[NOUR]
"Are you sure you want to do this? We can just say that the roads were long and that we can meet later..." Delbert said as he looked at Nour. He was all for going to the meeting, but he wanted to make sure that Nour was ready.
It was one thing to walk into Acrod with a new identity, but it was something else to have to sit and face the one person who had made his life harder. This was cruelty to him. And Delbert didn't want to see Nour suffering.
He had done everything in the past to make things better for the young prince, and while it had mostly been motivated by the prince's choice, Delbert just wanted to remind Nour that he would always be here.
That no matter what happened, or even how it happened, the young prince was never going to be alone. It wasn't something that he could fight against, regardless of their position. But that did mean he wouldn't wield his sword and magic against the first soul that gave his Erasthai a stink eye.
"We have to. Lord Lucius wouldn't delay. I know you care about me. I understand you're worried, but Kalkan, this is something I must do. I must be out there and make things right before I take my rightful place.
"I can't do that if I miss meetings. If it helps, you'll always be by my side. Where I go, you'll be there beside me," Nour said in a gentle tone. Delbert was right to worry about him, but Nour could see that the Merdel twin was worrying too much for himself.
Nour could take care of himself. He was the ruby wolf. He was the greatest madman in Acrod over the years. He was dangerous just as the Merdel brothers and he was an angry man.
He needed an avenue to let out all of that rage and anger. Perhaps because no matter what happened they had to deal with all of this at the same time.
"Then mark me. I understand if you don't mean to wear my mark this early. Mark me, so you can always channel me even if I'm there. I don't want to suffocate you with so many worries, but I need to know you're okay.
"I need to know that if I go for a walk and you're amused by magic or whatever the fuck Grant intends to use on his enemies, you will be alright. I promise I won't ask for anything else. I just wish for you to be safe. I need you to be safe.
"To be able to defend yourself, because let's wait for it. You coming back as Lord Tristan's son is going to ruffle so many feathers. They will try to take you away. They will plot and try to ring you down. I just—" Delbert rambled.
Nour listened.
He understood the Merdel Lycan. He understood him so damn well that it was breaking his heart what they had come home to. He never wanted this to be their legacy. For war to be all that stood for them.
He wanted to introduce Delbert to a side of the kingdom that screamed better and happiness but that was too much of a bargain apparently. That was something that the realm was already growing upon and damn was Nour not liking it one bit.
The sincerity in his Kalkan's eyes was what seemed to be pulling him in.
Over the time they had known each other, Delbert had never asked much of him. He never asked for something as critical as this, despite the fact that they had been together for more than six months.
A mark was permanent.
A mark couldn't just be taken back.
A mark was delicate and could be used against them.
This mark however would also be the guarantee that Nour was an immortal who couldn't be wounded. Granted, werewolves had the gift of immortality, but compared to Lycan immortality, the werewolves were weaker and more vulnerable.
It was that vulnerability that Delbert aimed to eliminate for the prince. He was in love with the young prince. He needed to have him safe and unharmed. That was all that he could think of even as he begged to be bound to the spawn of Satan before him.
"A one-sided mark?" Nour asked. This was inane and out of character even for Delbert. A one-sided mark was dangerous to the one who had been marked. Because so many things could happen.
So many things could fuck them over more than anyone could presume and yet even with all that there was no denying that this was what Delbert wanted. This bond that had proven to be so crazy over the years had almost driven them both nuts.
"So that if ever the day comes when you realize you don't want me beside you, you can just mate with another. I already made my choice, and Lycans can only ever fall in love once. You are it for me, my beautiful.
"I'm not saying this to pressure you. I'm just telling you that you could choose another mate, and my life would always remind yours," Delbert said, and Nour stared at him. Really stared at the other half of the strongest Lycans in all of history.
He couldn't believe this. And he didn't know whether to think of himself as lucky or to be worried about loyalty because this right here was insane.
Nour knew Lycans always remained loyal to their Erasthais for the rest of their lives, but he had never thought that he would have one who was willing to do everything for him. This was a fever dream.
It had to be.
There was no other explanation, yet as he looked at Delbert, all he could see was love and affection in his eyes. The Lycan was looking at him like he was his entire world. Like Nour was the star of Delbert's universe.
He was dangerously loyal and scary at the same time because now Nour understood Alanor and the choice the young Wynter had made back then.
"What if you mark me too? I would love waking around with your mark on me. To let everyone know that I belong only to you. To let everyone understand that my life is yours, my love is yours, and everything about me is yours.
"I would love to show them all how beautiful your claim would be on me. I wouldn't even hide it from anyone," Nour said dreamily.
Delbert closed the distance between them faster than Nour could blink.
Before Nour could even begin to understand shit, his back was against the bed.
And Delbert...
–Was on top of him.
"K... Kal... Kalkan," Nour struggled to voice even a part of him knew it was pointless. Still, it was a beautiful moment because now he could smell all of Delbert's perfection, and having him like this was what he had been made for.
Perhaps that was what Nour wanted, right?
"Careful what you ask of me, my prince," Delbert warned huskily.
"We have thirty minutes, Kalkan... I know a few things we could do at that time," Nour said, locking his lips as he stared at Delbert like he wasn't already tempting the man's sanity. This prince was a piece of work, really.
"Baby..."
"I'm all yours for the taking," Nour smirked knowingly.