Amber Waves - 7. Chapter 7

ITUMAK

“Aaron, I said I was sorry…”

The prince sat on a horse, balancing precariously as he was led through the woods. Itumak rode beside him, the neko trying to figure out why they were learning to ride when they could just become wolves.

It had been two months since they’d arrived at the palace. Two months since they had shifted for the first time. And in all that time, Aaron hadn’t said a single word to the neko. The silence had gotten annoying a week in. Now it was just old.

“Please don’t yell, Guard Itumak. You’ll scare the horses,” their riding instructor said calmly.

“I’m not fucking yelling,” Itumak hissed, glaring at Aaron. “And we wouldn’t be having this discussion if someone would just set their petty issues aside and discuss it like the prince they’re trying so fucking hard to be.”

Silently, Aaron raised a hand, a rude gesture his first response to the neko in two months. And Itumak knew he’d struck a nerve.

“You’re not the victim here dumbass, we were both turned against our will. It’s not my fault I happened to give it to you; I had no idea I was a fucking werewolf.”

“You should have known,” Aaron snarled suddenly. “Do you think I want to deal with this shit on top of learning how to run a kingdom, trying to fill in for Mother when she’s in pain, with no fucking clue what I’m doing? Worst of all, I’m dealing with fucking archaic modes of travel just because of some stupid fucking tradition, when I should be studying! What do I care if the nobles see me in a fucking car instead of hunting animals for sport on horseback?!”

Itumak let out a quiet snort, staring ahead as his body worked to keep himself on his horse’s back.

“There we go, your Highness. Let it all out,” the neko said.

“Fuck you,” Aaron growled.

“Gladly. I’m seventeen now, Captain Darren can’t yell at me about it now. Though you might have to fight Ren for the honour; I’ve seen him staring at me.”

“Really? Renshin, the same Ren who would rather punch a wall of nails than drink a glass of elven brandy?”

“Oh, have you decided to catch up on barrack gossip? Yes, that Renshin,” Itumak scoffed. “Someone wants a little awoo it seems. I’m not doing anything until he asks though. Learned that lesson already.”

“But you’ll still go out trolling for ass each night,” Aaron muttered.

“Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been laid? At least a week,” the neko sighed quietly.

“Oh what a shame, you have to keep it in your pants because no one wants to become a beast.”

Aaron tugged on the reins of his horse lightly, and Itumak followed his prince around a tree, following the path as it turned back toward the palace.

“Actually, it’s not that,” Itumak shrugged. “I found a werewolf bar to go to. I think people are just worried that I’m a neko.”

“Rightfully so.”

“Hey, you had every chance to say no,” Itumak scowled. “Besides, I made sure you were safe. Aside from the whole werewolf thing.”

“Which was a pretty fucking major detail.”

“Sure, and a detail I would have absolutely shared with you,” Itumak shrugged. “I have to admit it is really cool looking at my-”

“Itumak!”

The neko grinned at his friend innocently.

“What? I’m just saying the combination of barbs-”

“I don’t want to know anything about your dick,” Aaron hissed at the werewolf.

“Shame, there are more than a few people who have asked about it,” Itumak snickered.

“And here I thought you weren’t getting laid.”

“I’m not. Well… not really,” Itumak shrugged. “Maybe I’ll have better luck if I take Ren with me tonight. I just have to get him a sign that says, touch me and you’re dead.”

“Somehow I don’t think he’ll see the humour in that,” Aaron sighed.

“What humour? I’m just trying to make sure there won’t be a bunch of werewolves without dicks come morning. Besides, he really could use a drink. It will relax him.”

“Fine, whatever. Take your friend and go drinking. Party on while I go blind trying to figure out enough Khorsan to not offend dignitaries.”

“I will.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Itumak scowled at Aaron, shaking his head as they rode out of the forest. The horses stepped around to the small stables behind the palace, and Itumak slid off carefully, stepping around to help Aaron off his horse. The prince grunted quietly, his legs wobbling.

“Well, that’s enough exercise for this morning. I’m going to get the apartment cleaned before Captain Darren has my head about it.”

Itumak gave Aaron an exaggerated bow, the elf growling at him.

“Just go.”

“Hey, for the record Aaron, I got you to break.”

The neko dodged a rock that flew from the prince’s hand, letting out a loud laugh as he ran away from the stables. He’d gotten Aaron to talk again; now he just had to do it again and the elf would forget that he was ever angry to begin with.

Itumak stepped into the Captain’s apartment, pulling his uniform off with a grateful sigh. He removed his riding boots, letting his toes wriggle free from the confines of the shoes. A quick shower followed to get rid of the sweat that had built up, and Itumak dressed quickly, before heading out to the regular barracks.

Men and women roamed through the long building, and the neko waited at the entrance, per the new wolf rules Captain Darren had written. An elf scowled at him as Itumak leaned against the wall.

“The fuck are you doing here?”

“Looking for Renshin,” Itumak replied.

