Page 123 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

“Really!?” She beams. “I thought you would put up more of a fight.”

“Am I that unreasonable normally? If yes, you have to tell me.”

“No, but although I haven’t known you for long yet, I already know how absorbed you can get with certain things,” she says.

I get up, put the documents aside, and walk out of the room with my mate. “Is that good or bad?”

“Neither,” she says. “It’s who you are, and I appreciate that.”

“I’m just collecting more material to info-dump on you,” I say. The moment I said it, I wished I could take it back. My weird humor isn’t for everyone. Actually, most people don’t get it.

Aurelia just chuckles. “Don’t worry, I have plenty of ways to shut you up. Besides, I love your geeky side. I kind of envy you for being able to get so engrossed in a topic, and collecting so much knowledge. One of my brothers is really into mythology and knows a lot. It’s pretty cool.”

“Is that Liam?”

“No, Marius,” she says. “Liam is very educated in general. He knows a lot but is more of an introvert.”

“A broad knowledge is probably a requirement for the position he is in,” I muse.

“Yeah, I think so too. Oh, and my youngest brother, Dario, is my family’s brain,” she explains. “He loves studying.”

“I can’t wait to meet them,” I say. When I first met Aurelia and heard about her brothers, I was terrified, but now I’m getting more and more curious.

We take a brief detour to my room to grab a few things. I take a small bag where we can store our phones, some money, and our clothes so that we won’t run around naked after our shift. No one wants to meet two weirdos who are frolicking naked in the forest at night.

Meanwhile, Cato grows increasingly restless, pushing me to hurry so that he can finally meet his mate in her lycan form. I briefly inform Eric that Aurelia and I are heading out in case something happens. He is noticeably happy that we decided to take a break and go for a run.

“Okay.” I turn to Aurelia. “Cato’s hearing is terrible, and unlike me, he can’t use a hearing aid,” I tell her. “But his other senses are enhanced.”

She nods. “Maxima knows. It might take a while for her to get the hang of it, so please tell Cato to be patient with her.”

“Don’t worry, Cato is genuinely happy she accepts him the way he is.”

I open the bag and take my hearing aid out of my ears, storing them in their case. I can instantly feel the world around me numbing, the noise, everything, a blanket of silence stretching over it all. I look into Aurelia’s eyes, and for the first time since I have gained this predicament, the silence isn’t an escape for me.

Aurelia never strains my ears or my mind.

She reaches out her hand, touching my cheek softly. I stare at her lips while she saysI love you.

“I love you, too,” I say. It feels so weird for me to feel that way. I have always been a more rational person, and I never believed I would fall in love with someone. I knew the mate bond would push me towards my mate, but I didn’t expect my very own human feelings to add to it. I love Aurelia’s sense of humor andthe way she understands and accepts me. I love how tough she is and how brave, and how she can stand up for herself and others. I love how she never looks down on anyone, how she is with her friends, and how she looks beyond someone’s rank and history. I love the way her beautiful dark hair moves in the wind and the way her hips move when she walks.

It’s so real.

I watch her undress and shift into her beautiful, magnificent beast. “Maxima,” I say, approaching my lycan mate.

Maxima leans her huge head against mine, nuzzling her nose into my neck. She is a sight to behold, a huge, powerful alpha wolf. Her gentle side belongs to Cato and me.

I pour my feelings into my bond to Cato, telling him to have fun with his mate before handing the reins to him. He shifts to his wolf form effortlessly, excited to see the counterpart of his soul. Cato is usually pretty calm and stoic; it’s truly heartwarming to see him so happy.

He and Maxima take a while to sniff and lick at each other, cuddling and playfully nipping at each other’s legs. Then, they finally take off.

With the idea to go on a run, my mate proves she is the truly smart one of us because all her points turn out to be correct. With Cato being on the front and running, I feel my mind relax. I am forced to let my head stop spinning, and instead, I just feel the cold, fresh air around me, the endorphins of the run with our mate running through my body. It’s like with every step Cato takes, with every branch he dodges, and with every time he and Maxima stop to cuddle and play around, my anxiety and stress lessen more.

We are deep in the forest now. The area still part of the Council, pretty much like pack grounds. We stop at a cozy little hut. They are all around the Council grounds. Eric had insisted on having places the wolves and lycans could retreat to aftertheir shift. Aurelia and I do exactly that. After the hours our wolves spent with each other, we shift back to our human forms. Before I can open the door for her and let her in, she hugs me from behind. Fuck, her naked body and her breasts pressed against my back are so hot.

Our skin is still warm from the shift, almost like we are glowing. I let my hands rest on her arms before turning around to look at her. She is so beautiful, and it strikes me how little time we can spend with each other like this. I know it’s all for a noble purpose, but it’s still hard.

I still don’t have my hearing aid in, but I feel like I should say something. Before I can do so, though, she puts her finger on my lips and smirks. Then, she sends me a picture through the mind link… of me grabbing her and slamming her against the next tree and fucking her.