His beloved witch

Chapter 37: Cunning female

-Andre-

“Cara is fuming!” I chuckled out.

I got the link about Cara’s reaction this morning, and Blanche laughed even harder than me when I told her.

“Did you get the band Tricia wanted, too?” My witch asked with mischief.

We had messed up with Cara’s plans for Tricia’s party.

“That is my surprise for her tonight," I said, raising an eyebrow. Blanche kissed my cheek.

I kissed Blanche’s forehead, nose, eyes, cheeks, and neck, repeatedly avoiding her lips while thanking her for existing, making her giggle. When she stopped laughing, Blanche pulled me for a kiss on the lips. Kisses later, I was on top of her, between her legs, while a big smile was on her face.

It is so hard not to go further, but as I stared into Blanche’s eyes… I melted, feeling ready to tell her how much I love her.

Probably, it is not the right moment. Our time together can be seen as a minute in a witch’s life, but it is an eternity for me.

I adore my witch and our moments in bed talking before starting the day are one of the best moments of my day, just before we go to bed.

“I am proud of you,” Blanche’s eyes shined, and my Lycan stirred under her gaze.

“What? Why?” I need to know so I can do it more often.

“For what you are doing for your sisters.”

Oh, it was necessary. Those girls are under my protection now.

Blanche saved the day, and even got the name of the poisonous plant Lucy was in contact with. The two-year-old is fully healed now and sleeping under my father's watch. He does not trust Cara anymore regarding their daughter's wellbeing and I am glad.

Cara cared more about a dress or a party than her daughter’s wellbeing. And she even had the nerve to fire their nanny without a suitable replacement. I will hire her back as soon as possible.

“I did what anyone would have done if in my place,” I replied.

“Andre, you know what I am talking about.”

I rolled away from her, resting my back on our mattress and my head under my arm. I looked at the ceiling instead of Blanche, but she took my face between her hands and made me face her.

Is my attitude to my father’s daughters so wrong?

“Andre, you are not betraying your mother’s memory by looking after your sisters… even less by loving them.”

Blanche can read me like an open book.

“I don’t know if I am ready to talk about that," I admitted.

“I understand," Blanche whispered and kissed my nose. “Remember, I am here for you.”

Again, this female is the best mate Moon Goddess could ever pair me with.

“Maybe I need time to get to know... my sisters." It was not as hard as I thought, but it shocked me how I felt after.

My Lycan side liked the idea of the extended family, even more, when Blanche's eyes shined. I know my mate will get closer to the girls and there is nothing I can do to stop her. Therefore, I can only try.

I finished putting on my dress shirt when Blanche turned to me.

“Did you know that Tricia truly admires you?” She asked excitedly. “And from what I heard from Jess, Tricia is not the only teenager who believes in your new laws.”

I smirked, looking at Blanche wearing her sports clothes. Oh, that breast…

“Welcome to my revolution, my Queen,” I said as I approached her and kissed her hand ceremoniously. A new smile formed on her face.

               “In other news of our revolution against Cara,” Blanche informed me, “as you know, Jess could not sew a new dress for Tricia, but she altered the existing one, following Tricia’s instructions. And it includes a magic trick that will surprise us all at midnight!”

Before I could ask more about such a surprise, Derrick's link was concerning news.

"What happened?” Blanche asked me anxiously.

“Elba is gone! She has worked for our family since Tricia was born; Elba has no relatives left and nowhere else to go… There are no traces…” I explained to Blanche, still dumbfounded. How can she just disappear?

“That is very suspicious… My imagination is running wild now, Andre. Do you think Cara sent her away or got rid of her?”

“Either option is very possible, but the most important question is why?”

“Elba might know too much or have seen too much,” Blanche guessed, and I think she was right.

I stomped a fist against a table in our room, startling our three dogs and Mina.

“Commoners harmed by nobles again! And now the girls might have lost someone important in their lives forever. What did Cara do?” I asked, looking at my mate when my ugly side took the best of me.

“He brought her to the palace! He…! Why on earth would he choose Cara?” I looked at my fist on the table. “She is shallow and ambitious, nothing like my mother… even less than my father! But until now, I thought she was easy to read… But if Elba was harmed… " I was seething.

Blanche let me rant and hugged me from behind. She rested her cheek on my back, her hands on my abs. I placed a hand on top of her tiny ones, enjoying the feeling. She soothes me.

I hate it when innocent Lycans get hurt because of someone's ambitions or schemes.

“Andre, find the guards that were with Elba and Lucy in the botanical garden three days ago,” Blanche whispered. My mate can whisper very low in a room, and I would still hear her. “Gather their declarations about that day.”

I nodded.

               “Meanwhile, I will get a full list of potions that can be made with the plant Lucy was in contact with. Maybe even Blair can take a look." Blanche offered.

I will accept the help that comes from my mate.

