Chapter 44 - Powerful, pleasing and big

EMMA

The bed is cold when I wake up, it always is. I pull the bedspread higher until it touches my chin. The early morning light of dawn starts to shine through the windows. It’s still too early and I turn around and close my eyes.

Cedar, sandalwood and bergamot tickle my nose and I inhale Hadrian’s pillow. I wait for sleep to come, but it doesn’t. Images of the last couple of days flit through my mind. Zeno, the logbooks and the drawings.

I wait for a couple more minutes, then I give up. Every time Hadrian is gone, I feel like I’m starting to lose my mind.

I groan and turn to lie on my back. I’m starting to act more and more pathetic these past few days. I miss him when he’s not around. And he’s less and less around these past few days. It’s like the more I want to be with him, the more he moves away.

I get out of bed and walk barefoot to the dressing room. On the back wall hangs a blush-colored gown with flowy chiffon skirts. Two days from now is the Blood Moon festival. It is custom to wear red, but I still want to feel comfortable in the color I wear.

I get my trusty worn jeans from one of the drawers and a cream-colored cashmere knit sweater. The fabric is thick and warm. It took a while to explain to Paulina and the tailor that the palace is like a freaking refrigerator most of the time. I don’t want to walk around in thin dresses.

The tailor also made new jeans for me. They are better fitted and the denim is of the highest quality, but I still prefer to wear my old pair.

I pull my hair in a ponytail and open the bedroom door. Callum is guarding it. I look around, but Miles isn’t there. *That is unfortunate*.

“Good morning, is Miles sleeping?”

Callum nods. *All right, good conversation*.

“Do you know where Hadrian is?”

“Training field.”

“Thanks.” I close the door behind me and walk in the direction of the training field. Callum follows six feet behind me. I’ve gotten used to the entourage everywhere I go.

We nearly reach the corridors to the training field, when I spot Cecile talking to some servants. They carry wicker baskets with fruits and vegetables.

Cecile halts and the servants continue their way in the direction of the kitchens. “Is that you, shortcake?”

I come closer to her. "Yeah, it's me.”

Cecile turns to face my general direction. “I thought I smelled something vanilla coming this way.”

I furrow my brows. “I smell like vanilla?”

“And custard and lemongrass.” She says with a non-committal wave.

She cocks her head and I won’t admit that I find her attention on me sometimes a little scary. Like those dolls that look almost alive. She’s too perceptive for her own good.

“You’re going to watch Spice on the field, aren’t you?”

I fidget with the end of my ponytail. “I was just taking a morning walk. You know it’s good for reducing stress and blood sugar levels.” I’m rambling and I cannot stop. “It’s also good for the joints and blood flow to the heart.”

Cecile nods along. “I bet. I also heard that it's good for libido and a better understanding of male anatomy.”

I frown. Those are oddly random facts. “I didn’t know that.”

She chuckles. “And I didn’t know you take walks at six in the morning.”

“Like I said, it’s good—“

She waves a hand. “Yeah, yeah stress, joints, blood flow.”

“And lowering blood sugar,” I add.

Cecile crosses her arms and the corners of her mouth turn into a line. “I call bullshit. Just admit you like the guy.”

I scratch at the flush that has reached my wrists. “What guy?”

“Your guy, your mate.”

I purse my lips. “We’re just friends.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Shortcake.” Cecile turns away and walks toward the kitchen.

——————

The training field is extensive. The field is surrounded by the palace corridors. In the middle is a gravel area, the size of a small football field.

Loud growls consume the air as two large wolves fight with each other. I'm starting to question why this was such a good idea to begin with.

Their canines are bared and their furs ruffle in the wind. One is hazelnut brown and the other is more chocolate brown. More wolves stand around the perimeter.

I’m hiding behind one of the red marble pillars surrounding the field. The hard stone pillar gives me a sense of safety and anonymity.

I spot a black wolf In the back of the field. There are more black wolves of course, but this one is bigger than the others. It seems familiar. The fur absorbs the light like no other does. The wolf paces alongside the fight.

