Rolfe laughed at her innocence. "Gods I have the cutest mate!" If he would have said this to any other woman, she would have jumped up and down and this little girl was thinking of cleaning him? Well, he smelled of sweat and dirt and blood. "Would you help me take a bath?" he asked, curling his fingers below her chin and tipping it up.
"Yes, you bet! I will clean you so thoroughly that you are going to beg to release you."
His cock jerked. "Release?" His brows drew together. She didn't even know the effect her innocent words had on him. He exhaled heavily. "I would love to beg you to release me."
And Iona giggled naïvely.
The news that Rolfe had awakened brought joy and cheer in the fortress.. The news traveled fast and reached Galahar. People started crowding the outskirts of the fortress to meet their future king.
Iona helped him give a proper bath and took a bath with him. For a long time, the two just sat together with her back pressed against his chest as water splashed around them. It was such a satisfying feeling that none wanted to move.
She helped him take a nice long bath and appraised him of what all happened. He listened to everything very quietly without passing his judgment.
When they finally got dressed, he held her hand tightly before he stepped out of the room. He kissed her temple and said, "Are you ready, love?" She nodded, her chest rising up and down. "Then let us go." He tugged her through the passageways, corridors, main hall, into the courtyard and then out towards the portcullis.
They found Ileus waiting for both of them right inside. He wasn't allowing the guards to open the portcullis. "There's a large crowd outside, Rolfe," he said, his tone having a hint of worry. "You are very new and I don't know who is your friend and who is your enemy. I don't want to take any chances till the coronation."
"But I have to meet my people, Ileus," he replied. "I have my magic to save us all."
"You have freshly recovered, Rolfe. I will not take chances with your magic. If you have to meet them, then go to the parapet above the portcullis. From there you can address your people. Also remember that your mother is down here in the dungeon, so you don't know if anyone has come to help her. I would suggest that you don't take Iona with you up there." Ileus looked at his sister. He was suspicious about her magic. She seemed to have lost it and he was really getting bothered about it.
Iona shifted on her feet under her big brother's gaze. She didn't know what that gaze meant but it bothered her.
Rolfe understood Ileus' apprehensions. Iona had already told him about his mother's bargain and the vow that she had forced out of Anastasia. It angered him as hell, but she eventually ended up giving blood to him. He had to meet his mother urgently. "You are right," he said. "Iona can stay here while I address the people. However, I would like to go to the palace as soon as possible. I don't want to leave Galahar headless. There would be too many conspirators that I have to deal with!"
Ileus gave him a tight nod. "Yes, we have to talk about that too!"
Rolfe patted his friend and ally on his upper arm and then quickly walked to the narrow set of stairs that led to the parapet above the arch of portcullis. When he reached there, he was overwhelmed to see a sea of people who wanted to see him. And he was surprised when every single one of them shouted and cheered for him. His skin was lined with goosebumps.
"Our king!"
"Long live the king!"
"We are with you!"
People rushed to be with him and all the soldiers, including the fae ones had trouble containing the rush. Rolfe waved his hand towards them as his magic slipped out from them and formed a gentle restraint around his people. He had this urgent desire to go back to his kingdom. "I will be with you as soon as possible!" he said amidst all the cheers. For the first time in his life, he felt extremely happy and what surprised him was that he didn't feel any negative energy in his people. He realized that they genuinely loved him. It was too good to be true. After some time, he went back and the crowd dispersed slowly.
When Rolfe reached the main hall, he found that Iona was sitting along with her brother and Anastasia and they were having a deep discussion. They stopped as soon as they saw him. Iona looked at him with nervous eyes and he could feel her increased heartbeat. It didn't bore well with him. He strode to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "What is it?" he asked
Ileus waved his hand for him to sit on the chair. Dread seized him when he studied Ileus' stern, unrelenting face. He sat down right next to Iona, pushing down his primal urge to hold Iona in his lap. But he held her hand in his and repeated his question, "What is it?"
Iona lowered her head as Ileus spoke, "Iona has lost her magic, Rolfe. She is now just a werewolf. The Evindal sword saved her but at a very high cost."
"So?" asked Rolfe and shrugged.
"That means that is vulnerable. She can't be protected in your kingdom. I will take her back to Draoidh until you have settled here completely. Once you are settled and she doesn't have any threat, she will come back."
"What?" Panic seized his mind and chest. "No!" Rolfe said loudly. "She is my mate and I am capable of protecting her. You—" he pushed the lump down his throat. "You will not take her away from me!" a shudder passed through his body. He would die without her. Suddenly he picked her up and placed her on his lap and held her very tightly. "She will not leave me!" he said with wide eyes, panting heavily. He had this sudden urge to run away with her somewhere and hide her from these people.
"Rolfe!" Ileus growled. "Iona is my sister. I will not leave her unprotected here!"
"She will stay under my protection!" he growled back. His horns had started straightening, almost ready to attack Ileus.
"You are not going to stick to her for the whole time, will you?" Ileus' voice was calm but dangerous. A muscle feathered in his jaw. Anastasia placed her arm on his shoulder to calm him, but the tension was too thick in the air.
"If I have to then I will!" Rolfe replied, tossing logic out of the window. "But I won't leave her and if you press, I am going to fight you!" His mate bond was so strong that his feral form was taking over his human form.
"Then fight with me, demon!" Ileus said loudly accepting the challenge. "But I will not leave my sister here!" Ileus couldn't help being overprotective about Iona. He had lost her, found her, then again lost her and again found her, in that order. Life wasn't going to give him another chance again.
Anastasia intervened.
