ROME
Rome found himself fighting to restrain his beast for the thousandth time that day and it had only just begun. Since last night, he had struggled to control his beast and had transformed in the strangest way ever.
He had spent the hours since he’d transformed back, racking his brain for an explanation to it but came up with nothing.
Could it really be because of Elora?
The thought sent uncomfortable shivers through him that changed to flames of desire as he remembered how soft and how naked she had been last night. He felt his member harden almost painfully at how plaint she had been beneath him with her soft well-rounded curves. Her scent was still in his memory and he was still painfully aware of how the explosion of her desire had tasted.
It had been heady enough to stir his beast and if he hadn’t controlled himself, he would have sunk his fangs into her neck then and there. There was no reasonable explanation he had been able to come up with.
Rome found his way to the royal library in search of answers, already mentally mapping out the tomes he felt would have what he needed. He went over to the Lycanthropy section that held tomes with insight on all the phenomenon Lycans went through in their life span but the books that served him in times past had only information he already knew.
He sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair, pausing midway as his eyes spied the gold and silver designs on the Mating as a Lycan tome. He shook his head to ward off the absurd thought that had crossed his mind. Surely, he had no business reading about mating since he was still so young and it took more than a few decades to find one’s mate as a Lycan. Besides, it was possibly his beast craving a hunt that had had him losing control. It definitely had nothing to do with her no matter how tempting she was.
He groaned as his innate curiosity pushed him to study the tome, begrudgingly agreeing with his subconscious because what he had with Elora was merely based on a master-slave relationship and nothing as cosmic as a mate attraction.
Lycan mate bonds were rarer and more powerful than even the strongest werewolf bonds and was so dangerous that only few Lycans ever bothered with the business of finding their mates. Unlike werewolf bonds that could be sealed by merely mating and mere marking, the Lycan ritual resulted in the loss of so much blood that a weak female might not survive the ceremony. It was why the werewolves had more children and were more populous than the Lycans. More than a few Lycan’s had run mad with bloodlust at their obsession with finding the soul made to complete theirs and Rome didn’t have plans to be one of them.
He skimmed through all the information that was familiar to him and was about to slam the book shut in frustration when a small subheading caught his attention.
“The Lycan beast rejoices when it finds its soul pair.
It seeks to take over its host and fights for control over the body to mark its mate.
A strong-willed host might be able to resist but the fangs and claws will be a tell-tale sign.
He might even….”
Rome’s eyes widened in shock as he scanned the words again. This was a tome written long before his great grandfather had been born yet it had described so accurately what he’d experienced last night. He returned his eyes to the tome, reading it over and again as if the words could have changed in the few seconds he’d been lost in thought.
“His beast shall leap and prance and yip to the moon that its wait has come to an end.
What great love will bloom between two souls finally united?
He remembered that he had tried to sink his fangs into her flesh last night and how his wolf had playfully howled all night.
What in the world?
In the advent that a Lycan experiences these uncontrollable feelings towards a female, it is, through Lycanthropy, that he has found his mate.
How could Elora be his mate?
She was just a mistress, a slave to bear his pups till he found his Queen who would bear the rightful heir. How could she be his mate? Surely it explained the weird way he had felt drawn to her since the first night she had stumbled into his path but it didn’t make any sense to him.
Why her?
He scanned the cover for the author’s name hoping it would be one of the disgraced scholar’s he’d see but the name gracing the cover was one of Hanaerum’s most respected scholars. The words were without doubt.
He slammed the book on the table, standing so suddenly his chair crashed to the ground. His legs began the familiar pacing routine he did whenever something puzzled him.
The book explained even more than he’d had liked to know and now he worried at all that was to come. He hadn’t buried himself in her like he had wanted to and he hadn’t marked her last night but he worried now with his beast aware it had found its partner, it wouldn’t let him have any peace until he sealed their bond.
Unlike the werewolf mate bond, he couldn’t reject her or it could very well kill him and even if he wanted to delay, his beast would fight for control and that wouldn’t do well for his reputation.
But how could he accept her when she was a slaver’s child.
How would he mate her?
He made the damn rule himself against children of slavers!
