Page 56 of Lycan King’s Claim (Lycan King’s Reign Duet #2)

T he soft, rhythmic breaths of baby Anna are a soothing lullaby, lulling her into a peaceful slumber. With gentle fingers, I adjust the thin blanket over her, ensuring her little toes are tucked in. My heart swells with an indescribable warmth.

I never thought I would be here to enjoy these moments. I believed wholeheartedly that once she came along, Xandros would give up and move on without me, that she would call someone else Mom, that I would be a distant memory.

So this feeling right now is one of relief, one of gratitude, one of love. Being a mother, it's a feeling that's new, yet feels as ancient as time itself.

With one last glimpse of my daughter, I pull my hands back and my eyes catch sight of my ring glinting under the soft lights when I hear the shower turn on. Leaving her nursery, which was once our walk-in closet, I move toward the bathroom, the distant sound of water captures my attention.

Drawn to it, I walk towards our ensuite, where the steamy silhouette of Xandros stands behind the glass, completely oblivious to my ogling.

The world may view him as a powerful ruler, a ruthless king, crazy, but to me, he's the vulnerable man who fears his love could shatter me.

A bitter irony considering that same love is what's held me together all these months.

Without hesitation, I slip out of my clothes, the cool air causing goosebumps to spread across my skin.

Stepping closer, I open the door, my eyes moving over the man I would soon call my husband.

As the draft hits him, he turns, a smile on his plump lips, his wet hair falling into his eyes and cascading down his muscular chest and abs.

“Perv, are you going to stand there or come in,” he asks.

I shake away my thoughts, I want nothing more than to run my hands over his chiseled body, to feel his hands on mine in return.

Yet, he's barely let me touch him, fighting his own desires and rejecting mine out of fear of triggering me or hurting me.

The warmth from the shower envelops me as I step in, but it's Xandros' surprised gaze that truly ignites a fire within when my hands instantly move to his chest.

Before he can articulate the thoughts swimming in his amber eyes, I press my lips against his, effectively silencing him. His chuckle vibrates against my lips as he captures my wandering hands and pushes me back slightly, water droplets from his hair cascading down on us.

“It's not our wedding night yet?” he teases, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Since when did you care for traditions, besides the fact we have a baby together says tradition went out the window already,” I remind him.

“We should wait a little longer,” he tells me, but I shake my head.

“Mark me,” I assert, refusing to dance around the topic any longer. The desire to solidify our bond has been burning in me for so long. “Why haven't you?”

His eyes, usually so confident, now flicker with uncertainty. “In due time, Sienna. We need to be certain it's safe.” My heart aches at his words.

“I know you're terrified, Xandros. You think by marking me, you'll break me again. You won't, I'm right here, Xandros,” I tell him, stepping closer. His grip on my wrists doesn't relent, and instead he presses me back against the wall of the shower.

I flinch at the cold tiles when he presses his forehead against mine. “We'll consult the doctor at our next appointment,” he replies hastily, but the underlying tremor in his voice is unmistakable.

“No more delays,” I retort, my frustration evident.

“You said that last time. Doctor Rami gave us the green light.

It's your fear that's holding us back. Without marking me, you can't reclaim your throne.” His jaw tenses, eyes blazing with a mix of anger and despair when he grips my chin, tilting my head up and forcing me to meet his gaze.

“Fuck the throne! I don't need it. All I need… is right here, with you and Anna.” Tears prick my eyes, emotions threatening to spill over.

While his words are filled with love, the pain of his self-imposed distance is unbearable. “I need you, Xandros,” I whisper, “All of you.” His fingers tenderly caress my face, tracing the path of a lone tear.

“I'm here, Sienna,” he murmurs. “It's not the same, and you know it. Stop rejecting me, it was your rejection that nearly killed us last time, let's not go for round two,” I answer. I know it was a low blow, but why can't he see it's him that saved me, him that waited, him I need?

The tension between us is palpable; the swirling mix of emotions—love, frustration, desire, fear—filling the steamy enclosure of the shower. His deep voice resonates with my own turmoil. “Don't tell me I'm rejecting you when all I've done is love and wait for you.”

“Exactly, Xandros, you've waited. But don't you see?

I've waited too. Watched you wrestle with your desires, watch you fight your own mind because of me, enough, stop punishing yourself.” I shoot back, my frustration bubbling to the surface, Xandros shakes his head and lets my hands go, pinching his brow between two fingers.

“We should-” His words cut off when, in the heat of the moment, my hand moves to his arousal. The intimate touch, both bold and defiant, forces a growl from his throat.

“Sienna,” he warns, but I don't relent. Instead, I gently stroke him, eliciting a throaty groan. “I don't want to hurt you,” he murmurs, his voice strained.

“Just as I'm done letting the pain linger,” I reply, meeting his smoldering gaze. Standing on my tiptoes, I bring my lips to his. He hesitates for a moment, fingers gripping the nape of my neck, then surrenders, deepening the kiss with a passion that takes my breath away.

“Please, Xandros?” My whisper is lost in the moist air between us, a plea, a demand, a desperate wish for him to give in. When I kiss him again, the last barriers between us crumble. His response is fierce, as if he's trying to convey every emotion, every yearning through that one act.

My hand continues to caress him, coaxing sounds of pleasure from his throat.

Suddenly, he's lifting me, the surprise coaxing a laugh from me.

The rawness of our emotions transforms into an urgent need.

His hand finds my breast, teasing and squeezing, while his other supports me against the wet tiles.

His arousal slides teasingly between my slick folds, teasing us both, before he hesitates again.

“You won't hurt me, and I'm not leaving you again,” I whisper.

