May Death Do Us Part

201 Chapter 201 : Marked

“They have the advantage of number,” Elric explained, “but we have the element of surprise.”

The lycan king had already dispatched some of his most skilled warriors enroute Gavaria, even though he was constantly being haunted by the beautiful red headed woman from his dreams, Elric had somehow kept his constitution and proved yet again why he was a king unlike any other. He instructed his soldiers to split into two groups, moving off trail on each side so they could ambush the Gavarian army as they approached. Warfare unlike what many thought, was not always about number, but about tactic, and king Elric was chuck full of it.

“Our target is the stronghold of his army,” Elric explained as he moved the pawns he was using to demonstrate his strategy across the table. “It will most likely be at the center of the army protecting the elf king. Once the stronghold falls and the elf captured, this war is as good as ours.”

Everyone at the table could only watch in awe as the king spoke, even if he had been acting a bit nutty over the past few days, they could definitely see that he was born to rule and conquer.

Elric stood up straight and glanced at his men, “any questions?”

They all shook their heads in unison. Who could have had a question after such an elaborate and well thought out plan? This man was a warlord.

“Excellent,” Elric turned to his brothers Clovis and Jeffrey, “the two of you will ride with me to join our men in a few hours, get ready, we leave with the royal gaurd.”

Jeffrey and Clovis bowed respectively, “yes your majesty.”

“The rest of you may leave,” Elric instructed the rest of his council members. “And I do hope arrangements have been made for all the possible outcomes of this war.”

.....

“They have your majesty,” Theo responded with a bow.

Clovis turned to his brother feeling a little left behind. “Arrangements.. what arrangements?”

“Well I suppose it is only right for you to be made aware.” Elric placed a hand on Theo’s shoulder, “My right hand will remain here and run the kingdom’s affairs while I’m gone, if I return we will continue as per usual.” He then shifted his hand from Theo’s shoulder to Clovis’. “But if by any chance I do not make it back, as the eldest brother Clovis, you will take the throne.”

*

Julia paced the room nervously while biting on her nails. Why was the meeting taking so long? She was worried sick about Clovis, why did he have to ride off to war as well? He was a governor not a knight or a soldier.

When the door of the room flew open she rushed to the man who had walked in and wrapped her arms around him. “Please tell me you’re not going. Please Clovis.. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The man gently pulled away and cupped Julia’s face in his hands, “it is my duty Julia, I can’t remain.”

“But-”

The silver haired prince placed a gentle kiss on Julia’s forehead before pulling her into his embrace. “I won’t get hurt I promise you. I may not look it, but I was knighted before I took up my role as governor, I’m sure I can handle a sword very well on the battlefield.”

Julia held on to his shirt and closed her eyes tightly shut to keep her tears from rolling down her cheeks. “When do you leave?”

“In a few hours,” Clovis responded and tightened his embrace on the woman. He could feel her body trembling and his lycan ears could hear the whimpering she was trying to muffle. If there was any reason in the world why Clovis would want to come back alive from this war, it would be to come back to this woman who had stolen his heart.

He pulled back and wiped the tears that had trickled down her cheeks before hoisting her up in his arms and laying her gently on the bed.

“I love you Julia..”

He leaned forward and locked lips with her lovingly and longingly. Julia reciprocated the kiss, pulling him in and kissing him like he would disappear in a few minutes. She raked her hands through his silver locks and kissed him desperately. Suddenly she felt something sharp cut her lip and she gasped.

Clovis pulled away and knitted his brows when he saw some blood on her pink lips. He ran his tongue over his teeth and noticed that his fangs had lengthened and they felt a bit.. itchy?

“I hurt you,” Clovis mumbled sounding disappointed with himself, “I’m sorry.” He was about to pull himself off the woman when she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back in.

They kissed passionately once again and Clovis tried his best to retract his fangs but it’s like they had a mind of their own. He tried pulling away but Julia kept drawing him back every time.

When the sensation became unbearable, Clovis grabbed Julia’s arms and pinned them firmly on the bed. He felt like he was losing control of the lycan within, he was afraid he was going to hurt his little dwarve woman.

When Julia looked up at Clovis his eyes were glowing and his fangs were peeking out his mouth. He looked like he was struggling, fighting himself. “Do you want to bite me?”

The question made Clovis freeze, he did want to bite her, his teeth were itching to sink into the tender flesh on her neck. He wanted her, he wanted to mark her and make her his completely. “I do..” even his voice was as strained as the corded muscles on his neck.

Julia cocked her head to the side and exposed her long delicate neck, “do it,” she spoke, making Clovis look even more dumbfounded. She had read about this before, the need for a wolf or a lycan to mark it’s mate. This is what Clovis wanted to do and she was ready for it, she wanted to be marked, to belong to someone she loved completely.

“But Julia.. it will hurt. Aren’t you afraid?”

“I’m a little nervous,” Julia admitted, “but I want you to do it.” She turned forward and gazed into the lycan prince’s eyes. “I want you to make me yours.”

Clovi’s very last thin thread of self control snapped at the utterance of those words. He leaned forward and kissed Julia hungrily while pulling up her dress after which he ripped her panties in half.

Julia didn’t even see when Clovis had pulled down his pants she just felt his twitching shaft right at her entrance. “Are you sure you want this Julia?” He asked her again between heavy breaths.

Julia nodded at the man. She saw his eyes soften before he tilted her head to the side and leaned forward. When his teeth scrapped her skin she shuddered in both fear and excitement.

“I love you,” Clovis whispered before sinking his fangs into her neck.

Julia shrieked at the pain, but it disappeared a few seconds later and was replaced by pleasure when the prince slid his member into her core.

That afternoon Clovis and Julia made love like never before, both desperately exploring each other’s bodies like it was the last time. They made love long and tenderly, over and over again until the woman passed out from exhaustion.

After cleaning up and getting dressed, Clovis kissed the sleeping dark haired beauty on the cheek and bid her a silent farewell, promising to come back for her. He gently rubbed the mark on her neck and smiled, this was his mate, somehow he had always known. From the first time he had met her, the lycan within had always known she was the one, and had to come back to her not matter what happened.

*

Melissa looked down at the man who was on his knees rubbing her belly lovingly. She had worry in her eyes but not because she was worried about how Elric would fare in the war, but because he was going out there to harm the father of her child and she couldn’t do a thing about it.

Elric looked up at the beautiful woman and knitted his eyes brows, “you look troubled my beloved.”

“I don’t like war,” Melissa muttered, “it brings nothing but death and misery. Is there no other way you and Gareth can settle this without bloodshed? You are both grown men after all, can’t you just talk and come to a compromise?”

“I wish it was that easy Lissa,” Elric explained, “but you see, he’s the one who brought war to me, and I can’t sit by idly while he lays waste to my kingdom. This is our home and I must protect it, you me and our baby.”

Melissa felt like screaming, everything was going so wrong and all she could do was sit by and watch? Wasn’t there something she could do? Anything?

The king rose to his feet and helped Melissa up as well, “I must take my leave now my love, I will be back, I promise you.” Elric leaned forward and kissed her cheek before crouching down and kissing her stomach.

He turned for the door and Melissa watched him, could she end this war if she told him that the child she carried was not his?

“Elric...”

The man stopped and turned to face her, “anything the matter?”

Or what if it had the opposite effect and he went mad with anger and rage and killed both her and Gareth.

“It’s nothing,” she mumbled, “just... just be careful.”

“As you wish your highness,” Elric responded with a bow. He gave her a sweet smile before walking out the door and closing it.