The King's Prey (Unedited Edition)

Chapter 41 : Fate

Whist • [wist]
To hush or silence; to still; to become silent.

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Mate.

But it isn't me who utters the word. And it isn't me who controls my body as my head peaks over the tree's roots to get a better look at Samuel.

Delphine...?

It's him, is all she says.

My tail begins to unconsciously wag, fueled by her excitement. The feeling makes me ecstatic too as we continue to stare into each other's souls. Sterling had briefly told me about what having a mate is like—what it dumbs down to, at least. But this is far from that. This sensation and energy traveling between me and Samuel—even with the dozens of feet between us—is earth-shattering. Even he becomes thrilled from where he stands.

But I'm forced to break our stare when the rogue who slammed against the tree I'm under begins to awaken. I block out Delphine, regaining control over my body as I pull my head back down. From where I hide, I take in the wolf's scent, allowing me to identify who it might be—a woman, young, and indefinitely someone who will tear me limb from limb.

As she regains her sense of surroundings, her eyes find me before she begins her preying. Her size is equivalent to mine—it wouldn't be hard to take her down, but I already know it would be a battle I would surely lose. I'm already fully aware of my lack of fighting skills.

She releases an unwelcoming growl, pouncing on top of the roots that keep me covered as she stands over my body. Attempting to create a sense of space between me and her, I back into the crevice of the roots until I physically can't anymore. But just as she goes to strike her first attack, it's cut off by a whimper—her own whimper.

Looking over a root, I watch as Samuel tears into her throat, relentlessly ensuring that she's dead. He stops after a few more seconds, growling at her dead carcass before turning back to me, igniting that same, addicting sensation through my veins.

Sprinting through the thick snow towards me, my tail begins to wag again until he slows and sniffs over the entirety of my body, inspecting for any wounds as he shields me from the battle. And once he's sure I'm untouched, he nuzzles his snout into my shoulder and neck, setting my body on fire as our furs touch one another. I unconsciously do the same as he lays next to me, forgetting about the massacre occurring behind him.

Lightning shoots through my bones with every shift of his body against mine. I take in the scent of him—really allow myself to feel it within my lungs and drown in its smell.

It's him. It's really him, Delphine squeals with pure euphoria.

Samuel's our mate? I struggle to comprehend this all—how only months before finding myself here he was the very person I tried to distance myself from. How I learned to loathe him until he slowly began to open up to me—and still then, I hated him for the incessant lies and loss of trust. But now, I can't seem to separate myself from his touch. I can't seem to imagine myself ever leaving his side again.

Delphine pours her exhilarating emotions through my body, proving my question correct without having to say a single word. I release an uneasy breath, finding the air attempting to slip its way out of my chest at how unreal this all is.

But I stay there, snuggling myself deeper into his neck as we relish each other's presence and the electricity flowing between us. Two halves as one. Me and him.

Once he finally raises his head from my fur, his irises that continue to swirl with their various shades of blue—as if he's fighting his own instincts—search mine. But I only stare in awe at the beautiful sight of his eyes, thinking about how I could watch them dance with their different hues forever.