What Lies Beneath His Pelt?

CHAPTER 10: MEETING

July 14, XX83 || 20:30:03

Carantes Castle, Shufurbs, Quaestoshi

Princess Johanna Carantes was considered the role model of women in the City of Shufurbs. She was kind, caring, smart, and skilled in the art of dance, piano, painting, and embroidery. Not to mention, she was of marrying age. Her wolf ears and hair were the color of snow and she wore them with such elegance.

That was the reason why Princes from far and wide had come to the palace to let their desire to court her be known. So far, no one seemed to stand out, as they were all pompous idiots who only knew how to look good. She wanted someone who would help her rule over the city and not just some arm candy.

When she received the seventeenth, 'You look gorgeous tonight in that dress. You are a woman of culture,' she had enough.

She excused herself and told her father that she did not feel well. After King Fino dismissed her, she went to her room and changed out of her ridiculously large ball gown. She yanked out all of the pins they stuck into her hair and let them fall loosely to her chest. She went to the bathroom and showered. She scrubbed all of the make-up away, even the perfume and the fats that were used to keep her hair soft.

She loved dressing up for events like this, but she hated it when the way she looked was all everyone could talk about. She wanted to hear stories about lands from far away, customs, traditions, anything to help her expand her knowledge about the other regions of the country, but no one wanted to talk to her about it.

They were more interested in knowing about her skin routine or from where she got the fabric. Once they got the answer, they would lapse into silence and she had to excuse herself to move on to another person who asked the same thing. Her father berated her for her desire to know more about other lands and told her that she didn't have to learn about them since their city was superior.

She had to disagree because of all the cities she heard about, theirs were the most backward. She sighed as she toweled herself dry and changed. After she had dried her hair, she went to the balcony. When she looked up, she noticed that the moon was almost full.

"Goddess Moon, thank you for gracing me with your presence once again. It has been a while since we last spoke and a lot has happened. For one, I am of marriageable age and although the finest men were presented to me, I could not find anyone who did not just admire me for my looks. Everyone at that party is shallow and stupid and it is frustrating! I followed everything my parents asked me to do and I have never done wrong to anyone, so is it too much to ask for one person who can match me?" She yelled and was surprised when a low chuckle came from under her balcony.

"You cannot find that person if you're stuck in this castle, your highness." It continued and Johanna took a step back. The warning bell was just a few meters from her. She knew she should pull it but she wanted to know what was going to happen next.

"Where are you? Show yourself!" She shouted. A figure stepped out from under her balcony and into an area where she could see him. She couldn't help but gasp in awe.

The figure was that of a man with a broad build and olive skin adorned with ink. He looked nothing like her people as they were all slim and fair-skinned. His long black hair was brushed back and he wore a loose, long-sleeved white shirt tucked into high-waisted pants. Large hound ears adorned his head and Johanna immediately knew that he was going to cause trouble, but she was intrigued.

"Your highness, as requested," he purred. Johanna felt heat flare in her navel.

"Who are you?" She asked. She didn't care if she yelled, as her room was at the farthest edge of the castle.

"I go by many names, but you can call me Batair for now. Are you not afraid of my presence?" She was...intimidated, to say the least, but afraid?

"No, seeing as I am out of your reach, I am not afraid."

He chuckled. She swore his eyes glowed or were they just a trick of the light? Before she could determine, though, he had jumped to her balcony and they now stood face-to-face. Johanna was able to see three jagged scars on his left cheek.

Without meaning to, she reached out for it, only for him to grab her wrist and stop her. He was tall and he towered over her, his shadow covering her entirely. She tried to scent him but it was as if her senses were blocked.

His hand was warm and calloused. She noticed that his nails were black and long. However, despite that, his grip was gentle.

"I did not give you permission to touch my scars!" He growled. Johanna swallowed but she regained her composure.

"And I did not give you permission to come onto my balcony!" She fired back. He gave a low chuckle once again before he turned serious.

From this distance, she was able to see his eyes that resembled the color of emeralds. A sense of familiarity washed over her.

"Yes, you did not but…" he started as he turned her hand. He exposed her wrist and her scent gland. To her utter surprise, he brought it closer to his nose before he continued, "...your scent is intoxicating. I couldn't help myself. I have never liked the scent of a sweet pea before, but I might change my mind."

