Amber Waves - 6. Chapter 6

AARON

The door opened for him, Captain Darren ushering the wolf into the room. Heat seemed to attack Aaron from all around, bearing down on him oppressively, but that was driven from his mind at the sight of the queen.

She was buried under a heavy blanket, sitting close to a burning fireplace, and her face looked tired, worn by the cares of governing the world. Aaron had kept her from her sleep, and the werewolf felt shame pouring through him.

Aaron let his legs fall out from under him, laying himself out before Queen Amber. It was the best he could do; the wolf had no idea how to bow in this form. He waited with baited breath, anxiously watching the woman who had adopted him.

“You’re a werewolf,” Amber said quietly, almost in resignation. “Aaron, listen closely to me. I do not blame you for this. You never mentioned it to me, so I have to believe this was an accident. Correct?”

The prince nodded, fighting back a whimper at the queen’s tone. This was it. He was going to be sent away, or worse. Aaron didn’t know what he was going to do; it was rare for any royal adoption to fail, and for him to be sent back after only one day? Surely no other prince or princess had failed that fast before.

“Then you did not know you were going to change today. But we know now. And we can find people to help you with your wolf.”

Aaron looked up at Queen Amber in shock. The queen burrowed deeper into her blanket, frowning down at the werewolf.

“Queen Amber, if I may, Itumak turned tonight as well. Perhaps it is best to assign him to the prince’s personal guard for the full moon. He is the only one who can safely guard Prince Aaron over the next three days,” Captain Darren said quietly.

“Perhaps,” Amber agreed. “But regardless, it would not be wise to keep an untrained werewolf as the prince’s only guard.”

A low growl escaped Aaron at the thought of the neko watching him. It was Itumak’s fault he was in this mess to begin with. The wolf bit off the growl almost before it could begin, yet he saw the frown cross his mother’s face.

“You will keep Itumak with you, Aaron. I suppose he had a part to play in this, and I understand if you are angry, but he was not listed as a werewolf either. If he changed you, it was accidental,” the queen said quietly. “Captain Darren. What I am about to propose is drastic, and you have every right to say no. I will not hold it against you. I would like you to become a werewolf, to better guard the prince when he goes for runs.”

“Your Majesty?” Darren asked, staring at the queen wide eyed. “I… pardon me, your Majesty… but I never once considered becoming a wolf. I… I don’t think it would work for me; I only date women.”

“Do you have any objections to the thought of becoming a werewolf, Captain Darren?”

“No, your Majesty. If there’s a way to do it… I mean, without having sex with a male wolf… I would do anything to keep the royal family safe.”

“Then it is settled. I believe all it takes is ingesting the semen of a werewolf male, correct?”

Aaron felt his body heat up at the thought. It was obvious what he’d done then, what they’d done. The werewolf dropped his chin to the floor, wishing he could just crawl away.

“Relax Aaron. As my father already informed me, boys will be boys. It is no concern of mine if you’ve had sex before, though I am not pleased you broke the law to do it,” Amber chastised quietly. “Darren, I want you to work on the werewolf problem. By the next full moon, I expect you to be undergoing your first shift.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Darren said quietly, lowering his head in respect.

“Aaron, I want you to go to your room. I will have a guard stationed outside your door again. Food and water will be provided, and I want you to get a good night’s rest tonight,” Amber added. “Until the full moon is over, we wait to work on your schedule.”

Aaron nodded silently, picking himself up from the floor.

“Captain Darren, please escort the prince to his rooms, and make sure the wolf cannot get out until morning. I don’t want any mishaps.”

“Yes, your Majesty. Your Highness, please follow me.”

The human bowed to his queen, before leading Aaron out of the room. Silently they passed through the palace, Aaron’s feet thumping softly as he walked up a wide flight of stairs. Darren paused in front of the prince’s door, looking down at Aaron.

“Your Highness. I will be here in the morning. By the time the sun is up, you should be back in your elven form. If you are not, I’ll walk you through a meditation that should guide you back to yourself. Do not worry about this. I’ve handled first shifts before.”

He smiled gently, before opening the door. Aaron stepped past the man, flinching as the door closed behind him. The wolf looked around the room, so big, yet so small at the same time. The door to the balcony was closed, the curtains drawn so he couldn’t see outside. Against the wall, a television was quietly playing a documentary on nature, and the bed was freshly made.

Aaron didn’t know whether to feel grateful for the thought put into the state of his room, or outrage that they assumed the nature channel was the perfect choice for someone who had just turned into a wolf. And he felt even worse when he realized he had to pee.

There was no way he could do that on the toilet, not as a wolf. And Aaron slunk into the bathroom, shame coating his every step as he got into the bathtub and raised his leg.

