The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 103

One Hundred Three: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

Killian seemed highly amused by me as we ate our lunch together. I would find him staring at me with a small smile or chuckling to himself while I was nibbling on my food.

I was happy my mother was here, and she was safe. But the bigger part of my mind was stuck on whether my father had returned with her. Did she tell him about me? Did he want to meet me?

"You have barely touched your food, my love. Did I not do a good enough job to help you work up an appetite?’ His words sent a wave of warmth to my core, and I shifted as I picked up half of my sandwich and took a dramatically large bite out of it. He had absolutely done his job to work up my appetite, but it was still tempting to tease him and tell him no. Maybe then he would ensure I was thoroughly ravished and christen the study like he suggested. "You're distracted."

I shook my head as I swallowed, not wanting to talk about it on our date. He was right that I had been distracted, and I didn't want to bring him down when he had taken time out of his busy day to have a lunch date with me. It had been sweet, and, at least to me, it had been needed. Just time for the two of us to be together and alone without interruptions. Even if we sat in silence, having him near me was like having my soul recharged.

"I didn't mean to be distracted by other things. I'll go down and visit my mother after our date. Right now, it is just you and me." I insisted, wiping my fingers on the napkin and reaching for my glass of wine. The bitter yet satisfying liquid was delicious, and Killian immediately refilled my glass once I placed it back down.

We had it once before, and his remembering that I loved it made me incredibly happy.

"You have every reason to have your mind occupied." He said before gesturing with his head toward the door. "Do you want me to come with you to meet him?"

I bit my lip, debating if I wanted an audience to this. "No, that's okay. I know you have a lot of work to do. Do you... Have you ever met him before?"

Killian nodded, his eyes never leaving mine as he rested his hand on my thigh, rubbing it soothingly. "Yes. You have nothing to worry about. He is a good leader, one of the few wolves I respect."

I had other questions. Questions that I needed to ask my father directly.

From what I had seen, Killian's respect was hard to come by, and I was proud that this man had earned it.

"Go ahead." Killian moved to grab another grape, popping it into his mouth as he smiled at me with his heart-stopping grin. "I know you are dying to go see them. You know where to find me, my love. I'm not going anywhere."

I pressed my lips together as I debated, but I was eager to get this over with, so I could know the truth. "I changed my mind. I think it would be nice if you were there."

He nodded, taking one last bite of his food before getting to his feet and holding a handout for me. I appreciated that he didn't give me a hard time or question my decision. He simply supported me, and it meant the world.

"Right now?" I asked, my nerves swirling what little I ate around my stomach. "We haven't even finished eating."

Killian laughed, raising an eyebrow at me in disbelief. ’You aren't even eating, and there is no time like the present. Let's do this now so it won't hang over you anymore."

I grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull me up. "You're too positive now. What happened to my grumpy, bossy mate? Where did he go?" "He is still here. Now do what I say."