The Beast And The Blessed by Ashley Breanne
Chapter 15
Natalie’s P.O.V.
I had never woken up to Killian being in bed with me before. He had always been an early riser. He would come to bed late at night and be gone before I opened my eyes.
This morning was different. Maybe it was because he didn’t get any sleep the night before, or maybe it was because he knew I was still mad at him. But as I woke up with my head on his bare chest, his hand started running up and down my spine.
I turned my head, placing my chin against his peck as I looked up at him. He refused to meet my stare and instead, kept his gaze on the ceiling. I smiled with my lips pressed together to save him from my morning breath as I scanned over his features.
The way his eyes and jaw were relaxed made me happy, and my cheek slid across his chest as I turned back and closed my eyes again. I wasn’t going to fall back asleep. I just wanted to enjoy this moment of peace before things went back to normal, with him hating my existence and me feeling so alone in the crowded castle.
The silence didn’t last long as Joselin’s familiar knock sounded through the room. Killian tensed beneath me, and my arm instinctively wrapped a little tighter around his waist. He was the king. If he wanted to stay here with me, he had the power to tell her to go away.
I held my breath as I felt his hand stop moving, and I tried not to vocalize my disappointment as he sat up, forcing me to lift myself off his chest.
Within a minute, he was dressed and out of the room, leaving the door open and Joselin standing in the opening as he brushed by her. He didn’t say a single word to me before he left, but it was his actions last night and this morning that made me feel like I was on top of the world. 1
“You look happy,” Joselin said as she entered the room and made her way to the closet. ‘Did he actually apologize?”
I laughed to myself as she tossed some workout clothes at me. “In his way, I think he did.”
Her white eyes widened as she placed her hands on her hips. “Seriously? You got him to apologize?” Her head turned as she noticed all the pillows on the floor, and her mouth dropped open with disgust. “Oh, gross!”
I could still feel his fingers running up and down my spine, and I let my head fall back against the mattress. She didn’t need to know that we hadn’t done anything. Even if we had, it was none of her business. That was between him and me.
“I’ll meet you in the gym in a few minutes, Joselin,” I said as I pulled the blanket back and got out of bed. She wasted no time going back to the hallway to flirt with Tobias, closing the door behind her.
I glanced at the pillows before picking them up and placing them back in their proper place at the head of the bed.
Things weren’t great between US, but he put in an effort. Even if it was as small as just staying in bed with me this morning, it was a step in the right direction. I couldn’t have been happier.
Joselin still kicked my a*s*s as we began training, but I felt stronger than before. When he entered the room an hour later, everyone seemed to stop what they were doing. His presence commanded the entire pack without a single word, and it wasn’t until he sat off to the side that we all resumed.
I smiled, lifting my hand and waving at him, but he didn’t respond. He had never come down here before, and having him watch me work out made me blush with embarra*s*sment. The way his eyes burned into me, made me second guess whether he was trying to decide if he still wanted me here or if he wanted to send me back.
There was also a small part of my mind that had me feeling the same way I did the night of my first pack dinner when he had his hand on my thigh. It was exhilarating.
Every hit I threw at Joselin, and every dodge, was more fluid than before. Each strike was also harder as I gave every bit of my energy into my sparring session. Each time I glanced up, his eyes were still on me, and I would push myself further.
Joselin smirked at me knowingly, but I brushed her off. She could report back to her boss later. Right now, I wanted him to see me kick a*s*s. If he could just see for himself that I was already stronger than when I got here, then maybe it would help to win him over. Maybe then he would be able to respect me.
I spun around with a kick aimed at Joselin’s side, taking her down quickly. The small cheer I let out was unintentional. The room went silent, and my arms dropped as I spun around to see if Killian had witnessed my first victory against the witch. My eyes landed on his back as he rushed out of the room, and all of my energy drained as he left without a word or a single glance back.
“I’m sure it was something big to make him leave like that,” Joselin said as she moved up to my side. “He couldn’t take his eyes off you the entire time he was in here. I can’t imagine he would leave in such a hurry without good reason.”
I shrugged as I turned back to her. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go again.”
Even I could hear the defeat in my voice. I took a few steps back and lifted my hands toward Joselin, encouraging her to make the first move. “I think we are done for the day.”
“I can keep going!” I insisted, launching at Joselin in the emotion-driven way she had scolded me for countless times before. She swung around, taking me to the ground in one swift move. My back slammed into the mat, and I let out a groan as she stood over me.
“We are done for the day, your highness. We can pick this back up tomorrow.” She insisted as she gestured to Tobias to approach. He moved away from the wall he was on and came forward slowly like I was a scared, injured animal.
I wanted to growl in frustration but settled for clenching my hands into fists. She was cutting my training short by almost two hours. Without this, I was just going to go back to my room and wait for the next meal. I had nothing else to do and no one else to spend time with. The first few days, I had spent my time exploring, but it grew tiresome, and I knew it was frustrating the staff.
Every time I entered a room, everyone would stop what they were doing to bow or curtsey. They then waited until I left to resume their activities. I had even tried sitting in one of the rooms with other people, and the silence was deafening. After only a few minutes, I gave up and left, hearing them all start talking as soon as I passed the doorway.
Killian surely didn’t want me in his office. Joselin made herself scarce with her other work when she would get done with our training, and Tobias stood behind me silently at all times.
The wolves around US all started whispering and talking animatedly, but my human hearing could not pick up what they were saying. It was the looks of panic and anger that had me moving closer to Tobias on my own.
“Sorry, your highness. Until we have more information on the situation, we need to get you to safety.” Joselin’s hand shot out, gripping my forearm tightly. I gasped in pain, trying to pull away, but the room around me swirled, and I felt like the air was being sucked out of my lungs.
The familiar walls of my bedroom spun around me as Joselin released my arm, sending me to the floor as I failed to gain my equilibrium. My words of protest
were caught in my throat as I began to heave. I scrambled toward the bathroom, making it just far enough that I could be sick in the sink.