The Alpha King's Mate novel Chapter 21

"Give me a second. I just need to fetch my clothes," I tell her running to where I left my tunic, breeches and

boots. I retrieve my clothes and dress quickly, hurriedly pulling each boot onto each foot before sprinting back to her cave.

Thousands of glow worms illuminate the cave inside. It is quite beautiful.

I make my way through the cave until I spot Maia, a fox and a basket on top of a tree stump, being used as a table. On the ground not far from this is a makeshift bed with a straw-filled pillow and a wool blanket. Daylight shines through a square hole in the cave wall, and water cascades over it outside. It's the waterfall that runs into the pool we just bathed in.

Maia moves to her bed and lies down flat on her back, on top of the blanket. Her fox cuddles in the curve of her waist beside her.

I lie next to her, and she lifts her head and instinctively rests it on my chest. She turns onto her side and moves closer to me, so our bodies are pressed together, and I wrap my free arm around her tightly. No words at this moment are needed. I have been dreaming of this for a very long time. I smell her hair and bask in the scent of violets and honey, and we fall asleep.

The next morning, when I wake, we are in the same position. Ember is licking my face. I scratch him between the ears, and he makes a sound similar to a cat purring, but almost a chuckle.

Maia stirs. I let her roll from her side onto her back. She gently pushes Ember away, and with her eyes closed, she speaks.

"Ember. Don't wake me. I'm so warm and comfy. I'm going to stay like this forever," she says dreamily.

Her eyes flit open, and she stares at the cave's ceiling before turning her head and looking into my eyes.

We're breathing in tandem, and she knows we both know this.

"Good morning," I say, smiling, and she returns the smile.

"You are still here?" She asks.

"I'm your mate," I say softly and calmly.

"I'm not a werewolf, though. Only werewolves have mates," she says, rubbing her eyes.

"Untrue. Any species can have a mate. Love is universal," I say, taking her hand and placing it on my chest over my heart so she can feel my heart beating for her. Maia keeps her hand where it is and ponders what I've just said.

"I know what you are, Maia," I tell her, kissing her fingers. She smiles at the sensation.

"What do you mean you know what I am?" She asks.

"You're the one in the stories... you're the Forest Princess," I tell her assuredly and smile.

"Oh. I know that," she says.

"I know much about you. Hundreds of years ago, it wasn't just humans on these lands. There were also orcs, witches, vampires, fae, sprites and mages. You're a

"Why are you so frightened of me, Maia? What makes you think werewolves are evil?" I ask her.

"The humans said your kind do awful things. I heard many stories. The worst one: how you rip children apart in front of their mothers and eat them," she says.

I place my hands on her face, and she flinches out of fear and from the sexual energy between us.

"Maia, please look at me," I gently plead with her. "I told you I would never harm you, and I mean it. What you heard isn't true," I tell her earnestly. She holds my wrists in her hands and looks at me.

"It's not true?" She asks, her walls lowering as she begins to trust me.

"We would never harm anyone unless we had to. But, even then, we don't enjoy it," I explain.

"I'm sorry. I thought--" she mumbles.

"It's okay," I say, smiling at her.

"What happens now?" She asks apprehensively.

"I know you don't want to come home with me yet, so maybe I can stay here a little while, and we can spend some time getting to know each other?"