A shiver ran through her body as she took notice of the horns that appeared on his temples. A huge eye appeared on his forehead as well. Red intricate lines covered his face and she froze when she realized what he was. The putrid scent of sulfur reached her nostrils and her knees began to tremble.

She should have pulled the warning bell earlier but no, she chose to wait it out. Now, she was going to pay the price.

His face shifted into that of a hound's and as he opened his mouth, he revealed sharp teeth lined up in neat rows. She wanted to fight but everything felt heavy. She just closed her eyes and waited for her death.

Two, three seconds and she did not feel anything. On the tenth second, she opened her eyes and found that she was alone on the balcony. The scent of sulfur was nowhere to be found, and instead, it was replaced by the scent of the salty sea breeze.

She looked out from the balcony towards the forest and her intuition screamed that that was where he was. He had a magnetic pull on her and she wanted to run after him. His voice, his energy, his facade, and even his scent awakened something within her and she wanted to know more about the feeling. He was dangerous, she knew that much. She wanted to see how dangerous he truly was.

She grew up in a family that hunted and killed Fabukage. She knew the risk of running into one and how their power could affect them, but she didn’t care. What she felt was new but at the same time familiar and she was obsessed. Maybe he had already used his magic on me.

"Your highness! Be careful, you might fall over! A hundred-meter fall will not kill you but it will injure you!" Her handmaiden exclaimed. It broke her from her reverie and she realized that she leaned too far from the railing.

She took a step back and her handmaiden was beside her.

"Your highness, are you okay? You look paler than usual. Did something happen?"

"Yes-yes, I just thought I saw someone run into the forest."

"Oh my! Let us call the guards so they can check and secure the perimeter. Who knows, maybe it was an assassin taking advantage of the festivities."

Johanna’s eyes widened at the statement and it got her thinking. What if he was indeed an assassin? No, if he was one, he had already killed me.

"No, I do not think it is needed. It must have been my imagination."

The handmaiden simply stared at her but did not further pester her. She, instead, helped her get ready for bed.

As she slept that night, she knew he was watching her. The next night as well, and the next, that was why she always made it a point to dress nicely for bed. She didn't understand why he affected her like that, but she liked how it felt-the danger, the tension, the lust. This was the first time she felt this way and if he knocked one day, she might just let him in.

For now, she was fine with being watched.

Days, weeks passed and the knock finally came on the first day of the full moon during the next month. Well, it wasn't a knock per se, as he just stood in front of the balcony door and just stared at her until she became uncomfortable and opened the door.

"What do you want now? I am trying to..." she stopped when she felt the heat that his body radiated. She knew that it was abnormal. She looked at him and saw that he was barefoot and he was only wearing his pants. Because of this, she was able to see numerous scars that littered his arms, stomach, and chest.

"Batair! What happened?" She asked, but before he could answer, he fell. If she had not been there, he might have hit the floor with a loud thud. She steadied him with her grip and his body was too hot to the touch.

“Oh, my Caelestis! You’re burning up!” She exclaimed. She noticed that there was an arrow on his back smelling strongly of poison.

She quickly moved and after she cleaned the wound, she used her magic to draw out the poison from his body and helped him into her bed.

She locked her door to ensure that no one would enter and she began pacing.

What the hell are you doing, Johanna? You have a Fabukage in your room and you're watching over him? What would your father say? Not to mention that the said Fabukage is a demon hound! One of the most ruthless Fabukage ever recorded!

A low groan came from him and she was at his side.

“Batair, can you hear me?” She asked worriedly and his eyes snapped open. His gaze found hers and annoyance flashed on his face.

“Yes, I can. Your footsteps are heavy and your talking doesn’t help either. I am trying to rest, woman!” He snapped. Her ire rose.

“How dare you! I just saved you from a deadly poison and let you into my room, you ungrateful git!” She hissed. He chuckled.

“My, my, my, your highness, it is unbecoming for the princess to shout at an injured person. You should be ashamed.” He teased her. Her entire face turned red with rage. Just how quickly does Fabukage heal?

“Get out. GET. OUT!” She shouted as she grabbed him by his arm and pulled him up. He didn’t move and just watched as she struggled, only to fall on top of him when she exerted too much force.