ITUMAK

The wolf curled up on his bed, his body contorting in ways he had never imagined before. Itumak’s tongue reached out, easily rasping over his throbbing length, and the werewolf froze, experiencing a moment of shock and excitement that seemed far too great for any one moment to handle.

He began licking near desperately, body trembling as he tried to hold himself up. The night had been long and exhausting already, but he hadn’t even had the chance to release yet. How was he supposed to sleep with that energy pent up? Besides, he was a werewolf now. He could do things; things he had once considered impossible. The neko had no idea what werewolves were complaining about. He could lick his own dick. This was great!

And yet it was missing something still. He didn’t want to just lick. He wanted… no, he needed to breed. And Itumak sighed quietly, understanding that those urges were ingrained within him now.

He was glad Aaron had been found, though the werewolf was a little less excited at the thought that Captain Darren had already planned a trip to a sperm bank the day after the full moon. He didn’t need his guardian to be running around with them in wolf form; that would ruin any fun he and Aaron might have later.

But that did little to ruin the late night’s entertainment. The wolf licked, rapidly, desperately, feeling the burning in his loins as his eyes stared at the base of his cock. And suddenly he saw it, just as a splurge of wolf cum hit his lips. His knot swelled in an imaginary hole as hot seed spurted into his mouth.

The neko leaned awkwardly, trying to trap the spraying length into his mouth. Warm sugar washed over his tongue, yet Itumak felt nothing. No increased sex drive, no strange dizziness.

He let out a frustrated huff. So much for drinking his own cum for a high. Itumak would have to find a neko for that someday. But at least he felt somewhat sated after cumming. Slowly, the wolf curled up in his bed, his cock still dripping into his sheets. Itumak didn’t care; he’d wash them in the morning.

A morning that came far too fast.

Light flooded Itumak’s eyes, the neko blinking blearily as he heard the door to his room close.

“Up you go. You’re on breakfast duty today,” Darren’s voice said gruffly. “Then I will be placing you with Mr. Guyin to learn basic palace etiquette.”

Itumak groaned at the thought of more schooling. He didn’t want to go to school; he’d almost been done with learning before the captain of the palace guards stole him away.

“None of that now. You will change your sheets; I have no doubt you were enjoying the perks of being a werewolf last night,” Darren sniffed. “I want you downstairs in twenty minutes, in your pressed uniform, and ready for work.”

The man left the room, and Itumak contemplated rolling over to go back to sleep. But he knew he couldn’t. The neko hadn’t seen Captain Darren angry yet, and he knew for a fact he never wanted to.

Glancing out his window as he sat up, Itumak let out a loud curse.

“It isn’t even light out yet. What the fuck are we doing awake?”

The neko grumbled as he stood up, crossing to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He returned to the bedroom and stripped the bed, carrying the sheets out to the laundry room.

“Itumak, while you live under this roof, you will keep your nudity to yourself,” Darren spoke up sharply, startling the werewolf.

Itumak dropped his bedding into the washer, nodding silently as he turned it on. The neko hurried back to his room, dressing quickly as the smell of pancakes and fresh fruit filled the small apartment reserved for the captain of the Astaran palace guard.

He stepped into the small kitchen and dining area, wearing a pair of boxers and an undershirt. Darren’s eyes raised at his attire, and the man set a plate on the table.

“I asked you to be dressed before breakfast. Why are you not obeying orders, Guard Itumak?”

“Because if I dress before I eat, I risk ruining my uniform. I would not want to dishonour the queen or the prince by appearing before them in stained clothing,” Itumak said with a smirk.

“That is why you set a napkin in your lap when you eat. Now go dress. And the next time you smirk at me, I will be sure to put you to work scrubbing the barrack restrooms,” Darren informed him.

The smirk slipped from Itumak’s face.

“Sorry sir.”

“Don’t be sorry. Be obedient,” Darren said sharply. “Go.”

Itumak scurried back to his bedroom, spending the next few minutes working his way into his uniform. The neko winced as he caught his tail in his pants, and he let out a quiet grumble.

A button closed off his ass, and Itumak took a moment to make sure his undershirt was tucked in neatly, before pulling on the navy coat that covered his torso.

Finally he made his way back out to the kitchen, sitting down to eat the now cold pancakes hungrily. Cranberries burst in his mouth, the juicy tartness adding to the crunchy meal in a way that nearly made Itumak moan.

“Use your napkin,” Darren said sternly, carrying his own plate to the sink. “We have a problem, Itumak.”

The neko blanched, nearly choking at Darren’s words.

“A problem? Is it because I’m a werewolf? I swear I didn’t know-”

“No, you did not. Which tells me you had unprotected sex with a stranger in the last month. And the Wolf Patrol that brought you back to the palace last night mentioned that you nearly raped a man. You were also undressed before you shifted. All of this points to one conclusion.”

