Chapter 269 Chapter 268
Morvan nodded. Xenon faced the healer, who instantly bowed his head. "Thank you for all your suggestions. I shall be taking my leave now," the king said, and walked out of the room.
They started down the hallway, most people bowing low as they encountered the king, before reaching a large hall where most of the tigers lingered during the day, talking or just hanging around.
Rayena sat in a corner with Soraya, busy with the fabric they were embroidering. They both paused, their gazes lingering on them for a while, taking in their peaceful features.
Soraya was the first to look up, and on seeing Morvan, stiffened. The smile on her face disappeared, and she immediately turned to Rayena, whispering something into the latter's ear before picking up her things and walking away.
Morvan's expression hardened when he saw her leave, his chest strangely tightening. Soraya had been avoiding him since that conversation they had a few nights ago, and though he could understand why she was keeping her distance, that didn't make it hurt any less.
"I've noticed for a while now, you keep staring at that lady longer than necessary," Xenon spoke beside him, and he flinched, glancing at the king. "Do you like her?"
"What?" Morvan asked, and Xenon scoffed, raising a brow. He tried to play it off, but it didn't quite work, so he gave up.
"I do like her…" he mumbled under his breath, his eyes darkening. "But I believe she's angry at me now."
"Why's that?" Xenon asked, turning to face Morvan squarely. "Did you two fight?"
"Not necessarily. We just talked about our incompatibility issues. She's a werewolf and I'm a weretiger."
"And?" Xenon prodded.
Morvan scoffed, frustration gnawing at his insides. "Come on, you know unions between clans are banned. You made the rule yourself."
"True, when I was a king," he murmured.
"You're still the king," Morvan deadpanned, shooting Xenon a look. "We just need to get rid of that imposter seated there and take what was stolen."
And after that,” Xenon said, eyes darkening with intention, “I’ll be reviewing some of the laws I made.” He walked away before Morvan could respond, striding toward Rayena and pulling her into his arms, burying his face in her hair with a soft exhale.
Morvan stood frozen, staring after him.
What in the ancestors’ names did he mean?
.
.
.
Xenon went to meet Rayena, who immediately threw herself into a hug he heartily accepted. She looked up at him, a radiant smile on her face.
"How did the training go?" she asked, her voice bright.
His lips tugged down in a frown. "Not good. I'm recovering slower than I anticipated."
He felt her tense, pulling back from him. "Is there a reason why?" she asked softly, voice threaded with concern.
"There are a couple, but it’s not something I want to say out here," he muttered.
Rayena's eyes widened quickly. "Well, I'm done here. Let's go back to our room," she said, packing up her embroidery materials in a basket and hurrying to meet him. He collected it from her, leading the way while she followed beside him.
They arrived at the room, and they both stepped in, with him closing the door behind them. She went to sit on the couch and he joined her, settling the basket on the ground. Eyes searching his face, she leaned closer.
"Tell me, what's happening? Why are you recovering so slowly?"
"Well, the healer said it's because both my beasts aren't active yet. It's why I don't feel up to par. I can feel my wolf, but since I've woken up, I've not heard from the tiger."
"Oh..." Rayena trailed off, brows furrowed in concern. "So, what do we have to do to change that?"
Xenon shrugged, pulling Rayena close and resting his hands on her waist. "He suggested lots of intimacy. That could help."
Rayena’s cheeks reddened at those words, but she cleared her throat and continued calmly. "That's not a problem. I helped with your ruts in the past while you were feral. I can handle that."
"I know that..." Xenon groaned, resting his head on her chest. "But you have to understand that things will be different now. Outside of my ruts, I don't know if I'll still encounter my, um... 'special' problems."
"You're still worried about that?" Rayena asked, her voice coated with disbelief. Xenon rolled his eyes, a chuckle escaping his lips.
"I know what you're thinking. It's been seven years; I should be better now. But I need you to understand that during those seven years I was mindless and didn't make any active progress regarding what I went through. If anything, I'm worried that my mindlessness could have exacerbated the issue."
"That is true..." Rayena murmured, leaning in to thread her fingers through his hair.
She remembered the times Morvan had told her that even in his mindless state, he still couldn't stand a female's touch during his rut. That had lingered even in his subconscious.
But he's different with me.
That thought alone made her freeze and gave her confidence. Xenon had always been different with her. He never attacked her during his rut or tried to seriously harm her. Somehow, he knew she was someone special.
That thought planted firmly in her mind, she turned to him with a smile. "Don't overthink. I believe you'll be different with me. Also, I'm not about to give up on you. We'll keep trying until it doesn't bother you anymore."
Pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, she added, "I just want you to be hale and hearty."
She saw him smile—a soft, heartwarming one that made her belly turn to mush. "You're so sweet," he groaned, before claiming her lips in a soft yet powerful kiss.
Rayena melted into his hold, angling her mouth so he could deepen the kiss, anticipation and love flooding her veins. He pulled away too early, his gaze smoldering. Rayena fought to steady her breathing.
"Are you hungry?" he groaned, his voice husky. She nodded, giggling after.
"Let's eat."
.
.
.
Food was called in and they both settled to eat. Afterwards, Rayena showed him the little trinket she made with yarn wools.
"What's this for?" he asked, collecting it from her.
"Oh, I don't know. To act as a good luck charm?" she suggested with a shrug.
Xenon raised a brow.
"Good luck charm? Well, I'm feeling really lucky right now. Thank you, Rayena," he muttered, kissing her forehead.
She smiled at him, then laid her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat while they basked in each other's warmth. Xenon's hands began to wander and she let them, enjoying the way his calloused hands glided across her soft skin, arousal already simmering beneath her skin.
They reached under her dress, going over her stomach, but his fingers stilled when he felt the scar just below her abdomen. He stiffened, raising himself up to inspect what he'd seen.
Slowly, he lifted her dress, revealing the thin, pale horizontal scar.
His voice was low, tight. "What happened here?"