They were chest-to-chest, and he heard the increasing beat of her heart. Her labored breathing did not help, as he drowned in her scent.

With a growl, Batair crashed his lips against hers and she did not hesitate to respond to it. She straddled him and his hands gripped her hips. Their kisses grew frantic and his grip tightened. She ground her hips against his groin, eliciting a moan from him, and she took the opportunity to enter his mouth with her tongue.

Their tongues fought for dominance and Johanna could feel the heat as it pooled in her lower regions. Her arousal did not go unnoticed and Batair smiled against her mouth as he pulled away.

"Johanna, are you sure about this?" He asked as he stared at her, his eyes half-lidded.

"Yes. I've been waiting for months, Batair."

Batair groaned and he flipped her on her back. In one swift move, he had removed her nightgown.

"Oh, no undergarments, your highness? I am honored." Batair grinned as his gaze raked the length of her body and her skin flushed pink.

"Shut up, Batair, and indulge me!" She ordered, and his gaze darkened with lust.

"As you wish, your highness,"

He took off his pants and his underwear before he straddled her. Her eyes widened as she took in his length and girth.

One hand went to her well-endowed breast and he squeezed it, the other went to her slit. She moaned as his mouth descended to her erect n****e, sucking and biting while a finger entered her.

"So wet for me already, Princess. Did you fantasize about this?" He mumbled against her chest and she responded by arching her back.

Everything happened quickly, her rational mind being silenced by his touch.

When she woke up the next morning, she was horrified and she immediately checked her scent glands to ensure that there were no bite marks on them.

Relieved, she woke him up roughly and he jolted from her bed. Their scents still hung in the air and her eyes widened.

“How dare you take advantage of a woman!” She shouted as she threw her pillows at him. He struggled to put on his pants.

“I wasn’t the one who invited myself in! You did, so do not blame me!" He retorted.

“Yeah? I wasn’t the one who was hanging out of someone else’s balcony!" As she shouted, she opened her windows and balcony to air out their scents.

"I asked you if you wanted to proceed and you agreed!"

"It was a lapse of judgment!"

Arguments were thrown back and forth and they only stopped when the faint sound of footsteps echoed in front of her door. It was later followed by the sound of incessant knocking and the voice of her father. They looked at each other and they began to fix the room.

“Johanna, open the door immediately!” Her father’s voice was louder. She knew she had to speak.

“I apologize, father! My room is a mess and I do not want the servants to think I am a sloppy princess. Please wait a moment as I straighten it out.”

“What? Let us in so that the servants can attend to it.”

“No! I-I mean, uh, I went in heat last night as I ran out of suppressants and I ended up experimenting so everything is a mess and I don’t want anyone suffocating from my scent!” Her cheeks reddened as she spoke. Batair had to keep himself from laughing out loud.

Giggles from her servants came on the other side of the door and the red deepened.

“Oh-Oh. I see….alright, Uhm...I am inclined to believe that you used the items provided for you?” Her father asked. Batair snorted a laugh.

"Yes-yes. So Uhm, I have to clean up. I will meet you later for lunch.”

“Alright. I will call the apothecary to prepare your heat suppressants.”

“Thank you, father.” And with that, the footsteps retreated.

Sure that they were all clear, Batair finally let out a loud laugh. Johanna laughed with him. Once they were satisfied, they decided to talk about what happened.

“So what now? Are you finally going to leave me alone?” Johanna asked as she removed her bedding.

“No. Last night was the best experience I have had and I know for a fact that I will always crave that. Don’t you feel the same?” He replied as he picked up a pillow. He started removing the pillowcase.

“No, because that was my first time. However, that awakened something within me and I know for a fact that I will always look for that feeling.”

“So what do you propose?”

She was silent for a minute as she thought about it. Batair waited patiently, still helping her clean.

“Every full moon after you change, you can come here and we can do that. I cannot change anymore due to a spell, so I'll just wait for your arrival."

“Alright. Anything else?”

She didn’t have to think hard.

“How did you get that poisoned arrow on your back last night?”

*****

Thank you so much for your support and patience! You can see chapter art from the story on my i********:, artbyellysse, or my Deviantart, reza-delavega. Do not forget to leave a comment if you want!