Chapter 11: Chapter 11

A day off seemed to be a luxury that all soldiers seem to understand very well. Everyone was idling around in the fields, basically just enjoying the sun without the sweat and muscle aches. Katana yawned with her eyes closed as she preferred not to be around the men.

Several months have gone by with them training and Katana had quickly climbed the ranks. Her hair has grown down to her shoulders now, but no one seemed to have noticed yet that she was a girl. She knew she will have to cut it soon, but she barely has any time. She has become Kieran’s favorite - not in a good sense. He has been torturing her mentally, physically, and emotionally. She wanted to stomp her feet and scream at the top of her lungs that she was his mate and she was a girl. After announcing her secret, she thought about the many dirty things she wanted to do to him.

This was bad. The bond was getting so strong; she couldn’t resist him even if she tried. If he was nearby, she would shudder, even before she sees him.

She was bad.

But...

For the time being, she was glad to have the day off and away from all the male hormones - not to mention her hot and sexy mate. She sighed and tilted her chin slightly to the sun. The sound of the river running nearby and nature’s animals could be heard softly.

She was about ten miles out from the barracks - quite a ways, but she wanted to make sure she was alone. Flipping onto her back, she bared her naked back to the sun. Sunbathing naked was a guilty pleasure of Katana’s and although people might find doing it in the woods is quite silly, she quite enjoyed the music of the birds and how the sun felt on her skin.

She told herself only a few hours. She just needed to clear her mind about her mate and the world around her. For those few hours, she wanted to feel like a woman again without anyone finding out. Was it bad that she felt this way? No one would understand it, because no one had ever attempted her idiocy in becoming a man.

She was so deep in thought, she didn’t hear the soft footsteps coming her way until it was too late. Her eyes flew open at the sound of a branch snapping. Grabbing onto her shirt, she clutched it to her chest and evaluated her surroundings.

Did someone come looking for her?

Did she stay out too long?

Oh god, she was in a very bad situation with her complete nakedness exposed to nature. It could be anything! When she saw no one in sight, she quickly donned her chest wrap to tightly wrap her full breasts and then threw on her shirt. She scrambled to her feet and pulled on her panties, just in time as a bunny emerged from the woods into the clear opening.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a bunny. Harmless animal.

She pulled on her black panties and a pair of jeans before bending down to pick up her blanket to fold. She learned her lesson. Never lay outside naked again.

She had just finished cleaning up her stuff and was about to leave when she heard something again, but this time a figure appeared.

“Kieran.” She breathed a little shocked. Her breathing was irregular and her heart was racing unsteadily in her chest.

Kieran’s amber colored eyes trailed her body from head to toe. She gave an involuntarily shiver when his gaze met hers and they were dark with need. It was a day off and he was still dressed in his army green shirt and khaki pants.

“W-what are you doing here?” She muttered as she inched closer to a nearby bush.

He took a predatory step towards her. Her eyes dropped down to his small movement, but her thoughts were too slow and in a blink of an eye he was in front of her. His arms wrapped around her waist, trapping her body against his.

“Ah, well, hello there mate.” He teased as his nose trailed up her jawline.

“W-what are you doing?” She asked again.

“Smelling you.” He chuckled.

This is exactly what she was talking about. Lately, Kieran has been all hands-y and it didn’t help that she was given the duty to clean only his stuff, because she was constantly around him. Her breath hitched when his nose ran across her pulse.

“W-why?” She stuttered.

He chuckled again. “Do you want to know something?”

She struggled to listen to what he was saying. He continued without waiting for her answer.

“You smell like a girl, but how can that be? You are a man.” He growled the last part and nipped at her neck. She gasped slightly from the shock ripples running through her blood. It was like the heat doubled in folds in her veins. The blood was pumping so fast that she could barely breathe.

“Your nose must not be working well. You might have a cold.” She reasoned.

He chuckled darkly. “Oh, I can smell you just fine.”

He pulled back to look at her. His hands spanned the curve of her back that was establishing a pleasurable heat through her shirt to her skin.

“Why do you always touch me?” She questioned. “I-I thought you wanted to go slow.”

“It’s been months, " He stated, but his eyes held a look that made my stomach flip and not in a good way. It was almost as if he was asking for something else.

“Besides, I like touching you.” He blinked and the look disappeared. He shrugged after and looked back up at her and in its place was a playful look. “Also, you’re mine to touch.”

She pushed against his chest to break their close proximity and then ran behind a bush. He shot her a ‘drop your panty’ smirk and she felt a tug at her core. This was why she needed to get away. Their bond was getting too much and it was taking over most of their actions. The will to resist was slowly diminishing and the call for mating was pressing on their walls, like water pushing through a dam.

“Well, I happen to think you shouldn’t be touching me. You are my superior. I am your soldier. People will take notice and start assum-”

He shrugged. “Let them assume.”

She snapped her mouth shut before rolling her eyes and stomping away from him. She heard him follow her.

“Stop following me.” She ordered.

Kieran appeared in front of her, blocking her from going in the direction she was going. He moved to cup her cheeks and gone was the playfulness in his eyes. He held a serious look and there was a tender and understanding look in his eyes that broke her heart. It was tearing down the walls she built up to keep her secrets safe.

“I know this isn’t the right time.” He said softly. “If I could choose the time and place to meet you it wouldn’t be here, but at the same time I am glad it was, because it brought me you. I just wanted to let you know that you can trust me to protect you.” He whispered, just so that they are the only ones who can hear it.

Her mind and her heart were in a battle inside of her. Every part of her screamed for her to shout out at the top of her lungs that she was a woman and had done something illegal that could be punishable by death, but each time she wanted to say something her mind was there to stop her.

He brought his forehead down to hers. “Kenneth.”

The name sounded wrong. It wasn’t her name and suddenly, she felt the urge for him to say it.

“If you don’t mind, can you call me Katana?” She asked. “I know I am a man but calling me that will-”

"

.” He murmured her name before kissing her forehead softly. His soft lips pressed against her skin and her name on his lips, sent a longing into her heart.

“Say it again.” She pleaded.

He pulled back and smiled gently at her. “Katana, my strong warrior.”

Her heart leaped in her chest and she couldn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around him. They held each other in silence, but Katana knew deep inside of her that she wouldn’t be holding the truth from her mate much longer. Sooner or later, she will break. It is the will of the bond. It demands them to be truthful and faithful.

Sooner or later, she will have to give in to him.