Lycan's Affection

Conaan's smile was small as he moved away, then brought his other hand behind him, his hand holding on to Eleanor's, his thumb running along the delicate skin.

"Reine?" Eleanor asked, her brows furrowed.

He smiled again, apparently enjoying her confusion. Suddenly, he pulled her close to him, her hand instinctively resting on his chest then leaned to her ear.

"I heard it means Queen, exactly what you shall be."

His voice was soft and caressed the sensitive skin of her earlobe, and she felt herself going red. He moved away and met her eyes again, his smile calm, assuring, and she felt all her nervousness melt away.

Slowly, he brought her with him, past the elders toward the cushioned pillows he had been sitting on. She sat beside him, arranging her dress around him, her eyes big as she took in the expressions of the council members.

None looked particularly happy to see her, but Conaan either didn't care or didn't notice. She turned to him, and he had been staring before hand, a rather vague look in his eyes.

He chuckled to himself, like he knew something she didn't, then turned away.

"We can go on."

Silence followed Conaan's announcement, as each elder sought to find the right words. The right words to offend the king.

"Your highness, I have never seen a time when a woman was allowed to join the elders council meeting with His highness."

Conaan nodded. "The law are my words on paper and I asked her to come as my Queen. What else?"

Lucas suddenly cleared his throat. "Are you really thinking of taking an infidel runaway as queen of the lycans?"

Conaan turned to Lucas, his eyes thin. "I do not suggest you say that again, Lucas. As it is, I am sovereign king. And Eleanor is my mate. To disrespect her, is to disrespect me. To scorn her, is to scorn me. To look down on her, is to look down on me. And to look down on me, is treason."

The entire council went silent, the word a bit too heavy for anyone to toy with. Treason. It was enough to wipe out an entire village. An entire territory. And they knew Conaan is up to it.

"We, as the elders are just worried about the state of the lycans. How will they feel being governed by her? They will make it a tradition for mates to run away from each other, and come back when it is convenient. There could even be a riot or something. It could cause unrest."

Conaan shrugged. "Then, so be it."

No one said another word, and Eleanor found her fingers shaking hard, her breaths dropping slowly, her chest filled. She wasn't sure what to make of the interaction. What if the pressure became too much, or the people began to revolt? What if the sins she had committed as a stupid young lycan in love would come back now?

Suddenly, she felt Conaan's hand over her own hands, stopping her from nipping at her fingers. She turned to him, her eyes wide. He wasn't looking at her, but his hand tightened around hers, as if telling her it would be fine.

Even if the world deserted her, he, the very man she had deserted, never would.

The feeling was irreplaceable, beautiful, and if it was in private, she knew she would have covered the painful distance between them. But she didn't, and she wondered how Conaan would feel if she let that treacherous side of hers take over.

The meeting went silent, the food went cold, but none said a word again. The points to discuss had all been said, and the one aggravating matter, to Conaan was already settled.

Eleanor is Reine, Reine is Eleanor.

Suddenly, the door opened, and in came a middle aged, balding man. He was tall, his eyes thinwith feral anger. Eleanor gasped as she saw him, her eyes wide.

"Un..uncle.."

"So it is true. The bastard who killed my brother is back.".

Two soldiers held him back from attacking Eleanor, and Conaan held her down, his eyes just as cold. He seemed rather unmoved, rather unfazed. But it wasn't new. It took one woman to break him, and she was on his side this time.

"Take him away," Conaan said, coming to a sitting position.

"I know what you are scared of, Conaan!" Anderson yelled, his eyes bloodshot. "You got rid of the only woman whom even King Javier approved to be your wife. What did you do to my daughter? What did that wench make you do to Esmeralda?!"

"I could show you for free, Anderson. Say the word, and I swear, you will join your daughter," Conaan said, his voice immediately flattening out Anderson's yells.

Anderson swallowed, seeming to restore some calm to himself. "Are you going to deny it Conaan? I know that bastard has offered her body to you as shamelessly and disgustingly as she can in a bid to steal her cousin's rightful husband..."

Conaan started to stand, but Eleanor clasped her fingers around his. He closed his eyes, then blinked rapidly.

"What do you think of mate bonds, Anderson? You think it is as easy as having two cousins with red hair? Take him out before I kill him."

"Kill me!" Anderson yelled, wrestling off the soldiers. "Kill me because you know I am the only one whom your father gave this letter to! He wanted you to marry Esmeralda and you know it! You know what the law says! A past king's wish must be granted, and you are trying to maneuver your way out of it!"

Conaan turned to him, his eyes going thin. "What did you say?"

The soldiers released him, but stayed close, incase he went mad again.

Anderson raised a scroll. "Here is King Javier's last wish. And in it, he asked you to marry Esmeralda. He never, ever, approved of Eleanor, even before she ran away!"

Conaan blinked, and Lucas immediately stood up to collect the scroll from Anderson. He gave it to him, then started to bread out the words.

Conaan didn't make sense of it, his eyes wide as the words seemed to float around in the air. The one that did stand out, however, was the one that made Eleanor let go of his hand.

"And for Conaan, I want no other woman but Esmeralda, daughter of Anderson Kain. No other woman but her."