Chapter 224 - Royal Affairs

Cam paced back and forth in her room stopping with each pass of the mirror above the dresser to gaze at the mark across her shoulder. The site of the mark brought both joy and nervous uncertainty. No matter what was being discussed down the hall in the wee hours of the morning, she was his, the mark on her shoulder branded her as so. She ran her hand across the mark a slight sting still present. Had she done something wrong? Had she not pleased him as she should have? Questions assaulted her mind one after another as she thought of their awkward walk back up to the second floor and their bedrooms. He'd seemed almost embarrassed as the booming voice of his father from the third-floor railing had roused them both from their euphoric post-claim cuddle directly below. He had ordered Ales to get dressed and come to his office with haste. She had quickly scurried off his lap assuming the bright red of his face was due to being caught in such a compromising situation made obvious with the tinge of her own blood mixed with another faint unfamiliar smell. She had watched as he continued to fumble with the robe and its ties as they made their way up the stairs in silence only speaking once she'd stopped by her door, and he had simply wished her to sleep well. As if that was even possible with all that had happened in less than a few hours.

Cam let out a heavy sigh as she passed back toward the door and pressed her ear against the cool wood trying to make out any movement in the hallway.

***

Ales tried to swallow past the lump in his throat as his mother and father continued to badger him with an on slot of information and plans. It was so much more than he could possibly take in with so much already plaguing his mind.

"...flyers will be posted around town. The entire town will be brought to the palace in celebration of their new alpha coming to age. Your mother will handle all the planning of the banquet and coronations." Lyko studied his son briefly. "The princess will be crowned alongside you. Typically, this is a separate occasion, but since you have likely already marked her as your mate, I see no point in delaying it further or risking the people believing it was anything less than planned. There will already be word of the two of you dancing and disappearing together at the ball earlier tonight. There may even be whisper from the servants of your failed elopement, but it should all die down as soon as the two of you are crowned as the next successors together." He turned his attention to his wife. "How soon could you have preparations ready?"

Reighley thought it over for several minutes before finally answering. "The banquet will take a few weeks. I must prepare the cooks and order food and decor to be delivered, but other than that everything else will be easy enough. I may be able to sync it up with the upcoming full moon." She sent her son a gentle smile.

Lyko nodded as he continued to think things over as he rubbed his stubbled chin. "Perfect, perfect. Unfortunately, the mark will be well healed by then, you may have to repeat the action closer to the coronation." His gaze moved to his son. "I assume that will not be an issue?"

Ales swallowed hard past the lump that had been building as his parents spoke. All he could think of was checking on Cam and making sure she was alright with everything before they were both rushed forward, but that did not seem to be in the king's plans at all. Ales forced himself to nod his head in agreement as his father arched a questioning brow. When his father only tilted his head, lifting the brow farther, Ales finally cleared his throat and spoke. "Yes, father. I'm sure we can manage."

Lyko nodded. "Very well, have the girl cover the mark for now. I know this will be bothersome for you, son, but it is important that we make this look as planned as possible. We can't have the kingdom believe the situation has been out of our control at any point. Not only could it show weakness and instability of the royal family, but it could open you and the princess to scrutiny later." Lyko pushed up from his desk and walked around to stand in front of Ales. Placing a large rough hand on his son's shoulder as he smiled down at him, he said. "Though I'd always expected to be standing here sharing this moment with your brother, I want you to know I'm just as proud that it is you. You will make a fine ruler, my son." He studied his youngest son for several seconds before adding, "Maybe even better than your brother. You have a charismatic passion your brother doesn't possess. If I were to die tomorrow, I can now do so happily without the worry for our people. They will be in good hands with you."

Fighting back tears of joy, Ales shot up out of the chair and wrapped his arms around his father in a tight embrace. "Thank you, Father. It is all any son could ever wish to hear from his father."

Taken by surprise, the king gave a light chuckle as he wrapped his arms around his son in return. He pulled away, holding Ales out at arm's length, and studying him again. "There is much work to be done. Unlike Fern, you've spent your entire life learning to be a beta, but I have no doubt you will supersede any expectations myself or anyone else can have for you as you always do." He patted the boy's cheek affectionately. "Go get some rest now son. There's much to be done."

Ales nodded and headed from the room pausing only briefly to give his mother a goodnight hug and light kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Reighley was still staring at the door when her husband's low graveled voice brought her attention back to him.

"You've spent the better part of the past three years watching them, what are your thoughts on the matter?" He asked as he leaned against his desk lightly resting his hands on either side as he studied his wife.

Reighley let out a wistful sigh as a smile curved her lips. "They identified a mate within one another nearly instantly. I've watched them take on many tasks together and no matter the obstacle whether it's academics, instruments, or wolf play, they always seem to work seamlessly as a pair." She shook her head. "No amount of parental pairing could match the chemistry they share. They will be stronger because of it."