The wolf stops and turns its head my way. I quickly hide behind the pillar. The marble is cold against my back. I wait fifteen seconds before I turn to look at the wolf again, but it’s gone.

*Hmm, where did it go?*

I look at the other wolves, but they’re all smaller. None of them is the black wolf who saved me. I step from behind the pillar. A few looks are thrown my way, but nobody stops what they’re doing.

I look further around the training field, but I don’t see the black wolf anywhere. I hide the pout of disappointment.

The hazelnut brown wolf pins down the chocolate brown wolf and the latter makes a whining sound.

“Are you enjoying the training, Princess Emma?” A slick voice asks.

I roll my eyes and turn to face Marius. He’s shirtless and has his signature crooked smile on. There is perspiration on his chest and I focus on his eyes.

“Time to rotate Marius,” Hadrian says behind me and wraps his hand around my waist to pull me against him and away from Marius.

“As you wish,” Marius says with an unwavering smirk.

Marius takes off his training shorts and I gasp. I turn my gaze to the sky. There comes a chuckle from Marius and I hear Hadrian’s jaw lock behind me. I wait until Marius saunters off to the rest of the wolves.

“You’re awake early,” Hadrian says when we’re alone.

“I couldn’t sleep anymore.” I turn around to face him and I smother a gasp.

Hadrian is shirtless too. His muscles look bigger than usual and perspiration covers his skin. I don’t tear my eyes away this time and I follow the curves of his cut muscles.

“Are you feeling okay?” Hadrian asks as he runs a thumb over my spine.

I blink and focus my eyes on his face, instead of objectifying his body. “I’m fine”

From the corner of my eye, I see the chocolate-brown wolf change to a human man. The paws and fur change into human limbs.

I pull away from Hadrian and turn to face the field. “Did you see that?”

The man has cropped dark brown hair and brown eyes. He has a scowl on his face and is rubbing his shoulder. He’s the one who lost the fight.

“They’re just shifting.” Hadrian mutters.

I gesture a hand to the man. “Just now, he was a wolf and now he’s—“ *Naked, that’s what he is.*

I blink as my brain registers his frontal naked form and everything that comes with it.

Hadrian crosses his arms. “That is part of being a werewolf, Emma.”

“I know, but…” So many unanswered questions run through my mind. I turn to face him. “Can we watch it closer?”

He narrows his eyes at me. “No.”

I look at him with a pout. I’m genuinely curious. “Why not? I’ve never seen someone shift before.” My eyes are pulled back to the scene when I spot Marius shifting into a wolf.

Hadrian places a hand on the side of my head and pulls my gaze towards him. “If you want to see, then I’ll show you sometime.”

“Why can I not see now?”

Hadrian takes an exaggerated breath.“I don’t want you any closer to them.”

My eyes widen and a thought occurs. “Is it dangerous?” I have become more and more comfortable with the idea of living among werewolves. A month ago, I wouldn’t dare to come within twenty yards of one. Especially not in their wolf form.

“Yes, and I don’t want you around other naked men either.”

The other wolf shifts and it’s not a man, but a beautiful woman with long hazelnut hair cascading down her back. Her body is toned and she has strong curves. She walks proudly to the other side of the field, not an ounce of shame over her naked form.

I wonder if Hadrian would be interested in someone like her, but I’m the only one gawking. His eyes are focused on me. His eyes and all the nakedness around send plenty of blood to my face to flush all the way to my shoulders.

Two wolves stand opposite from each other, like at the start of a fight. “They’re so large.”

Hadrian comes up behind me and keeps hold of me again. His lips grace the shell of my ear. “I’m larger.”

The flush continues to glow up my body and it now swirls low in my stomach too. “What's yours like?”

Hadrian guides me away from the training field. His hips press into my lower back and his hardness is evident. “Powerful, pleasing and *big*.”

My mind is somewhere else. The fight on the training field is forgotten. My core burns hotter with every word he speaks. Hadrian presses his lips to the mark on my neck and I moan.