His beloved witch

Chapter 24: Enough time

-Blanche-

The chill of the morning awoke me even though the sun was not up yet. I was a little disoriented at first, but then I remembered everything.

I stirred and stretched out but quickly hide under the covers, trying to stay warm. Adela was not joking about the cold weather! Regardless, it is amazing what a nice night of sleep can do to your body despite the rush of events the day before.

I wondered where my personal heater is? Andre…

The Lycan King was not next to me. His side on the bed was cold. However, I did not have to wait for long to see him. Andre showed up from behind the bathroom door with a towel wrapped around his hips, drying his hair with a towel.

Andre is an early bird.

I looked at him in his morning naked glory when the towel magically fell to his feet.

Oh, my!

I will enjoy waking up this early every morning if I am promised this show.

The Goddess has diligently sculpted Andre's body for him to look so yummy. I saw his broad chest with muscular arms, big biceps, thin waist, and abs to adore and kiss. His legs were sturdy. His entire frame was attractive to the eye.

I licked my lips, getting drunk in the vision. Does his skin f*****g glow?

Drops of water fell from his still wet hair, landing on his broad pecs only to roll down his hard abdomen and further south... I bit the side of my lower lip, almost hurting myself. If it were not for my promise, I would have jumped on him to wipe those naughty drops with my tongue.

His emerald green eyes found me staring at him hungrily.

“Blanche!” He sensed me.

Andre did not cover himself. Instead, he grinned from ear to ear. He turned completely to show me his big friend without shame or prejudice. Wow! I met his big, big, big friend.

“Why are you up so early?” I complained from the bed.

“Mate.” His growl shook me to my core, wetting my panties.

My poor panties! He growled louder with blinking red eyes. This pleasant tremor is forbidden for a year, but I could not help myself.

I hide under the covers.

"I must live." I chanted to myself, trying to calm my racing pulse. "Dying for some d**k is not the way to go! It does not matter how big it is..." If only down south were not so wet!

It was too late. The Lycan caught my arousal, or maybe my accelerated pulse.

Think Blanche! Think!

If I can change my smell, then I might have a chance. Fear, anger, anything but excitement… anything but a desire for the sexiest male I have ever seen in my life.

The search of the Moonflower! More ingredients for my lab! I need more colors for my palette… s**t, the healing cream for my hand. Francisco should bring me more. I do not have any, and I do not have the right ingredients to prepare one.

I thought it was working when I felt his weight on the bed. Andre was crawling on the mattress until he was on top of me. The Lycan pulled the cover from my face. He was still naked and aroused. I sensed his hardness between my legs, despite the heavy blanket that protected me from his thrusts.

Shit!

“We can not!" I like him. Damn it. I like him so much.

Andre's eyes flashed red, but turned green at the end. He caressed my cheek and pecked my lips softly. He was back. Thank the Goddess!

                “Morning breath!” I argued.

Andre chuckled and was about to argue with me when someone broke into our bedroom.

"Son!" Eleazar screamed while Cara yelled. “Andre!”

By instinct, I used the covers to hide Andre’s ass. The Lycan is massive. It helped little to none. But he stayed on top of me with his erection pressed against me.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Andre yelled, offended.

“You are sleeping with her!” Cara pointed her skinny finger at me. The nerve of this b***h! Does she not remember last night? Someone will have diarrhea for a week!

Cara chickened out and hid behind Eleazar when I glared at her. They both were still in their pajamas.

“Son, this is not appropriate! The tradition mandates…!”

“Who are you to talk about tradition or not appropriate behavior?” Andre was going to stand up, but I pulled him closer. He looked at me, and his anger lenified a bit. "Leave this room, now!” He commanded them.

Cara shook, but Eleazar kept his posture stubbornly.

“Cara is right. We need to protect your reputation! The reputation of both of you!”

I covered the view of Andre when he stood up by sitting on the bed. He placed both hands on my shoulders, accepting my consideration.

I did not want any other women looking at Andre's d**k. That was only mine to look at.

“Reputation! Please…” Andre mocked his father. “Your first daughter was born when? seven or six months after your mating ceremony, father.” Eleazar and Cara blushed.

