Chapter 39

King Harvey is nothing more than an inch away from me.

His hand lands on my thigh as I try to eat, his talons tickle the inner of my thigh and I find myself looking up at him with hunger and not fear.

Doris clears her throat at us and huffs. “Sorry to bother, King Harvey, buI suggest you two regain composure.”

The conversation continues, Doris’s recounting how we are to eat and in what order to show respect, but I can’t listen with King Harvey’s hand on me.

When she notices, she waves her hand at us, and King Harvey whisks me into a private room. I have no time to gasp as he kisses me heavily.

Two days pass and King Harvey’s arm is fully healed. I still had to check his arm for drying skin and clean him up, and it was a bonding experience. King Harvey has been watching over me as I try to learn how to picture a flame as I hold the candle, but I have had no success just yet.

King Harvey leads me by hand lovingly to the main hall to dine. It is a family pre-wedding dinner. We are going to be married tomorrow. First, a human wedding, then the mating ceremony for King Harvey.

I have no idea which terrifies me more.

I am happy but still worried.

When I woke at midnight, I find King Harvey quietly sits at the edge of my bed and says nothing. He simply stares at me under the light of the moon. I watch as he wrings his calloused hands over and over tracing the golden lining of a dagger he has.

“How many daggers do you own?”

“Hundreds.” King Harvey replies quietly, never taking his eyes off me. “Finally, Elena.” King Harvey breathes, moving to lie down, resting his head on my lap.

I try not to scramble away from him, his face is so close to… my crotch. Soothingly, I lightly run my hands through his clean brown hair and watch as his eyes drift shut in peace, his breathing slowing.

“Are… you nervous?” I ask, to kill the heavy silence.

“I do not wish to hurt you, Elena. I know I am much bigger and stronger than you. Yet, my…desire overcomes all of that. I would take you now if you liked.”

“Liked?!” I exclaim. “I just told you I am scared!”

“Of me?” King Harvey asks casually. He lifts his head and smiles sweetly. He almost looks human when his fangs are not showing. Is this an example of his restraint?

“King Harvey.” I begin, as I sit up entirely and open my arms for him. King Harvey shifts quickly and is soon resting his head on my chest as he sits beside me. I try to avoid the fire now pooling between my legs. I am remembering our one night…

“Elena?” King Harvey runs a taloned hand down the softness of my neck, and I shiver against him,

The twinkle in his eyes proves that he knows exactly his effect on me.

“Oh, uh… with your fangs, they are gone, so how much can you control?”

“I can appear almost human, hiding my ears, Elena.” King Harvey places his hands over his ears and I can’t help but laugh. “Mating is different.”

“Are you going to transform?”

King Harvey’s eyes widen in fear and worry. “No! Elena, I will be at my peak of werewolf strength and capabilities. I only transform into battle or rage. I will not be mad at you.”

I blush and look away momentarily. “But lust…”

“Yes, lust, Elena, love, and lust. I do not wish to kill you, Elena.”

“Do you enjoy the taste of blood?”

King Harvey snorts. “I am no vampire, Elena.”

“I am just asking, you know, bloodlust?”

“I love to fight, yes, Elena, but this is no battlefield. I do not expect our marriage to be a war, Elena, do you?”

“No, of course not, King Harvey. What do you want us to be like, as a married couple?”

King Harvey looks up at me and smiles, then buries his face in my chest, making me jolt slightly.

“Well, to be in love, and patient with one another and understanding of each other… we will need a lot of patience, this is two worlds colliding…”

“Yes, King Harvey. And sex certainly must be mastered.” My heart sinks at the idea of him being with other women and comparing their werewolf abilities to my human ones. I want to cry… but I will be brave. “Have you slept with anyone?”

“You, Elena.” King Harvey replies softly. “The bed, recall?”

“Sex, King Harvey.”

“Oh.” King Harvey laughs. “I am so used to hearing the word mating, or mate, forgive me. Only you, Elena, tomorrow.”

“…why though, King Harvey?”

“I am royalty and did not wish to taint my genes.”

“But I am human!”

“Yes.” King Harvey confirms firmly as if this is new to us. “I did not want random babes running about and couldn’t stand the aspect of not being with my mate.”

“Were you offered?”

“Yes.” King Harvey nods. “I felt ill every time, except with you.”

I blush so deeply I feel my head will explode. “I have not offered, King Harvey…”

“I can hear your heartbeat, Elena. Even in that ballroom, you offered.”

“You are talking about my heart raising or…”

“I can smell your arousal, Elena.” King Harvey replies factually. “I could have had my way with you every night since we met.”

I am speechless. “Well, this is embarrassing.”

“I am no better, Elena.” King Harvey replies weakly. “It is very difficult to be with you and not lose my mind.”

“I do trust you… King Harvey, you obviously are very disciplined. But me, and my luna abilities?”

“You will be okay, Elena. I will help you every step.” King Harvey takes my hands and kisses them both gently.

When I begin to weep in fear, he holds me to his chest, and I cry myself to sleep.

I wake to Doris rousing me out of bed after a restless sleep and shoving me into my wedding dress after a wolf head pin is added to my hair in the back.

“I take it you bathed last night, child?”

“Yes.” I grumble, not even aware of what is going on. I do remember my bath though.

In three shoves I am out the door and put in a car with King Harvey.

“Church, Elena.”

“Mhm.” I rest my head on his chest and close my eyes.

Once more, I open my eyes to be standing at the end of a white aisle in this massive empty church. Only Beta Tom and Emily are here. Where are his parents?

In a blink, I am standing in front of King Harvey and a priest is between us. He speaks quickly but quietly. I am so mesmerized by King Harvey’s suit and the blinding eternal smile on his face that I can hear nothing else.

“I do.” King Harvey states so strongly I am scared the church will shake.

“I do.” I say after.

King Harvey leans down and takes my face in his hands and kisses me so passionately that I feel lifted off my feet.

After, he picks me up and in a blur of white and black, we are in the white marble house that is his family’s mausoleum. King Harvey stands me in front of a marble white casket, closed with a massive collection of sunflowers on top of them.

Turning to him, tears pour down my face, and Emily who followed us with Beta Tom, clings to me as her body is racked by sobs.

“Thank you.” King Harvey steps past us and drapes his cloak across her casket. I see a small golden wolf in the center of her casket, a little 3d silhouette, howling. “For giving me your daughter.”

Emily draws in a slow shuttering breath and looks up at me. “Happy wedding day, Elena. It is time for your mating ceremony.”

Faintly, as if on cue, I hear howling.

King Harvey nods at me and squeezes my hand as I wipe the tears from my eyes. “I am ready.”

My knees feel weak, and my legs go numb, but King Harvey rocks me to his chest and holds me close.

“I love you, Elena.”

“I love you too, King Harvey.” I whisper back and look up for a kiss.

After our kiss, he guides us to the area in the woods.