It was midday when her eyes finally fluttered open and she regained her consciousness. She could guess what time it was by the position of the sun, even though she couldn’t fathom how she knew that fact.
“She is awake,” whispered a female voice beside Erin. She turned her head and came face to face with a younger version of her present-day/future sister-in-law, Aubrey Silver.
“Aubrey, is that you?” Asked Erin.
“Who do you speak of? You know that is not my name,” said the Aubrey lookalike. “Have you still not recovered?”
“Don’t trouble her, Abna,” said Erin’s mother. She sat at the edge of the bed and placed a warm hand on her daughter’s forehead in a universal gesture of manually checking body temperature. “You do not have a fever, thank the gods. Your sister will go fetch you a bowl of food for you to eat. Perhaps it was hunger that made you faint.”
Her
Abna stopped brushing her hair and returned the comb to the box, then she picked out a small stick from it and presented it to Erin. The thin stick was frayed on one end as if someone had been chewing on it.“What’s this for?” Erin asked.“Oh, please stop with the jesting now,” said Abna impatiently. “Clean your teeth quickly, so that we can go outside together to meet your in-laws. We cannot keep them waiting any longer.”“Yes, boss,” Erin muttered under her breath and stuck the strange little stick into her mouth. It tasted familiar although she knew for a fact that she had never used a chewing stick before in her life.A beautiful young woman entered the room with her hands clasped in front of her as if awaiting instructions from them.“Good morning, my ladies,” she greeted politely. “Your mother sent me to get your things for the trip.”“Good morning, Sei
“I heard you were not feeling too well this morning,” said the Prime Alpha. “Do you feel better now?”“Yes, sir,” said Erin unsurely. How did they address the supreme leader in this era? Was it sir? Your majesty? Or your Lordship?“Please, pardon her manners, my Alpha King. She is clearly still in recovery,” her father spoke up from behind her.Vak responded to the apology with an understanding smile, but Erin could see that her new husband, Danshak, wasn’t too pleased with her slip up judging by the scowl on his face as he regarded her with hard eyes.“I apologize, my Alpha King,” said Erin quietly. It wouldn’t do to offend her father-in-law and shock the entire clan with bad manners on her first day of joining the ruling family.“You will ride in the wagon with your maid,” said Vak. “I do not believe that you are strong enough to ride on your mare just yet.
Erin was taken aback by his harsh words and her temper bubbled to the surface, propelling her to her feet. “I should be satisfied with having you as a mate? What is that supposed to mean? Listen, I am the prize here, not you. Your father needed mine in his army and that was why you were thrown into the mix to keep my father happy and yours secure in the knowledge that he has a strong warrior backing him up. You should be grateful to me and my father for agreeing to this alliance, and not the other way around. And as for expectations… you don’t have what it takes to be tender or loving, even if you tried because you don’t know what any of that means. You can’t give what you don’t have, so don’t bother your head about that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to return to the wagon for the next leg of this trip. I can see the riders in front already mounting their horses. You should go and join them.”She swept past hi
Feeling invigorated by her new purpose, Erin got up with a burst of energy as soon as the head servant announced that dinner was ready and served at the makeshift longhouse that had been erected only a few hours earlier. Only the Smallchief family and about a dozen elite warriors were to eat in the longhouse, while the guards, low-ranking warriors, and servants would dine outside.The sitting arrangement in the longhouse was done in order of hierarchy – the Prime Alpha at the ‘head’ of the table, his wife sat on his right-hand side while his first son sat on his left. Erin was flanked on both sides by her mother-in-law and Zanisck, with Danshak sitting opposite her across the table. They were all seated on the ground where a large quilted fur had been laid to create a barrier between hard cold earth and their bodies. The bowls and plates of food were arranged in rows in front of them on top of a long mat that served as the dining table.Vak Smallchief picked up a piece of roasted meat
Before Erin could even guess what Danshak was up to, he reached where she sat on the mat and pulled her to her feet by her arm, then crushed his lips against hers in a brutal kiss that was both an expression of lust and frustration. His unexpected onslaught met with fierce resistance from her as she pushed him away from her with her palms on his hard chest.“You brute!” She spat angrily. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”“I think I am taking what is mine, as I am supposed to do.”“I am not yours and I will never be, not with this kind of behavior.”“Oh, you are one to talk. Were you not the same one laughing recklessly and flirting shamelessly with my brother not long ago in the longhouse? Why are you suddenly acting shy now?”Erin fought to keep her temper under control. “I’ve already told you, I wasn’t flirting with your brother! What is wrong with you?”Danshak glowered at her in anger. “First you embarrass me publicly, then you come here and insult me as if I am a lowly
The commotion outside drew Erin’s attention and intruded on her sulking. She had spent the last couple of minutes ruminating on how she would give Danshak a piece of her mind when he returned into the tent, but as he brushed her hair in preparation to retire for the night, she thought she heard wild dogs barking, and men screaming. What could be going on out there? Should go outside and see for herself or was it safer for her to wait for her husband to return and tell her what the noise was about.When she heard her father-in-law’s voice, asking what was going on, Erin knew she couldn’t just sit in the tent and wait for secondhand feedback about what was happening outside, she had to go and see it for herself. She got off the sleeping mat and ran to the entrance of the tent to lift the flap. To her horror, she saw a pack of strange-looking black werewolves, making a mad dash to the front of the longhouse where the Prime Alpha stood with a bewildered expression on his face. She saw Dan
