Kei Valancia
I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a slight headache forming and the few hours that I could sleep were slipping away.
“Would you please get out?” I growled at the man lying on my bed.
He chuckled before patting the space beside him. “I promise I won’t touch. Now, get in.”
I let out a groan until an idea popped into my head. I grinned evilly before turning my back to him.
“What are you doing?” He sounded quizzical as I grabbed the hem of my shirt.
“Do you promise that you won’t touch?” I asked evenly. He was quiet for a moment.
“I promise.”
“On your life?”
“On my life,” he repeated.
“Good. Because if you break it, I’ll break you.” That’s all I said before whipping the shirt over my head and letting it land on the floor beside my feet. I heard him inhale sharply as I began wiggling out of my skinny jeans.
“What are you doing?” His voice was terse, and I imagined his whole body tense.
“Getting ready for bed,” I replied casually. After a moment of undressing, I began rummaging through the drawers of the dresser and searching for my old sweats and shirt. Once my hand felt the familiar material, I pulled it out and dressed once more. I sighed in content once I felt the loose shirt settle around me.
“Nothing beats a good old pair of sweats and a ratty t-shirt. Honestly, it’s like a piece of heaven. Now, scoot all the way over. I can’t get in because your fat body is taking up all of the room.”
Thankfully, he slid over without saying a word, and I shot him a smile. Climbing under the covers, I let out a sigh as I snuggled deeper. I closed my eyes, and silence filled the room. I counted down from ten and smirked as I finished.
I felt him snuggle closer, his hand lightly brushing my face. With an even tone, I said with my eyes still closed, “What did I say about touching?” I felt his hand brush across my cheek and play with a strand of my hair.
“I can’t help it. You’re my mate, and I am extremely possessive. So let me just enjoy this.” I chuckled before yawning.
“Fine, but if I feel your hands wander below the neck, you won’t have any hands to get a feel.”
He just laughed at my threat before getting up. I opened my eyes and saw his black aura shimmer in front of the bed before he slid under the sheets with me. I grabbed an extra pillow and shoved it between us before scooting slightly further away.
“I didn’t peg you as the shy type,” he mused. I rolled my eyes.
“I’m not shy. I’m just not willing to get hand-sy under the sheets with a man I just met.”
He sighed but kept to his side. “I’ll let you have your space now. However, don’t expect it to last long.”
I didn’t reply but smiled into the pillow. “Night, Ryker.”
He was silent for a moment. “Good night, Kei,” he replied softly. We laid there in peaceful silence. Soon, I felt comfort in the heat radiating from him and fell asleep.
* * *
Gasping, I woke with a start. I sat up and gripped the comforter with tight fists.
“What’s wrong?” A deep voice tinged with sleep startled me.
A stupid nightmare that has haunted my dreams for years woke me up earlier this morning, and then I have the same dumb dream to which I woke up again, I ranted in my head. But out loud, I said, “Nothing. What time is it?” I tried to change the topic.
He let out a grunt. “It’s 10 AM, and it doesn’t seem like nothing.”
I groaned as I turned away from him, letting the blanket fall. I felt the cool air hit my sweaty skin like a splash of cold water, and I just wanted to crawl back under the covers and never get out. Getting only three hours of sleep will do that to a person.
“You know,” I blurted out. “You don’t seem as intimidating as I thought.”
He was quiet as I stood and strode over to the dresser with confident steps. “And you don’t seem as blind as you say.”
I gave him a dry smile before pulling out some clothes. “I am part werewolf, you know. I have all of the heightened senses to help me out.” I didn’t see, but I knew that he shook his head.
“But that still doesn’t explain how you know how to fight like the way you do.” He was quick to point out.
I sighed and turned to face him, placing my hands on my hips. “Let me put it this way. My senses are more heightened than that of a regular werewolf. My reflexes seem to be quicker, and my hearing is very acute.”
“Now that I think about it, you never told me what else you are.”
I let out a quiet grunt as I pulled down my warm sweats before slipping on my jeans, balancing on one leg. “It’s because you never asked,” I told him.
He let out a dark chuckle. “At the moment, I was getting hit by the news that you’re blind.”
I finished buttoning my pants before sighing. “Yes, and let me tell you, it sucks.” I had just taken off my old tee before there was a sudden knock on the door. I didn’t think twice before answering, “Come in.”
“Kei, I was thinking—” A man’s voice was cut off by a loud growl.
I turned sharply to face Ryker whose aura was filled with an angry red and a crackling silver gray of possessiveness.
“Hey, King. What crawled up your butt and died?”
“Get out,” he rumbled deeply, and I quirked an eyebrow.
I, then, began walking towards the door but felt a strong arm wrap around my waist, stopping me from going any further.
“And where do you think you’re going?” His warm breath tickled a strand of hair against my neck.
“You told me to get out, so I was only granting your wishes, King.” I heard a scoff to the side and looked over to see a familiar aura tinged with a soft amber. “Mark, what brings you here?”
