Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 51

AIDEN

I drifted in and out of consciousness. At some point, nothing even made sense except the terrible pain gnawing at every part of my body. It was as though my body had been set on fire, the worst part of it all, it felt like Leo had been ripped away from me.

I knew that wasn’t wrong, because my mind still remembered what happened, albeit the pain I felt. The only thing keeping me sane, making me have the zeal to fight this off was the fact that I could feel Nala around. From time to time, I felt a soft, warmth pressed against my forehead. Other times, I felt my hand being squeezed. Whether I’m sane or not, I’d never forget the feeling of Nala against my body.

It gave me the will to fight whatever darkness was trying to consume me.

Then everything stopped. The pain. The warmth of Nala. Everything. I found myself standing in the kitchen back at the palace, where Mama, Mav, and I spend lots of time during the day helping her. This time around though, there was something odd about it.

First, I was standing alone in the large kitchen, with big pots staring back at me. It was dark, except for the shimmering light of the moon seeping through the window. From where I stood, I could already make out what was in the pot I was staring at. Stew.

And the scene looked exactly like the time Mav and I snuck in during the night to steal some meat from the pot. Only that, this time around, I was with Leo and not Mav.

Leo howled and jumped around the kitchen as though he had been given a present. I found myself walking towards the pot, with Leo padding closely behind me. Everything looked so real.

We stopped before the pot that was sitting on the cooker. I turned to look at Leo, who was standing on his back paws, unsupported. Now that he was standing, we were the same height.

‘Remember, the idea to steal this meat was all yours and I was just a…’ Leo began before he trailed off. ‘Well, you can just call me a helper. If Mama catches us, it is all on you.’

‘Is that so? Why don’t you go back and let me eat the meat alone?’ I asked.

‘Well, damn! The aroma of this stew is going to ruin me. Quick, open it,’ he said, completely ignoring what I had said about him leaving.

I laughed a bit, placed my hand on the lid of the pot, and opened it. The shimmering oil from the stew, the large chunks of meat staring back at me, the hard-boiled eggs, all of that made my stomach growl as my mouth salivated for a taste.

I picked up the pot and set it down on the tiled floor before both Leo and I got down. I dipped my hand in and caught a chunk of meat, which I eagerly shoved into my mouth. The explosive taste and the spiciness made me m**n.

“Damn! Mama is the best cook!” I sighed, watching as Leo dipped his paw into the pot and scooped a slice of meat as well.

However, as soon as he brought it to his mouth, the red stew changed to black, and what was once a slice of meat turned to a stone before a terrible odor instantly enveloped us both. Leo dropped the stone in shock, our eyes returning to the pot before us.

It was bubbling now, despite it not being on fire. The bubbles were red, just like a red boil would look on the skin, while the black, sticky substance bubbled around. The smell was so bad that I felt my eyes begin to water, and when I looked up at Leo, he was the same.

‘Let’s get out of here,’ I hissed. But neither he nor I could move. After a moment of trying, Leo picked the pot up and gulped down its content.

My stomach turned and twisted, a painful cry escaping my lips. I dropped my head to the cold tiled floor, hoping it would ease the heat rising on my body. But it didn’t help, neither did the loud howls and g****s from Leo.

Then out of nowhere, appeared The Shadows. I watched, with tears in my eyes as they took Leo, the kitchen vanishing right before my eyes, replaced with a thick, dark forest with tall, skinny trees that looked like people with no arms and legs, only a head. I heard branches creaking, yet couldn’t see why, feet shuffling through the dried leaves on the ground, squirrels chattering, leaves rustling, wind whistling around trunks, birds singing, insects churring, rustle of animals rooting in underbrush, scrabbling of lizards on tree bark – but despite all these sounds, I couldn’t see anything of this. Only hear it.

Leo was pinned to one of the trees, while I sat, crouched on my knees as my eyes stung from unshed tears. With each passing second, the pain causing me to double over.

‘We will help you,’ I suddenly heard a soft voice say. I forced myself to look up, and I found myself staring at a two-colored wolf. The same wolf I had tattooed on my stomach. ‘Just watch,’ she added.

