Chosen by The Fates: The prophecy

Chapter XV - Making friends

Devora’s POV

I watched as my handsome mate walked away with his Beta and Ben, goofing around like children. None of the men were wearing shirts and while they were all tall and lean, Killian was by far the tallest one, at about 6ft5inch, while the rest were at least an inch shorter. Ben was more slender than them, his build rather athletic, while Kerbe was bulkier, his muscle structure way more visible even when not flexed, and slightly taller. No doubt both of them were some of the most handsome men to walk the streets of Nezarches, however, none of them could even compare to my mate. His entire body resembled a sculpture chiselled by the most talented artists. As he was moving, the muscles of his back and shoulders were rippling under his skin, creating one of the most beautiful images I had seen. His body was made for war and love, a beast in all his glory. His short dark brown hair was slightly overgrown and was also flying in all the directions as they were playfully sparing. He turned around and smiled, oh that perfect smile.

‘Come on, love, the kitchen is this way.’ I nodded and followed him into the kitchen as if in a spell. His voice was deep and hypnotic in my mind, almost hard to resist it.

“There isn’t enough food in here for everyone. So how ‘bout the four of you go and raid the kitchen downstairs? Mary has definitely cooked and saved us some?” He asked, investigating the contents of the fridge.

“See, I told you, we are his b*tches now. What a waste… such a pretty face and a hot body wasted fetching food for the King.” Kerbe said with fake indignation, but still made his way out, joined by his siblings and Ben, laughing and joking. I couldn’t help but smile at how close they were. Growing up, I hadn’t experienced having close friends like this. These people would give their lives for Killian, no questions asked. Besides my family, Calhunn was the only other person that would give his life for me, but that was his job, as my guard. Being together all the time made us grow closer and, while I did trust him, I didn’t know if he was my friend because his feelings were genuine or because it was his job.

As soon as they were out the doors, Killian pulled me into his chest and kissed the top of my head.

“Why are you so nervous?” He grabbed my chin, making me look into his eyes. Oh, those gorgeous eyes of his. A brilliant deep blue, the colour of the restless oceans. His aquiline nose, with tame freckles here and there. But those lips… so soft and warm, they had the most delectable taste of coffee and caramel. I could look at him all day and I wouldn’t get bored. He was, by far, the most handsome man I had ever met and he was mine.

“Maybe ‘cause they are your childhood friends and I have kind of been a b***h to them?” I bit my lip, feeling slightly guilty about yesterday’s outburst with Larna. In the heat of the moment, I flipped off thinking she was trying to stir sh*t up, but I had later realised that she was loyal to Killian and her aim was to keep him safe. I wasn’t, however, feeling guilty about Kimberly. She had been involved with Killian and if she had been mated and marked she wouldn’t have still been alive. Judging by how strong his scent was still on her, I could tell it hadn’t been more than a week since she had been marked and whatever her and my mate had stopped. The thought that she’d touched what belonged to me was still not sitting right with me and I had to fight my urges to decapitate her every time she got too close to Killian.

His hearty laughter filled the room and I decided that I wanted to hear him laugh more. The sound was now one of my favourites.

“That was nothing. We were all a bit on edge, it’s normal. I’m sure they're over it.” He kissed my forehead and turned to the fridge and took out a massive carton of orange juice and six glasses.

“I know, but still. I am their Queen, I shouldn’t go around threatening to kill the very people that have pledged their lives to us.” I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted slightly.

“Don’t do that, baby. Unless you want me to take you right here, in the kitchen, with the guys on the way, don’t f*cking pout like that… not when I can see your n*pples through the shirt. Seriously, Devora… I’m only a man…” he threw his hands in the air, exasperated. His eyes darkened with lust, sending waves of heat to my core. Does he have no idea how hard it is to control myself when he is looking like a treat? All I wanted was to trail my tongue on his hard abdomen and bite onto the mark I placed on his neck, marking him again and again. A primal growl erupted from his throat, filled with raw hunger.

“F*ck, baby." Before I knew it, he turned around, looking into my eyes as he continued, his eyes black with lust, his posture completely stiff. He took a few deep breaths and his eyes slowly went back to the deep sea blue that I loved getting lost in. "You need to eat, after that you can mark me over and over as many times as you want and lick every inch of me. They are on the way.” He got closer to me and trapped me between his arms and the kitchen counter. My breath hitched when he leaned in and kissed his mark. I couldn’t help the moan that escaped me. I was so ready for him to take me right here, right now I didn’t even care if the guys were on their way back. All I wanted was him. “DEVORA!” he growled.

“I’m not doing anything.” I said with a playful smirk while I pulled his head to the side and licked his mark. He growled lustfully, making me even hungrier for him.

“Devora. Food. After you eat, I’m all yours, I promise.” He kissed my lips, gently this time, and no matter how much I tried, he wouldn’t let himself fall into my temptations.

“Fine! Food first. But then, you are all mine, I don’t want to hear you complaining.” I said, pouting.

