The Beast And The Blessed

Eight: Killian

Killian’s P.O.V.

She was here. She was safe. Finding her was no longer a problem.

Yet, I couldn't get her off my mind. I kept thinking about the split in her lip and the bruises on her arm. I wanted to find whoever was responsible and end them for what they did to my mate.

I was livid by the idea that she was in our room hurt, alone, and from what I saw back at her pack…scared. But she managed to wipe away any compassion I had for her when she asked about other women. Either her opinion of me was so low that she thought I kept a collection of concubines around for my pleasure, or she was fishing to see if I was going to be sleeping with other women and, in turn, if she could sleep with other men.

Both thoughts made me not want to be in her presence. It was the exact reason why I didn't want a mate. A soulmate had the power to destroy you and crush your will to live.

If it weren't for Joselin's vision, I would have been happy going on with my life alone. Perhaps one day I would have had to produce an heir but not with a mate. There would have been no need to mark a woman and tie them to me for the rest of my life when they could just as easily have provided me with a child and then stayed out of my way.

But the thought of the woman in our room, possibly in our bed, made my beast happy and, in turn, made me angry. He wanted her, and I despised the thought of her.

I knew the second she left the room and began to wander the halls of our home. When I should have been focusing on the threat at hand and the map in front of me, she had all my attention.

I stood from my chair, sending it flying back onto the floor as I ran my hands through my hair.

"If you are that frustrated, you have a mate now that can help relax you..." Joselin laughed with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows as she picked my chair into an upright position with a flick of her wrist.

all too aware of my mate's presence moving closer. I

They had been extinct for over a century. Having them pop up now was worrisome. I needed to find out where

War a century ago, and we had all thought they had been purged from the Earth. For decades after our victory, there were hunting

they were back, and even Joselin, as powerful

protecting them, and I needed to find out who and how so I could take down

of my list. Yet, as she approached my office door, her smell had me losing all focus on the task at hand. She smelled like a freshly baked dessert, just sweet enough to make you want to sneak

and I wasn't going to fall victim to her

never considered when he ended his life

with me as she sensed my mate approaching. Her mischievous smile made my stomach tighten as she jumped from her

startled as Joselin stood in front of her, her hand

me off behind her back. I let out a low growl that she ignored as she moved to show affection to her latest toy. She had been trying to capture Tobias's attention for years, and I was positive

her damp hair and fresh clothes made me swallow hard. Everything about her had been designed to attract me. Knowing she had

to push the

and I would make sure that she would never control me

to figure out the best plan of action for our patrols to sweep for those bloodsuckers. That was what I needed

see her pushing my mate toward me. She was close enough as it was. I couldn't think straight with her in the castle, let alone in the same room as me. Her scent was enough to make me drunk with lust and want, but my mind was strong enough to know that nothing good would come from giving in. She was here

me to

get to know one another. We certainly didn't need to be anything more than what we had to be. Eventually, the kingdom would expect me to mark her and to make her officially their queen. They would also expect us to produce heirs. All of which could wait until after

disregard for my authority. She was my right hand and always maintained a high level of respect in public, but in private she went back to being the