I did as she said, still crouched on my knees, I looked up to see The Shadows dancing around Leo as he continued to howl in pain. Soon, the whole forest picked up his howl. Everywhere I turned, the howl came in even louder. I tried to cover my ears with my hands but to no avail. My hands shook, the heat on my body increased, as well as the pain.

Then Leo threw up, the dark, sticky, smelly substance gurgled from his mouth to the dirty ground, the smell overwhelmingly awful. However, each time he threw up, the pain in my stomach lessened, alongside the heat, and soon, my eyes began to feel heavy. As I struggled to keep them open, my eyes caught the paws of the wolf, before she leaned down and whispered.

‘Save us like we saved you.’

I finally succumbed to the darkness and welcomed it all.

*

I felt Nala’s warmth return, same with the soft press of her lips. Her scent engulfed me, burying me in its wraps as I tried to sink more into it. But just like last time, everything stopped again. And I couldn’t feel anything anymore.

I found myself sitting on the porch, with Nala in my arms, laying her head on my chest as I wrapped my arms around her tightly. It was evening, and the sun was setting. The horizon had turned into pastels of tangerine and indigo. The sight, with Nala in my arms as her sweet scent invaded me, made the moment perfect.

‘We should watch the sky more often,’ I whispered, as though afraid of something.

‘We should. It’s the perfect time to think about life and its gifts.’

I nodded.

‘You feel so warm today,’ I mumbled quietly. ‘Are you sick?’

‘I’m fine,’ she simply replied, then curled up closer and slid her hand underneath the navy blue polo shirt I was wearing.

‘I love the feel of your skin against my palms,’ she said softly, before pressing a light k**s on my neck. ‘I love the warmth it carries,’ she added.

I sucked in a thick breath as her hand wandered upward before it stopped on my right n.ipple. She curled her fingers against it and pinched gently. Or perhaps not. I gasped, my eyes rolling as I tried to steady the rhythm of my heartbeat. I was hot all over, and I simply wanted to get rid of the short yellow dress she wore.

As though sensing what was going through my mind, with one of her hands still playing with my right n.ipple, and the other swung around me, Nala turned and instantly straddled me. She had a wide grin on her face, her gaze heated as she bit her bottom l*p.

Oh, dear Goddess! I g*****d, feeling my pants tightening.

‘Cat got your tongue?’ she murmured, pulling her hand from underneath my shirt. I nearly cussed but held back when she wrapped both arms around my neck.

‘Stop teasing me, Nala. I don’t have much control…’

‘What if I want you to lose control?’ she whispered, kissing my beard.

I g*****d. That was it!

Clasping the sides of her face in my hands, I leaned down a bit and kissed her. Sensation shocked through me, ending the struggles that had just begun. The cool silk of my lips on hers felt like heaven.

As I stroked my hot tongue into her mouth, her sweet taste and familiar scent intoxicated me. She gripped my shoulders and pressed her body to mine.

I circled my arms around her and aligned our h**s together as she began to move, her softness to my hardness. Liquid aching pervaded my limbs.

‘Look at you melting for me,’ I rasped against her mouth. ‘I’ve missed you.’

I kissed her again, a deep, slow taste that curled my toes and made her sigh against my lips. Her hair, which had been tied in a loose bun, fell loosely down, and she shivered as I threaded my fingers into the mass.

‘Oh Nala,’ I whispered, running my hands over her loose locks. ‘I want to take you right here, right now, and…’

Then everything just…stopped, and I found myself alone, not on the porch anymore, but with my consciousness slowly returning.

I pried my eyes open, wincing a bit as the light from the bulbs above threatened to blind me.

But the moment I got used to the light, I let my eyes wander around, as I tried to take in my surroundings. I was in our room, laying on our bed. But Nala was not there, albeit her scent filled the entire room.

Then a growl rippled from me. Leo stood up and shook his fur before he snarled again, his nose flaring angrily.

“It is okay. I’m here for you, Sis,” I heard a voice say beside me, before a loud sniff.

Wait, what? Was that Mav’s voice? No, perhaps it was my mind still playing games with me even though I’ve awoken.

Leo’s pacing increased. I forced myself to sit up and looked towards where I heard the sound of the voice.

There, just a few feet from where I lay was Nala in Mav’s embrace. It was really Mav.

F*****g hell!!!

“Why the f**k are you hugging my mate?” I growled, anger rippling through every nerve within me.