“Eastern gardens, combat practice with the captain. I’m surprised you didn’t know that; I thought you were the captain’s pet.”

Itumak shrugged the insult off, stepping out of the barracks without a word. The door closed quietly behind him, and the neko headed off to search for the only other neko in the queen’s guards.

AMBER

Hot steam filled the room, Amber’s skin crawling with goosebumps as the chill of the outer world was driven away. This was her time, time away from dignitaries, from nekos turning into werewolves, from a captain that she could not pursue.

So many cares filled her mind and her heart, and with each breath and exhalation, the queen worked on letting them all fade.

And yet she couldn’t get rid of them. They hovered in the back of her mind, like the ravens of death following an army to a feast. It was almost a relief to think that someday she would not deal with the troubles of the world.

Amber put a stop to those thoughts immediately. Madness lay down that road, and she would not have that.

But she couldn’t just drift in nothingness either. Random thoughts flitted through her mind frantically every time she tried, and the queen knew that was a losing fight. So she spent the time reorganizing her thoughts instead.

Starting with Darren.

She loved the guard. There was no doubt about it. And she wanted so badly to show him her love, to let him take the throne beside her. He would be the perfect consort, devoted to the realm; so devoted that he had willingly turned himself into a werewolf to better protect the prince. Amber knew she would find no one better suited for that role.

A soft knock at the door to the sauna interrupted her thoughts. Amber sipped at a plastic cup of water, before carefully standing up. Her towel wrapped around her body, protecting her modesty as her sandalled feet carried her to the door.

Darren stood on the other side, as though summoned by her very thoughts, The captain of the guard took a breath, the tiniest hitch in his throat as his eyes stayed glued to Amber’s face.

“Your Majesty, the prince has returned from his riding lessons.”

A soft smile played across Amber’s lips. She didn’t need to be told that. Darren was just fishing for reasons to check on her. The thought of the man peeking in on her like a naughty schoolboy made her chuckle quietly.

“Did my father put you up to this?” she smirked.

“No, your Majesty. I have not spoken to the Dowager in some time,” Darren said quietly.

“Then perhaps you came to peek in on royalty,” the queen teased, letting her towel slip to reveal the barest hint of cleavage.

“I would never soil your honour in such a way,” Darren said vehemently.

Too strongly. Amber lost all humour, her towel covering her body properly once more. This was no time to flirt with her captain; something was wrong.

“Captain Darren, what is going on with you?” she asked firmly.

“I… I am unsure, your Majesty. I…”

The guard swallowed tightly, shaking his head.

“I’ve always been loyal to you, my queen. I would never take advantage of my position like I have…”

“To see me relaxing in a sauna?”

Darren nodded.

“Please… forgive me, your Majesty. I must request time off,” the werewolf said quietly, almost gruffly.

For a moment, Amber saw insecurity in her captain’s eyes, and worse. Fear.

“What are you afraid of, Captain Darren? I must know.”

“I… I’m afraid to tell you my fears…”

There was no attempt to laugh his worries off, no reassurances. Her captain was dead serious, and it scared her. What could have made the man who had taught her the meaning of courage so afraid?

Amber let out a quiet sigh, before nodding slowly.

“I can understand that,” she said quietly. “How much time will you be taking? I trust you understand this will be a paid vacation; I cannot have my captain stressing on the job.”

“Of course, your Majesty,” Darren said quietly. “It shouldn’t be more than a week. I think… I mean, there are a few things with the change that I was… not expecting.”

“You seem stressed, Captain. Perhaps some time in the sauna will help ease your mind? I am covered properly, and you don’t need to be afraid of showing me your underwear. I lived among plenty of boys in my orphan years,” Amber smiled lightly.

“Thank you for the offer, your Majesty, but I really cannot,” Darren denied.

“Very well. If that is all, you may go,” Amber said.

“Of course, ma’am.”

Amber turned back into the room, closing the door behind her before setting her towel back on a hook. Settling back onto the bench, the queen let out a loud groan.

“Fuck…”

Other than her father, Captain Darren had always been the one person she could trust around her. And now even that was being taken from her. Whatever was going on with him, it had to do with the werewolf part of him, and that worried Amber.

The lust of werewolves was legendary. Amber knew she shouldn’t flirt with the captain; he needed to have a clear mind to do his job, and that was being challenged now. If she continued the way she had been, Amber knew she’d probably end up in a werewolf’s bed. What would the world think of her then?

She was supposed to be different from her father. Letting Darren into her bed would cause chaos as people compared her again to Dowager Finley. For so long, the queen had held back from pursuing any relationships, afraid of the public eye. And now the one person she wanted, no, needed, was the worst possible person to look at.

Amber cursed her decision to have Darren turn himself. Sure, it meant that Aaron was safer, but wasn’t that why Itumak was constantly watching the prince? Even if the neko was untrained, he knew enough to protect his friend. The queen had ruined any chance she had at a romance, at love. And again her father’s admonishment came to mind. She needed to think before she acted.

