The Beast And The Blessed

Seventy-Eight: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

My head moved up and down on Killian's chest with every breath he took. Since I had shifted, my stamina had significantly increased. While our time together was wild and exhilarating, it was nothing like now. Now it was pure, raw, and primal.

Killian seemed to be enjoying that he could let himself be free and wild with me. He held nothing back, and I enjoyed every second of it. Being too rough wasn't an issue when we healed within seconds. My nails, his nails... my teeth, his teeth. They scratched, scraped, and bit the other person as we lost ourselves to our natural instinct, but not a single mark was left in the end.

My fingertips trailed over his chest in small circles, enjoying how his fingers mirrored my movements along my spine. After so long without his touch, I was half tempted to climb back on top of him and never let him leave the bed again. I felt whole when he was here, even more so when he was inside me, but I couldn't keep him as a prisoner here. Eventually, someone would barge in looking for him, demanding he leave our bed.

I didn't want him to, but he had to. As the sun rose in the sky higher with each passing minute, I knew he was about to.

"Do you want to get an hour or two of sleep before we start the day?" My breasts pressed against his side as I bent my elbow and rested my chin on the back of my hand over his peck. He was staring at the ceiling, his hand continuing to travel over my bare flesh, and I could practically see the thoughts flying through his head. He was with me physically, but the sun was up, and he was now in work mode.

"I can't, my love."

My eyes closed as I savored the way the word rolled off his tongue.

There had been a moment in our relationship where Killian went from calling me Little One to My Love. I hadn't pinpointed exactly when the change from sexually desired to adored happened. Still, I would cherish my new term of endearment. Because even though, at the time, he hadn't been ready to tell me that he loved me, he still indirectly told me in his own way.

I would never get tired of hearing it. But Killian's next statement had me opening my eyes and anxiously picking my head up.

we lost four men. We must plan our attack

toward me, and I knew he was angry at the loss of more

We just had to do our best to minimize

skin, and he sucked in a breath through his teeth before

Killian looked down at me, rolling onto his side slowly until we were chest to chest. "I could care less about my life, but I can't

I forced a smile as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. I knew it wasn't true. It was a very ignorant statement, but I was trying to

writing it

briefly, but he changed the subject before

you talk

her before he did, and we could work things out without him knowing. But he would find out one way or another. I wasn't going

his eyes as I pushed myself closer, pecking his lips multiple times to remove

he were scolding me, and I let out a grumble

with her. I promise." I pulled my lip between my teeth, gnawing on it nervously as guilt washed through me. He had asked for me to take care of his sister while he was

It was not what he had asked of me, and I felt like I had let him

about?" His question made me feel ashamed because it had been him. I had said things to Charlie that weren't my business

made me angry because I was sure she was talking about me. When she tried to talk to me later, we just didn't see eye to eye." Killian pulled his eyebrows together, and I could feel the disbelief in our bond. Even I didn't want to believe that Charlie had said anything against me, and I had no proof to say that she did. "I don't even know what she said. But I was just so angry

Killian's voice

woman he had been fucking before me when