The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 78

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 have their location now, but we lost four men. We must plan our attack before they can prepare any more defenses." His jaw was tense as he

refused to look down toward me, and I knew he was angry at the loss of more of his men. But that was uncontrollable in war. There would be

losses. We just had to do our best to minimize the casualties.

"How can I help?" My lips pressed against his skin, and he sucked in a breath through his teeth before clearing his throat.

"I need you to keep training.’ 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 have them take you from me. Even if we were to lose, I need you to live."

"We won't lose. The good guy always wins, right?" 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 stay positive.

’History is written by the victors, and the person writing it will always write themselves to be the good guys."

I mulled over his words briefly, but he changed the subject before I could respond.

’Did you talk to Charlie?"

I winced at his question, knowing I had let him down. Secretly, I hoped I could talk to 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 to keep secrets from him.

Killian sighed at my silence and closed his eyes as I pushed myself closer, pecking his lips multiple times to remove the disappointment from his face.

’Natalie." His knowing tone sounded almost as if he were scolding me, and I let out a grumble of defeat.

’I tried, but then we argued, and she hasn't talked to me since. But she's still here, and I'll make things right 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 risking his life to save our people.

Instead, we avoided each other for a week, fought, and then went back to silence. It was not what he had asked of me, and I felt like I had let him down.

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

"No, I saw her talking to a few women who aren't exactly trustworthy. It 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 that she was talking about me to that woman!"

'What woman?" Killian's voice deepened.

I rolled away from him, wanting his comfort but not wanting to talk about the woman he had been fucking before me when we were naked in bed together. It felt wrong...dirty.

"The woman from Charlie's ball. The one who said you had been sleeping with her, and I was just your plaything to warm your bed." The words tasted like acid, and I kept my gaze away from him as I rolled out of bed. My back popped as I stretched my arms above my head, trying to act like it didn't bother me. But it did. It bothered me more than I would like to admit.

I was no angel either. I had been with Jake for years before he mated my sister. But Killian didn't have to deal with Jake walking around our home. He didn't have to see the constant reminder of the person who had been sleeping with his mate.

I didn't see her very often. This was only the second time we had crossed paths, but that was two times too many.

’Lindsey?" He hummed. I glanced in the mirror and smirked that he was very openly checking out my ass as I walked toward the bathroom.

So, she has a name.

The bitter thought felt ridiculous. Even though I could see her in person, knowing her name and hearing it from his lips made her feel all the more real.

’I didn't realize she had been released yet. Her time in the dungeon was her only warning. If she disrespects you again, I will kill her.’ He didn't seem to be focused on what he was saying. The offhanded way he mumbled his response was as if he couldn't be bothered with the woman.

It made me feel good.

I turned to look at him as I reached the bathroom door, and he groaned with happiness as he stared hungrily at my naked body.

"You would kill her for me?" I asked as I leaned against the cold doorframe, crossing one arm over my body to grab my other elbow. Killian growled lowly, sending a shot of warmth through my stomach to my core.

The dark look in his eyes made me lick my lips as he climbed out of bed and marched toward me.

"I would kill anyone for you."