“Deal." he kissed the tip of my nose and pulled away. He went over to the windows and opened them but was quickly unsatisfied with the result. He put his hand up and with the flick of his wrist, the wind came through the windows into the room and swirled around before it went out of the window.

“First of all, when did you learn how to do that? And second of all, that was a bit overkill, don’t you think?” I asked as he started setting the table.

“Just now, ever since the ascension, I had felt a different kind of ousia in my body, urging to be discovered, I just didn’t know how. When I opened the windows, it was almost like the air called to me. And no, I don’t think that was overkill. You have no idea the way this room smelled.” He turned around, his eyes again pitch black. “You are mine. Do you understand?” His voice was low and dangerous, his aura was dark and murderous and while I knew I should be scared, I wasn’t. If anything, I wanted to push it further. Sadly, I could feel the guys coming up the stairs. I nodded my head and kissed his lips gently.

I took some of the glasses that he poured orange juice in earlier and helped him set up the table. As soon as we were done, they came back with what I can describe as the most delicious food I had ever smelled.

"That smells amazing, what is it?" I asked, looking at the triplets. They all smiled widely.

"This, our dear Queen, is the reason why you will never look at food the same again. Try it." Kerbe pushed one of the plates he was holding towards me. On the plate were pieces of chicken, chips and salad as well as small, triangular pieces of pita bread and a couple of sauces. I reluctantly picked up a piece of chicken and put it in my mouth. As soon as it touched my tongue, a burst of flavour graced my taste buds. The meat itself was cooked to perfection, juicy and tender. How was this so good?

"Mmm, this is f*****g delicious." I smiled at him and snatched the plate away from him, running towards the table. I sat down at the round table in the kitchen/dining room of the Alpha suite and threw Kerbe another sheepish smile. He stared at me in shock for a minute, then laughed out loud. The laughter shook through his body, making me wonder how he was still holding on to the other plates.

"Well, at least we know the way to your heart goes through your stomach." I looked around and found that everyone was enjoying the little exchange between us. I smiled and nodded my head in agreement.

"Whoever cooked that is a genius." They all went around the table and started placing plates down in front of everyone, as well as sharing platters. Killian came over to me and kissed the side of my head.

"Mary is a genius. She's kind of our pack mother. She takes care of everyone and everyone loves her. As you can see, it isn't hard to understand why." he pointed down at my plate and took a seat next to me. He reached out to my chair and pulled it closer to his. There was now no space between us and I didn't mind it at all. I enjoyed being close to him. He made me feel safe, his scent alone was enveloping me, making me feel more relaxed than I had felt in years. I snuggled up closer to him and closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling. When I opened my eyes, I saw everybody laughing and joking while enjoying the food. My eyes stopped on the two girls that were now entranced by some video Larna was playing on her phone. They were stunning! Almost identical, the only physical difference was that while Larna’s chocolate hair was straight, Kim’s had soft curls, the same as Kerbe's. All three had gorgeous brown eyes which differed only in their beast form. As I had seen when they were angry, Larna’s were glowing blue, Kerbe’s green and Kim’s purple. The siblings were absolutely stunning, exactly as you’d expect them to be, considering who their parents were.

As much as they were alike physically, they had equally different personalities. Kim was by far the most reserved one out of her siblings, while Larna was the most impulsive and Kerbe was… well, Kerbe.

I knew right then that I didn’t want to be the one that brings all the negativity around, so I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to try and hash out things between me and Larna. I cleared my throat and looked up at her.

"Larna. I would like to apologise for my earlier outburst. I realised that you are loyal to Killian and that is everything that matters to me. You were correct, I was holding back information from you, but it wasn't because I meant harm, it was for my own protection." I knew at some point I'd have to let them in on my secret, but I didn't think it would be this hard to do it. It went against everything I have learned my whole life. There were only a small number of people that knew of my real identity, and if I wanted to take down Sigurth, it would have to stay hidden just a while longer. Everyone was now looking at us, a palpable tension in the air.

Killian grabbed my hand and rubbed small circles on the back of it, comforting me through the bond.

"While she may not be ready to share it with you all, you can rest assured that my mate is no threat to me, you or the rest of the pack." He spoke firmly but gently, just like the King he was.

"Very well.” She nodded and bowed her head. “I hope you do know that there was nothing personal. I have sworn my life to Killian and I will protect him until I draw my very last breath. Even from his mate, need be. However, I am loyal to both of you. I, too, have realised that we both want the same thing: to keep the King safe and happy. You will understand in time that the connection we have goes past hierarchy and prophecies. The four of us are thick as thieves. Benny boy here is still in the process of initiation and he grew up with us." She laughed.

"Yeah, but Benny boy is not a smart boy." Kerbe added.

"Bro… what the f*ck, man?" Ben looked over to Kerbe, a look of betrayal on his face.

"He is right, you know" Larna added, holding back from saying more. Spill the tea!

