Chapter 48

“S-s-show you?!” I exclaim.

King Harvey’s mother takes no time to start wildly swiping at King Harvey, a high left swipe that makes him duck, but he takes a long downward slice at the left side of his chest to protect me.

That is why he didn’t step away from it.

Me.

My right-hand burns with the heat of a wildfire and thrusts outward. My eyes focus on King Harvey’s sword, and it flies out his scabbard. The sword lands squarely into King Harvey’s mother’s hand she has slashed at my husband with.

As King Harvey pants in front of me, his mother glares at me from the side. She falls back with a harsh gasp and screams when she rips the sword from her hand. After one final glare, she runs away.

“Elena, you do not need to tend to me!” King Harvey exhales as I run a hot towel down the long scratches his mother left on the left side of his chest. They bleed lightly, but I know by having him rest he will be healed in no time.

“King Harvey, I am your wife! What do you want me to do?”

King Harvey stares at me for a long time, and his eyes flash silver as his eyes roam my body.

“Perhaps,” King Harvey replies thickly. “I do need to heal. You are right, my mate. Thank you. I can thank you better this way.”

“…animal.” I whisper to him as he winks.

“We must do something to pass the time, Elena. I am starting to recall my training before the war. Would you please get me a pen and paper?”

“Writing me a love letter?” I tease, as I go to the small desk in our bedroom and pull out a pen and notepad.

King Harvey chuckles. “There would be not enough paper in the land, my love. I would much rather tell you to your face, regardless.”

Blushing at his words, I place the pen and notepad in his waiting hands, but get pulled into a kiss when he pulls me by the land so I land on his chest.

“King Harvey! Your wound!” Trying to lift away from him proves to be worthless as he traps me to his body with both arms and kisses me deeply.

Pulling away, I note the feral windswept look burning in his brown eyes.

“Ravishing …” He comments lowly, as his hands drift to my ass.

Yelping, I again try to make my mistake as he squeezes my ass.

He laughs happily as I finally make my mistake and roll to lie beside him in bed. Still grinning, he adjusts himself to sit a bit more and begins to draw on the notepad.

King Harvey masterfully draws a thick line, then another and another until it is a shield. King Harvey’s drawing is an outline of a shield, and it looks like he would want me to trace it because the lines are so thick.

“Have you drawn before?” King Harvey asks as he kindly hands me the notepad and pen.

“No.”

King Harvey nods. “I started with no desire or understanding, Elena. You are much smarter than I and more willing to learn than I was. I thought that this was a silly experience, and it took me longer to learn.”

“Really? You are so wise, I thought you would be open to anything.”

“Well, Elena, I was very stressed at this time in my life as well… war is a very terrifying prospect. Here, look.”

King Harvey traces the outline of the shield with one taloned finger, and I watch as a small red flame blooms across the outline. He does it so effortlessly.

“King Harvey, is it this simple?”

“Focus on tracing it with your finger, Elena.” King Harvey replies firmly. “You will get it. The point of this exercise is for you to learn to draw, then you will imagine whatever you would like to summon in your mind, so you can then create it.”

He tilts the notepad in my direction, and I take it, sitting next to him so closely that our shoulders touch. At the sensation of our shoulders touching, King Harvey smirks at me.

“King Harvey, thank you for explaining to me.” I smile sweetly at him and watch his lustful smile transform to one of pure devotion.

“Anything for you, Elena. Always.”

This time, I lean in to kiss him softly and he returns my kiss with tenderness.

“Thank you, King Harvey. You always believe in me.” Unexpected tears fill my eyes and I blink them away, as King Harvey cups my face.

“You are mine, Elena.” King Harvey replies resolutely. “You have my heart and pride. I believe in you. My soul calling to yours is enough proof that my life is yours.”

“Oh.” I breathe quietly. I feel as if my heart has been run through. “King Harvey, I don’t know what to say.”

King Harvey shrugs. “You will find the words in time, Elena.”

“I feel as if I am abandoning you emotionally, you just overwhelm me. I know I love you, King Harvey, I love you!”

Feeling foolish, I look away wishing I could disappear and that I had the soul of a poet like King Harvey does.

Undeterredly, King Harvey laughs. “I love you too, Elena! Now, trace, please.”

Nodding, I trace the outline of the shield and I feel nothing but the paper under my fingertip. Still, under my husband’s watchful gaze I keep tracing. Over and over, I let my finger do the work and trace, until the pad of my finger feels numb.

Pulling away when it feels hot, I know it is just the friction of my finger on the paper. The heat I feel when my Fated power appears is more solid, righteous, and demanding. It is a cry that demands to be answered. It is almost like the flame in my soul is being drawn out and solid, asking me to wield it. It will one day be completely tangible.

“Nothing happened, King Harvey.”

“Your hand did begin to move faster, Elena. Faster than a human’s speed.”

“That is good?”

“I believe something in you was beginning to respond. Here, another idea is that you draw the shield. Would you like to try?”

I laugh at his kindness. “Yes, King Harvey.”

King Harvey takes the notepad and rips the drawing of the shield off the pad then slips it under the second page. “Trace it, Elena.”

Slowly, I do so, wondering how King Harvey kept his lines so perfectly straight. My lines wobble, but I do trace the shield as close as I can. Mine looks more unstable, but at least it resembles a shield.

“How much can you do, King Harvey?”

“Healing, Elena. I can always ignite my sword. Nothing more. Your creation of a shield would almost complete me, no?”

“It would. That is exciting!”

I rip off my drawing and slip King Harvey’s outline of a shield under another piece of paper and I try again. This time, the lines are slightly straighter but not perfect. Getting into a trace, I find myself trying about nine more times.

The ninth shield is the best one, so I give it to King Harvey.

“Very good, Elena. Would you like to see my transform into a werewolf?” King Harvey questions with a slight grin.

“…I am curious, but why? You said it was for war.” My heart begins to beat rapidly, I am wondering if he senses any danger.

There is no threat in his eyes and his body seems calm.

King Harvey runs his hand through my hair. “There is no trouble, Elena, please be calm. You have never seen me in my werewolf form, so I have decided to share if you would like. Seeing my form would show you the extent of your luna powers when we get there. What do you say?”

“Does it hurt you?”

“No, Elena.”

“Okay, can I see?”

It is curiosity that makes me want to see.

King Harvey gets up from bed and rotates his shoulders, suddenly, his eyes are silver and his fangs are fully formed. His hands begin to crackle and strain under the power pulsing from his palms. His head snaps back unnaturally, and the energy around him slams into me.

Unable to breathe or think, my eyes slam shut as I am being pressed into the bed.

I can’t move.

“Stop.” I whisper with whatever strength I have left.

My thundering heart in my chest stops me from opening my eyes as I force lungful of breath after breath through my body to regain some stability.