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Ismena has passed out cold in his arms.

Wolfaraine held her sweaty form, and for a moment, he didn't move. She did it. She really did it.

But as his eyes scanned her body, he could not feel any victory. She was covered in bruises—he counted five bleeding scratches and lots of grab-marks that already turned deep shades of red. Her lips were bleeding too from where she'd bit down on them several times.

He let out several cusses in the ancient tongue as the guilt consumed him. Yes, his very courageous mate had somehow managed to do the unimaginable by taming his wildest side, but to what end?

She looks like she fought with a very angry lion and it hurt to see.

They were still locked together in a knot and would probably be for at least the next forty-five minutes.

He could try to separate them, but he has no intention to do that because even though she is unconscious, he would rather cut off his own arm, shift to the mountain lion and feed it to the mountain lion than cause her more pain.

Also, he wanted to hold her in his arms. Badly .

"I've got you, honey." He whispered again, splattering kisses all over her back. Then he straightened and rose with her.

He settled on the bed with her body plastered in front of his, her back to him. He held her tight, unable to let go.

Even after the knot released and he gently separated his body from hers, he still held her wrapped tightly in his arms, until dawn.

In the days that followed, Ismena fell sick.

Harhan, the royal medicine man was in and out of her bedroom several times a day. When he wasn't there, Wolfaraine was. He took very good care of her.

The fact that the male she fell desperately in love with was spending every part of the day taking care of her and chartering for her needs was supposed to make her very happy. She would have been if it was a different circumstance. But, it wasn't.

He'd put away his every duty—every last one of them—to take care of her.

The next morning after her night with the cougar, it had taken one look at him to realize that he was ridden with guilt. Whenever she wanted to say anything about it, he would change the subject. It had taken a while for her to get him to listen and it happened on the fourth night.

They were lying side by side on the bed, discussing NAALC's latest project when she palmed his cheeks, forcing his eyes to meet hers. "I know you are feeling guilty." She'd accused softly.

"We are not going to have that conversation— "

"I was not killed. I am still very much alive, Wolfe. And I'm not going to apologize for not using those defenses because I get to be with you in your wildest form, even though you weren't the one in control, you were right there with us every step of the way."

"These..." she raised her arms for him to see, ".

..are my war-marks. I'm going to wear them proudly.

Although, Harhan seemed determined to make them disappear," she grumbled in regret, "but whenever I remembered my first warrior marks, I will remember my first time with the King-Cougar with pride.

Don't take that away from me, Wolfe. Don't feel guilty about what should be celebrated.

It hurts me to see. We got through to the cougar, together, and it IS a victory. "

"The cougar is a part of me and I felt every single thing the animal felt that night. The sheer happiness of conversing with Nalaila, the pleasure of claiming you as ours, and the rage. The deep anger." He'd exhaled shakily, "I came damn close to killing you, Ena."

"But you did not. That is what matters." She'd countered insistently.

"I made you sick."

"That one's not on you, my body just needed a time-out for a while.

I don't know how it is for changelings but I'm human, honey.

Our body gets sick once in a while. I've been in Naturiah for six months without getting any human illnesses because your body has shielded mine successfully from it.

I would have been dead today if it wasn't for you.

But here I am today, strong and nowhere near death.

A little sickness is normal. Besides I'm perfectly okay now, I would already be out of this bed if it was up to me. "

"Harhan placed you on bedrest for the next three days." He reminded her.

"And I'm being a good patient. Not to mention that you are here making sure I remain in bed.

When you are not here, Sandra is doing the job and when Sandra is not, Eline is doing the job.

I can barely breathe as it is." She'd given her one of her best smiles, "So as you can see, I am perfectly fine. "

She knew she'd gotten to him when he'd pulled her into his arms and hugged her passionately. Then he'd whispered 'thank you' to her ears. They are two words he'd said countless times to her after that night.

"There is nothing to thank me for. If I am to relive that moment again, I would not do anything differently." She'd responded truthfully.

