259/261: To Be Safe


    Althea feltpletely boneless as Gavriel pulled her into his arms. She had no energy left after his relentless lovemaking, his chosen punishment for her teasing. Not that she wasining. She had enjoyed every moment of being intimate with her husband but then she was really spent that she just wanted to sleep at that


    rate.


    Gavriel was too insatiable that she thought they were done since he already had his released only for him to continue for another round.


    “Can we pause for a bit? I need to recharge,” she mumbled against his chest, resting her head there. His hand was still idly tracing along her side, and she had a feeling he might pin her down again, turn her over, or pull her back into another round at any second.


    “I promise I won’t chuckle anymore when you cry,” she addedzily, her eyelids growing heavy. She liked being wrapped in his arms. It felt warm andforting, like the safest ce she could be.


    “Alright,” he whispered against her ear. “Get some rest for now. Sleep a little more, and I’ll wake you up for dinner.”


    He pressed a gentle kiss to her, and with a small smile on her face, Althea drifted off to sleep.


    Gavriel buried his face in Althea’s hair and inhaled her naturally sweet, refreshing scent. Yes, he was an ordinary human now, yet his senses still felt sharp, and his strength remained much the same, except for the simple fact that he no longer had a lycan form or the ability to shift.


    Even without his lycan, he could still feel a strong presence within himself, though he could not quite identify


    what it was.


    Althea stirred, snapping him back to his trance. A quiet smile curved his lips as his attention returned fully to the beautiful woman sleeping peacefully in his arms.


    He had honestly been caught off guard by how readily Althea had let him im her today. He had prepared himself to wait patiently for her, despite patience never being his strong suit.


    The amount of control he had been forcing himself to maintain around her had been nothing short of torment. So the moment he sensed her unspoken approval, he hadpletely lost it, wasting no time and giving her no chance to reconsider.


    He had been starving for her, for her closeness, for the chance to im herpletely, body and soul, ever since she woke from her days of unconsciousness.


    His eyes welled with tears once more, overwhelmed by joy and bliss. He quickly wiped them away, a faint, embarrassed smile forming on his lips.


    Who would have thought that Althea would be the only person capable of making him cry? Even he was surprised by it. She had been teasing him earlier, and that had given him the perfect excuse to punish her… a sweet punishment, of course.


    A knock sounded at the cabin door, and Gavriel quietly and carefully slipped out of bed. He gently tucked the sheet around Althea, making sure her body was fully covered, before quickly dressing. If someone was knocking at this hour, it had to be something important.


    259/261 To Be Safe


    +25 Bonus


    When he opened the door, Osman stood outside, his face tense with a slight frown.


    Gavriel stepped out and asked, “What’s wrong?”


    “Your Majesty, something feels off. Admiral Thompson wishes to speak with you,” Osman replied immediately, causing Gavriel to frown as well.


    “This is a first,” Gavriel muttered. “Have we encountered any problems while traveling at sea before? I don’t recall any.”


    His gaze drifted toward the vast darkness of the ocean. Night had already fallen, yet the waters appeared calm and undisturbed.


    “There have been incidents before,” Osman said. “But those were millennia ago. Mostly pirate attacks… and, on rare asions, sea creatures.”


    He had chosen to travel by water this time because it offered the fastest route back home.


    Traveling bynd with winter approaching would have been unwise, and he did not want Althea to be ufortable.


    Bothnd and sea travel had their own risks, including the possibility of unseen attacks. However, sea travel had long been peaceful, aside from the asional small group of pirates, which he was confident they could easily


    subdue.


    He headed straight for the captain’s cabin.


    “Your Majesty,” Arturo and the other men inside greeted, bowing respectfully.


    “Tell me,” Gavriel said without preamble.


    Arturo pointed toward the sea. “There’s an unnerving calm on the waters that I’ve never experienced before. And there’s a dense fog rolling in.”


    Gavriel grabbed the binocrs, his jaw tightening. “Sirens…”


    He had no doubt about it. His instincts were screaming a warning. “Prepare the men. Make sure everyone blocks their ears so they won’t be charmed or fall into hallucinations.”


    “Seriously?” Osman eximed. “Didn’t sirens lose their powers too? That’s not fair!”


    Gavriel’s eyes darkened as Elior’s words resurfaced in his mind. “Not all beings lost their supernatural abilities. Remember that. Especially those who were never born human. Some creatures and monsters are born from the darkness itself.”


    “I’ll send word to the other ships,” Arturo said.


    Gavriel nodded. Several other vessels were positioned around them at a short distance. They were smaller but faster ships, built specifically for battle and rapid response.


    He did not waste any time and hurried back to his cabin to wake Althea.


    “Get dressed quickly. We’re expecting a possible attack, so I want you to be safe. Come,” he muttered urgently.


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