Chapter 7: 7: Chapter 7

LEAH

I wake up refreshed the next day as I bounce out of bed. I only have a few minutes before I am to meet Maria for our breakfast. I pick out a pair of black jeans and a white T-shirt to wear. Before leaving the bedroom, I decide to walk over to the dressing table. My gaze travels across the surface in search of my pearl earrings that I have placed there the night before.

They are gone without a trace.

I crouch down and look under the table, just in case they’ve fallen to the floor, but they’re gone. I frown and think of remembering to ask Ares if he moved them when he got ready this morning.

I braid my hair and apply a light blush to my cheeks. When I feel ready, I head for the bedroom door. I put my hand on the handle and listen to the sounds outside. I hear two different heartbeats. I meet John’s gaze as I step out of the bedroom, next to him is a young woman who immediately bows when she sees me.

“Your Majesty,” she whispers before hurrying away. I raise my eyebrows questioningly at John, who shrugs.

“She claims to be your new handmaid, but I tried to inform her that you don’t want anyone.”

“That’s right, I can do without a handmaid. What was her name?”

“Olivia. She has worked here for a long time, but in the kitchen with Jeremy and Rocco.”

“She seems nice, but I don’t need anyone as I said,” I say as I start walking down the hallway toward the breakfast room.

“What’s on your agenda today, Your Majesty?” John walks close beside me.

“First, breakfast with Maria and then we’ll see… Did you stand outside our bedroom door all night?” I stop outside the hall door.

“No, when the king joins you in your bedroom, I go to my quarters.”

I blush slightly at the thought of John standing outside our door and hearing every conceivable noise that might come from our room late at night. Without meeting his gaze, I enter the breakfast room and greet Maria, who is already sitting at the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I see John standing at the exit with his back leaning against the wall.

“Hi! How is my best friend feeling and how is my godson?” I smile big at her as I sit in the chair beside her.

“We’re fine,” she replies before taking a big bite of her sandwich. “Just hungry.”

We are each served a plate full of food and we sit there for a long time together. She talks about the negative sides of being pregnant but also about the positive ones and how she is looking forward to becoming a mother even if it feels scary. I don’t tell her that Ares and I have started having unprotected sex, but instead, I say that we are thinking about it. Throughout the conversation, I feel John’s gaze burning in my neck, and I do my best to avoid his stare.

I hug Maria for a long time before we say goodbye to each other, and I stand for a moment to watch her as she walks toward her room.

I can feel from the atmosphere of the room that John is annoyed, but I have no idea why. When I turn to meet his gaze, he looks the other way.

“John?” I ask.

“Hmm?” he replies without meeting my gaze.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His tone is dark and so is his gaze.

I bite my cheek. I’ve done something that has made him upset, but what? Sia is restless inside me, it’s been a long time since she’s had a good run.

Without saying anything, I turn around and leave the breakfast room. As I walk toward the ground floor, a thought passes that maybe I should let Ares know that I’m going for a run. I shake it off, reasoning that I can take care of myself, and if John wants to sulk without telling me why, he can try to keep up with me.

I understand that it’s passive-aggressive, but I can’t be reasonable right now. Of course, I will not run outside the castle walls, I’m not that stupid.

***

The warm rays of the sun hit my skin and I turn my face upwards toward the sky. It is a nice and unusually warm autumn day, perfect for a run. Without turning to John, I throw myself out over the steps and shift midair. My clothes are torn into a thousand pieces, and I hear John screaming my name as I push away across the castle garden. Sia is excited to stretch her legs so we focus all our energy on running as fast as we can. I feel that John is after me, but I have a good head start so he is having trouble catching up to me.

The wind scours through my fur and I’m enjoying the immense feeling of freedom that a run provides. Slowly, I hear John catch up, but I refuse to give up. I run out to the edge of the forest and in behind the trees, effectively zigzagging between the thick tree trunks.

~“Your Majesty, what are you doing?!”~ John’s voice echoes within me.

~“Going for a run, what else?”~ I scoff at his stupid question before jumping over a large boulder.

~“These are uncertain times and especially not safe for a queen to run around, stop right away!”~

I scoff once more at his attempt to give me an order. It may be too cocky, but I feel strong and filled with the euphoria of being able to run freely.

When I realize that he is approaching faster than I predicted, I stop abruptly, my paws braking so sharply that the dirt sprays in all directions. John does the same and he’s seconds away from crashing into me before I jump to the side. Our wolves stare at each other, his former light blue eyes are now pitch black as we circle each other.

~“What’s your problem, John?”~ I ask angrily.

~“You are my problem!”~ he exclaims back just as angrily, and I am surprised by the unexpected answer. I see the battle within him as his wolf wants to take over completely so that John doesn’t insult his queen further. But I appreciate the sincerity, so I continue.

~“What have I done to you, that makes you this upset with me?!”~

John growls and bares his teeth. ~“Let it go. We have to go back now.”~

~“No, tell me, I demand it as your queen!”~ I order with as much authority as I can admonish.

He lets go of me with his gaze and walks around in his own circles. Just as I hear him start talking, he is interrupted by Ares’s voice.

~“Leah, come to my office right away.”~

~“Saved by the bell.”~ I snort at John before I start running back. We run back in silence, and I feel him keeping a greater distance from me than he usually does.

At the castle, I am met by some servants who place a long silk robe over my body after I have shifted back to my human form. Without caring if John has time to change himself, I walk into the castle and toward Ares’s office.

Quickly I close the door behind me and sit down on one of the chairs opposite his large desk.

“Where have you been?” His tone is short, and his gaze black. “You know I don’t like it when you’re out running without me.”

“I know, but I did it and it went well, okay?” I’m tired of being treated like someone who can’t take care of herself. “John is acting like he has a stick up his ass, can we replace him with someone else if I must have a bodyguard all the time?”

Ares raises his eyebrows. “What has he done now?”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m tired of having someone following me all the time!”

“Sorry, Leah, he’s my best warrior, he will remain as your bodyguard. But I can give him a few days off and ask Zeke to return temporarily?”

“Gladly,” I sigh before leaning back in the armchair. I was tired, mentally, and physically after this day. “What was it you wanted?”

“I wanted to see you, I haven’t seen you all day…and I felt that you were not in the castle, and it drove Zeus crazy.”

I smile slyly and cross my legs so that the silk robe slides to the side, exposing my bare thighs. Ares’s gaze quickly lands on the bare skin and his eyes darken instantly.

“Have you seen my pearl earrings? They were on my dressing table last night, but I couldn’t find them this morning,” I ask as I start playing with a lock of hair between my fingers. His gaze follows my movements.

“No, I don’t touch anything on that table…,” he replies in a dark and dangerous voice. Slowly I get up and walk toward the window, his gaze sending sparks all over my body.

“Have you missed me today?” I whisper seductively as I turn around and lean my back against the wall next to the window.

A muffled growl escapes him as he stands up. He walks up to me with great strides and pushes me up against the wall.

“Every second I’m away from you is torture,” he whispers hoarsely before placing kisses on my neck.

“Show me how much you’ve missed me,” I whisper almost inaudibly, groaning loudly as he lifts my legs up, so they straddle him. Our lips meet as we kiss each other hungrily.