“How did you know it was me?” he asked, sounding dumbfounded.
“One, your scent,” I said, counting off on my fingers. “And two, you have an amber color around you.”
“What does the amber mean?”
“How about you get out and ask your questions later?” Ryker snapped.
I slapped him on the chest. “Don’t be rude. He just wants to know.”
“Then maybe you should get dressed.”
I frowned and tried to face him, but he simply held me tighter to his chest. “What are you talking about?” I questioned.
He let out noise between a groan and a sigh. “Love, you don’t have a shirt on.”
I stilled and finally realized that he was right. My upper body was bare for everyone to see, showcasing my bra which wasn’t really much to see. I tilted my head in the direction of Mark, who was still standing in the doorway, and sent him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, but could you give us a minute?”
I didn’t hear him respond. “Was that a yes or a no?” I finally spoke, and I heard the floor creak underneath him as he jerked as if shocked.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry.” He then turned and left, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.
Chuckling, I tried to pull away but seemed to be stuck.
“Could you let go of me now, please? I have to finish getting dressed.”
He didn’t say anything but, instead, picked me up abruptly, cradling me against his chest.
I let out a small squeak as he threw me on the bed and trapped me beneath his body. “King, down, boy. Don’t make me use the spray bottle on you,” I said teasingly.
He didn’t even budge from my threat.
“You may think that I am kidding, but I will literally get a spray bottle, fill it with water, and use it on you.”
“Don’t worry. Even if we just met, I would believe anything that you told me,” he said with a chuckle.
I smirked and tapped his cheek with my index finger. “There we are. Your adorable side is peeking through once more.”
He groaned and fell on top of me with all of his fat weight lying on top of me.
“Dang it, King. I have stuff to do today, and you using me as your mattress is not going to help anyone.” I managed to gasp out, his weight compressing my lungs.
After a moment, he still didn’t move, and I thought that I was going to get crushed. “All right, you’re not adorable. You’re amazing, macho, and the hottest guy alive. Better?”
“Now, I am,” he said while getting up simultaneously.
“Oh, thank the Goddess, I can breathe.” I lied there, trying to get my breath back. “Dang, King, what do you eat?”
“Girls who keep calling me King,” he replied flatly.
I smirked and sat up. “Well, lookie here. King has a sense of humor.”
He groaned before flopping next to me, making the bed bounce slightly. “You’re killing me,” he said exasperatedly.
I laughed before sitting up. “But my beautiful looks make it worthwhile,” I teased, poking him on his hard stomach.
He laughed, and I felt myself hum at the sound. “Your purr is so cute,” he said with mirth.
I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off the bed. “Sweet words aren’t gonna get you in my pants, and to get technical, it’s not really a purr. I mean, we aren’t cats. It’s more like a rumble,” I said with a smile. I walked over back to the desk and found my shirt that I had earlier. I pulled it over my head, straightened my clothes, and pulled my hair up into a tight bun. I bent down, grabbed my combat boots, and sat on the edge of the bed, slipping them on. I could still feel the dip of the bed where Ryker was lying.
“Purr, hum, it’s all the same thing,” he said as I tied the laces and stood back up.
“I don’t know if it’s really the same thing,” I called over my shoulder as I walked over to the door and reached out to open it when a loud slam echoed beside my head.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” His deep whisper was right beside my ear, and I felt my wolf start to stir.
“Sorry, you’re going to have to tell me what I’m forgetting,” I murmured, staring straight ahead and only seeing black. I felt his other hand come to my front and laid his palm across my shirt covered stomach.
He leaned close and nibbled my ear, sending shocks throughout my whole body. “A goodbye kiss,” he whispered, kissing at a sensitive spot on my neck.
“I’m not saying goodbye. And besides, you are going to have to woo me some more to get access to these virgin lips. Right now, however, there is a locked gate blocking your way,” I said breezily, gripping onto his forearm that was now wrapped around my waist.
“But you’re leaving the room and away from me.” He tangled his hand with mine, intertwining our fingers into a knot that I wasn’t sure that I could untie. “And I’m glad that I get to steal away your first kiss.”
I laughed lightly at his words. “Such a charmer, King. Really, your words are full of magic,” I teased him.
“It seems I am already learning from the best,” he retaliated back, his words equally joking.
I chuckled one last time before trying to squirm free from his grip.
He didn’t budge, and I groaned quietly in exasperation. “All right, King, I have training to do, and you restraining me here all day is not going to help.”
“Hmmm,” was his simple reply and he only buried his nose in the crook of my neck, his warm breath brushing against the sensitive skin and leaving butterflies in my stomach.
“Dang it, King, stop it.”
“I will when you stop calling me King,” he growled against my neck.
“I’ll give you a choice, Dare. Either move or end up on the floor.”
He chuckled but didn’t move. “Babe, you’re my equal, but I don’t think you could actually get me to move.”