Darren turned toward the neko, water washing over his plate as he met Itumak’s gaze with a steely scowl.

“You, an underage neko, in the employ of the palace guard, and a close friend of Prince Aaron, were out looking for sex last night. Not only that, you turned Prince Aaron, and would undoubtedly have turned the man you were chasing last night, leading to his death tonight.”

“What? No, I wouldn’t have killed-”

“What do you think would happen to him tonight? His body has one night to prepare for a shift into an alien form. In the past, when the disease was weaker, perhaps he could have lived through it. But these days, turning someone during the full moon is tantamount to signing their death sentence.”

Itumak gulped, lowering his eyes.

“I… I didn’t know…”

“No. You didn’t know. But that is no excuse. You went out there, with no protection, looking for a piece of ass. When you are off duty, there are certain things that you might do that the guard cannot forbid. Like sleeping around, or having a few drinks at a bar. But you are still underage. And thus, you are still held to laws involving minors. That man you attacked is currently in jail for soliciting a minor. Do you understand what that means?”

“He… he didn’t know either…” Itumak admitted quietly. “I told him I was seventeen.”

“Then he should have carded you for verification,” Darren said sternly. “Either way, you put him in jail. You jeopardized his life because you couldn’t control your urges to have sex. I will only tell you this once. If I ever catch you sleeping with another person before you reach the age of majority, I will remove you from the Guard for behaviour unbecoming of a Palace Guard. And that will remain on your record permanently.”

“I understand,” Itumak said, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Good. Now, get moving. You are to rouse Prince Aaron and see him to breakfast.”

“Yes sir.”

Itumak pushed his plate away and stood up. Hurrying toward the door, the neko stepped into the warm morning air, catching the glow of the rising sun to the east. He made his way to the palace proper, and was soon outside Aaron’s door.

AMBER

Fingers pulled at her earrings, carefully setting them into a waiting tray. Amber let her hair down, the queen grimacing at the strands that fell in her face as a cold liquid ran down her body; the feel of magic slowly running off her body.

The queen of Astara regained her true form, the illusion of a frightened young woman fading away as a mage let out a long sigh.

“I am eternally grateful for your help Jennifer,” Amber smiled at the mage.

Jennifer beamed at the praise, her own body losing the wrinkles of old age. Disguises were no longer needed now they were in the hospital.

“Is that the last of the enchantment?” the lab technician asked.

Amber slid the tray with her earrings in it over to the technician. Beside her, Jennifer nodded, retreating back into the corner of the room.

The queen took a deep breath as she sat on the sliding tray. Darren should be here, she needed him here. But he couldn’t come. Jennifer did not have the skill to hide a third person, nor the energy, and Amber couldn’t make this harder on the young mage. Still, she missed the guard’s calming presence, the way the world seemed much less frightening with him at her side. There was something about the man… maybe in another world, another life, she could have made him her king. But there was no chance for that; not when her death could come at any time. She couldn’t leave the succession in question, and having the Prince Consort remain when the queen was gone was too much of a risk for Astara.

“Up you go.”

Her legs lifted, and Amber lay back on the tray, taking harsh, deep breaths. Taunting the disease within her, almost. She had to take her pleasures where she could.

“And take a deep breath and hold.”

Her eyes closed as the tray was slid into a dark tunnel, and Amber tried to relax as her world was reduced to the tiny interior of a machine.

The hum of the machine filled the world around her, loud and terrifying, and Amber fought to remain still. It wasn’t the first time she’d been inside this tunnel. It certainly wouldn’t be the last time. But she would gladly face a dozen fat neko lords rather than deal with this machine.

Ten seconds dragged into an eternity, her lungs burning with the need for oxygen. When the machine shut off, and she was dragged back into the light, Amber had to bite back a relieved gasp.

“And you can sit up again.”

The technician was gone when her eyes opened. Dark pinpricks shot through her vision, and Amber stayed down. She knew if she tried to sit up, it would only end in agony.

Slow breaths chased the dots away, and when she was ready, the queen sat up carefully. Jennifer stepped toward her, carefully helping the queen with her hair tie and her earrings. A moment of chilled liquid passed through Amber, her body changing once more to her disguise, and the queen murmured her thanks to the mage again. No one would know Amber was sick, and it was all thanks to one mage.

“Well, I have some good news. The growth has definitely slowed. The medicine is working,” the technician announced from beside a computer. “We’ll have to keep a close eye on it, of course, but for the moment, you don’t have to worry. I think we caught it in time.”

A slow smile spread over Amber’s face, another deep breath sending pain through her chest. She didn’t care. All that mattered was the glow of the screen showing the mass that had frozen in place, stopped by her medication.