Chapter 19

Elena’s POV

King Harvey stands in front of me tall, proud and with firm feet. To protect me. His stance remains open and wide, like when he was teaching me boxing. His right foot is in front of his left.

“Sneaking up on innocent unsuspecting people? Jane, is this what you have learned in your battling class?” King Harvey’s voice remains strong and cold. I know his eyes match. I personally know what his protective gaze looks like.

Jane stammers for a moment, sweat breaking out in her face with wide eyes.

I smile at her fear, enjoying that she is aware of her mortality, as am I, 24/7.

“King Harvey.” Jane greets with a low bow and falls to her knees. “Please, please, forgive my foolishness. Leave my father out of it. I just wanted to test my strength. I would never hurt Elena.”

A knife stabs into my heart as I gasp at her words.

LIAR!! I think. I know about the death in her eyes.

King Harvey takes a glance at me out of the corner of his eye and for a moment, his gaze softens.

Our eyes meet and he reads the pain, fear and disgust in my face in one werewolf blink.

He returns to Jane even colder than before.

“No, Jane. You were born with your strength and are aware of it. You have a rotten heart. As such, you have forfeited your claim to being Beta. Your father will be closely watched now. Am I clear?” King Harvey’s voice doesn’t waver even once.

Gasping, Jane falls face forward and screams as tears pour down her face. She claws violently at the ground in front of her, then her human scream turns into a haunting endlessly cold howl. She howls for minutes.

The class gasps at her and steps away, only Katy moving to hug her close.

Jane shakes in Katy’s grasp, but Katy doesn’t even attempt to look at me.

King Harvey pulls me into a warm hug, and even sighs in relief at my status. Hugging him back tightly, I suddenly feel at home and safe. King Harvey then picks me up with ease as if I am his wife and walks us to the infirmary.

“Thank you, King Harvey.” I whisper as I look up at his strong masculine face.

A soft smile blooms on his face. “I pledge my life to you, Elena.”

My heart stops beating, and I look away a moment, to see he is still looking down at me. He says nothing, peacefully keeping his eyes on me.

King Harvey places me on the plush red twin bed in the infirmary and stands by my side in silence. The old nurse that looks a lot like Doris, but with stark white hair examines my face and eyes wordlessly.

She hums when she is done with her examination. “King Harvey, I am pleased to announce that Elena here is just fine. Not a hair out of place. A bit shocked, however. She needs to rest.”

“Thank you, Dana.” King Harvey replies with respect. “I am thankful Elena is fine, I do not wish to see any wounds on her.”

My heart slams against my rib cage as I look down in my embarrassment. Yet, despite my violently beating heart, I steal a glance out the corner of my eye to stare at King Harvey.

King Harvey stands graciously tall, acutely aware of our surroundings. Even now and again, he slows his breathing and I know he is smelling for any threats.

I feel so safe…

Dana nods. “I will be sure to tend to her if she needs anything, King Harvey. It would be a great honor to help you and your luna.”

The next day, King Harvey is glued to my side, unwilling to let me out of his sight because I almost lost my right eye and face because of an overly zealous, jealous Jane.

“King Harvey, I have watched you sign four treaties. May I please go to school?”

King Harvey looks up from his oak desk that overflows with papers. “Elena, I must tell you, most these treaties are for the better of humanity… I enjoy your input.”

My shoulders fall. “Yes, I understand, King Harvey. Yet would I look weak for missing a day?”

King Harvey studies me a moment. “Very well.”

King Harvey stands and offers me his arm and walks me to the waiting car. The driver takes us to school in silence.

A cold feeling fills my back as I think of a day without him. As much as I want my education, I do wish he was by my side always.

“King Harvey, thank you.” I whisper.

I look down but glance at him quickly.

He lifts my chin with one finger. “Thank you, Elena.”

I take one deep breath of courage and get out of the car and walk into school.

Three steps in this school and I hear crowing laughter at ELENA THE LUNA!

“I can’t believe Elena beat James!”

“He is an ass!”

“But a werewolf! A werewolf is always stronger than a human! How did this happen, did King Harvey pay him to take a dive?”

I turn to them as my blood burns through my body and my hands tremble and itch. If I could fight them all I would.

“Elena!” The freckled girl takes my attention away from them as she runs up to me.

“Hello, Tula.”

I had to ask King Harvey her name. She had never told me.

“You beat James! The whole school knows, but is it true?”

I nod as I blush at her excitement. Tula hops in place happily.

“You are the first person to defeat a werewolf! The human students feel so empowered! You might change the way werewolves look at humans!”

For a moment, I freeze at her words and excitement. That is a lot on my shoulders, but I do want to help humans.

King Harvey will support me, won’t he?

My excitement smooths into purpose. Maybe this is what I was made to do.

I need to think of King Harvey, he told me he is working on treaties to help humans. I bet he has done that in the past, but I must be influencing him.

He needs a break.

I do too.

I have noticed the werewolves’ frown at King Harvey when I appear with him, but never say a word.

Maybe we can relieve stress somehow…

“Do you have any idea what I can do to help King Harvey relax?” I say out loud and wish I could eat that sentence as soon as I said it.

How embarrassing!

Tula’s eyes light up. “You asked the right person! My parents run the hot spring!”

Tula shoves two heart shaped tickets into my clammy hands.

“Hot spring? It… sounds intimate…”

The vision of King Harvey soaking naked in a stony hot tub drags all the blood in my body to my face. I look away and laugh out my fears and nerves.

Tula smiles at me. “There is nothing better for stress than to go soak in hot springs to nurture the body and mind, Elena!”

Tula says it so firmly, I agree with her.

Once at home, I give King Harvey the ticket in silence.

His fanged grin is more approval than I deserve.

Shock filters through my body when we arrive at the hot spring.

“There is only one room?” I gasp.

Tula thinks we are a couple! That even explains the tickets. I place my face in my hands to stop my trembling.

King Harvey appears at my side in a plush red bathrobe, he is so massive he can’t close it around his waist, his stone chest staring at me.

His biceps flex as he crosses his arms across his chest and glances around casually.

“Elena,” King Harvey starts cautiously. “Is this surprise you mentioned?”

King Harvey points past the heart shaped bed and I see a box with sex toys in it.

I close my eyes against the sight, and he laughs lightly.