I was going to say, "Burn!" but held it in. I do not know about their traditions. However, I despise hypocrisy and double standards. And Andre feels the same way.

"Do not talk to your father that way!" Cara nagged.

“You…” Andre growled at her, and I felt a wave of his anger. “Did you not come to assist in the palace because my mother was sick? Did that include serving coffee to my father at midnight? Are we going to keep talking about traditions now?”

“That is not how things happened, Andre.” Eleazar looked apologetic. His words did not match his face. There was guilt and embarrassment.

Andre noticed it, too. I sensed his emotions, too. Resentment and the crushing feeling of betrayal. I know those emotions so well.

Did his father cheat on his mother with Cara? And while she was sick? I could tell that much from his words.

Andre and I did not finish our conversation. We could not even pass the chapter of my grandmother's early years in the East when I fell asleep.

“Rumors…There will always be rumors, father. Baseless or not.” Andre stated coldly.

“There are rumors that can harm you, Andre.” Eleazar said warningly. “Others will say that she bewitched you. No other Lycan King has done this before.” Not so openly, considering the story of Eleazar with Cara.

“No other Lycan King had a destined mate before me. Let them talk!”

“I am just trying to protect you, son.” Eleazar looked worried. Probably, Cara told him the same she told me.

I was not sure what to say. I only touched his hand on my shoulder to soothe him.

Since Andre did not move, Eleazar looked down and pulled Cara outside of my room. Well, our room now.

“I am sorry.” He said with pink cheeks. “This is not the way I wanted you to start your morning in my Kingdom.”

"Why did you not tell me this tradition was so serious? I thought I was just challenging the authority of Cara.”

“We have a lot of stupid traditions just because we are royals.” He caressed my cheek. "Any other Lycan can sleep with their mates before and after their mating ceremony. Why can I not? Is it just because they say so? I do not give a shit." I like him more when he curses. “If you welcome me here, I will be here. Even if you are doing it just to protect me.”

"I want to help you. I want to protect you." I cupped his face between my hands. My young and confrontational Lycan King. Should I stop you, or should I support you in this?

“I have never slept better in my life. Last night was great. Only sleeping after making love to you would compare."

I also look forward to that moment.

"It seems more than dangerous than helpful. I will use my protection spells in your room later, so you can..."

“Blanche, I need to be with you. Your room, my room, it does not matter where. To be with you is a need, not a whim. At least, I feel it that way.”

Maggie told me about it. Should I test it? Try to be away? No, the moment he missed my scent at the party, he almost went nuts. The mate bond of a Lycans is very strong.

Andre's aunt died. Her mate broke her heart, staying away from her. I cannot do that to him.

Then, if I am Andre's fated mate, my absence will hurt him.

And if something happens to me, what would that do to Andre? Crap. No! I am durable! I will live two hundred years as a minimum.

While looking at those emerald eyes, I thought, what about him?

Bloody hell! Why am I so afraid? It is just life; it is normal. Lycans do not live the same length witches do.

I can protect Andre from any attempt against him. I can guard him like I guarded Clara, but one day he will die... before I do. Unless…

I shook the stupid ideas from my head. One at step at the time, Blanche!

"What are you thinking?"

I did not answer. I hugged him despite his nakedness.

“Are you really going to be alright?”

"If you stay with me, I will." He went to the walking closet while a smirk crossed his face, showing me his back.

Oh, Goddess! That ass deserves to be looked after!

Before taking a quick shower, I sent a message to Francisco. I joined Andre.

"You are not in sports clothes."

"I will observe; I will not train." I want to see his routine, evaluate it, and improve it. When I said I would help him, I mean it.

We walked out of our room holding hands and found three enormous Dobermann dogs waiting at the end of the stairs. Adela handed him the leashes of the animals after greeting me. I did not like to have animals on a leash when they were inside the house.

"These three bad pups are Fergus, Argus, and Petra.” They barked at the introduction.

“Oh! Two baby boys and a baby girl.” I could not help myself and patted their heads before Andre or Adela could stop me. "I am glad you did not cut their ears. They are perfect the way they are." The pups smelled my hands and accepted me right away.

"What?" Andre and Adela were frozen in their spots. Even some servants around looked at me, startled.