"Whatever, I'm only here for my mate… and the food." he said, and pulled Kim into his lap.

“Somehow I don’t doubt that.” Killian said while laughing. I loved the atmosphere in this house. There was no forced chatter, no uncomfortable silence, no tension between them. These were people that genuinely cared about each other. It was refreshing to see that not everyone is surrounded by betrayal and death. I was loving it here and dreading the moment I would have to go back to my grandpa’s castle.

While I loved my dad and my Pop-pop, I felt trapped. Since my mother’s death, all I had done was train and study. Not a lot of people were allowed to know about my existence either. As far as many people knew, the day my mother died, so did I. Pop-pop had never confirmed or denied the news. In fact, he had never spoken about my mother ever since her death, neither to me or my dad, nor in public. I could only imagine that it was too painful to talk about your dead child. Losing my mom left a hole in everyone’s hearts, especially my dad and grandpa. The whole kingdom mourned her for 14 continuous days, despite the mandatory seven days.

Killian must have felt my emotions through the bond, because he reached out to me and pulled me into his lap, both his hands coming around my waist.

‘What’s wrong, little one?’ he asked though our mind-link, giving me a little nudge.

‘Nothing, I was thinking of my family for a minute there.’ I admitted.

‘Do you want to give them a call to at least let them know you are okay?’ As usual, he always thought of everything.

‘I’d love that.’

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. I grabbed it and I excused myself. I went into the bedroom and I dialled my Pop-pop’s office number. The phone rang a couple of times before I heard his low, raspy voice.

‘Hello, Atlas Arai speaking.’

I didn’t realise how much I missed him until I heard his voice.

‘Hey Pop-Pop’ my voice cracked as I said the words.

‘Devi! Where are you, little pea? Are you okay?’ he blurted out worriedly.

‘I’m fine. I… I met my mate, Pop-Pop. I am with him. I am okay. I have a lot to tell you, but I wanted to let you know that I’m fine. I’ll be coming home in a couple of days, I’ve got some s**t to sort out here first and then we’ll be on our way.” I replied, trying my best to keep the tears at bay.

‘Okay. I will let Philipp know. Who is he, Devi?’ he asked, his tone now one of curiosity.

‘Oh. Pop-Pop, you will find out soon enough. Give me two days. We’ll be there.’ I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. Or the shock. We would soon find out either way.

‘Okay. Two days. If I don’t hear from you in two days, I will turn Nezarches upside down to find you.’ although there were hundreds of miles between us, I could feel the threat in his voice.

‘No need. We’ll be there. I love you Pop-Pop. Tell dad I love him too. See you in two days.’ I said.

‘I love you too, little girl. See you soon.’ He hung up and I sat on the bed with the phone in my hand, unable to move. The weight of it all was just now setting upon my shoulders. I was to be the Queen of all beasts of Nezarches. The responsibility alone was suffocating me and suddenly I felt as if no air was reaching my lungs. I reached for my neck in an attempt to rid myself of the strain on my throat, but no matter how much I scratched at my throat, nothing was coming off. I slipped off the bed onto the floor, the feeling of the cold hardwood floors was somewhat comforting. I felt my body shaking and nothing around me made sense anymore. The room was spinning and it was as if everything was covered in a thick layer of fog. The bedroom door opened with a bang and soon enough, two large, heavy hands were resting on the sides of my face. He sat me up and pulled me into his hard chest. The scent of caramel coffee invaded my nostrils and it seeped into the nucleus of my cells, instantly relaxing me, making the invisible grip on my neck loosen. I soon came to the realisation that he had been talking to me, urging me to breathe ever since he stepped into the room. My hearing had been muffled by the elevated blood pressure. I didn’t realise there were tears streaming down my face until he reached up and tried to wipe them.

“Baby, what the hell happened? Are you okay? You scared the s**t out of me. I felt your panic through the bond and I didn’t know what was happening, I thought you went for a phone call.” his eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were full of concern. His worry was flowing through the bond, letting me know how scared he actually was. He got up and gently set my feet back on the floor. I whimpered at the loss of physical contact and jumped back into his arms and secured my hands around his neck, inhaling his scent. He lifted me up and got into bed with me in his arms, not letting me go even once. With the covers pulled on top of us and my face snug in the crook of his neck, I felt myself drift away. His intoxicating scent lulled me to sleep. I opened my eyes and saw the mark on his neck, dirty thoughts forming in my head. I leaned closer and placed small kisses all over it, occasionally licking it from top to bottom and nipping at his earlobe. A lusty growl reverberated through me, locking in our intentions for the night.

“Are you sure this is what you want right now?” He lifted my chin and looked up in my eyes, searching for any inkling of doubt. His eyes were pitch black with lust.

“Yes, I need you to take my mind off it.” I didn’t give him a chance to answer and claimed his lips in a rough, desperate kiss. He pulled away and looked at me with a funny expression on his face.

“You mean, you need me to d**k-stract you?” We both burst out laughing. What an i***t.