Chapter 92 Chapter 92

Chapter 92 Chapter 92
Kael.

I gave in to its wishes, my muscles and bones contorting as I shifted, all within a painless transition. Before long, my hands had transformed into paws, my claws sticking out as I stood on my hind legs. Throwing my head back, I let out another powerful roar, and this time, the trees around me trembled. Then, I sprinted.

My beast was even faster, cutting through the thick forest like a blade, its paws barely hitting the ground as we moved. The smell of the earth and trees filled my lungs, and I felt more alive than I had in years.

Another roar was building in my throat, but we came to a stop when my beast picked up the scent of an animal far away. My muscles tensed. We wanted to hunt now. Hunt and kill.

We should take the animal back, prepare a meal for Aira. She'll be hungry when she wakes up, I thought. My beast seemed to like the idea, growling in approval. That surprised me greatly.

"You like her?" I asked, and it groaned, as if I had asked the most ridiculous question. "She's our mate, you know." It purred with glee, its tail wagging excitedly, as if it had known all along.

"She helped us. This is the least we can do. Let's kill all the animals in the forest and bring her the very best meat. For our woman!" That sounded a bit too excessive, and I tried to dissuade him, but it was already moving, stalking the animal whose scent it had caught earlier.

It was a male deer, and from the looks of it, a rather young one. We hid in the bushes, and the moment we noticed the animal was distracted, we lunged at it. A calculated bite on the neck and a more brutal snap of the bone, and the animal dropped limp between our teeth.

"Not good enough," my beast growled in disapproval. "We need a younger, fresher animal!" It snarled, dropping the dead animal and breaking into another run.

I cringed, shaking my head. My ever-bloodthirsty beast. It was why I hated shifting.

I returned in the evening, rather exhausted, a much younger deer in my hands, my breathing heavy. The male guard, whose name I was struggling to remember, saw me approach and immediately ran toward me, bowing his head and accepting the animal from me.

"Skin this and prepare it for Aira," I said as I walked past him.

Then I stopped, turning back. "Is she awake yet?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"She was awake a while back but fell asleep and hasn't been awake since then."

"Okay, I'll go meet her then," I said, and Eiran left with the animal.

I paused again, deciding to clean off the blood on my body first before going to see her.

Sure enough, she was still asleep, but now she had clothes on, and the sheets on the cot had been changed. I froze at the entrance, transfixed as I gazed at her slumbering form.

A warm feeling bloomed in my chest, and my beast calmed as well, purring contentedly. It was strange; it never felt this way with other women. This was the first time it was so at peace with a female around.

I quietly made my way to her, sitting next to her on the cot as she slept. My fingers itched to touch her face, and I didn't resist, rubbing them on her cheeks, committing every delicate feature of hers to memory. I held her hair, feeling the softness between my fingers.

A strange feeling of possessiveness bloomed in me, and I allowed it to grow. "My mate. Mine," I growled, unable to stop the words.

"Yours," she whispered, and I stiffened. When I glanced at her, her eyes were already open, and she was smiling at me. "Kael..." she groaned, her voice hoarse.

"How are you?" I asked, as I slipped into the cot with her, lifting her and laying her on my chest. Placing a finger on her chin, I turned her to face me.

"How are you?" she shrugged. "Fine. Happy you're here."

Gazing around my body, she looked up at me. "So, how do you feel now?"

"Better. I went on a run today. Shifted and hunted too. All without pain."

Her smile grew wider, and she laid her head on my chest, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"Guess it worked then."

"It did," I growled, kissing her hair. "Thank you." I muttered sincerely.

"No need to thank me. I'll do it all over again in a heartbeat. You don't know how happy I am to see you all hale and hearty." Her hands reached out to touch the light scar on my chest, a flicker of emotions in her eyes, but she blinked, and it was gone.

"How do you truly feel, though?" I asked, concern seeping into my voice. "I need you to be honest. I trust it must not have been easy."

"Right now, I feel like my limbs are made of stone. I can't move them," she whispered after a while, her voice almost inaudible.

I tensed, feeling remorse. "I'm sorry about that."

She looked up at me, a slight frown on her face. "Like I said, no need to apologize. I agreed to this, remember? You don't have to feel sorry. Plus, Helen and the old woman already took care of me. They assured me I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

"But still..." I trailed off, remembering something. "I caught an animal; they're preparing it for you. You must be hungry."

"Really?" she asked, then paused as her stomach growled.

"Guess I am hungry," she said, and we chuckled.

A while later, Helen brought some food on a tray, placing it next to us. Taking a bow, she excused herself, and I brought the tray closer, opened up the food, and promptly began to feed her.

She opened her mouth, accepting the spoon and chewing on the soft meat scattered around in the savory soup.

"Oh, it's delicious!" she exclaimed, her cheeks filling with color. I drank in the sight of her excitement, giving her more. She heartily accepted it, a sparkle in her eyes as she stared at me.

"What?" I asked when I saw the question in them. She blushed, looking away from me as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Nothing. Just remembering the time I used to feed you. Now the roles are reversed," she said, giggling, and I shook my head, smiling at her.

"Open your mouth," I prodded, pressing the spoon close to her lips as I fed her several chunks of meat. She did so, accepting the spoon, and I continued to feed her till the dish was empty.