AARON

The wolf ran in place, a large treadmill whirring under his feet. Beside him, a young man stood with a stoic look on his face, watching the crown prince jog.

“This is good. Six miles an hour is fast enough it should tire your wolf out before tonight.”

Aaron let out a breathless huff, his paws thumping quietly as he stared out the window. A cliff overlooked the Astar River as it flowed toward the rapids further south. To the west, the setting sun made the world glow, alight with a mystical flame.

“And that is half an hour. Go ahead and nose the treadmill off.”

The prince did as he was told, stepping off the treadmill. He took a deep breath as his wolf retreated. Picking himself up, Aaron reached for a strategically placed towel, wrapping it around his waist protectively.

“Itumak didn’t join us today, I see.”

“No, he said he wanted to take a friend out for drinks,” Aaron said, trying to catch his breath.

“No matter. He’ll just have to run extra tomorrow,” Connor smirked, handing the prince a bottle of water. “How is your wolf doing? Tired?”

“Yeah… yes,” Aaron corrected himself. “I think I’ll have no trouble sleeping tonight.”

“Excellent. I know when I first turned, I was up all night doing… well… wolf things.”

Connor cleared his throat, glancing at his phone.

“Anyway, your Highness, Dogmeat- er, Jason said he’d give me a ride home. I should get going if I don’t want to inconvenience one of your guards.”

Aaron nodded, grabbing his clothes from a bench. The werewolf took a moment to dress as the human left the small gym. Finishing the water in his bottle, Aaron set the container in a box near the entrance before leaving.

He made his way to the dining room, where his mother was waiting for him.

“Good evening Aaron,” Amber smiled.

“Good evening Mother. Will Dowager Finley be joining us tonight?”

“No, he is standing vigil over Zaddis’ memorial tonight.”

“Oh. I forgot it was the anniversary of his passing,” Aaron said quietly. “He’s a very grumpy neko, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Father is rather… rusty when it comes to social niceties,” Amber agreed. “But he does have his reasons.”

Aaron didn’t doubt that; Finley’s reign had been fraught with issues. But he still wished the old dowager wasn’t so prickly.

Amber set a pill in her mouth, swallowing drily as a pair of servants carried food into the room. Aaron’s stomach grumbled loudly at the smell of elven sausage mixed into pasta. Or maybe it was his wolf, tiredly complaining about the lack of real meat. Either way, the elf was going to feed the beast inside him.

“I saw Connor leaving with Jason. Did you have a good workout?” Amber asked.

“Yes Mother. I ran about three miles… I think. It’s a little hard to tell when I’m a wolf,” Aaron sighed.

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it. Captain Darren is having some difficulties with it as well. Perhaps Connor could help him.”

“I don’t think so. Much of it is just tiring the wolf out. Guard Itumak is complaining constantly about the rigors of training, having to run ten miles every day.”

“Yes, but that is just training for the guards. I don’t believe Captain Darren does much running; his body isn’t quite the right shape for that. Er… not that I’ve really paid attention,” Amber added quickly.

Aaron let out a sudden snort, nearly choking on his wine. Laughing loudly, the elf shook his head.

“I’m sorry Mother, I didn’t realize you had a crush on him. He is… rather hot,” the prince teased.

“I do not have a crush on him!”

“Mother, you made me promise to be honest with you…”

“Oh alright, I have a crush on him,” Amber sighed in annoyance. “It’s not like anything can come of it.”

“And why not? Prince Consort Zaddis was a palace guard, wasn’t he?” Aaron frowned.

“Well, yes, but I don’t think Darren would be accepting of my advances. Werewolf or not, he’s always putting Astara first, and our union would be rather… troublesome.”

“Because of your disease?”

Aaron let out a quiet sigh, staring at his food. Silence took over the room, neither one wanting to admit Aaron was right.

The elf finished his food quickly, pushing his plate away.

“May I be excused, Mother? Ilrin wants me to prepare a mock presentation on the taxes from 1402 by tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Amber said. “Good luck; I never did well with numbers.”

Aaron let out a soft chuckle as he stood up. Scooting his seat back under the table, he left his mother to her meal, making his way slowly to his room.

Opening the bedroom door, the elf went through his nightly ritual, making sure the curtains were closed before stepping into the bathroom to start a warm shower. Pulling off his clothes, Aaron set them in a hamper and removed a set of silken pajamas from his closet.

Finally the elf stepped into his shower, letting the hot water run over his body. Aaron sat down under the spray, staring down at his length. He was almost afraid to touch himself, as though the very action would rouse his wolf. The intense lust that always seemed to strike before his shifts terrified him, even when it wasn’t the full moon.

Connor had helped with that, walking him through a series of meditations and breath exercises that could help contain his wolf before he shifted. But there was no need to shift now, no reason to stir his wolf into that state.

The elf left his rigid cock alone, leaning back against the cool wall as steam rose around him. Deep breaths let him regain control of his body, and Aaron willed himself down. He was not going to tempt his wolf. He was not going to touch himself. The elf was merely going to shower the cares of the world away.