Chapter 43


    Forty-Three: Killian


    Killian’s P.O.V.


    I was blinded by rage. I wanted blood more than I wanted my next breath.


    Then I heard those words, "The queen has already ced the order. Anyone who had been in contact


    is being quarantined."


    The Queen.


    My Queen.


    She had not been handed the crown yet, but she was acting every bit within her new title.


    She was my queen, my woman. I would have to be dragged down to Hell before I would let anyone get


    their hands on her. As soon as I heard that one of my men had been threatening her, I wanted to end


    him. But Joselin was right. She needed him. She needed to use him to trace the magic and learn more


    about the curse that seemed to be infecting my people.


    If I couldn''t kill him myself or have him killed by my guard, I wanted to lock him up until I was free to do


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    so. Once Joselin was done getting the information she needed, he would die by my hand.


    But Natalie, my future queen, had already ced the order for any potentially infected person to be


    held in quarantine until they were able to be cleared. She was wise, and I felt a small amount of weight


    ease off my shoulders as I ran back to the castle, back to my mate.


    She would make a capable and excellent queen. With a little training, she would excel at her new role. I


    was proud to have her by my side, but once Joselin vanished at the gate to return to her tower, I was


    driven by the desperate and primal need to confirm for myself that my mate was safe.


    Multiple men stood guard in the hallway as I reached my bedroom door, and I lowered my eyebrows in


    confusion before deciding not to add additional dy in seeing my woman. I would just ask her directly.


    She sat rigid on the couch, her eyes staring off into the distance as I entered the room. Her empty eyes


    blinked once at me before the recognition shed over her face, and she took a step forward.


    I moved to meet her halfway, but she stopped, lifting her hands and staring at me warily. "What is it, my


    mate?"


    She shook her head as she moved around the armchair to my right, keeping a lot of space between us


    as she examined me. I did not know what she was looking for, but I stood still as I waited for her to


    finish her search.


    "So, it wasn''t the location. It had to be through contact." Her small muttering made my ears twitch as I


    listened to her think out loud.


    It was fascinating watching her mind work. She was smart, quick, and sexy as hell when she had that


    focused expression. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips slightly pursed. I could see hering to the


    same conclusion I had.


    As soon as I was informed Nn had been infected, I pictured the small stream of blood that I had


    watched fall from Heath''s mouth and onto Nn''s arm when he was carrying him back to the city.


    I was grateful that the healers were immune to diseases having to handle the blood, but they were not


    immune to curses. They just had a higher resistance to them. How many of my men had been


    infected? How many of thest healers on Earth were going to be tainted by the dark magic?


    "Great minds think alike, Little One." The words came out in a purr. With my enhanced Lycan vision, I


    watched as her pupils dted. She loved it when I called her Little One. She may have been small, but


    she was strong.


    I found her more attractive with every passing moment.


    ''There is a darkness around the men in the infirmary. At least one of them wants me dead." Natalie


    continued to move around me, stopping when she was between me and the door. I moved with her


    slowly, keeping my eyes on my woman as she looked over my Lycan form.


    An involuntary growl left my throat at the idea of her being threatened or possibly injured. Had Heath


    touched her, grabbed her...harmed her?


    "I was worried you woulde home infected too since you went back to the road, but I don''t feel it...


    the darkness." Her hands rxed at her sides as she whispered the confession. Her feelings.


    She cared.


    "No one will ever harm you, least of all me," I said as I stepped forward, curious as she shuttered and


    her eyed darkened.


    She was curious.


    ''I heard that you took care of things here while I was away," I said as she stood still, allowing me to


    approach her. My hand, a mixture of human and beast, lifted. My fingertips ran down her arm, leaving a


    trail of goosebumps behind. "You handled it the exact same way I would have. I take it the extra guards


    in the hallway were your doing as well?"


    She snapped her mouth shut, nodding silently.


    "Good Girl," I purred. ''You will make a worthy queen."


    My head tilted to the side as I spotted her hands trembling at her sides. Her desire tickled my nose, and


    I took a greedy inhale of her scent.


    Good Girl.


    She enjoyed praise. I would have to make a note of that.


    "I want you to getfortable with me in this form. Touch me." I demanded sharply, feeling my chest


    swell with pride as she immediately reached up and ced her hands on my chest. Her fingers were


    chilled, and I bit back a groan at how good she felt. ’ Tell me what you are thinking." "I wasn''t expecting


    you to be so... human like this."


    I wanted to watch her hand as it traveled over my chest and shoulders, but I couldn''t look away from


    her as she stared at me in wonder. The skin there was rougher than before but had no more hair than


    when I was human. My fur was primarily over everything except the front of my torso. My head had


    taken on a closer resemnce to my beast. My arms were longer, and my legs were more animalistic.


    I knew when she found a scar because her eyes narrowed, and she took an extra moment to trace


    over the jawline-shaped scar. She would find a lot of those on me.


    She was beautiful, and as much as I didn’t want to look away from her, my eyes instinctively closed as


    she moved up to feel my neck, head, and face. It was pure bliss to have her touching me so calmly...


    so lovingly. I wanted to experience it forever.


    "Your fur is rough and soft at the same time, how is that possible?" She mused as she let one hand run


    over my jaw and toward the end of my half shifted muzzle.


    A low growl left my throat as I forced my eyes open. My body was frozen as she walked around me, but


    I wanted more than anything to turn to her and carry her to the bedroom so I could shift back to my skin


    and have my way with her.


    She spent several more minutes familiarizing herself with my form, her hands leaving invisible burn


    marks across my skin everywhere she touched.


    I looked over my shoulder as she moved to my side, her hand running down my arm until she reached


    my deadly ws. Her fingers moved between mine as if she were testing whether we could hold hands


    in this form before she pressed the tip of her pointer finger against one of my nails. The sharp surface


    sliced through her skin like butter, and I quickly withdrew my hand.


    She let out a gasp at the sudden movement as my other hand grabbed her wrist, and I lifted it until I


    could see the damage done. It was small. So small that if she had shifted, she would have already


    been healed.


    Instead, I lifted her finger to my mouth carefully and licked the cut.


    Her eyes locked on mine, deepening as I licked it once more.


    It was then that I smelled it. It was small... subtle. My eyes trailed over her face, from her wide eyes to


    her parted lips. Further they fell as I listened to her rapid heartbeat crashing loudly against her ribs and


    observed the vein in her neck pumping at an elerated rate.


    Fear.


    She was scared of me.