Cara must be helping one of the traitors... probably Marcela. Elba should know something important. The incident with Blanche's car… would it be related to that? Did Elba see Cara doing something?

“Just tell her to be careful. I do not want more Lycans or friends harmed in this… shit.”

“She can go with Tom using as a pretext the help I offered to Celio Pazzi, remember?”

               “Yes,” Of course.

Blanche thinks we can build a greenhouse in each of our rural communities big enough for them to grow their crops and feed themselves, despite our nasty winter season. We suffer heavy rain, hail, and snow, sometimes even one or all on the same day. And it gets worse every year.

Any effort to help our rural areas during winter has failed so far. Were we in need of magic? Anyway, this is the best excuse to get out of the palace. And take a detour before or after it.

               “Two birds in one hand. We investigate deeper and still do a good thing for your Lycans.”

I turned around and stared into her colored amber eyes.

               “What?” She blushed under my heated gaze.

I am irremediably in love with this female; I want to tell her so badly! And my Lycan wants to f**k her in all positions to show her his feelings, too.

Blanche was right about having our pets in our room; I cannot even grope my mate without feeling their eyes on us. I huffed and rested my head on her shoulder.

               "Time flies," she mumbled. I chuckled darkly. My mate thought I was just disappointed by the lack of s*x.

Blanche changed my mood. Instead of a proper answer, I gave her a proper kiss. One of hunger and frustration for not being able to tell her about my feelings… she kissed me back just as eagerly as our “children” barked. When did she train the dogs to interrupt us? I radiated my aura, and they quieted down.

“How did you learn to kiss like this?” Blanche asked, panting after breaking our kiss, her palms on my chest to steady herself. She was flushed and excited. I love to see her like that.

I grinned roguishly.

"A gentleman never reveals his secrets," I said and pecked her lips softly with wide-open eyes, assessing her reaction.

“I have told you my secrets," she huffed, irritated, but then her face changed as if Blanche noticed she had done something wrong. "Goddess! I sounded like a jealous b***h, didn't I?"

I laughed at her sudden horror.

“Why do you want to know?” I asked, amused.

“It is only annoying that you do not tell me about your past relationships. It is only fair!” Blanche’s words just smile grew wider.

“Are you jealous, my Queen?”

“What? No! Of course not. I am not an insecure female! I was curious, that is it,” She muttered, almost pouting.

“You know what? f**k it! I do not want to know!” She jerked away from me, and a low growl left my throat.

What is wrong with me? I should just tell her, right?

“You look so cute when you are NOT jealous, my Queen.” I teased her again.

I grinned like an i***t, and before she could leave me, I told her part of my truth, "I am pretty confident in myself, too, my Queen, yet I get jealous, so freaking jealous," all the time!

“I can barely notice, Lycan.”

Is there a tone of accusation in her voice? I laughed.

“Honestly, I want to tear out the eyeballs of any male that stares at you for over three seconds," I admitted, and kissed her neck. She shivered in my arms and eyed nervously outside our walking closet, thinking about our children, as she calls them.

I whispered in her ear then, “You are mine, Blanche. Even if you let me mark you, I might still feel that way.”

“Even without your mark, you can trust me, Andre; if I am with someone, I am loyal and faithful until the end.”

“I know my Queen is loyal and faithful to me,” I purred, delighted. “It is normal to feel jealous. Just remember, I am yours, only yours, Blanche." I kissed her neck again, squeezing her in my arms.

“I am not the jealous type, Andre, you are wrong!” She slapped my chest slightly. "I am just a tiny bit overprotective." Blanche shrugged her shoulders. She has a tracking device on me, an app installed on my phone, protection spells on… “Hey, I respect everyone’s limits!”

I tilted my head to one side, narrowing my eyes at her. Blanche recalled all those measures. "I am monitoring your health and your location to protect you, not to control you!”

“I know," I smirked and kissed her forehead. If I mark Blanche, I will feel less aggressive against other males around her, but it will be harder to control myself from mating with her. It is already hard as it is. Patience, patience… I need a solution soon.

“So, if it was not Marcela or Lidia, or Lorenza… Was there another female I should know about?”

Even my Lycan is happy now.

“Fine, I will tell… I kissed Lidia once, and I have regretted it ever since. I was young and stupid,” the date was not even that good.

“Then?” Blanche asked. “Did you have a relationship with someone? Were you in love with another female? How did it end? Did my arrival break something you had?”

“Wow! More questions…” I chuckled.

“We are still getting to know each other. I am just asking,” Blanche tried to brush it as some light questioning, but her interrogation went on. “Considering what you told me about not wanting a mate before… Some broke your heart?"

I shook my head, no.

“I would say my parents broke my heart. It is always the parents' fault.” I was half-joking, half telling the truth.

Blanche huffed and turned her back on me. I felt her frustration.