Lyko nodded stroking the stubble of his chin. "The full moon is in two and a half weeks; I'd like to see them lead a hunt together without any training to see the extent of their natural connection."

Reighley smiled. "I assure you; you will be impressed." She pushed up from the chair she'd been sitting in and started toward the door. Pausing with her hand on the knob, she turned and asked. "Are you coming to bed?"

Lyko nodded. "In a little while. I'm going to head to the infirmary and see if Fern has awoken yet. He will no doubt be upset by the new turn of events, but it is important that he knows his place and be willing to accept that new role. As long as he can keep that anger of his in check, he'll be able to serve the role as beta quite diligently. With all the training he's had, he will be a great asset to Ales once he ascends the throne."

Reighley frowned. "He's not going to be happy at all about this."

Lyko nodded in agreement. "It's to be expected. He may even go as far as to challenge Ales in the future, but Ales has the alpha form. Fern would never be able to best that form even with his cunning ways."

***

Ales tapped lightly on the door not wanting to wake her if she'd already fallen asleep. To his surprise, the door swung open and tiny hands were shooting out to grasp his arm and pulled him inside. Worried eyes searched his in the faint flicker of candlelight emanating from deeper inside the room. He smiled down at her as he brushed several pale blonde bouncing curls away from her face. "The coronation will be in a few weeks and you'll be crowned alongside me... as my princess." His smile widened as he brushed his thumb across her jawline to the gentle swell of her bottom lip. "My princess..." He whispered. "Two words have never made me happier."

Cam could feel the overwhelming joy build nearly overflowing as she pressed up onto her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. "I love you, Ales! I too have waited for no other two words but those for the past three years." She pulled him down into another kiss. "To finally be able to call you mine, and mine alone..." She scattered more kisses across his lips. "To finally be able to do this as I wish!"

Ales pulled her against him in a tight embrace. "As have I, you have no idea how hard these past months have been for me." He could feel her grip tighten around him, knowing she had shared in the pain their separation had caused. With a heavy sigh, he released her. "Get some sleep princess. It's nearly dawn."

Cam frowned up at him, "I'm not ready to part from you yet." She shook her head fervently. "What if when I wake, this was all just a wonderful dream. Won't you please stay with me... sleep with me as we used to do?"

Ales smiled down at her reassuringly. He brushed her hair back over her shoulder and gently pulled the neck of her dressing gown down revealing the mark that sat proudly upon her shoulder. "No matter what happens in the morrow you are mine and I am yours. This can not be undone." He bent a placed a light kiss to the mark causing her to suck in a surprising gush of air.

His touch caused the tiny hairs covering her body to stand on end as all her synapses decided to fire at once. "Ales..." She leaned into his touch resting her forehead against his broad chest.

Something about her closeness and the smell of her was causing the wolf within to claw wildly at his insides craving its escape. Ales slowly and carefully pulled away from Cam, whispering as he did. "I would love nothing more than to never part from you again, but I fear it is even more important for us to do so... at least until I have better control over this new part of myself." He bent and kissed her lips again before releasing her and turning toward the door.

Cam threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "I am yours and you are mine. There is nothing about you that I am afraid of. I want all of you and I want you to have all of me." She whispered in a muffled voice against the back of his soft linen shirt.

Ales stiffened against her grip. "I want nothing more than those things, but I also could never live with myself if I ever were to hurt you. Er... earlier tonight when I bit you... I wanted to do more... the beast wanted more... even as we stand here now the beast wants what has been promised him with that bite."

Cam released her grip on him and rounded him blocking the door. "Then give the beast what he craves, I don't mind." She said pulling her dressing gown away from her neck to show the bite again. "I am yours." She watched him near her, feeling her heart pound harder against her chest with every step he took toward her. His eyes were no longer on her but trained on the mark instead. She held her breath as she watched him lower his head to her shoulder again. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she felt the hot, damp pad of his tongue slide along the sensitive, torn flesh; but just as quickly as it had touched it was gone. She opened her eyes again to see Ales's wild eyes staring down at her with barely controlled emotion.

"I can not stay here with you tonight. Give me some time to adjust to the beast and learn to better control it, and I promise we shall never part again." He bent and met her lips with a hot passionate kiss, carefully shifting her body away from the door she blocked. "I love you, forever and a day." He whispered as he rested his forehead against hers

"Forever and a day." She panted back, letting her palms rest against his chest for support. She could feel the pounding of his heart and the gasping of his breath under her palms, matching the out-of-control gasps and pants of her own breath and the rapid tapping of her own heart.

"Sleep well, princess." He whispered as he slipped from the room forcing himself not to give in to the pouting lips that were still slightly swollen from their kiss and the sad wide sky-blue eyes that begged him to stay. "I love you." He repeated again as he gently closed the door between them and rested his forehead against the heavy wood. He stood there for several long minutes waiting on the sound of breathing from the other side to regulate and for the light pad of footsteps leading away from the door.