My Mate Is An Omega
My Mate Is A Virgin Chapter 37

Andromeda

POV

As time went by, I watched my king become a little bit stronger every day.

In only a month, he had gone from being scared of his true nature, to taming the volatile flames burning inside of him. It was beautiful to witness his growth as he rose from the ashes like a real phoenix. Considering how troubled and insecure he was when we first met, I couldn't be prouder to see him finally feeling comfortable in his own skin - and Jasper wasn't the only one who changed.

Whenever I roamed through the hallways of my castle or ventured through the little houses in the village, I noticed the whole clan was acting...weird. Even the atmosphere was different. Not in a bad way though; quite the opposite, actually. Everyone seemed happier. I would hear the voices of my subjects more often. I would see lynxes playing in the snow every now and then. There hadn't been many conflicts among members either.

The huntresses were also behaving differently. Alula had always been quite joyful, but the rest of them used to be more reserved. Aside from during important meetings, Calynn and Marina would rarely speak, whereas now I would find them chatting all the time. Although Adriana was among the few cats who never acted like there was a stick up her b**t, she was considerably more loose these past few weeks. Even Laina, who used to see my mate as a hindrance, started tolerating him. In fact, Kindra was the only one who didn't bother hiding the fact that she despised the wolf, but because the other girls had all accepted him, she wasn't as vocal about it anymore.

At first, I was scared the coldness of the cats would take away my mate's playful personality. In the end, he was the one who, against all odds, melted the lynxes' icy hearts.

"What're you thinking about, My Queen?" The softness of my wolf's thumb brushing against the back of my hand gently pulled me back to reality.

I showed him a sweet smile. "Nothing important, My King. You need not worry."

His lips parted in a sign that he wasn't pleased by my vague answer, but before he could insist on the matter, the doors to the forum burst open, revealing my right hand. She was holding a folder close to her chest as she bowed curtly. "Sorry I'm late, My Queen. I was organizing the notes regarding this morning's training with the king."

"Your lack of punctuality doesn't surprise me anymore, Drina," I joked. She still flashed me an annoyed frown as she crossed the room to take her seat beside me. I took one final glance at the huntresses to make sure no one else was missing before addressing them. "Now that all of the members of the Royal Council are here, I formally declare the beginning of our meeting." I took a short break to clear my throat and straighten my posture. "The first topic of today's discussion regards the advance of the king in his training and how it will impact the future of our clan. Adriana?"

My second-in-command leaned forward over the table as she held up the papers in her hands. "As you all know, per the queen's command, I have been designated to help King Jasper master the abilities he's recently awakened. These reports detail his improvement." She flipped through the pages before passing them on to Laina, who was seated next to her. "Throughout the past month, he has learned to both activate and deactivate his powers upon his own command. We have tested his control when experiencing different emotions, and not once did we have grave accidents. For the past two weeks he has not failed to contain his fire." She turned to my mate with a proud smile. "Although I am certain he has yet to reach his full potential, I don't believe he's at risk of exposing his true nature unwillingly."

While the huntresses analyzed the papers describing Jasper's performance, I discreetly placed my hand on his thigh under the table, giving it an encouraging squeeze. Though I could hear his heart skip a beat, his expression remained neutral as he stared forward blankly.

"I may have learned to tame the phoenix's flames, my queen, but you must not forget that I have yet to gain control over the beast trying to claw its way out of my chest." His husky voice echoed inside my head, causing me to bite my lip. "Please, don't do that. Unless you want me to abruptly end this meeting by throwing you over this table and f*****g you until you scream my name."

"What if I do want that?" I teased, sinking my teeth deeper into my skin. Without moving his head, he glanced at me through the corner of his eye. A victorious smile crossed my face; I loved testing his limits. But as much as I would like to continue playing this game, I had to stop once I realized the women had finished reading the reports. "Thank you, Adriana. I fully trust your judgment, but I believe this is a decision we should make together." I raised my tone as I continued, "Huntresses, those in favor of having King Jasper join us in our hunts again, let me hear your voices."

