The Kings Mate
Chapter 20:

I woke up with the sun warming my body and my husband kissing down my spine. He knew that I was awake, he always knew if I was awake but I kept still liking the feeling of the shocks that run through my body.

There was a tense feeling in my muscles below that I didn’t even know I had but I wanted to use them again. Especially when he leant back over the top of my body and I felt what he had between his legs and he slipped an arm under my waist to meet him.

“Good morning baby,” he whispered against my ear before he dropped his hips down.

It was nice to be alone with him and not have the presence of my guards or anybody else around. It was nice to be completely connected to him and not to pull back from his touch at all because I was afraid of how it felt. Now I was the one that was grabbing him and pulling him into me.

I was sitting outside on the day bed the wind whipping through my hair lightly as I sat with my book. Ryder was making me breakfast and he’d asked me to stay outside while he checked in with his father and Maxon.

My mind couldn’t stay on the words on the page because it kept wandering to what Ryder and I had done last night and this morning, both on the bed and in the shower, and with how good he was at using his tongue.

I was also lost in the thought that as soon as we made that connection last night everyone knew that we had. Ryder had explained to me back when he marked me that I wouldn’t be recognised and that a sire bond wouldn’t be developed between me and all wolves until we mated. It was kept quiet that he had found me but anybody who knew that I was his mate and that I was human would have felt the pull of that connection and it would have developed because we had finally mated.

“Lottie,” Ryder calls from behind me.

Normally I would have jumped but I could feel him getting closer and I was waiting for him. He placed a plate of pancakes and fruits. Looking up at him I smile, he always made me my favourite meals, he was still paranoid that I was too thin but I had built up a lot of body fat and even muscle as Ryder and Cole tried to train me.

“Are you hurting?” it was the tenth time he had asked me that question.

“I’m fine, how are you?” Picking up a piece of fruit I slip it into my mouth and concentrate back on my book.

Squealing when Ryder grabs my leg and pulls me in closer to him so his head can reach my neck, I laugh as he nibbles at my neck before he sucks lightly at his mark. Grabbing his cheeks I pulled my lips to his so he’d kiss my lips instead of his mark.

He shakes his head once he’s pulled back from me. “You’re a smartass you know that, a smartass that needs to eat.” His smile drops as his hand slides up my leg to rest on the side of my stomach.

His need for me to keep my weight up now had more meaning to it. If everything he had said to me was right I would not only be eating for me but I’d be eating for our pup as well, a pup that would be a king or a queen one day.

Lifting my eyes up to meet his, I drop my hand over the warmth of his. “Can you smell it?”

I watch as he concentrates on my stomach for a second and he takes in a deep breathe. After a few seconds his face falls and his eyebrows furrow, the look only lasts for a second before he sighs in relief. “I can’t smell the hormone that would tell me that you are but that doesn’t mean it won’t show up in a few days. That’s unlikely though.”

His smile was soft as he pulled his hand back down my leg. “Are you upset about that?” I could see that he was hurt so to make him feel more comfortable I continue eating.

Ryder watches me eat and his face softens. “Not really. A pregnancy is a great risk to you. You’re stronger now but it will still hurt you but I really thought that you might be pregnant and I liked the idea. I want to see you hold and love my pup.”

“I want the same thing Ry, it might not be when you thought it would but we will one day.” Ryder squeezes my leg before he leans forward again to kiss my lips.

“I really do love you.” He whispers. “I would never want anybody else as my mate.”

With a sigh I drop my head against his shoulder. “I’m glad that I have you. I never thought that I could love someone so much and have someone that loves me like you do.” Pulling my head back from his chest I run my hand over his cheek, “Now can you stop making me so emotional I’m supposed to be eating?”

His eyes stay on his hand as he slowly slides it down my leg and back up again before it’s resting on my knee. “I will, if you get into the ocean with me later.”

My lips slowly pulled up into a smirk as I slowly slipped a grape into my mouth. The dark colour his eyes took sent a shock wave through my body as he watched my movement with slow breathes. “Swimwear or no swimwear?” My voice was low and I watched as he shifted on the day bed.

