ran to our different spots.

The whistle was blown and the game began.

Time to make my woman proud!

---

The score was 1-0. The humans were winning, and we had only 20 minutes left out of the 90 minutes allotted for the match.

I had just passed the center circle and had approached the opponents goal post. There were two defenders in front of me, and I needed to cross the ball to the back post. I could see Badr running in behind, but I’m not as fast as the defender. I know I can dribble past him, but time is running out.

Sweat poured over my brows, and the roar of the crowd caused my ears to tremble. Despite the fact that I don’t have my heightened sense of hearing on, I could still feel the screams and cheers reverberate through me. My heart was beating wildly, not just from running but from the sinking realization that if this didn’t go in, we would be out of the championship again just like last time.

And I wouldn’t be making Nala proud. That, and the fact that this was what I loved doing the most. Football was a part of me.

Realizing that, I focused all of my attention towards the defender before me and dribbled past him in a blink. I kicked the ball towards Kane who was on my left and ran into the goal area waiting for him to cross the ball back. Adrenaline pumped as I watched Kane dribble past them before crossing the ball back to me.

I didn’t hesitate after getting it. I aimed, and shot a direct goal into the goal post!

---

NATASHA.

I paced the hospital reception, hands clasped behind me. I was terrified at what the results would be for the pregnant woman in the ER and the little boy at the pediatric section.

My eyes burned. I wanted to cry. Wanted to scream. The pounding in my head was too much as I struggled to wipe the scene from the accident from my brain.

Not successful.

I didn’t want to close my eyes, because every time I did, the scene played in my head all over. The painful m***s. The cries. The explosion.

I winced as my fingers grazed over the burn on my right arm. During the explosion, I had gotten burned on some parts of my body, mostly on my arms and my chin. But I didn’t care about any of that, just like I was ignoring the pounding in my head, I ignored the searing pain from the burns as Erin tried to heal us.

“You need to get checked. You don’t look too good yourself,” Donald said from behind me. His voice had an edge to it and I wonder if he was still angry.

“It’s been three hours since they were taken in there, Donald, yet, we have not received any news. Shouldn’t we go check?”

“You need to get checked, Natasha,” he repeated, running his hand through his hair as he stood before me. “Look, your wounds are healing at a slow pace,” he added.

“That is because the explosion was big and…”

“Which is exactly why you need to get checked! Your staying here isn’t going to speed up their healing process. So please, get checked and have those burns treated!” he snapped, and I flinched.

As though he noticed the impact, he turned away again and heaved a sigh. “I’ll call Phil to check you since she’s not the one on call and…”

“I will not be taking a step from here without receiving news about that poor pregnant woman and her son. Please Donald, do not force me to,” I said quietly, yet making sure I sound determined.

He kept quiet and simply stared at me. After a moment, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and tapped on it before slipping it back in.

“Fine. Can you at least sit down?”

I wanted to argue, but seeing the frustrated look on his face, I simply sighed and walked up to the long iron chair in the reception hall.

There were people standing around, just doing nothing but watching us. I could see them whisper amongst themselves from time to time, and I became more uncomfortable with each passing second. But I couldn’t leave yet.

Not without hearing anything about the victims we’ve brought.

“First, I do hope you know what you did back there was stupid, right? How could you run towards a car that way without knowing what could happen?”

“I…”

“No, you were wrong. I’m sure you know nothing about accidents or how to deal with them. That was a risky move that would have probably caused your life had you been too close to the car when it exploded!” he snapped.

My eyes stung again, but I refused to cry. Why do I have to cry? I felt drained. Exhausted. All I wanted was to get back home, coil into the sofa and watch my man…Aiden play. It was then that I remembered the match, and my phone and bag which I had dumped in the car.

And I didn’t get to watch the match.

“I only wanted to help,” I mumbled.

“Not at the expense of risking your life. Aiden is seriously going to deal with me when he finds out…”

“We don’t have to tell him. He doesn’t have to know. I only wanted to help those helpless people. At that time, I wasn’t thinking straight, hence my rash decision to run to the car.”

‘I have to agree with him here, Nat. You made a rash decision. However, I am still proud you made that move. I just need enough strength to heal all those injuries, especially the burns,’ Erin said.

Now that I thought of it, it was indeed a risky move. But like I said, I was only trying to help, and at that time, all I could think about was helping them in any way I could.

Because I didn’t want to see anyone be as helpless as I have been.

I recalled how I had ran to the car on the road the moment Donald and I had finished taking in the scene. I ran with no thoughts of what the consequences might be, or the thought of getting hurt.

