Chapter 15

-Trynnian-

I don’t even lift my head when I hear the door open; it’s probably just Kit looking for one of his many cats. Then the mattress sinks a little, and a familiar warmth spreads through me as a broad chest squishes against me beneath the blankets.

“Why are you here?” I ask quietly. I just want to wallow in my own misery for a bit. An arm snakes around my waist, and I like it too much to push him off. “Will you tell me what happened?”

I snap my head round to look into the rainforest eyes in front of me. “I can’t,” I say, more harshly than intended. Kit doesn’t even bat an eye, and only nods, shoving his face into the crook of my neck, his hot breath tickling me.

“Alright,” is all he says, and I let myself slowly fall back to sleep, like I always do on this day. Only, this time, I’m not alone.

—————

When I next wake up, I can see it must be the afternoon, based on light levels. Kit is still draped around and over me; his hair somehow flopping onto my own chest. I tangle my fingers in it, shifting round to kiss my sleepy husband.

He grumbles, before kissing me back, his eyes still closed. His long lashes curl onto his skin, and I cup his cheek, placing little kisses on each eye. Slowly, his lids open, and wolf eyes stare back at me.

I shake my head, sighing as I press my head into the pillow. “I’m not related to the royal family,” I say eventually. Kit clearly hadn’t been expecting me to say anything, based off how the sleep from his eyes is instantly gone, replaced with alertness instead.

He lies perfectly still, one arm still slung around my waist. “I’m adopted,” I continue, combing my fingers through his soft hair. “I was just this homeless orphan, and the queen took me in.” Every sentence I say makes his eyes go a little wider, and I can’t stop myself from chuckling at it.

“She pitied me, I guess. When she saw me, she just instantly decided that I was her third son.” Kit moves to snuggle against my side, nudging my arm until I move it, so that I’m the one cuddling him now.

“The king wasn’t thrilled, but he quickly realised no one would really care what would happen to me, so I could be useful in lots of ways. That’s why he married me to you - he wanted me to kill you, and thought I’d most likely die in the process. I’ve always been expendable.”

Kit moves, leaning over me. “You’re not expendable, you’re kind and brave and amazing and funny and cute and-“ a surge of emotion for the man above me overtakes my brain, and I pull him down to me, kissing him roughly.

When we kiss, it’s usually pecks on the lips, or soft, slow ones. This is none of those things; it’s hurried, and deep. Kit wraps his arms around me as I slide my fingers into his hair, pushing my tongue into his mouth.

He reciprocates, and I swear he devours me. His tongue is hot and slick as it dances with mine, until he eventually pulls back to let us both breathe. I fear for a moment that I took things too far, but the massive grin on his face says otherwise.

I pull him back to me for another kiss, but this one is a chaste one on the lips, but I can still feel his smile against my own grin. He retakes his place next to me, leaning his head on my shoulder as we lace our fingers together.

“My parents were killed on this day, when I was a child, by a werewolf.”

Jesus Christ I’m great at killing the mood, I think with a huff to myself. Kit slowly begins drawing circles onto my chest through the fabric, and I’m glad to see he isn’t too shocked. “I was told he was an escapee from the prison; and honestly I can’t blame him for being angry, what with how he was probably treated.”

Kit says the words before I even have the chance to. “That doesn’t excuse him killing innocent civilians.” I let a sad laugh pass my lips as I nod. “I know. A real dick move. My parents were lovely people. If I remember correctly, anyway. I was only five when I lost them.”

He hugs me tighter, and I try not to think about the two years which followed after their death. I can never tell which is worse: the memories of seeing my parents ripped apart in front of me, or the many horrific moments that followed as I tried to survive on the streets for two years as a tiny child.

I roll onto my side, squiggling down so that Kit and I are face to face. I cup his cheek gently, smoothing over his cheekbone with my thumb. “I’m sorry for not talking to you...I’m sorry for judging you based off the fact you are a werewolf, I’m sorry for thinking that you’re anything like that wolf. You’re a million times better.”

He finally smiles, and I am rewarded with another kiss. It’s getting harder and harder to let this man go, and now I really don’t think I want to. I want him to stay with me, but that’s unfair to him. Kit deserves better than the life I could give him at this moment, and I’ll do anything I can to make sure that he gets the wonderful life he deserves.