“Nothing,” His voice was so deep I barley understood what he said but the way that his hand tightened around my leg and the slight pinch of his claws against my skin I knew he had chosen the latter.

***

I didn’t want to leave. Yet now here I was, resting against Ryder as we made our way back up to the castle. It had been three weeks since our wedding and Ryder and I couldn’t be closer after the time we spent together.

Ryder had first told me that we could stay longer if I wanted to but that changed in the last week as the rebel attacks on the castle grew and we had to return. He had promised me that we’d go back when everything had calmed down, especially if I was going to go into heat again.

I don’t know if I was relieved or not when after a week Ryder still couldn’t smell the hormone that would tell him that I’m pregnant. Even after three weeks of pretty much non-stop love making I wasn’t pregnant even though I was now protected.

Looking up at him now I watch as he argues with someone in Jordenian on his phone. We had only just gotten off the plane when it had started to ring, he wanted to ignore it but it kept ringing. He apologised with a soft look as he pulled me against his chest so I could still see out of the window as we made our way past the woods that I loved.

Reynolds was sat opposite us and he had an amusing smile on his face as he watched us interact. I had missed him over the past couple of weeks. He was a good friend and one of the people I felt closest to here other than Ryder.

“What?” I asked him as I pulled my eyes away from outside.

Ryder’s speech paused and I know his eyes had moved to Reynolds. He was more possessive now that we had mated and his arm tightened its hold my across my chest. With a small smile and a laugh, I lean my head forward so I can kiss the muscled tone of his arm.

A chuckle carries through the car as he shakes his head, pushing back his locks of hair that had fallen in front of his face. “It’s going to be interesting to watch how you react now.”

Ryder growled behind me his arm tightening again. “Don’t,”

Reynolds eyes his friend mischievously but dropped whatever inside conversation that they were having as he turned to look out of the window. From his position I could still see the smirk on his face. I was curious to know what he was waiting for now.

When we arrive back at the castle I’m surprised by the amount of guards that are now surrounding us. Ryder’s fingers are tightly interlocked with mine and holding me in close to his side despite still vigorously conversing to whoever he is on the phone with. Reynolds is only a step behind the both of us and he’s flanked by Charlie and Theo and surrounding all of us was another twenty wolves.

My eyes nervously flick around at all the tall and bulky men even the few women that were here and I felt my chest rising and falling in nerves. Instantly Ryder sensed it and hung up the phone and slipped it into his back pocket, he dropped my hand and nodded at the extra guards. We were already in the fourth floor living area so I was confused to why there were extra guards because they weren’t normally on this floor.

“Hey,” His voice is soft and back to English as he steadily wraps an arm around my waist while one rises to my cheek. “Are you alright?” Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Out of the corner of my eye I see that Allie, Eleanor, Cole, Maxon and Ellie are in the room with us and my guards now. They’re watching us carefully and with worry as Ryder held my body in close to his.

“I’m fine, I’m sorry.” Slowly my eyes slides up to his as I let out a deep breathe. I couldn’t explain why I had suddenly gotten so worked up but I was still nervous about what he was still yet to tell me.

He looked unsure as he eyed my expression. “Are you sure?”

Nodding at him I lean up lightly to press a kiss to his lips not caring that everybody was watching us. Slowly he pulled back from me his arms staying around my waist. “I’ve got to go and deal with some problems with the rebels but I need you to stay up here, and don’t leave the sight of your guards.”

With a sigh I try to keep calm. “Ok, be safe please.” He smiles softly at me and leans down to kiss me again.

“I love you Lottie, I’ll be back soon.” He squeezes my waist before he walks back down the stairs with Maxon, Cole and Reynolds following after him.

Once he’s gone I eye Theo and Charlie and they nod at me and walk down the stairs a little bit so they can still watch me but that can’t hear what we’re talking about as Ellie and Eleanor come in closer to me. I smile at them as Ellie pulls me down onto the lounge with her and Eleanor is across from us.