I simply wanted to help.

The car on the other side of the road had been empty when we got there, which was surprising. I didn’t want to think too much about things but it looked suspicious. The good part about all this was that we were able to help the pregnant woman and her son out of the car before the explosion. I had stayed back while Donald was trying to call an ambulance to see if I could find a cell phone or anything, and hence, why I ended up getting burnt.

“What do you think happened to the other car?” I asked.

“I told the police bureau to check around and see if they can find anything on the scene. No idea what happened back there but it just seems too odd,” Donald replied.

“Certainly,” I nodded thoughtfully. “Why would anyone put a pregnant woman and a child in that state? And leave? That is, if the person left.” My eyes widened as a thought flashed through my brain. “Or maybe, someone caused the accident and took the other victim away? If the accident was deliberate?”

Donald stared into space thoughtfully, as though my words made sense. Well, technically they do, and I want to find out what is going on.

“That can be possible. But right now, we’ll have to wait and hear what the bureau says before we start playing with any theories,” Donald replied with a sigh.

I shifted. “You’ll let me know when you get a report from them right?” I asked hopefully.

“This isn’t something you should worry yourself with. You…”

“No, I want to know. Please, do not treat me like a broken piece even if that is what I am,” I sighed. “I know I have a long way to go. But I’ve always been used to working and not waiting to be…taken care of,” I finished with a little wince. “I am not being ungrateful, but I just want to have something to occupy my mind and self with,” I finished.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” Donald mumbled.

“I know you didn’t. I just…just felt like telling you,” I replied quietly. “So, you’ll let me know when you find anything out, won’t you?” I insisted.

“Natasha,” he called, sounding too serious. “Did you just try to blackmail me into giving into your demands?” He furrowed his brows.

“What? Why would you say that? Of course not!” I blinked. “I was merely…”

“Calm down, I was simply joking,” he laughed.

I pouted but still didn’t give up. “You’ll let me know. I know that.”

“Only if I don’t get my bones broken by Aiden when he finds out I let you run towards a car exploding,” he said, his tone bitingly.

I grimaced. “Do you think…never mind.”

He stared at me for a while before he nodded, and like most times, his eyes zeroed to my covered wrist.

“You still do that,” he shifted slightly.

“It’ll take a while for me to learn to appreciate my scars,” I winced a bit as I said that. “But I’m working towards it. Thanks for being there.”

“What are friends for?” He grinned as he winked. “Always here if you need someone to talk to.”

I blinked. Once. Twice, as I tried to understand what he’d said.

“We…we are friends?” I asked wide eyed.

“We aren’t? I thought we were,” he leaned back and crossed his hands over his chest. “Set aside the fact that you are my cousin’s mate, I see you as a friend, Natasha.”

I beamed at him, loving the tag. Now that I thought of it, Donald had been the first person besides Aiden that has always been around. And for some reason, I felt comfortable around him. At that moment, I figured why that had happened.

Donald was not my mate. The mate tag was not attached to his name nor does it describe the relationship between us. The mate tag had been one of the things hindering my relationship with Aiden. Every time it was mentioned, I recall what I went through, what I had to endure which doubled up the moment I became Matteo’s mate. The name mate turned out to be a trigger for me in ways, hence, the constant question if Aiden truly wants me or not.

Which I am slowly beginning to understand. He does want me, but above all, I realized I want him to want me without the mate tag.

I was crazy, but that was how it played in my head.

‘I am glad you figured that out yourself, Nat. The trauma and PTSD attached detached you from the mate bond. No matter how strong it was, in the beginning when we first met Aiden, it scared us, because the mate tag has caused us more harm than good. Had I tried to tell you this in the past few days, I don’t know how you’d have accepted it. But right now, I’m glad to see you’ve realized it yourself. We are enough. We can get through this. And I’m sure Aiden wants us. So let’s keep fighting!’ Erin said.

My lips stretched with a dazzling smile as I stared at Donald. “Yes, yes we are friends. Thank you.”

He didn’t reply, instead, he only smiled at me before a comfortable silence stretched between us.

“How do you feel?” I heard him ask.

“I’m fine, Donald. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I think he does need to worry considering he has some explanation to give Aiden regarding why his mate has burn wounds on her body,” I heard Phil say. When I looked up, she was standing with her hands tucked into the pocket of her coat.

“Hey Phil,” Donald said, his voice getting caught as he strolled towards her. He leaned in to k**s her lips, but I saw how she turned and he kissed her cheeks instead, her eyes blank and expressionless.