"They are not… friendly with strangers," Adela explained.

I bend to them. Fergus licked my face; Argus, my hand, and Petra barked happily, eager to kiss me too. The three of them wagged their tails.

                "They are so cute! And well behaved!" I hugged the pups. "I love you! And I love you! And you! More kisses! More kisses!" What can I say? I love dogs.

Andre ran with the dogs around the massive garden as part of his warmup for his training. That way, he would spend some time with his pets.

The schedule of Andre was tight. We had breakfast at nine, lunch at one, tea time at four in the afternoon, while dinner would be at eight. Everything in his life was scheduled and structured. I am a freaking mess in comparison.

Adela stayed with me while Andre exercised. She informed me about the other three ladies who would monitor the spies.

She is Andre’s right hand and practically the head of his secret service.

Adela knows it all here.

She turned out to be someone interesting, as she was also interested in my species. Adela even found out more about the spaewives, direct ancestors of witches from the East. My ancestors.

Adela told me how she was promoted from maid to assistant by Andre’s mother when she mated Eleazar. Although, they were friends before that. It was Adela who brought her to work in the palace as a waitress since the party was short of staff. There is where Eleazar fell in love with her.

She promised her Queen and friend to always help Andre. Apparently, Andre’s mother was sick for years. I was intrigued by the symptoms, but I did not dare ask if someone tested her for poison or a spell. Dark magic can harm even from a distance sometimes. After her death, Adela served briefly in the office of the King. But the new Queen did not like her. When Eleazar opened the office of the Crown Prince, Andre called her to work for him.

Even though Andre wanted to spend more with me after breakfast, there were just too many things to do for him. I could hear something about an accident somewhere near a border.

I did not have time to interview all the ladies of my entourage as I would have done with my staff back at my company, but it was easy to spot who had ulterior reasons to come to the palace.

My allies were Olena, Rita, and Saida. According to Adela, they were trustworthy and already engaged to their loyal noble males. Apparently, there were also young nobles among the Lycans who shared the same convictions as the new King.

I strolled in the garden, memorizing exits, and identified security weaknesses, followed by six ladies. It was a plain stupid tradition, definitely! But I used the time to talk to all of them as we were longtime friends.

From my assessment, I noticed Lydia was a little crazy. She could not hide her anger and resentment towards me. She eyed my necklace with envy. I had even forgotten about it until Lydia looked at it.

Marcela was angry, but not at me. I think she is not here out of her own will. She stated more than once how amazing her family was. Ergo, they forced her. At last was Lorenza Valois. She was interesting to read because she seemed genuinely naïve and sweet.

Lunchtime arrived in a blink.

Andre came straight to me and kissed me like he was a starving man for my kisses. He did not acknowledge anyone besides me. That is when I noticed Lorenza more. She looked at Andre with admiration, but she did not covet him, unlike the other two.

In the afternoon, Francisco arrived.

"I am so happy for you, Blanche. But only because you look happy." 

I closed the door of my new official office and left ladies and guard outside despite their annoying faces.

“Do I look that happy?”

“Yes!”

“And do you not think this is fake? A mistake? I ask myself that a lot.” Every time I feel like giving in to it.

Andre is so special to me, but I do not want to keep my hopes high when we barely have two days together.

"No!" He laughed. "I am sure this is our goddess's wish. I am absolutely sure, child!”

“Why?” I wondered.

"I am sorry, Blanche. But you have a terrible taste in males." I could not hold a laugh. "Only the Goddess could have chosen someone this good for you."

"That is not funny!" I whined like when I was a child.

"And he should need someone like you, too."

"I do not know. Do you think Kassandra had something to do with this?"

“She would never pair you with a Lycan, child. And she is in the run without assets, without friends… I doubt it. Besides, I think your mother asked the Goddesses for this. Miriam wanted you to be happy.”

I smiled at the memory of my mother when my heart told me something was wrong with Andre. Someone tried to use magic against him. I had a powerful spell of protection on him, linking him to me.

Francisco ran with me after I pushed open the door of my office without talking to anyone. Andre was in danger, and whoever tried to harm him made the worst mistake of their life. I might not give them enough time to regret it.