“How was it?” Ellie asks now that she’s released me from her arms.

Shaking my head at her I feel warmth and colour flood my cheeks. “It was nice. He’s amazing I can’t believe that I have him in my life.”

“You don’t smell pregnant though. You smell a lot like Ryder so I’m going to say that you two did a lot while you were over there.” Ellie looked to Eleanor on the opposite couch as she spoke but her voice dropped significantly on level so my guards didn’t hear.

Surprisingly I didn’t feel uncomfortable talking about this subject with them, that didn’t stop my cheeks from reddening further. “Ryder says that I’m not and after the first night and I came out of my heat I was on birth control.”

Both of them look confused as they watch each other and eventually Eleanor turns back towards me. “Sorry, this is nothing for you to worry about, but there was a very, very small chance that you wouldn’t get pregnant. It was a .01% chance.”

“Let’s not talk about it. If she’s not pregnant now she’ll just go into heat again and it may happen then. Let’s not worry.” I smile at Ellie as she rubs a hand over mine softly. “We could actually talk about how big Ryder is, because I want to know then I also don’t.”

I chuckled but shook my head at her. I missed talking to someone who wasn’t my mate but I wasn’t going to reveal that information to them. When I didn’t reply Ellie started to talk about her heat that was supposed to start at the end of next week. In her voice I could hear how desperate she was for her own pup, she was nearly in tears as she spoke.

She wanted a pup so bad and here I was with all the chances to do so myself, and I was trying to avoid getting there.

***

After I sat downstairs talking with the girls for a while I moved upstairs to the suite. Allie had joined me and we were followed up the stairs by her guards my guards and another four which further made me nervous that something bad was happening.

When the door to the suite closed behind us her arms wrapped around me. I was surprised by the contact that she had given me. The only person that ever touched me more than my hand was Ryder. When Ellie had done so earlier it was quick but Allie kept her arms around me as she raised her hand up to run through my hair. A mother’s touch.

“I am so thankful for you Lottie, you have no idea.” When she pulls back away from me I see that her eyes are watering as her hands find a secure grip on my shoulders. “I thought I was losing my son, my baby. Then you came along, I was worried for a little while because I didn’t know how you were going to react. If he were to lose you like that I knew he wouldn’t have been able to bounce back but here you are, loving him back, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for him.”

She’s crying now and hearing her talk about me like that as well is bringing tears to my eyes. “About not being pregnant, no matter what anybody says to you and how they react, including Ryder, don’t worry. As much as I am ready for a grandchild, if your body hasn’t accepted it, it means that it’s just not time. It will happen and this is not something that you need to rush even though everyone will pressure you.”

“Thank you,” I whisper as I lean forward and pull her into another quick hug.

“That doesn’t mean you can neglect your body now, you are looking amazing sweetheart let’s keep it that way.” With one hand she wiped her tears and took my hand with the other.

With a soft smile I follow after as she pulls me to the dining table. “Ryder sent you to watch over me didn’t he?”

She just smiled at me as she took a seat in front of the two plates that were set up on the table. Following her I sat down opposite her at the end of the table and picked up a fork slowly eating what was on my plate. Even though Ryder wasn’t here, he had still managed to make sure I had my favourite food.

“He just wants to make sure that you stay healthy.” Allie said after a while and noticed that I was eating slower than normal.

Adding a bigger piece of food to my mouth I look to her. “He seemed relieved after a little while when he found out that I wasn’t pregnant.”

Allie paused for a second before she sighed and pushed her blonde hair back. It was the first time that I had seen her with her hair out and she had actually looked very casual and relaxed. “He hasn’t told you.” It was more of a statement than a question because she didn’t seem shocked by the fact.

“I don’t think he tells me a lot of things.” I whisper finally cleaning the last of the food off my plate.

“Alex doesn’t tell me a lot of things either. They’re not only Alpha’s, they’re kings and they keep things secret because they think they’re protecting us. This though…” she started her voice growing soft. “It’s not something he talks about a lot to anyone but it’s something I thought he would talk to you about. Ask him about it.”

