The Beast And The Blessed

Twenty-One: Natalie

Natalie’s P.O.V.

Never once did he let me go that night. He *me in every way possible, making sure to keep my heat at bay. The mixture of soft, loving, and hard, dominating touches had me curious about what he would be like when he wasn’t holding himself back.

*had scraped his teeth against my neck countless times during the night, and my breathing would stop as his tense body held very still atop mine. I wanted him to mark me. It would not only solidify my. place in the kingdom, but it would confirm my place in *life. I wouldn’t have to question what I was to him. I would officially be his mate. I would be his queen.

I had also hoped that it would help trigger my shift.

But he never bit down. He never placed his claim.

I moaned as he pulled out of me, *before laying on top of me. The morning sun had just begun to rise, illuminating the room in a soft glow. I could feel my body returning back to normal. I was exhausted, but the heat was gone.

*rolled off me and onto his back, one hand on his stomach while the other held his forehead.

I didn’t like the way that he had *down. What had been the best night of my life seemed to be one that he regretted deeply. His jaw was clenched *, and the hand over his abdomen was in a tight fist.

on top of his fist. He jerked away from me quickly, dropping his arm to the bed on the other side of his body. I looked up at his face to see the cold mask had been restored. Only this time, there

answered anyway with a nod of my head. He stood from the bed without looking

He was right, of course. The king is always right. It was his bed, his room, his kingdom. I was just the

Yet, not once did he *in me last night. It told me that it wasn’t part of his true intentions. He never meant

even without a mark. I was *to ever

was no one. When I died for him, he would be just fine to go about his merry way and find a new mate. A true mate, whether

walked into the bathroom without sparing me a single glance, closing the door behind

he was probably feeling good about himself, having helped the poor

he should have just let

way he kissed me, held me close to him,

entire night with no talking and kept any intimacy out of it. Now I was stuck with

felt cheap

No shifting. No mate.

when this war would happen, but based on the recent murder of one of the guards, it was going to be soon. Without being mated to a wolf or having shifted myself,