“Promise?” he says breathlessly.

Tears shimmer in our eyes, reflecting the weight of shared pain and love. The heat of the shower blurs the line between the steam and the warmth of our bodies pressed closely together.

“Every heartbeat, every breath, every moment, they all belong to you. I promise,” I murmur, the weight of the words settling between us, binding us closer.

He swallows hard, his voice barely more than a whisper, “You came back for our daughter, Sienna.

You didn't come back for the man who broke you.” I shake my head, letting my tears flow freely. Why can't he see?

“You never broke me. I broke myself. I shattered my own heart, thinking I could ever stop loving you.” I reach out, placing my hand on his wet cheek.

“Foolishly, I believed I could defy fate and the pull of our souls. But the truth is, it's a force that's impossible to resist and one I refuse to any longer.”

His eyes search mine, as if trying to find any trace of doubt. “But I hurt you,” he murmurs, the weight of guilt heavy in his gaze. I reach up, brushing a stray tear from his cheek.

“Just as I hurt you. I won't make that mistake again.

Our daughter was always safe with you, even in that state, I knew that, but it took losing myself to realize I was safe too.

Your unwavering love, even when I felt lost, became my guiding light.

I didn't return for Anna alone; I returned for the heart that never stopped loving me.”

“You won't leave me?” he asks once more, and I smile. “Never, I'm forever yours, my King,” I whisper, my lips brushing his gently. But this time, the waiting ends. He plunges into me, filling, stretching, finally becoming a part of me once more.

“Finally,” I gasp, the sensation of him inside me overwhelming as he stretches me.

He pulls out and then slams into me again, and I let out a deep, throaty moan.

Our bodies move together in perfect synchronicity, his hips slipping against mine as each thrust moves us closer to an explosive conclusion.

I can feel my orgasm building with each movement that pulls us further from reality until all that's left is the feeling of euphoria as our bodies become one.

My arms wrap around his neck and my lips go to his jaw, traveling down his neck to where my mark should lay-a reminder of the freedom I now possess in him.

His body tenses beneath mine as I clasp my mouth around the warm flesh of his throat before sinking my teeth into it and marking him as mine—forevermore.

A low, guttural moan rumbles from Xandros' chest at the sharp sting that accompanies a claiming bite; pressing us both even closer together until not an inch separates us from each other.

I roll my hips against him when I feel him fumbling for the shower taps, he shuts the water off before striding into the bedroom and dropping me onto the bed. We are drenched, but with the heat in his eyes, I know he doesn't care for us ruining our bed.

The air is thick with our heated desire, the steam from the shower still lingering in the air. Xandros towers over me, radiating a hunger that matches my own. His eyes are pools of smoldering intensity and sweat beads across his forehead, sliding down his taut frame.

I can barely contain myself as I lay there as he climbs on the bed, moving between my legs. The silk sheets stick to my skin like a second skin, amplifying every sensation and emotion between us until it becomes almost too much to bear.

Xandros slowly leans forward until his lips hover agonizingly close to mine.

I pull back slightly, panting, our foreheads resting against each other. “You have no idea,” I gasp, trying to catch my breath, “How long I've wanted this.”

His eyes lock onto mine, a flicker of vulnerability showing. “I was afraid,” he admits hoarsely, “Afraid that when we finally reached this point, you'd pull away.”

I chuckle, the sound shaky, tinged with emotion. “Xandros, right now, pulling away is the last thing on my mind.”

His grin is almost feral, the predatory glint back in his eyes. “Good,” he growls, capturing my mouth once again.

Breaking away momentarily, I run my fingers through his damp hair, guiding his face to mine. “We've waited long enough,” I whisper against his lips.

He nods, a brief hesitation crossing his features. “Sienna, I need to hear you say it. That you're sure about this.”

With determination, I lock eyes with him. “I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I want you, all of you, now.”

A sound somewhere between a groan and a roar escapes his throat. “Then you shall have me,” Xandros purrs, his voice thick with emotion.

Finally, he crashes into me, his kiss searing my soul and consuming everything in its path.

My hands desperately explore every inch of his body, feeling the power in his muscles and the heat radiating from him with every touch.

His hands move masterfully over me, rediscovering all of my secret places and sending electricity through me with every caress.

Xandros' hardened length moves inside me, every stroke sending pleasure coursing through my veins.

I feel the world spinning around us as we move together in a perfect harmony of desire and passion, our hungry kisses never ceasing until finally, his muscles tense with each thrust, and I'm catapulted into blissful oblivion beneath him.

Wrapping my arms tightly around him, Xandros collapses against me, panting heavily from exertion but still holding on like neither one of us ever wants to let go.

As we come down from our high, all that's left is pure peace and contentment, enveloping us both in a comforting embrace. Gently tracing patterns over his back with my fingertips, I smile sleepily up at Xandros before bringing his lips to mine for one final languid kiss.

“I love you, Sienna,” he whispers, his lips gently nipping at my neck, I turn my head, giving him better access as his tongue laps at my neck with open mouth kisses. “I love you too,” I groan, eager to feel his teeth sink into me.

His voice lowers to a gentle caress, causing shivers to cascade down my spine. “Sienna, once I mark you, there is no going back” he whispers, his breath warm against my ear.

I nod my head. “I know, I want this, Xandros.”

“Good because once I mark you, you won't be just Sienna, you'll be my Queen, and I couldn't imagine a better person to rule my heart,” he whispers before sinking his teeth into me.

The pain is sharp but also bliss as he marks me as his, retying our souls together, putting all the broken pieces together, the fractured parts of us melding together and forming something magnificent, solidifying our bond.