Leaning forward she runs a comforting hand over my knee before she gets up from her seat. “Get some sleep. I’m guessing you didn’t get much over there.” I blushed as she smirked at me. “Shower and sleep. Ryder probably won’t be back for a while but Charlie, Cyrus and Theo will be here if you need anything.”

When Allie said that Ryder wouldn’t be back for a while I didn’t think he would be crawling into bed at three o’clock in the morning. He was trying to be quiet as he pulled off his clothes down to his underwear and lifted the sheets so he could slide in next to me on the mattress.

I keep quiet as he wraps his arm around my waist as he pulls me in closer to him. “I know you’re awake. Your breathing changes plus your thoughts are all over the place and your heart beat is picking up.” Lifting up my hand he presses a kiss to my knuckles before he opens his eyes to meet mine. “What’s bothering you?”

“You sent your mother to watch over me.” My voice is teasing as I drop my hand down to cup his neck and pull myself in closer to him.

Ryder groaned as he nuzzled his nose into my neck. “I thought that you would listen to her if you refused to eat, plus she won’t take easily to orders from you. Should I regret doing that?” He asked as he pulled his face from my neck.

Sliding my fingers over his neck I watch as his eyes darken lightly and he pushes himself closer to me. “She told me to ask you something.”

Just like that his body tensed and his eyes returned to their natural colour. “What did she tell you about?”

“I was talking to her about how I wasn’t pregnant and how you were relieved and she said that you hadn’t told me.” My voice was quiet because I honestly had no idea how he would react.

Ryder sighed deeply as he ran his hand over my side. “I had a brother.” Gulping I continued to gently caress his skin. “His name was Lucas but because of the difficult birth she had with me he died a couple of hours before she was able to give birth to him.” I was in tears as I listened to his story and it seemed he was trying to keep his own back. “I was there when it happened. I saw how much it tore up both of my parents. The pain and heartbreak nearly killed my mother and I never want to see that happen to you.”

Sliding my hand from his neck to his cheek I gently move my fingers beneath his eyes to wipe the few drops of liquid. Turning his head he kissed my palm. “You still want and need an heir. No matter what I have to do, I want to give you that. As long at the end of the day I still have you. I love you Ryder.”

His lips land on mine as he pulls me impossibly tight against his half naked body. The second he entered the room I knew it wouldn’t go further than a kiss, which was proven to me as he drew away from me only a few seconds later.

“As much as I want you to conceive and carry our child, I will not put your life in danger.” His voice was tense and I could feel, even as he said it, he couldn’t protect me from something like that happening.

“I don’t want to ever leave you Ryder.” Burying my head into his chest I press a kiss to his warm skin.

His chest heaves heavily and he presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Get some sleep gorgeous and I’m sorry that it’s all anyone can really talk about.”

Ryder was still giving off waves of stress and frustration. I felt that I should have been talking to him about whatever he was feeling but I knew he was worried about the rebels and the best thing I could do for him now was let him hold me and know that I was safe.

Waking up in the morning was difficult, I didn’t want to move but as I forced my eyes opened I noticed that Ryder wasn’t next to me for the first morning in three weeks. Pushing up on the mattress I look around the room knowing that he’s still somewhere in the suite with me.

Since we had mated I felt even stronger and more connected to his wolf. I didn’t even have to strain my ear’s to tell that Ryder was in the other room shuffling papers around on his desk. Getting out of bed I slowly make my way to the other room.

Ryder is sat at his desk shuffling papers around. He sniffs lightly sensing that I’m in the room with him and he smiles as I move over to straddle his hips. His paper work was forgotten as his hands moved over my bare thighs.

“I want you so much right now.” He groaned lightly as his hands moved up over my hips that were just covered by black lace panties.

“I’m not stopping you.” My hands slide up over his chest as I lean in close to kiss him.

