Page 77 of Loved By The King

“Command them not to use the mindlinks, I need to go check on Aubrey.”

“Aubrey is alive?” Bianca asks.

I pause. “Of course she is, she is my fiancée!” I snap at her.

“Look into the trucking company Alaric uses, and locate that fucking truck he is on.” Damian nods, punching in the code to electrify the barred door of the cell. Turning on my heel, I head out of the basement to check on Aubrey and to tell her I may need to leave when we locate the trucks and Rhett.

Chapter 36

• Aubrey •

Soren climbing into bed makes me stir, my limbs are heavy, sedated almost at the sound of his calling, and I roll over wondering how long I’ve been out for.

“Shh, go back to sleep,” Soren murmurs as I roll into him. Yawning, I rub my eyes to see it is still dark, so I can’t have been asleep too long.

“What time is it?” I ask and he grumbles, tugging the blankets higher. Soren tugs me to him, draping his arm across my waist, his skin is extra toasty and he smells heavily of soap like he just showered.

“Early morning,” he yawns and his calling wraps back around me.

“Don’t, I’m not even tired,” I try to tell him, wanting to get up as I push off his chest.

“Well I am, I have to be up early,” he grumbles and I huff annoyed. If he would stop knocking me out with his calling so much I wouldn’t be awake.

Soren groans when I toss the blanket back, his calling rushing out.

“I need to pee!” I hiss at him and he drops it with a sigh.

“Then hurry, I need to sleep and I can’t have you roaming around the castle unattended.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I mutter as I walk to the bathroom, only to hear him speak as I reach the door.

“Right now, you do. It won’t be forever, but at the moment I need you calm, you can fight me tomorrow over it.”

“I don’t want to fight you.” I roll my eyes and quickly use the bathroom before deciding to shower. The moment I turn on the water, I hear him growl in frustration. Ignoring him, I step under the shower spray. Warm water cascades over my body, washing away the weight of the day and any lingering grogginess from his intrusive calling.

I pour a handful of lavender-scented shower gel into my palm and begin to lather it across my skin. Just as I’m rinsing off, I hear the bathroom door creak open. “Aubrey,” Soren calls out, his voice faint but clear over the sound of the running water.

“I told you, I don’t need a babysitter!” I retort. A moment later he wanders in. “You better not knock me out. Once I figure out how to do that, you’re in trouble,”

He chuckles. “You learn how to do that and our roles have reversed.” I swipe a hand over the glass to look at him. “What?” I ask only to see him start stripping his clothes off.

“Only men can do it,” he tells me, opening the shower screen.

“How’s that fair?” I grumble, reaching for the soap.

“It’s to help sedate your heat, and calm you. We aren’t like werewolves, your heat will affect me but not in the same way werewolf males are affected.” he tells me, stealing my shampoo and pouring it in his hand. He then nudges me so I turn before his fingers are suddenly in my hair massaging it through the lengths.

“Great you can knock me out whenever you feel like it while I just have to take it.” I huff as he tilts my head back under the spray.

“Werewolves are vulnerable to the full moon and the heat. Lycans not so much, in a sense. The woman is vulnerable, while the male has a calling to help keep them calm and stop them trying to mate with other Lycans.”

“Wait, what do you mean?”

“Your heat won’t care if you are mating me or any other, it’s why men have it, but aren’t as affected by the heat so we can protect our females. Keep them safe not only from other Lycan males but yourselves,” he tells me with a sigh as he starts washing the conditioner in my hair.

“And to knock us out so you can have your way with us.” I growl, his hands in my hair suddenly tug my head back forcing me to look at him.

“I would never, you should know me better than that,” he growls, pressing his lips to my forehead.