The Fated Curse

Chapter 7

Gideon

I know I should have stayed in bed, but I heard a commotion in the halls and needed to know what was happening. I crawled out of bed and my back was still soar but I could tell that it had finally started healing. I made my way to the hall and stopped a maid that was bustling by.

"What is going on?"

"Another attack, your highness. The swarm is bigger than the last one." f**k. I needed to go check how we were doing.

I made my way to the courtyard where my father was waiting and watching the battle from a distance.

"How are we doing?"

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"You know I have never been good at sitting still." My father scoffed at that statement. He knows too well, he raised me.

Before we could make further conversation, someone nearby gasped, and we all turned to see one of ours falling from the sky and make impact on the ground. I tried to link to the battlefield to see what had happened, but no one was answering me. And then we all felt it. The connection broke. We just lost one of our own.

I couldn't control my anger and my frustration. I let out an ear-piercing roar before shifting and flying straight to the front lines. I should have been there. I should have protected them. I shouldn't have been resting. My anger numbed any pain I might have felt from my half healed back. I know I was told to rest, but I couldn't sit back and watch. I joined the fray with fevered determination. The sky was pure chaos. Our fighters were being injured left and right. I kept looking back at the coven hoping they would be finished soon.

Finally, someone yelled they were almost done, they just needed five more minutes. At the declaration, a handful of demons took notice of what the witches were up to and headed straight towards them. I tried to divert immediately but got swarmed and couldn't fight them off fast enough. Once I broke free, I saw the demons closing in. There was no way I would reach them in time, but I had to try. That's when I noticed a white and black wolf heading them off. They took down two of the demons and bought time for me to take out the others.

Moments later, the barrier was up. The barrier would allow us to retreat and field back in to attack in waves and conserve our troops and energy. It wasn't impervious. If we let them attack at it long enough, they will eventually break through. I saw the wolf run back to the aid tents and realized that it must have been Valencia. I will have to thank her later.

I returned to the battlefield. Half the fighters retreated behind the barrier to rest while the rest continued the onslaught. We would shift out in waves, so we wouldn't tire out too quickly, but also wouldn't let them get too much ground. The battle lasted for hours. While my warriors fought in shifts, I stayed the whole time. I knew I would get an earful about it later, but I didn't care.

Nightfall hit before the demons finally retreated. I was exhausted, but there was still work to do. I approached Rick.

"What was his name?"

"Who's?" He asked, then realized who I was referring to. "You mean the boy?"

Boy? f**k, it was just a kid. "How old?"

"18. Just became a warrior a few weeks ago. Spirited kid. His name was Kyle Gibbons."

"Has his family been spoken to yet?"

"No, they have not. But I imagine they felt the connection break."

"Where do they live?"

"I will take you." Rick led me through the lower city until we came across a small cottage on the edge of town.

I stood outside the door for several minutes wondering what you say to a parent who has just lost their child. The answer was, there was no correct thing to say. I steeled myself and knocked on the door. After a moment, a shorter woman with brown hair tied back into a bun answered the door. Her eyes were red, and I could tell she had been crying.

"Hi ma'am, Are you Mrs. Gibbons?"

"Your highness!" She struggled to bow a little. I grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Mrs. Gibbons. You need not bow. Not today."

"It's about Kyle, isn't it?" She sniffled. I nodded my head. "I felt the connection break but I, I couldn't believe it. But it is true, isn't it? My baby boy is gone."

"There are no words to describe how sorry I am for your loss. I wish I could have stopped it from happening. I should have been there when it happened."

"Oh, your Highness. Don't be foolish. There was nothing anyone could do to stop it from happening. It's them demons to blame, not you."

"Thank you for your kind words, but my heart will struggle with the guilt." She grabbed my arm and squeezed it gently.

"Your highness, if I may ask a bold request?"

"Anything you need."

"Can I have a hug?" I smiled at the mundane nature of the request. I pulled her into a hug, and she cried softly in my arms. A hug was the least that was owed to this grieving mother. After a few moments she pulled away. "Thank you sir, my mate died many years ago. He was a warrior too. My son always wanted to be just like him when he grew older, to follow in his footsteps. Guess he followed a few steps too many."

"I am sorry for all the loss you have endured in service to this kingdom. We will cover all of his funeral expenses, and you will be paid reparations for your loss. I know it will not be nearly enough, but hopefully you will be able to take some time and live in comfort while you grieve."

"Thank you your highness."

I left the mothers house and parted ways with Rick. He went to take inventory of the injured and make sure the defenses were holding strong. I walked for a while, letting my mind wander. I wish I could rewind today. I eventually made my way back to the castle. It was late and nearly everyone had gone to sleep.

I went to my room and took a shower to wash the sweat and blood from my body. I realized I must have looked pretty rough with how much was caked to my body. After I showered, I slipped on a pair of sweatpants and went back to my room. I was about to lie in bed when I realized I wasn't alone in my room.

I looked up and saw Valencia leaning against my door.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hmmm, I figured after today you would like me to fulfill that promise. But, if you want me to leave, I will."

That was exactly what I needed right now. "A promise is a promise."

She smiled mischievously. "Take off your pants."

"Demanding now, are we? Aren't I the royalty and the one in charge here?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Take. Off. Your. Pants."

Yes ma'am. I dropped my sweatpants to the ground. I hadn't even bothered with underwear earlier, so I stood stark naked. She eyed me up and down and licked her lips.

"Like what you see?"

"Definitely." She walked over to me and then pushed me back to the wall. She left a trail of kisses down my chest and then used her tongue to trace the contours of my abs. She slowly made her way lower. My c**k was already standing at attention.

She finally got on her knees and gripped my member with one hand and then ran her tongue from the base to the tip, causing me to groan. She licked up the bead of pre-c*m that had accumulated at the tip. Then she sucked on the tip while she stroked me. She slowly eased me into her mouth until I reached the back of her throat. It felt f*****g phenomenal.

After she was comfortable, she began bobbing her head back and forth, taking as much of me each time as she could. One hand was stroking me following the rhythm of her head and the other grabbed my balls and played with them. I was in ecstasy. She continued until I came in her mouth. She gave me a satisfied smile before I pulled her from the ground by her hair.

"My turn."