Ryder groans again and I feel his hands wrap around his shirt that was the only other thing that was covering me. His lips were moving slowly against mine but I wanted him to move faster. When he felt me trying to deepen the kiss he pulled back his hands stilling back on my hips.

I whimpered when his lips retreated from mine and my fingers gripped the hemline of his shirt. “We can’t now Lottie. The guards are close enough to be able to smell you. They will be able to hear everything and I don’t want them hearing that, and I know it won’t make you comfortable either.”

He chuckled when my hands froze against his chest, leaning forward he pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “That doesn’t mean we’re not going to be able to do it whenever we want. I’m not going to risk sending the guards to far away with the rebels out there. Of a night time though…” his voice grew cocky as warm fingers hooked around my panties to feel more of my skin. “The guards are on a different rotation and patrol the gardens more than our floor. That means you can be as loud as you want.”

Sinking my nails into the exposed skin of his chest and dragging down slightly I growl lightly at my mate. Ryder lets out a hiss and his hands shot out to grab mine to prevent me from marking him further. “I am not loud.”

Again Ryder is chuckling at me. “Oh, baby, but you are.” I moaned lightly when he bucked his hips into mine. “You moan as I kiss my way down your gorgeous body but the thing I love the most is the way that you scream my name when I push myself into your ti– ,”

“For my, already questionable sanity, please don’t finish that sentence.” Reynolds says as the doors to the suite are pushed open.

Ryder growls deeply from within his chest and his hands slide his shirt further down over my thighs. “He has his eyes closed Ry.” It’s my turn to chuckle at him now as he continues to watch his best friend enter the room with a stack of papers covering his face.

Reynolds picked up a blanket from the back of the lounge and continued over to us with the papers covering his face as Ryder emitted light growls. When he was close enough, Reynolds passed the blanket over to Ryder and he quickly lifted me from his lap and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders.

“Am I safe to look yet?” Reynolds questioned which resulted in a growl for a reply from Ryder.

Turning back to Ryder I see that his eyes are black. Raising my hand I run it along his cheek, his breathing calms as he leans into my touch his eyes slowly swirling back to their normal colour. “Go get dressed, you have more training.”

“Training?” I question as Reynolds finally looks at the both of us as he drops the papers he had down to the desk. “I thought I was done with that.”

“I’ll explain when we get to the training field. Please put on clothes that cover you.” Ryder gently pushes at the small of my back and towards our bedroom.

They’re speaking in hushed tones now so I can hear that they’re talking but I can’t hear there topic. Pulling on a quarter length sleeved top that was long and covered me in the long tights, I walk back out of the room as I pull my hair up into a ponytail.

“What are you training her for if you aren’t going to let her fight?” I only just catch the words that Reynolds whispered.

Ryder drops his eyes closed and breathes out softly. “We all know that whether I say that she fights or not she’ll end up fighting. The rebels are relentless. The number of lives lost throughout the packs is close to reaching the thousands. Soon they’ll have the strength to make their way onto the castle grounds and the first thing there are going to go for is her. If they get to her, they get to me – to the throne.”

“You can’t increase anymore of the fighter’s patrols, or add more, they’re being pushed enough as it with the extra rounds and you’ll leave the town defenceless. We should contact the pack alphas. If we take only five of their greatest warriors our numbers will be increased greatly.” Reynolds words didn’t falter. He was a fighter despite the relaxed look he held he would protect his kingdom till his death and I could hear that in his voice now. Taking a few steps back I lower myself down onto the closest seat.

“I’ve already contacted them. They should arrive in three days.” Ryder’s voice was tense as he walked out from behind his desk. He was coming closer to me as I noticed that Reynolds was leaving the suite.

When Ryder rounds the corner his eyes fall on me and quickly he gets a look of knowing. Bending down he gives me a soft look before he rubs his hands over my knees. “How much of that did you hear?”

Darting my tongue out I lick my lips before I answer, “The first thing I heard was Reynolds ask why you were training me again.”

Squeezing my knee again he pulls me so I can wind my legs around him. “I’m sorry that you had to hear that. That stress shouldn’t be put on your shoulders this early or at your age.”