She'd felt a slight tremor through his big body. "By the gods, I don't know what to do with you." He'd stated gruffly against her neck, which made her smile grow bigger.

She didn't have any response for him, but she'd been happy that his guilt had been eliminated.

"How are you feeling? The cougar?" She asked then. They'd been so focused on her that she'd been unable to get him to take about himself.

He didn't answer at first.

"I feel...calmer." He'd imparted hesitantly as if searching for words, "Inside, it feels more peaceful.

Calmer. Less burdensome. There has been no loud banging or head-clanging from the cougar since that night.

I've never felt so...at peace before on the inside.

Not for the past eighteen years. That is why I can't seem to thank you enough, Ena.

You did this. Every single part of this, you did this. "

The emotions that clouded his throat had clouded hers too. She'd blinked back happy tears as she hugged him back with all her heart.

"We did this. Together." She'd chimed in, in a hoarse voice.

"But, I'm not taking such chances ever again. The mountain lion has claimed you as our mate, but it is still very distrustful of you. As far as that distrust is still there, there will always be scratches whenever there's an encounter, and I'm not going to put you through that ever again."

Ismena hadn't bothered fighting him on that. Judging from the glint in his eyes, she'd known that he will put his foot down if she tried to do that. He might even use his alpha voice on her.

"Okay," she conceded, "Does it mean you still won't be sleeping together? I won't be able to hold you in my arms while we go to sleep?"

"I will hold you until you fall asleep." Then he would leave. That part he'd left unsaid, but she'd heard it perfectly.

A month after her sickness, it remained that way.

He will hold her in his arms until she falls asleep, then he will leave. He always makes sure that she is asleep, because she never notices his departure. She only wakes up in the morning alone in his bed.

Apart from that, these last few weeks have been blissful, eventful, to say the least. Wolfaraine was more relaxed than she has ever seen him, both with her and with his people.

The Head Sentinel of the elephant clan ambushed her one morning, three weeks ago, after a council meeting with all kinds of fruit, thanking her over and over again for 'making our Alpha King more mortal'.

She remembered being unable to hold her laughter, but the Head Sentinel was very serious about the matter.

Four days later, Wolfe had taken her to the first council meeting and introduced her to every leading Alpha of Naturiah. They had treated her like a Queen—so polite and so respectful towards her.

She remembered being so happy and emotional that she teared up. Because that showed her just how much Wolfaraine was starting to accept her into his life .

That male does not talk much about his emotions, but his actions speak much more than his mouth ever could. She'd stayed through the meeting, through the discussions, and even contributed to it.

When she indicated that she had something to say, they'd given her a listening ear. They'd even put her opinion into consideration too. Ismena has never felt like she belonged more than she had at that moment.

She liked every council member there. Well, except one.

Not that she dislikes him or anything, but the male scares her. That's an understatement, the male terrifies her.

He is called Adanel. Werewolf Alpha and Head Sentinel.

The male does not talk much—hell, he barely said four words in the whole meeting. He didn't give her creepy looks or anything, but his eyes. They reminded her of Wolfariane’s the first time she'd met him. Cold. Unfeeling.

He was polite and respectful towards her, but he was the only one amongst the council that did not smile at her. Ismena would bet her right hand that the male does not know how to smile.

Apart from Wolfaraine taking her to meet the council, she was also over the moon about her the improvement in their bedroom lives.

At first, after her night with the cougar, he refused to touch her because she was sick. All her attempts to seduce him were futile. Even Harhan's advice for him to take her to bed as it would help her healing, fell on deaf ears.

The male did not touch her again until a week ago after he'd taken her to the council meeting. She'd upped her game and seduced him.

It was basically one of the best nights of her life. That night and the nights ever since .

Ismena's eyes turned dreamy as her memories assailed her.

He'd taken care of her, touching every part of her body until she was practically begging him to merge their body, and even then, he refused.

He'd taken time to kiss every part of her, to arouse her to a mindless state before he'd penetrated her.

Then he'd rocked her body and her world.