He paced around the room, muttering to himself.
What could he do now?
“Your majesty!” Skye’s voice came from behind him, startling him.
“How did you find me?” He asked, cleared his throat so she wouldn’t sense that something was wrong.
“It isn’t so hard to find the king of Bale.” She smirked as her eyes caught the book in his hands.
He chucked the book into one of the shelves and cleared his throat again.
“You must have had a good reason for coming here other than annoying me, Skye.” He reminded her, suddenly irritable.
“Indeed, I did.” She answered glaring at him. “It’s about the slaves.”
“What about them?” He asked, finally interested in something other than his own problems.
He had ordered a questioning of the slaves who had stayed longest in the auction house or worked closely with the wolves running the business. He needed more answers on the workings of the auction house and how the business seemed to have amassed such a large network while apparently staying under the radar of the inspectors he had put in place to report on such matters. Infiltrating and raiding the house was just the tip of the iceberg.
“Most of them knew nothing about the slavers or the auction house.” She answered, frowning as she leaned against one of the shelves. “Those slavers did a great job of concealing a lot from them. And for the few slavers we caught, they would rather die than say a word concerning the auction house.”
“Hm.”
He didn’t have any insight on what to do especially not with his beast stirring again inside him.
“Are you okay? You seem a bit… off.” Skye asked sending him a concerned look.
“I’m fine.” He answered not meeting her eyes, “It’s probably just a migraine.”
If she kept looking at him like that, he would definitely develop migraine.
“A migraine is very much serious.” She smirked, “Should I summon Noel?”
She pulled out a seat and signaled him to sit.
He slid into the seat, ignoring her look.
“Please, don’t start.” He sighed.
“Alright.” She laughed and sat in the opposite chair. “I know about the rumors flying around about you being incapable as a man…”
Rome scoffed, remembering his time with Elora.
Incapable my foot. He thought.
Skye smirked.
“I’m sure it’s not true.” She laughed, “And I don’t care about the rumors but I’m worried. I don’t want another council meeting over your duties in the bedroom. The council members are insufferable!”
He scoffed again.
“I doubt they’d be so concerned about my activities in the bedroom or the lack thereof.” He answered snidely.
“The lack? I thought you and Elora had…? What’s wrong? Do you hate her that much?” She asked, folding her hands and glaring at me. “Even if you do, at least spend a night with her. Do something! Anything to show that you’re very capable and keep the council members off your back.”
“There are more important things than spending a night with my mistress.” He growled, standing up.
“You think?”
“Just drop it, Skye.” He sighed, storming out of the library.
He still couldn’t bring himself to accept that Elora was the cause of his beast’s strange reaction but what other sensible explanation could there be? He found himself walking the path to her room just to confirm that his fears weren’t true.
But what if they were?
He shook the offending thoughts out of his head when he stood before the door to her chambers, mentally preparing himself to face her.
Would she remember what had transpired last night?
Memories of her soft naked curves pressed beneath him flooded his mind again. He found himself pausing mid knock as lust flared underneath his blood hotter than anything he’d ever felt. His beast stirred within him and a growl escaped him as he fought to regain control.
He shook his head and knocked on the ornately designed door, a frown marring his features when there was no reply. He tried again before deciding to open the door and walk into the room. She was his mistress anyway and he only knocked out of respect.
Her rose scent assaulted him as soon as he opened the door. He looked around the room, confused as he saw her bed empty and the sheets rumpled, as if she rushed out of the room. His eyes flitted to the balcony, she wasn’t there either.
Where had she gone?
His nose flared as anger welled up in him.
Where the hell had she gone?
He stepped out of the room and turned to the nearest servant.
“Summon my mistress’ lady in waiting.”
The servant rushed away with quick steps as Rome continued to pace at the passageway.
“Your majesty!” The woman greeted as soon as she arrived.
“Where the hell is she?” He barked.
“At the general library, sir.” She answered, looking at her feet.
“Alright.”
He stormed off, scolding himself for rushing off to find her. He decided to head down to his study to get some work done instead.
After more than a half hour of reading the same line of correspondence, he started to pace as his mind wandered back to Elora.