“That’s my job now isn’t it?” I breathe out, my hands moving up to cup his cheeks. “I’m your mate. That means I was born to stand beside you, I was born to care for them the way that you do.”

Taking a deep breath, Ryder leans his cheek into my hand. “You are so much more than I deserve Charlotte.”

My heart tightened hearing those words. I liked hearing him call me Charlotte. It was him that I didn’t deserve though. A few months ago, the best I ever thought I could achieve was getting to eighteen and having the confidence to be in a women’s shelter without the worry that I’d be taken back to Carlett.

“Should we go start that training?” I ask distracting him from our original topic.

When Ryder stands up he takes me with him before he unwinds my legs from his waist and lowered me to the ground. “Can you go put a jacket on? It’s still cold outside. We have long winters here.”

Shaking my head I run my hand over his nude chest. Shocking tingles shot up my arm as I touch his warm skin. “Shouldn’t you at least put a shirt on?”

He chuckles his hands squeezing my waist. “I have a higher body temperature to you. Plus I like the way your thoughts change whenever your eyes move over me.” Heat moves up my cheeks and neck as I drop my head down against his chest. His scent just turns me on more though.

***

Ryder had me positioned slightly behind him as we walk further down the castle grounds then I ever had been before. I could easily tell by the number of guards that were practically glued to us, were because of the rebels.

I enjoyed being out on the grounds despite the cold air that was nipping at my skin even through the thick fur jacket that Ryder had forced over my shoulders. I was glad for it now. Although the past few years of my life were spent outside on the streets, and I never wish that life on anyone, there was a freeing feeling that I got when I could breathe in the fresh air.

When Reynolds and Cole come into sight, all the guards around us spread out and form a sought of barrier around us. The thought confused me slightly. Ryder was one of the strongest wolves ever know to their kind and was practically invisible but if something were to ever happen to him they would all be left defenceless. That is until I give birth to a new royal.

I hadn’t noticed that we had stopped until Ryder gave my hand a squeeze. Looking away from all the guards I notice that I’m now stood facing a target a few feet away from me and in Cole’s hands is a bow and arrow.

“You freeze up with hand to hand,” Ryder whispers against my ear as he steps behind me, his hands wrapping around my forearms. “But you actually knew how to throw a blade. So I’m going to teach you how to use one of these.”

Ryder takes the bow and arrow from Cole. I eye the weapon as Ryder slowly wraps my hands around it. It felt intimidating to hold something like this in my hands but I was much more aware of the warmth of Ryder pressed into my back.

“Like the blade this arrow is titanium, so it will hold the same weight as a silver one but we don’t want to kill anyone right now if you miss.” Ryder had chuckled but I was nervous. I wasn’t used to confrontation but I was now being taught to use one of the most extreme parts of it. Like he always does, Ryder senses my unease. “It’s ok, we’ll take it slow.”

“Just breathe,” I feel the way that he takes a deep breath, his chest parting from my back almost forcing me to breathe as well and move with him.

Ryder turns the both of us and gently raises the both of our arms. He runs his hand along my front arm making sure that it stays straight, the shocks continue as he pulls back my other arm and the string of the bow with it. When his thumb rubs over my lips I let out a quiet, breathy moan.

“Later baby, later.” He says to me, his lips gently running over the sensitive mark on my neck. “Now follow the line of the arrow and release.” My fingers let go of the string and the arrow is shot forward, sinking into one of the outer rings of the target with a thump.

Ryder chuckles as his hands land on my waist after he’s passed me another arrow and I’m drawing it without his aid. “Now you just have to keep going until you hit the centre.” I felt he should have stepped back away from me but he still held his position behind me, glaring at anybody who looked at me longer than they should have.

Ryder’s possessiveness used to make me nervous but now it was something that turned me on. Especially when I realised how possessive I was of him now that we had mated. He was mine and I was his. I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt him, even if it meant conquering the things that made me uncomfortable.

I wasn’t going to lose him.

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