"OH, would you look at the time? I should get some breakfast, ha.. ha..." I walked away, only for Keial to reach out and grab hold of my hand.

I turned around and glared at him, and for the very first time, I was scared that not only was Keial already on board with this craziness, but he couldn't see just how much it made no sense to a normal person.

"If anything, she'd be pleased to know I found someone." He smugly said, with a smile, as I felt myself shiver.

"And that she missed out on a golden opportunity." He joked, as I just stared at him.

Was he being serious?

"That's not even funny, how can you find this funny?" I had to ask, as I felt the color drain from my face when he smirked at me.

"Don't tell me you're shy to have sex in front of a goddess, Felix." He chuckled.

"The amount of times your moans had to be heard from outside your room, your cries begging me to go deep-"

"Stop!" I covered his mouth, as I felt myself grow warm.

At times like this, I did hate him for how blunt he was, and for how much he simply didn't care, like he didn't get embarrassed by what he said at all.

Suddenly, I felt Keial's light mood shift as his once carefree eyes now stared at me seriously, his lips no longer curled into a smile.

Keial moved my hand from his mouth and then pressed his lips to my knuckles, his bright fiery eyes looking into mine.

"Be it a village, a city, or every living creature, I would take you a thousand times over in front of every one of them, because I love you... deeply." He started seriously, as I felt my heart skip a beat.

"W-What are yo-" Keial opened his mouth and pushed his tongue in between my fingers, and then started to suck on them, as I stood, speechless, and watched as I felt my entire body heat up.

What was he doing?

"I won't have anyone tarnish your title, simply because you are a man, if this is what it takes, I'm willing to sacrifice everything to make sure you get respect."

Keial... What was he saying? Why wouldn't they-

Oh, I see.

I could never understand where he was coming from, but now I see it, everything Keial does and has done, has always been for a reason, he never did anything out of the ordinary unless it served him his end goal.

A child... to keep my title as his mate, and second, he's willing to go this far just so other Alphas, and the council don't talk because of his back, and make fun of me.

Having a male mate wasn't common, especially for someone so high up on the food chain, especially not a King or anyone with royal blood.

Keial has been so worried about something so trivial... whilst I...

"Do you... even want kids?" I asked him, my voice breaking as his eye twitched.

Keial is willing to go this far for something he had never wanted, I clearly remember him mentioning that he never wanted pups, so why would he do something so stupid like this?

"If this is for that reason, then I don't want to do this... it can't be the only way."

To bring a child into this world simply because of backstabbing gossip... I couldn't think of anything worse, and born from a male wolf?

Even if the moon grants our wish in this temple under the palace, there's no saying what kind of life that pup would have.

"I just want you not to regret being with me." Keial whispered, as his eyes faltered and his head lowered.

"It's no secret that love in the royal family is something to cherish, we marry for connections, scheme for desires, breed for the succession of our line... I grew up in this environment but you..."

"I'm the devil, Felix, the worst of my kind, even now, a part of me simply wants to drag you there, and force myself on you, against your will, because I couldn't bear to see you unhappy and full of regret by being with me." His cold, distant eyes bore into mine, as his hand tightened around my wrist.

Keial had completely lost his mind... to think that...

To think I would regret this was more insane than the fact that I, a male wolf, could produce an offspring.

Keial, doesn't he know just how much I care about him, how much I love him?

... Then it came to me, the realization and the root cause of how he's acting.

I've never said I was happy here, that I needed him just as much as he needed me, or that I didn't care what anyone thought of me, as long as he was with me, I... I would always be happy.

That's what I so desperately wanted to say, but the words that came out of my mouth were anything but romantic.

"Are you a fucking idiot?" I blurt out, as Keial's eyes widen.

Ah, seriously.

"I know you've been pampered your whole life, but this isn't how you tell someone you're scared to lose them." I huff out, and pull my hand from his.

"To think that just because I'm your mate you can threaten me? Well, I'm your mate, not your servant anymore, I love you, you freaking idiot and I don't care who sees it, you can't control every damn thing, dammit!"

"Argh, fuck!" I hiss out, run my fingers through my hair and sigh heavily.

Keial hadn't said anything, but the moment I turned around, I felt him come up behind me and then before it was too late, his arms embraced me tightly as he buried his head in my neck.

"W-Wha, Keial, what are yo-"

"I've never loved anything, or anyone the way I have experienced love with you." He mumbled, against my skin, as I tried to look at him.

"Nor have I felt such fear."

Keial's arms loosened around me, and once he moved his head away from my neck, he turned me around to face him slowly, and that's when I see his eyes, no longer glowing, but completely dull and free of emotion.

"I almost lost a real chance at happiness, from the girl who took the only one that filled this empty dark void within me, I didn't care if this whole place burned to the ground, I only wanted you, even now, I'm afraid you will see something in me that will change your mind, and you'll try to run away from me."

"If it's a normal life, children... I will do it, not for your sake, but for ours, if that's what it takes to make you completely mine."

Keial...

How did we get here? To this topic... it was such a mess that I couldn't help but laugh, as Keial looked at me, with a face that destroyed his whole 'I'm bigger and better than you'.

He looked like a child, but in this moment, I finally saw that even though he was this strong, scary, Alpha King, he was also just like everyone else.

"We have all the time in the world to talk about pups, because I'm not going anywhere, I told you, didn't I?" I sighed and smiled up at him.

"I said I was staying, and that I loved you too, and I meant it, you... idiot."

Something in Keial snapped, as he caged me in his hold, his strong arms wrapped tightly around me as he deeply inhaled my scent, his nose in my hair and his throat releasing deep, sensual growls that curled my toes.

"You know." His voice was low, and husky.

"Name-calling the King in front of him is a high offense, one that requires punishment, one I so deeply want to deliver right now." His voice sent shivers down my spine, as he pressed his now hard length into me.

"You're making it very hard, to not give you a hard time."

His voice in my ear, his strong hard body pressed up against mine, and the shocks of the bond coursing through my entire body set my heart beating out of control, but most of all, despite the obvious playfulness in his voice.

I wanted to challenge him, to keep how it used to be, to avoid all of the useless talk of rumors and things that haven't happened yet.

I wanted to be a couple, and I decided then and there, that's what we'll be because the devil gave me a bargain once upon a time ago, and despite the outcome, the reality was the same.

"Give it your best shot." I grinned up at him, pressing myself into him as his eyes swirled in amusement.

"King."

The End.