The Beast And The Blessed

Twenty-Three: Natalie

Natalie’s P.O.V.

Their low talking could be heard as I rounded the corner, and I felt my stomach tie into a knot as Killian and Princess Charlotte stood waiting for me. I was late, and it was not welcomed based on Killian’s look of disappointment.

My nerves about meeting his sister somehow managed to surpass my anxiety about meeting the king himself. While I was terrified of him for his well-known history of murder and aggression, the stories of her made her all the more fearsome. When her brother took the throne, she took to mercenary work.

The stories of her slaying dragons, sirens, and banshees were known across the world. She was a warrior.

“Here she is now,” Killian said, but the way his eyes narrowed told me that I would be hearing about my late arrival later. “Natalie, this is my sister, Charlotte.”

The young woman turned to face me, and my jaw dropped at the stunning princess. Her hair was a light. brown that fell into perfectly styled ringlets. The bright green of her eyes made what portraits I had seen. of her mother seem dull.

“Please, call me Charlie.” She said as she extended her arm toward me. I moved forward, expecting a dainty shake suitable for a member of the royal family. Instead, I was met with a slightly calloused palm and a firm shake as if we were conducting a business transaction. “I’m really happy Killian found you! He needs someone to knock some sense into him every now and then.”

Oh, I wanted to knock some sense into him alright. But I would start with the long overdue fight we needed to have.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Your Highness,” I said, curtseying to the princess with respect. When I looked up, she was staring at me with her eyebrows together in confusion, and her eyes locked on my neck.

She hummed in response before looking to her brother with a raised eyebrow, but he shook his head and gestured toward the table.

“Ladies,” He said as he pulled out his sister’s seat before moving toward mine. I grabbed the back of my chair and dragged it away from the table before taking a seat, making sure to tuck it back in before he could get a single finger on it. He had never pulled my chair out for me before. Why put on a show for his sister?

The look of amusement Charlie sent me made me blush, but I held my head high as the servants came forward and placed the first course in front of us. It was not lost on me that the guards had been stationed outside the room for our privacy, and Charlie waited until the servants left before speaking.

“So Natalie, I hear you have been impressing the pack with your training. From what I’ve gathered you are a quick study.” Charlie said as she took a large and improper bite of her roll. “I would love to train with you. while I’m here.”

I reached for my glass of water and took a sip as I swallowed my bite before responding, placing my hands back in my lap. “Thank you, your highness. I have heard the stories of your adventures and would also love to know more about them.”

Killian continued to stare at me as if I were a side attraction at a circus, but I refused to look his way. He wanted me to act as if I were his mate, but he did not want me to actually fill the position.

“I have plenty to share. From what I understand, my team and I will have new stories before we leave here. Rumor has it that there has been an attack, and we have come to join the guard.” Her declaration of wanting to fight against the vampires made me feel relieved, but Killian’s head snapped over with anger.

Charlle raised her palm in his direction and cut him off before he could protest. “No need to argue with me, brother. We are more than capable of fighting off a few measly bloodsuckers”

Killian opened his *to speak but stopped short as his eyes turned black. I knew someone was contacting him through their pack link, and I rolled my eyes as I returned back to my food. That was one good thing about not shifting. I wouldn’t need to worry about people interrupting me constantly.

“I see some things never change,” Charlie muttered, and I could see her annoyance as Killian placed his fork back down. “I haven’t seen you in months, and you can’t even spend a dinner with me to reunite without working.”

‘Charlie, you know that I missed you, but this is my job. You of all people should understand. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I will be right back. Something urgent has come up, but it should only take a minute.” He said as he rose to his feet. I did the same out of respect for his title, but Charlie leaned back against her chair as she glared up at him. Killian moved toward the door, stopping behind me for a quick moment, but I didn’t bother to turn around as he whispered, “Be good.”

His quiet warning was easily heard by his sister, and I watched as her interest peaked even further. As soon as the door *behind Killian, I took my seat, aware of the scrutinizing gaze of the princess.