I didn’t like it. It made me angry to see how she was treating him.

Again, look at me getting angry on someone’s behalf when I’m still not comfortable with my mate. Such hypocrisy.

“What are you doing?” she hissed quietly, pushing him a bit.

“She already knows and no one is watching,” Donald replied in a broken voice.

Dr Phillison looked around the reception, and true to Donald’s words, the few people around were busy filling forms while the receptionist typed away on the computer. I thought she’d give in after seeing that, instead, she turned to me and said.

“Come, let me clean those injuries,” she mumbled as she turned away.

Donald dropped his gaze, and I watched as he balled his hands tightly. However, he said nothing and looked up at me with a smile.

“Come on, let her take a look.”

“I already told you I’ll wait till I get news on the victims,” I replied solemnly.

“Natasha…”

The words died on his lips as the male doctor who took the pregnant woman stepped out of the ER, the same time the Pediatric doctor stepped out as well.

“How are they?” I rushed towards them, unable to stop the thudding in my heart.

Please Goddess, let them be okay.

“Are you her family?” he asked, his eyes darting from me to Donald.

“She’s the King’s mate,” Phil said in a flat voice, and I heard the gasp around.

“Your Majesty,” both doctors bowed, hands on the chest and bopped their heads twice. This was making me uncomfortable.

But I straightened up and asked again.

“How are they?”

“We didn’t have much time to decide. But we had to remove the baby…”

“Are they safe?” I cut him off.

“Yes, both mother and daughter are fine. Except the baby is premature and would need to be kept in the ICU for a few weeks.”

“And the boy?” I asked after sighing as I shifted my gaze to the pediatric doctor.

“He’s stable for now, your Majesty,” she replied with a nod.

“Oh thank Goddess,” I sighed as my knees buckled. Now that they are safe, I felt all the weight of the emotions I had kept coming crashing all at once. The fear that they wouldn’t make it. The after therapy exhaustion. Everything came crashing and I almost gave way, at least, not until I felt someone holding me.

“Careful, Your Majesty,” the doctor close to me said as clasped his hands around me.

But before I could reply or push away from his hold, the door to the reception was thrown open. And even before I could see who it was, the scent hit me and I nearly lost it.

Aiden was here.

“What the f**k do you think you are doing touching my mate?” I heard him growl.

I pushed away from the doctor and faced him. His face was hard with taut angry lines that set his lips thinned. I could see the rage in his eyes, the way his jaw was set taut and hard as he took long strides towards me. Dressed in a red jersey with white stripes and shorts, hair tied up, I didn’t know what to think. Or what to feel. His dark eyes were fixed on me alone, and he didn’t take it off for a second.

So many feelings came crashing in that I have no idea how to react. How to contain them. How to accept them.

‘Maybe you can go lick him now,’ Erin mumbles.

From the sound of her voice, I could tell how dazed she was, and how much he was affecting us before he even got to us.

‘You definitely need to lick him today or I will!’ she added, her tone a bit slurred.

My heart rate picked up. My chest is a thudding mess. My mouth is dry. My senses are all over the place. Despite the rage I saw in his eyes, I didn’t think to move when he stopped before me. I should be scared. I should step back. I shouldn’t want to touch him. Or hear him speak again considering the angry look plastered on his face.

But I didn’t move. Because I was waiting for him. My stomach was in knots, and my muscles a tight fit.

‘Mate!’ Erin purrs, and I see his eyes darken even more.

“I am sorry,” he mumbled loud enough for only me to hear. And just as I was wondering why he was apologizing, it happened.

I was in his arms, and it’s not how I had pictured it to be. It was far better. The embrace reached deep into my bones, pure heaven, and I found myself leaning into him. Gradually, my muscles relaxed and my stomach unknotted. My head spins in daze, and I could feel the tightness in my stomach growing.

I had never been hugged. Never been hugged with such raw tenderness and want. Never.

It was…too much. Too much because I wanted to hug him back. Too much because I feel his emotions through the hug. Too much because I truly wanted this. No heat. Nothing. Just me wanting this.

And I did just that. I timidly wrapped my arms around him and buried my face against his chest, taking his scent. His warmth. Feeling the ridges of his muscles. And how I fitted perfectly into him.

My first real hug.

Everything fades from around us. It was like only he and I remained…no one else.

Wrapped in his embrace, his scent all over me, I realized how much I had missed this man. So much so that I didn’t want this hug to end.

Then I heard him growl. Felt his chest vibrate as his arms tightened around me more before I heard him

speak.

“Everyone leave.”