Mated to the Alpha King-Book 1 novel Chapter 17

"It's called a scarlet flax. It is known to survive the most intense of weather conditions."

"It's beautiful yet so small."

"Just like you baby girl. Beautiful beyond belief and still so small and gentle. You have survived so much and you're still standing. I'm so proud of you."

After discussing this we walk through the forest towards Lucas' house. He intertwined our fingers as we walk and I can't help but lean into him, enjoying the sparks and warmth his body gives me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything you want Audrey."

"Why don't you live in the pack house? Why have your own?"

A light chuckle sounds from besides me and I can't help the redness that makes its way to adorn my cheeks.

"That was two questions Audrey. But to answer you I wanted to have a place just for my mate and I when I found her. I wanted there to be a place where we could just be ourselves and not have to worry about being King and Queen. Plus there is more privacy..."

It takes me a second to pick up on what he meant by privacy but when I did I couldn't help but slap his arm and turn a darker shade of red.

Lucas freezes mid step, causing me to stop with him. What happened?

"Did. Did you just slap me?"

Crap. He is going to be angry and lock me in a cell.

My breathing starts to become erratic. All the possible scenarios fly through my head at an alarming rate. My heart beats faster and faster till I think it's going to fall out of my chest.

My ears fill with a deafening sound, filling my head till it's full. I can't feel the tingles on my hand anymore or contact Kenna and that's when I realize what's happening.

A panic attack.

The first panic attack I have had sense meeting Lucas.

Lucas.

His name alone starts to calm me down. Tingles shoot up my arms and face as the seconds tick by.

When my head starts to clear so does my vision and all I'm met with is a bare chest. Lucas' bare chest. His hands cradling my head to his chest, trying to free me from the mental prison I had created in only a few seconds.

My heart slows and my breathing calms the longer we stand, pressed together.

When did he take his shirt off?

How did he know this would calm me down?

Is he not mad at me for hitting him?

Is everything okay?

The questions run through my head at an alarming rate and I don't realize I had spoken out loud till a soft vibration shutters through my body.

"I'm not mad. I didn't know me holding you would work but I had to do something. I thought the skin to skin contact would help, which it did. You also are wearing my shirt, cause I thought maybe being around my scent would help. Everything is okay. Everything is okay. You are okay. We are okay."