“Alright. I had one relevant relationship in the past, long ago… and she did not break my heart," although it was disappointing. Before Blanche could ask, I added, “She is the daughter of my former Amauta, her name is Maya."

“What is an Amauta?”

“Amauta is a teacher. They are like a different Lycan, wise and chosen since youth to be teachers. They are not royalty, nor considered as commoners. Since kings and nobles would tell history with biased eyes, the Amautas are an independent institution that keeps our knowledge untainted.”

“That is so interesting!” Her eyes sparkled with interest. I should have guessed Blanche would like that information.

“The children of the King cannot attend regular schools, so my Amauta lived in the palace with his family.”

Instead of looking at me with anger or jealousy, her eyes held understanding and adoration.

“You loved her a lot, then."

“It was not love." with Blanche I know what love truly is. "Her Lycan and mine could not bond as mates despite the years together. s*x was good. We were friends, but something was always missing," unlike what I felt with Blanche, and we have not mated yet.

"She let you go just like that? After years together, as you said?”

“I did not break up with her.” I surprised Blanche. “She met someone else, a young Amauta, and with him… she felt complete. Their bond grew strong, and they accepted each other as mates.”

I eyed the necklace on Blanche’s neck, and then I stared at her shining eyes.

“Since Lycans do not receive fated mates as often as werewolves, we take seriously our bonding. Consent is important when the mating bond is formed.”

“Is it possible to break the bond after marking?”

“I think there have been cases. Maybe one or two in the nobility because some unions are convenient, not out of love. Almost inexistent among commoners. They live together and share their lives until they are ready to do their ceremonies and mark each other, sealing the bond.”

"That sounds romantic." Blanche smiled at me, but it did not reach her eyes.

What is she thinking?

I cupped her face between my hands as if my witch was made of glass.

“You and I, together... that is romantic." She did not look convinced. “Maya did not break my heart when she left me. It is not like I could have died or killed for her. While for you…” If I could tell her… “Can you not feel it?” I pressed her hand on top of my heart so she could hear my sped-up heartbeat.

               “What if it is only the mate bond?”

“Is that what you think? I have told you already; I like everything about you."

“I wonder if without the pull you would have…”

"I will not reject you to find out and I will not let you reject me, either. We are together for the long run, alright?”

“Fated mates do not do rejections, I remember.”

I thought I had done or said something wrong hearing her tone of voice, but Blanche kissed me and the shine in her eyes got back. I love her beautiful smile. Thank Goddess!

Blanche and I moved on with our days, while Derrick and Tom were carrying out their tasks to report later.  

Despite the party that will be carried out tonight, I am the King, and I still have a lot of work to do. However, an uneasy feeling settled in my chest, and I changed my schedule. I only kept my meeting with Donato Giovanni Ventimiglia and his son.

I crossed my arms over my chest when I looked at Blanche in front of her ladies when Adela told me that Tricia and Magaly wanted to join the session, and their Amauta wanted to talk to me. I allowed it.

From the balcony, I could observe without being seen unless I wanted it.

“Your Highness,” the Amauta greeted me.

“Amauta, long time no see,” I greeted the teacher. “I hope you are in great health with your family,”

               "Yes, thank you, Your Highness. I might add, my father-in-law is so proud of you and eager to come back and serve your children.”

I smiled at him. I never asked Maya if she told her mate about our affair when I was young. All I know is that she is happy with this male and already has two children with him.

“I am always glad to hear about my old Amauta,” I replied. “Is he in good health?”

“As always, but that is not what brought me here.”

"Do you mean besides allowing the girls to visit my mate?” I asked.

I like him, but even if he is the son-in-law of my Amauta, I need to be careful. I fear Cara is behind something big.

The doubt installed in my mind, then. What if he found out I used to f**k Maya in all ways? He probably wants my head for it.

“The head of Amautas said you were fair and reliable... I have something important to tell you.” So, he wanted a private conversation.

He cannot mindlink me without my permission.

“You can tell me, now, Amauta." I linked him.

“I have certain concerns about Elba's dismissal. She is a good female and loved your sisters deeply, Your Highness. Sincerely, I did not understand the fault in her behavior for her sudden termination.”

“I understand your concern, and I am trying to fix it.”

“I am glad, and that is why I wanted to confide in you what I have seen so far. I care for the well-being of the princesses, their mother is… Anyway, Elba was as worried as me because her Majesty Cara was interested in closing a deal around the engagement for Tricia with a specific noble family. The girl confessed this in tears to Elba. And she was determined to help the princess…”

My father gave her the idea with his attempt before!

“After she fired Elba, I saw Elba on her way out. Tricia was waiting for her… and I saw her receiving, secretly, an envelope while they hugged. Elba has not answered me at all, and I am worried. Again, I fear the princess could be in some danger.”

What the hell is that cunning female cooking against us?