One by one, the girls' lynxes lent them their voices as they roared in agreement. Of course, Alula was first, followed by Calynn and Marina. Mackenzie was still a little quiet after being harshly turned down by my mate, but she also joined the choir. Tessa was next, and even Laina growled despite her initial hesitancy. In the end, only Kindra remained silent as the grave as she glared at Jasper from across the table. He smiled cheerfully in response, knowing her disapproval wouldn't interfere in the council's decision. "It's settled then." I mimicked his gesture. "Starting tomorrow, King Jasper will be coming with us on our weekly hunts. This evening, we will make a public announcement to inform the clan of his powers. Since he has now mastered them, I deem it safe for my subjects to know. I should remind you, though, no one outside of Snow Pelt may learn about his secret, as we do not wish to draw unwanted attention."

"Yes, My Queen," the huntresses replied in unison, their heads bowed before me.

"Moving on, there are a few other details we must talk about..."

The meeting lasted for another hour, until every issue on the table had been properly discussed. After dismissing the royal council, I returned to the Queen's Chambers with my mate. Although I had prepared the speech for the evening's announcement beforehand, aware that we were approaching the day we would finally have to disclose the information to our clan, there were still a few things we had to get done. Jasper, however, seemed to have other priorities as used his werewolf speed to pin me against the wall the moment our door was closed.

"f**k!" I gasped in surprise, but before I could say anything else, he made me shut up by crashing his mouth against mine.

"Do you enjoy testing my control, My Queen?" he hissed sensually against my ear as he gripped my chin tightly, forcing me to expose my neck to him. Part of me loved it when he played rough. "Have you any idea how hard it was to sit through that meeting while keeping my wolf at bay, when he wanted nothing more than to tear you off this dress himself?" He tugged at the thin fabric that prevented our skins from touching as he pressed his body against mine. With my heart racing, I managed to smile as I whispered, "I'd love to see him try."

A low growl echoed in his chest, fueling my hunger. "Learning to tame wild flames was easier than resisting you."

"Unlike them, I'm afraid I cannot be tamed." Pulling my head to free myself from his grasp, I looked straight into his pale blue eyes. He heaved a sigh before going back to devouring my mouth.

For a moment, I forgot about the duties we had to take care of. One of his hands traveled down my waist and leg as he pulled my dress up to expose my thigh. The moment our skins made contact, fireworks exploded in my chest, causing me to moan into his mouth. His expert fingers made their way to my inner thigh, instantly making my core wet. Another growl echoed in his throat as his thumb moved between my legs to caress my c**t over my underwear.

That's when I felt it.

Everytime we had s*x, or simply played with each other, it was hot. But this time, I actually felt like I was going to catch on fire. I couldn't contain a louder moan as the heat from his contact increased. My reaction made him pull away at last, and as I tried to catch my breath, he carefreely smiled against my lips.

"What was that?" I panted.

"I thought you wanted me to use my powers...to please you, My Queen." A helpless purr escaped my mouth as he grazed his teeth against my earlobe.

"Shit..." I let my head hit the wall as I realized there was no way we would be ready for the announcement in time if I let him continue. But I was so f*****g turned on... Was this payback for the way I was teasing him?

"Play with fire and you'll get burned." Jasper chuckled as if he could read my thoughts.

"Seriously? You're gonna throw phoenix puns at me now?" I pushed him off me, rolling my eyes, but it only seemed to further amuse him. "Sorry. I couldn't resist it."

Losing my temper, I turned around to grab him by the collar of his shirt. "Listen, My King. Once we're done with our duties for the day, you will throw me onto that bed and you will not leave until I'm satisfied. Are we clear?" "Crystal clear, My Queen."

"Good. Now, get into the shower. I'll make you look your best, then we'll go over the speech."

***

My king and I stood next to each other on the stage of the Event Hall with our arms joined. By the time we assumed our places, every single one of the members of our clan had taken their seats. My father, my mother, her right hand and my siblings were in the front row. Out of all of them, only the former queen and her second-in-command knew about Jasper's secret; I was surely curious to find out how everyone else would react.

Just then, my mate squeezed my arm a little tighter, letting me know he was ready for us to start. I would be the one handling most of the speech, but since the event was mostly about him, I had told him we would only proceed once he was feeling comfortable. Clearing my throat, I signaled for the lynxes to go silent before I opened my mouth.

"Members of Snow Pelt Clan, thank you for coming. I'm sure some of you might be confused about this sudden announcement, but worry not. The king and I had rather exciting news to share with you today." I flashed my mate a quick smile before continuing, "As you all know, the divine union between a werecat and a werewolf is quite rare, as it requires the blessings of both Goddesses of the Moon. For a wolf to be mated to a future queen, no less... It means they must be special. However, not even I was aware of just how special King Jasper was until a month ago, when his uniqueness was revealed during a challenge."