“He said he found you weeks ago. Yet, you bare no mark.” She observed, falling silent as the servants entered the room again with the next course. She gestured with her finger for them to place Killian’s food down before swiping one of the fingerling potatoes from his plate as the staff made their way toward the door.

“That is correct, your highness,” I said as I began to cut into my steak. If Killian wanted me to be good, then I would do my best to abide by his rules.

“Please, just call me Charlie. We’re family now.” She insisted as she took a sip of her wine.

“That doesn’t seem appropriate given my position,” I said, placing another bite of my dinner in my *and chewing slowly. No matter how many meals I had in the castle, the quality of the food managed to astonish me each time.

“You are my brother’s mate, the next queen. Your position is soon to be above mine.” She said as she dipped her roll in the juice from her steak. “You have no idea how good this is after living off of jerky and berries for the past month.”

think there has been a miscommunication,” I said as I set my fork down and looked up at the princess,

her eyes. “Tell me what it

lips together as I debated revealing the truth. But who was I to withhold information from the Princess? She demanded that I explain, and Killian wanted me to ‘

your brother and brought here. against my will. He has made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me, and if his witch’s vision is correct, I will be dead soon, and he will go on to live another day to choose another

my heat-induced deliria made the reality of it sink in. For the past few days, I had been going back and forth between denial, false acceptance, and anger. But now that I had said the words,

his stride as he approached the table to see my defeat and

didn’t bother to stand for him this time. My energy was gone. “I would like to

was taken aback by her gesture but felt my heart warm that maybe she wasn’t like her brother. “We will catch up

in agreement, knowing it was more of a demand than an

yell before the door was fully

wrong with you,

me, but the burning between my legs made me press my thighs together. The

to ease the pain and discomfort. But having him holding my head back and his lips brushing against mine ruined the option for me.

to have him between my legs, whether

tongue. gently

his. My hair fell loose around my shoulders as he took the hair tie off of my bun. His hold on me seemed to grow tighter, yet as he slid his palm down from his grip on the back

whimper into his *as I felt him press his hardness against my

back as I looked up at the man who had saved me from the miserable life that I had before. My nails dug into

uncomfortable. His hands slid around, gripping my *tightly as he lifted me from the ground and settled himself between my legs. The feeling of his large shaft against my *was incredible, and as I held

more sensitive and needy than ever

formed over my body as I pulled my hips back,

a growl that made my clit pulse with need. I wanted to cry when he pulled me away from him, flipping

his claws digging into my hips as he lifted them until I was on my hands and knees, the pain only adding to the

cried out, pushing myself

once more before guiding himself into me in one deep and long thrust, making my back arch as I dropped my face down onto the mattress with a

was followed by him slamming into me

fists, gripping the sheets for dear life as I tried to

its normal

me. I slid my

my *made my fingers slide easily against my clit. I let out

heat began to return, and I gasped in surprise as his hand ran over my breast and up to my

eyes rolled to the back of my head as he tightened his hold on my neck ever so slightly before following my arm between my legs. His fingers laced through mine as he gently pulled my hand away

stronger than

holding himself as deep as he could. The small movements brought even less relief than before, and I ground

away, removing himself from my

The feeling of his large *inside me was euphoric, and I clenched

desperately craving was only a few strokes away. My toes curled in anticipation just before I reached my high, moaning out

hands were gripping my hips so tightly that they would leave. bruises, the low growl that seemed to constantly rumble from his chest, and the slow but forceful

more than to indulge

he could, his fingers still playing with my clit as he paused the thrusting of his hips.

would come back. The heat would not leave until the full moon did.

It only meant that it would be gone for now. It

against the sheet as I

he grabbed my hair

flush in my cheeks, and the way my eyes

as he released my hair and pulled out of me simultaneously. The sound of him leaving

I pushed myself up on the palms of my hands as I turned to look over my shoulder at

between my legs with hunger, his glowing red eyes locked on my *as he gripped my thighs before flipping me over. I bounced once