The Touch of Demise │18+

39: Fill Me Please

GRACE

When she returned from training that evening, there were two piles of clothes on her bed. Tomorrow was an important day for her. Tomorrow would decide if all her training would pay off. Goliath let her out early tonight and told her to eat, take a long bath, and go to sleep early.

She unfolded the clothes on her bed and held up the items. The first thing she noticed was the long, floor-length cloak in a similar style to Goliath's royal cloak of the guard. It was black with a dark green liner and around the neck were detailed floral-like patterns with a clasp of
a wolf. That was Demise's insignia; her insignia. The promise of the Wolf.

The next item was a utility belt that could sheath her sword, daggers, and other items that she found necessary. It was the same dark green as the liner of her cloak.

Next, was a leather, long-sleeved, resilient top with corset detailing on the front. It was lined with a similar floral arrangement of green and on the chest of it, vines climbed and encircled her breasts which were held by a high, sweetheart neckline.

Finally, there were black leather pants with a similar green outlining running up the calves and somewhat onto the thighs. Besides, the pants were black gloves with the Kingdom's insignia on it.

Before the bed were matching black combat boots.

In the other pile was a similar outfit.

She realized that this was her combat outfit and it was tailored specifically to her measurements using both her preferred tastes and aspects of the wolf kingdom. She heard him lean against the doorway.

Turning to look at her mate, he looked at the outfit in her hands and then at her.

"The thought of you coming with me makes me sick."

She didn't know what to say to that. She understood why. Lycanthrope males felt the need to protect more so than females, but she still felt that twinge of sickness in her stomach. So how could she say she didn't understand his point when she did? The difference was that his ability wasn't questioned. Hers was.

He wiped his chin, frustrated. "You protected Isleen. You have nothing to prove anymore."

She laid the clothes back on the bed and shrugged. "What do you expect me to say? Or do?"

"I'm hoping you'll stay and run the Kingdom."

"I haven't been trained to do that, Demise," she sighed. "I've been training for months in combat, not administrative responsibilities."

"Not true, Goliath has taught you his end of running our world."

"And that isn't enough. I haven't learned what you do."

The tension was palpable. The fire that burned in the fireplace on the wall crackled.

"If you pass tomorrow and I still say you can't go-"

"I would never forgive you because you are the only person who I am supposed to trust always." She said. "You are my King, my mate, and if tomorrow I fail, then you reserve that right to say I cannot go. That was the deal, but do not embarrass me in front of my peers, our kingdom, and our people because of your fear." She swallowed. "If I were to command you to stay here for both of us to stay here, would you?"

He stepped into their room, his hands displayed before him as if telling her to do it. "We share the same political power. Yes."

"And if I told you to stay here while I went over-"

"That would never happen."

She nodded, a small, knowing smile on her lips. She took a step toward him. "We aren't letting our people go over there without us - to fight for us while we aren't fighting for them. They'd die for us if we told them to." As she looked at him, she shrugged. "I'd die for them too if necessary."