Surprised gasps were heard as the crowd started mumbling and rumbling. Once again, I reminded them to be quiet so I could continue.

"The information I am about to disclose with you must stay within the gates that secure our territory. Sharing it with any outsiders, or simply discussing the matter outside of this castle will be considered an act of treason against the crown, a crime that is punishable by death." My reminder was enough to make dead silence fill the room. Although I was not a fan of ruling by fear, I was mature enough to recognize it was sometimes necessary. I heaved a sigh, trying to lighten the atmosphere as I went on, "It is with great honor that I share the true identity of my fated mate with you. King Jasper is a Phoenix Wolf."

The whispers returned as my subjects tried to make sense of the news, clearly confused by the term I had used to address my king. To their relief, they didn't have to wonder for long.

"A Phoenix Wolf is a bearer of the Phoenix Spirit, which grants its host the gift of pyromancy," my mate revealed, and the usually stoic cats widened their eyes in both fear and admiration. Since we didn't yet know the extent of Jasper's powers, we decided on summarizing it as best as we could. "Although fire can be destructive, I promise to use my abilities only for the sake of Snow Pelt's safety. I will fight until my fire dies out to protect you, my subjects."

I could feel his tension growing as the crowd remained silent, but it wasn't long before they all chanted in unison, "All hail the King! All hail the Goddess!"

"Thank you, my loyal followers." I smiled politely. "We will keep you updated on the matter, but for now, you are all dismissed. Thank you for your time."

On my command, the members rose from their seats to exit the room. The royals in the front row were the last to stand up, my mom nodding at me as she guided my flabbergasted father out. Mackenzie and Jackson, my half-siblings, disappeared behind the doors right after them, but Aiden and Caiden, who had been following them, stopped before they could step out of the Event Hall. With their twin synchrony, they glanced at each other before rushing back in our direction.

"King Jasper! King Jasper!" Aiden jumped up and down. Although his voice was low, probably worried that my mother would notice his disappearance and drag him away, he couldn't contain his excitement as he stared into my mate's eyes. "Is it true that you can control fire? Like a phoenix?"

Jasper opened his mouth to answer, but Thing Two interrupted him. "Please, show us your powers, King Jasper!" Caiden smiled brighter than ever.

My mate chuckled at their cuteness, as he would call it. Judging by how fond he was of the kittens, I was sure he wanted nothing else than to follow their request. Still, he glanced at me first, waiting for me to nod in approval before he crouched close to the ground in front of the two little balls of energy.

"Alright. I will only do it once though, so pay attention." The twins nodded vehemently in response.

With a playful grin on his face, Jasper lifted his hand until it was on eye-level with the boys. He closed his fist slowly, adding to the tension of the moment. His eyes turned a more intense shade of white, and when he quickly stretched his palm open again, there were small embers dancing on top of them. It was enough to leave the kittens' jaws on the floor.

But like the showoff he was, of course he wouldn't stop there. He stabilized his breathing, fully concentrating on his powers. He lifted his gaze slowly, the flames following the movement of his eyes as they rose in the air. Then, by simply clapping his hands, the embers dispersed into small particles, falling like golden glitter to the ground.

"Awesome..." Aiden and Caiden whispered, still dumbfounded. My mate laughed at their reaction as he placed his hands on his knees to stand back up.

"See? It's true." He smiled, tapping both kittens on the shoulder. "Now, catch up to your mother before she scolds you for leaving her side without permission."

"We will!" Caiden replied joyfully as he bolted towards the door.

"Thank you, King Jasper!" Aiden followed after his twin brother.

"You spoil them too much." I turned to my king with arms crossed.

"As you do me, My Queen." He pulled me closer by the waist, diving his nose in the crook of my neck. When he inhaled my scent, it made me melt, and I instantly remembered something.

"Okay, let's go back to our room. We have to be well-rested for tomorrow's hunt, and I hope you still intend on keeping the promise you made to me earlier."

His smile turned into a smirk. "I wouldn't dare let you down."

Without warning, he scooped me into his arms, making me gasp loudly as he swept me off my feet. I wanted to scream at him to put it down, but he immediately silenced me with one of his passionate kisses. Lost in pleasure, I let go of my desire to fight him. He could do with me as he pleased.