I stiffened, and instantly, all of the happy feelings I had earlier were gone. Poof. Bye-bye, your mate ruined it.
“Oh, darling,” I said with a sickly sweetness.
“Yes, love?” he murmured.
I turned so that I was facing him. I wrapped my arms around his neck loosely and smiled lazily. I gripped his thick locks and pulled his head closer to mine. “I have something to tell you,” I whispered in a conspiratorial tone.
He leaned in even closer. “What is it?” His voice was so soft I almost didn’t catch it.
I leaned in close and brushed my lips against his ear. I felt a shudder go through his body, and I couldn’t help but smirk. “Never underestimate me, babe.”
He didn’t even know what hit him as I took his arm and twisted, using my momentum and a second of surprise to fling him over my body and slam him onto the floor. It almost felt like an earthquake as his body hit the wooden floorboards with a loud thump.
He cursed loudly as he lied on the ground, and I simply turned and yanked the door open, darting through the opening.
“Kei!” His roar shook the walls, and I laughed.
I heard footsteps echo through the hall as people came rushing to see what was going on. I didn’t pay them any mind as I started to span my power out, and my surroundings started to take a black outline in my mind. I saw the familiar doorway leading to the kitchen, and I ran harder as I heard him charging after me.
“You’re only making this worse for yourself,” he called after me.
I only increased my speed until everything was only a blur as I darted through the kitchen, catching the attention of several others as I burst out of the door. I could tell by the colorful masses that some teens were already outside training at the edge of the woods as I came barreling towards them.
“All right students!” I yelled, their heads whipping to look at me, the color orange of surprise discolored their auras. “Watch and observe your marvelous teacher have an awe-inspiring fight with the one and only king.” I grinned widely before twirling around to face the house. Just as I had turned, the king himself made his appearance. And good Goddess was my dear darling King beyond furious if the angry pulsating red energy was any indication.
“Kei, I wouldn’t run anymore if you knew what’s good for you,” he rumbled loudly.
I simply smirked and crossed my arms over my chest. “Oh, I wouldn’t, Dare.” I put emphasis on the last word making him even more agitated.
“Kei,” he growled, prowling even closer. “You are making it so hard not to put you in your place.”
My features hardened at his words. “Here’s the thing, King. I won’t be put in place. I’m not some dog that you need to punish.”
“But aren’t you? You have gone long enough without a leash.”
I bared my teeth and snarled viciously even Rei was beginning to get ticked off at our dumb mate. “Listen here, mate. You may have been the one in charge, but now that I’m here, you either treat me as your equal or don’t even bother at all.” Just as the words left my mouth, I instantly regretted it.
He’s going to take it the wrong way, I thought.
“What? You’re going to reject me?”
He totally took it the wrong way, Rei groaned.
I sighed and shook my head, the air around us deathly still. I knew I was going to have to choose my next words carefully. Right now, I could see many colors swirl around him. The two most prominent being blue and a very bright neon yellow.
Great, not only did I hurt him, but I also made him uncertain about us now.
That’s what you get for talking without thinking, Rei scolded me.
I ignored her and instead focused on our mate who was hurting. Because of me. “Look, Ryker.” My tone was considerably softer than it was before. “I’m not going to reject you even if there was a gun put to my head.”
“I’m not going to let anybody be near enough to you to allow them to do that,” he snarled.
I chuckled. “But anyway, the point is, I just want you to recognize me as your equal. Someone who you can trust to fight with.”
“You are my luna. You shouldn’t be fighting.”
I shook my head and frowned. “See! Right there! Ryker, there will come a time when I will have to fight alongside you, and when that time comes, you’re just gonna have to deal with it.”
“I will tie you to the bed if I have to.” He took a few more steps, his body now just a few feet away.
I shook my head but smirked. “Fine, you stubborn king. But—” I opened my arms in a grand gesture “—I want you to fight me.”
“No,” was his immediate answer.
I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips. “What? The big bad king scared to go up against a little girl like me? I didn’t know you were so shy.” I smiled as I threw the words that he had said earlier right back at him. The black glittering of his power flickered even higher as he recognized my words as a challenge.
As he was silent, I finally noticed the swirling of emotions around me. I cocked my head and noticed Alpha Hale in the crowd, his aura a calming light blue.
“Fine,” he finally growled. “But if I win, then you will have to obey me without a fight.”
I puffed out my cheeks in thought before nodding. This was just more motivation for me not to lose. “Okay, I can agree to that. However, if I win then you’ll include me in any plans you have about anything. Deal?”
He was quiet before agreeing.
“Oh, and one more thing, you’ll have to obey me without a fight as long as I see fit.” I grinned devilishly, adding the last tidbit just for my amusement.
Quiet murmurs broke out through the crowd. He was silent a while longer than earlier, but finally, he agreed to that also. “Fine, but I swear. Don’t start crying when I hand your fine ass on a platter.”
I grinned lazily at him. “We’ll see, King.”