The Crown's Entrapment

Calypso couldn't help himself from feeling giddy inside. Ah, the Mate Bond... Although it was still incomplete, it was already making his day despite the frown that his mate giving him. He knew full well that such an expression was nothing but a facade of her, what with him being able to perfectly feel her emotions. It was especially apparent whenever he would give her his advances. Ah, those erratic heartbeats and conflicted emotions she was giving him were good news. It only meant that his mate was affected by his presence in a good way!

[She's attracted to me. And there's no way that I'm mistaken!] Calypso pointed out as he kept his eyes on Aurelia. The latter would occasionally sneak glances at him and would unknowingly blush whenever their eyes would meet.

[Good for us then. At least you're showing progress,] Axel remarked. [Maybe later you two can finally complete the Mate Bond? Where do you plan on having a stopover for the night anyway?]

[Where else? We'll have it at the most expensive inn along the way,] Calypso widely smiled. [It's going to be at the Snow Moon Pack!]

It was the most obvious choice, after all. Winter had just ended, but the Lantern Festival was still being celebrated. Knowing that he made plans to make sure that Aurelia would enjoy their trip.

"Let's go out and see the Lantern Festival later," Calypso stated. "Have you seen it before?" Calypso asked.

"Yes, actually," Aurelia shrugged. "Big brother would always drag me there every spring season."

Somehow, her answer turned his wide smile into a smug one. He knew that there was no point in getting jealous about knowing Aurelia's unrequited love for her brother, but it still was a mood destroyer for him.

Apparently, Aurelia had seemed to sense his annoyance and added, "It's alright. If you want, we can check out the Lantern Festival later. I haven't been there since last spring. It would be nice to see it with you later..."

And there was it once again, his lips stretching out into a wide and bright smile just from hearing her simple words.

"Let's have fun then. I heard they'll enact a good play later, and that there are so many things that they sell there that you can find to your liking," Calypso beamed, his eyes shining brightly. "You can buy anything you want. Don't worry, I'll pay for it all. I'm your husband now, so what's mine is already yours, Lia."

She blinked at him and scoffed. "You... Don't regret it if I empty your pockets later then."

"Please do so, Wifey..." he nodded with a huff. "Anything for you!"

He couldn't help but smile just from looking at her emote. Ah, she looked so adorable blushing deeply like that. How he wanted to just hover over her and seal her lips with his again in a kiss. If only she knew just how much control he was currently exerting for him not to fall for his instinct.

With yet another idea coming to him, he suddenly moved and sat beside her. "Aren't you cold?" he asked his mate as he pulled her into his arms. "Come here... I'll keep you warm."

Before she could even utter her disagreement, he immediately defended himself. "We're a couple now, Lia, so I do hope that you'll get used to us getting intimate like this. You once told me you'll try your best to make things work between us, right?" He whispered into his ear as he added, "I already want you so badly that I'm not sure if I can restrain myself from following my instincts. You're mine now. And while I won't force myself on you to complete the Mate Bond, that doesn't mean I won't push with my advances..."

He could feel her emotions responding to his words, and he knew that there was no point for her in hiding how she didn't dislike his advances. "Can you at least let me take the lead and let yourself simply ride along with me as long as it's to your liking then?" he continued as he buried his nose in her head, filling it with her scent.

"Fine... Since you can already feel my emotions, then what's the point of denying things?" Aurelia sighed in exasperation. "Still, I will hold you to your promise. Don't force yourself on me. Stop whenever I say so, even if you feel like I'm into it because my body and mind might not be in sync when it comes to you..."

Calypso didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that statement. In one way or another, her mate still stood resolute with her strong sense of pride. But perhaps that was simply her natural character. She was just someone who was hell-bent on not making things way easy for him. A highly independent woman.

Not minding her words, Calypso couldn't help himself as he kissed Aurelia's head and hair, his lips slowly crawling their way to her neck as he whispered into her skin. "You smell so good. I can't help it..."

Calypso kept up his attack as he licked and suckled on the crane of her neck. He was confident that what he was doing was working, knowing just how much Aurelia's body trembled within his grasp. He inwardly cursed upon hearing the suppressed moans of his mate, and he didn't stop till he reached the mark that he gave to her last night.

He kissed that mark gently and whispered, "It's perfect... Beautifully marked on your skin, Lia."

He then lovingly kissed that mark as he felt his hunger for his mate building up inside him. He couldn't wait to complete the Mate Bond, and he just couldn't stop himself from licking and suckling on her skin.

"That's enough," Aurelia gasped. "S-stop..."

Unfortunately for him, her words meant that he had to stop. Managing to stop himself, he inched his face away from her to have a proper look at her blushing face. He smiled and said, "Alright, I'm stopping now. Just rest in my arms for a while. Get more sleep. I'll wake you up once we've arrived at the Snow Moon Pack."

He winked at her, enjoying the reddening of her cheeks.

[She'll kill me sooner or later if this continues,] he inwardly complained, feeling the painful bulge in his crotch. [I hope next time, she'll beg me not to stop instead.]

[Well, good luck with that...] Axel scoffed. [Still, it seems that your tactics are quite effective since I can smell her arousal. It's quite strong already. Just be more patient. Make your advances as often as you can, but stop whenever she says so...]

[That's easier said than done. I'll go crazy soon!] Calypso snorted. [Surely, she'll be the death of me if she continues to stop me...]

[Patience is always a virtue...] Axel scoffed before letting out a burst of laughter.