Page 35 of Chained

Worry crossed over her face, and I was intrigued.

“Unless you’re afraid of a small challenge?” I asked, waiting eagerly for her response.

It was the right thing to say.

“I’m afraid of very little,” Zephyrine said boldly, jumping up from her place. “But I won’t require any suits for my training.”

“Well then, I look forward to seeing what you can do,” I chortled, a burst of heat rushing through me at the prospect of wrestling with her.

My pants tightened between my legs as Zephyrine scrambled eagerly to her feet, and I again realized how badly I wanted to possess her.

Soon,I mused.Soon, she will be all mine.

Chapter10

Zephy

Our combat sessions became a daily occurrence, which I looked forward to every morning. They were much more productive than the silly “etiquette” meetings that “Axel” had arranged when I’d first arrived. Moreover, I enjoyed them because I was really getting to know the King on a personal level.

Seeing Cade shift into his wolf form when we fought and danced through the endless courtyards exhilarated me.

Some faeries could shift into other creatures, and all the kings of Mystara carried the blood of a wolf. When I’d first learned this as a child, the thought of marrying a wolf shifter terrified me. And I guess that terror never really subsided, even as I grew into an adult.

But at least I knew what I was dealing with. Cade didn’t know about my unique magic.

I could never have prepared myself for seeing Cade in his wolf form for the first time, which happened during our first combat training session.

I’d watched the transition with pure awe. Slowly, his form seemed to blur, the edges of his silhouette dancing like shadows. My breath caught in my throat as I watched, every fiber of my being tingling with a mixture of fear and wonder. In a matter of moments, the Alpha King of Ironhelm transformed before me, his body elongating and shifting, his features melding into a creature of myth and legend.

The dark gray of his fur glistened like quicksilver in the moon's embrace, and his eyes burned with an ancient, wild intensity. Every line of his beast’s body exuded power and strength, a primal force that sent shivers down my spine. As he stood there, a magnificent and untamed wolf, I could feel his presence resonating through the very air around us.

Every time I saw Cade in his wolf form, I was nearly brought to my knees.

He was much stronger,faster, and more powerful, but I was quickly becoming accustomed to his moves and learned to block and avoid when I couldn’t defend and attack. Then he would learn my defenses and counter them with his moves. We constantly grew and played, the intensity mounting each day.

Sometimes we fought in the rose gardens, bounding through the thorns until I was forced to run and jump higher than I’d ever pushed myself before. Other times, we took to water combat, sparring underwater through the massive pool to challenge each other. I grew to identify his movements both in his fae and shifter forms, but I didn’t show him the extent of my own powers yet. My mother’s warning always crooned in the back of my head, reminding me of the harm I could cause.

“You’re holding back,” he complained a week after we’d started.

“How would you know?” I retorted, diving in to trip him as we pranced about the rock gardens.

My surprise blow landed. Cade tumbled and fell to the grass, rolling and collecting himself immediately, landing on his feet. I blinked, shocked that I had gotten him, but he appeared unperturbed by the hit.

“Call it instinct,” he replied. “Why don’t you show me what you can do?”

I couldn’t deny that Cade was growing on me more every day, but to trust him with a secret that only my parents and Maywin had known for twenty-one years was not an easy feat—especially when Cade still hadn’t committed to a date for the wedding yet.

I offered him a smile and downed him again, causing him to laugh. “I’m more concerned with my big public appearance this weekend,” I informed him, changing the subject. “Do you think I’m ready for the gala?”

Cade lowered his guard, dropping his arms and righting his stance. I stood straight, our sparring paused for a moment as he brushed bits of grass and straw off my clothing. Again, his nearness and subtle but masculine scent sent shivers through me from head to toe. He hadn’t shifted into his wolf form that day, which meant he was still fully clothed, but I had seen what his body looked like beneath the expensive clothing now, the shifts always leaving him nude and vulnerable. I was glad he wasn’t naked in front of me now, or else I wouldn’t have had the courage to admit my own insecurities.

“You are going to win over their hearts the same way you’ve won over mine, Zephy,” he promised me. My chest swelled as I read the sincerity in his eyes. “You just need to be yourself and speak from your heart.”

“I don’t know any other way to speak,” I admitted.

He laughed. “Isn’t that the truth?”

I cocked my head to the side. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

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