I'd never considered myself to be her mate when I saw her for the first time. But now that I could I know that I have fallen for her, deeply and madly.
I'd do anything for her, and when I heard her claim me as her mate, I wanted nothing more than to be hers. For however long our eternal life might be.
*****
"Are you sure we're safe here? I think you should hurry up and we can go back after you patched him up. This place stinks of elves, I don't like it."
I tried to open my eyes, but my body felt like I'd been squashed by a dragon, my bones hurt, and my head pounded with pain. I looked across, half-lidded, and saw Savaric whispering louder making sure that Magnus was listening to him. I saw his lover, Gerold was busy tending my wounds and enchanting ancient spell that I'd never heard before.
My eyes darted for a second before I found my mate, Basilea, sitting on my other side rubbing her hand on my arm. I could see that she was talking to me, but her voice was so faint and my eyes were so heavy, though I managed to see her gorgeous black wings on her back.
"Hey, you have your wings back. They're beautiful," my voice was scratchy, and she shushed me, telling me that I should get back to rest. And so I did, she kissed my lips softly and I drifted away easily.
Savaric and Magnus were gone when I opened my eyes again, this time I managed to be alert and even tried to hold my body up and sit straighter. Basilea was to my right side and Gerold came to my other side the second he realized that I was sitting up.
"Very good, now please drink the concoction and finish it, king Armand, you're not in any danger, you've recovered nicely and we'll be going back to your kingdom by this afternoon if that's what you wished. I'll call Bharat, he's been waiting for your instructions."
I nodded and rest back on the bed after finishing the glob, Gerold called concoction. "Ugh, if I didn't know him better I'd say he's trying to poison me with the liquid."
Basilea let out a soft laugh and she shook her head telling me to do as Gerold told me because she wanted to go home too.
"Our home?" I wanted her to reconfirm her words, cause I was sure I was letting out a possessive growl and she grin before pressing her lips against mine.
"Ugh, you're right it tastes horrible."
Our moment was interrupted by Bharat. Basilea was about to get up to leave the room when I pulled her down to sit on the bed beside me. "I'm your mate, as you are mine, you will stay 'cause this talk will include your kind."
I heard her curse lowly but sits beside me like a good little mate while I put my hand on the small of her back, rubbing her gently, and she visibly relaxed and kissed my temple whispering thankyou for my ears only.
"Bharat, have you counted and taken everyone who stayed within the walls?" There was no small talk cause I know time is everything and I had too long of a downtime already. He was aware that there might be retaliation, we've done this before it was how I obtained my current kingdom. And this palace was bigger, more structured. I would be a fool for not claiming it as my own as it was our side who had defeated and killed the king.
Though I still didn't know how Basilea would feel about this, it was her demon kind after all and we still needed to talk. But first, it was crucial that I got a lay of the current situation.
"I've coordinated with general Obi and
taken information from the elder incubi down at the dungeon, Algar, and Edric. They were thankful that Gerold had eased their pains and healed their visible wounds. Those incubi had told us about the real situation with the fallen elven king."
Bharat kept on talking while we both listened carefully, taking all the information while I would glance at Basilea from time to time. She was taking all the information in as if she was born with her royal blood to conquer and I couldn't be any more proud.
"Phineas and Magnus are keeping tally of the warrior rank, those who were wounded are being kept in the dungeon substituting the old and frail concubi demons who were all being treated right now by Gerold and Savaric." Bharat finally slowed down on his explanation. It was a lot and it showed that he was one of my best generals. He was doing everything I'd wanted him to do while I was wounded.
"You're doing exactly what I wanted you to do." I praised and I could see the general stood straighter and prouder of himself.
"Well, my future Queen, this is your chance, your kind at the palm of your hands. We will need to do more talking and counting, but for now, I'm asking you, do you want to take care of your demons, take back your family reign and be their true queen?"
Basilea was silent for a long moment, and Bharat stayed still, waiting for further instructions. My fingers entwined with hers when I saw her thinking and finally made a firm decision. I swear I could see the tip of her wings shudder when she made the most important decision to the continuance of her family reign.
"I want us to talk to Algar and Edric first," she paused to look at me, it was clear that she wanted my opinion on the matter and I nodded. "Have you found Nicodemus he's the incubi with a rank amongst the eleven warriors, and how about Elegast unofficial consort?" Basilea asked Bharat with a regal bearing that made me look at her with a whole different perspective.
"Nicodemus is currently in the dungeon, he was detained easily, grieving for the loss of I was assuming his mate."
"Tordis, yes, the male was his mate, he's a half-elf, close with Elegast. That's how Nicodemus reached his rank and of course, he was needed to lure me in. How about Tula, she lived within the palatial walls she'd know more about the ranks. I've just been here for a couple of days."
A couple of days that feels like months, I couldn't wait to have her in my arms and feel every inch of her skin against mine. She must've felt the shift in my thoughts when she looked at me with a smirk.
"For now Bharat, go talk to the eleven elders and have a feel about their situation. And Basilea is right, find out more about Nicodemus and find Tula, question her about the whereabouts of Elegast's consort. I have a feeling she will be the one who had more to lose and she'd be the one with an army behind her back. We need to be on the lookout for retaliation which I assumed is going to take place in a couple of days for now." I paused to look at Basilea when she nodded silently agreeing with my words.
"We will be taking over the elven kingdom. I will need you to send someone to the west and coordinate with the rest of the generals. Alert them of what might come, I don't think they will go there and try to invade my kingdom, but stranger things had happened." I said laying down the plans to Bharat who I'd sent to gather information before our meeting the next day.
We talked for another hour before he left us, I told him to get a good rest until our next meeting.
"My king," Basilea turned to face me the second Bharat was out the door.
"My future Queen, should we continue with our intimate mating ceremony?" I smiled at her and she laughed softly, sexily, which made my cock rise to the occasion.
"There's no ceremony I'd like to attend more than that. I love you, Armand,"
"I love you too, and there's apparently a whole new you that I'd like to get to know better," I brush my fingers along her velvety black wings and her eyes shut instinctively and she lets me kiss her lips when I tugged her to straddle my lap. Her thighs parted wider and she deviously grinds against my hardening cock making me moan while I try to deepen the kiss.
"My queen," I said possessively and smiled in our kiss when she whimpered under my touches.