Nathaniel walked through the hallways, his eyes dark with suppressed anger. The servants passing by glued themselves to the wall and scurried away, afraid to get on his bad side.
His fingers ached as his claws slowly protruded, he wanted nothing more than to sink his claws into someone's chest and squeeze their heart out.
Still, he kept a calm exterior, one that hid all his emotions.
He walked with no destination in mind. As a result of avoiding Hilda, he had immersed himself in his work that now he had nothing left to do. Today wasn't a council meeting, so he had no meeting to oversee, which in hindsight was good, as he wanted to avoid the council elders from badgering him about an heir.
On days like this, he would go training with his soldiers, but he didn't want to unleash all this fury on his shoulders. One of them got badly injured the last time.
His wolf was restless.
At that moment, Hilda appeared from an adjoining hallway, causing him to halt in his steps.
His lips pressed into a thin line, and he forced his lips to curl into a smile.
"Hilda," Nathaniel spoke softly. He felt guilty, it wasn't her fault that he had two mates, and his wolf was more eager for their new mate. Not that he was ever eager towards Hilda.
"You have been avoiding me," Hilda stated with a sad smile. "I haven't seen you since you told me, Althea was your mate."
Nathaniel folded his hands behind his back and nodded. "I've been trying to figure things out. You know my rule. I can't have more than one wife."
Hilda pursed her lips, she was slightly happy he still stood firm on that decision. All she had to do now was make sure she was the 'one wife'. "Althea, reject her and send her back to her kingdom. That'll make it easier for all of us."
Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, deep in thought, and began walking. Hilda quickly fell into step.
After a while, Nathaniel spoke. "I can't."
Hilda's heart sank to her arse. "What?"
"I can't reject Althea."
Hilda halted her steps, a hundred and one thoughts running through her mind.
She looked ahead and saw that Nathaniel had taken a corner and she ran to meet up with him.
He was headed to his chambers deep inside the Pack castle, where he often went when he needed to think critically. No one was permitted to go in there but as Hilda was his mate, she had gone there a few times.
She walked next to him as he pushed open the twin doors of his chambers, revealing his big room.
Long thick burgundy velvet curtains were draped to cover the window, and a king-sized bed was in the middle of the room. A royal couch area and a long shelf of books ran along the room.
Nathaniel stepped in a Hilda closed the doors.
"Please leave," Nathaniel ordered calmly but Hilda was not about to do that.
"You could always make her your concubine, couldn't you?" Hilda stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
Nathaniel pressed his temples, a familiar headache coming. He walked past her and walked to the couch area that faced the door. He then took a seat at the very one opposite the door, his thick robes sprawled out.
"I don't want you to take another wife, Nath, I want to be the only woman in your life." Hilda sat down next to him, one hand on his, while the other hand fumbled with his pants.
Zak, Nathaniel's wolf had gone back to his abyss, which was the back of his mind. Nathaniel felt uncomfortable but with his wolf absent, he didn't feel that bubbling irritation and just let Hilda be.
"Why not make her a concubine? Huh?" Hilda's voice turned softer, almost a whisper.
Nathaniel hissed when his dick sprang out of his loosened breech. Hilda ran her hand up and down his shaft, maintaining eye contact with him.
"Not now, Hilda." Nathaniel softly swatted her hand away from his manhood and tried to put it back into his breech, but Hilda quickly returned her hand.
"Then when…" she whispered sultrily close to his ear, her breath tingling his neck.
Hilda was very good at seduction. Often at times, it made Nathaniel wonder if he truly was the only man she had been with.
"So much is going on, when this is all over, I'll visit your room." Nathaniel dismissed and put his cock back in his breech.
Hilda didn't move. She lowered her head and fidgeted with her hands on her lap. Her shoulders then suddenly shook and her tears fell into her hands.
Nathaniel quickly noticed. He drew closer to her and wrapped one hand around her shoulder, drawing her closer to him.
Hilda let her tears fall freely and made sure Nathaniel saw them. "I'm having a hard time Nath. I can't share you with anyone." She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and reached for his face. "Lately, you haven't been giving me enough attention. Heck, you barely do. I want to be the only person you see Nath." Hilda sobbed, her tears rolling down her cheeks, relentlessly.
Nathaniel frowned, his heart heavy with guilt. A memory surfaced. One where he saw his mother kneeling and begging for his father's affection.
He gritted his teeth, the memory weighing heavily on him, keeping him grounded. He didn't want to be like his father. He refused to turn another woman into what his father had made of his mother.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm really sorry." Hilda was innocent in all of this, and he knew he needed to uncover the truth before everything spun completely out of his control.
Suddenly, Hilda climbed on top of him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
The gown she wore was light, making her movements seamless. She came prepared.
"Let's forget everything and get lost in ourselves." She whispered, seductively holding his gaze. The pain in her eyes was now replaced with desire. She slowly moved her hips against his shaft, placing small kisses against his neck.
Nathaniel pursed his lips. He understood how she must be feeling, and not wanting to add to her turmoil, he gave in and reciprocated.
Their lips collided in a ferocious kiss, raw and unrestrained. Hilda pressed herself closer, leaning into him as if trying to erase the space between them. A soft moan escaped her mouth, muffled against his lips.
Despite Althea, running through his mind, he tried to shut her out and focus on his first mate.
His hand instinctively cupped the side of her face, Her fingers curled into his shirt, clutching him like he was the only solid thing keeping her steady.
Nathaniel tore the top of the gown. She was not wearing her binding clothes and her breast came out in full display.
She really came prepared.
He played with her nipples, sucking on one while his fingers flicked the other.
Hilda moaned softly, her hands gripping his shoulders as she moved against his shaft, riding him harder in search of more pleasure.
She reached her hand into his breech and saw he was nowhere near hard.
She came down from him and knelt, pulling his penis out of his breech.
Nathaniel shifted into a more comfortable position, a grunt escaping his throat as Hilda's lips closed around him, taking him in. He tried to focus, to let himself surrender to the pleasure, and slowly, he did. It had been months since he last had real intimacy. Finding a true connection with Hilda had always been difficult, but tonight he was determined to bridge that gap.
A low growl rumbled from his chest when she pushed herself deeper, her throat tightening around his shaft. His hand tangled firmly in her hair, guiding her rhythm as her head moved up and down.
His body was finally responding, and his penis was slowly getting harder.
Just when he was finally giving in, finally losing himself in the rising wave—
The doors to his chamber swung open.