“I told him to fetch me my little box from the wagon,” said Erin, trying to rescue her mate from embarrassment. “I wasn’t sure if my maid was still awake at that time, so I begged Danshak to help me get the box because I needed to use one of the things in it.”“Welcome to the world of running errands, my brother,” said Weruona with a laugh. “Now, back to these creatures. What do we do with them?”“More importantly, how did they find us?” Asked Monah. “Do you think they simply stumbled across our camp or were they following us?”“It is had to tell,” Vak admitted. “I still find it hard to believe that my blood brother wants me dead just to get a title.”“It is more than a title, my love,” said Olna Raven. “It is about power and becoming the Prime Alpha and supreme leader of all werewolves. As long as you are alive, he will never attain that position of power that he craves so much.”“And I have a feeling that he will not stop there,” said Zanisck. “If he ever succeeds in killing you, he
She noticed Danshak slowing down ahead of her and she did her best to pick up her speed and catch up with him. When she did, he glanced at her before looking straight ahead again.“Are you tired?” He asked without looking at her.“Not really. I think I’m just out of shape,” she said.“You do not look out of shape to me. You look perfect in both werewolf and human form.”The unexpected compliment warmed her insides, and Erin wondered if he could see her blushing under her fur. Who would have thought that the stone-cold Danshak was capable of dishing out compliments?“Do you want me to carry you?”His question surprised her. “Would you? There’s no way you will be able to keep up with the others with me on your back. I don’t want to slow you down.”“This is not a competition. We are going home and what matters is that we get there alive. Jump on my back, let me carry you.”Erin was touched by his concern for her. Danshak may not have a single romantic bone in his body, but he clearly car
At this point, Erin was convinced that she was a cat with nine lives because she escaped death once more as her father-in-law came to her rescue, knocking his brother off of her just when he was about to sink his fangs into her face. Although she was badly wounded, she knew her injuries weren’t fatal, so he got to her feet and stood beside a tree to catch her breath.“You killed my son?” Vak screamed at his brother.“Yes, and I shall kill you too!” Shouted an unrepentant Nikjin. “It is my turn to become the Alpha King of werewolves!”The brothers began to wrestle ferociously, swiping and snarling at each other. It was more than just a fight for survival – it was a fight for respect and honor. The fight was so brutal that within minutes, they were both covered in blood and seriously wounded. As the fight intensified, Erin became worried and wondered if she should jump in and target Nikjin who was attacking his brother wildly like a wolf on drugs.Without warning, Vak knocked his oppone
To her relief, she saw through the shed bars as Rowana approached with a bear fur cloak draped over one arm. She looked frightened, yet determined as she followed the guard that had gone to fetch her.“Walk fast, woman!” The guard at the entrance of the shed barked at Rowana. “Drop off the cloak and get back.”Rowana hurried her steps and stopped when she got to the front of the shed. “Will you not open the door so that I can give her the cloak?” She asked.“No. Squeeze it through the bars,” said the guard. “Do it now and go away.”Erin did not appreciate the guard’s rude tone and she made a mental note to teach him a lesson when she got out of the shed.“Are you well?” Rowana whispered to her as she stuffed the cloak between the narrow bars of the shed.“Yes,” Erin whispered back. “Remain in the hut with Timah and wait for my signal.”“Your signal? What – ““Get away from the prisoner!” The guard barked at Rowana, frightening her. She backed away from the shed immediately and took to
Both Erin and Timah barely slept a wink all night as they schemed and plotted together, trying to come up with the best escape plan. When morning came, they were the first to get up and go outside to see what was happening.The handful of werewolves on Nikjin’s side was in high spirits because they thought that they were about to become the elite warriors once their master became the Alpha King. The humans among them scurried about getting ready to start making preparations for the victory feast, as Nikjin had called it.“Nothing significant will happen until in the night when the moon rises,” said Timah.“I know, but let us still keep our eyes open,” replied Erin. “Go back into the hut. I shall go to the bleeding hut to fetch Rowana. We cannot leave her behind.”Timah obeyed Erin immediately and returned to their hut. As Erin strode toward the bleeding hut, Zokman showed up in front of her looking smug.“You made it to the final day, I see,” he said. “You are one resilient female and
Erin felt out of sorts after that barbaric scene she had witnessed at Nikjin’s longhouse. Mizzah’s body has since been buried and some servants had cleaned up the place and restored some sense of normalcy to the environment.Timah had been inconsolable and even blamed Erin for Mizzah’s death because she was sure that the other woman wouldn’t have accused her of poisoning their lord’s food if she hadn’t witnessed it.Rowana was still cooped up in the bleeding hut, pretending to be having her period. Nikjin was nowhere to be found after he walked away from his lair.Meanwhile, Erin was consumed with thoughts of how she would wring Zokman’s scrawny neck if she ever got near him again, but she couldn’t go to his hut just yet and risk getting caught by Timah or worst of all, Nikjin.Tomorrow night was the apocalyptic battle between Nikjin and Vak Smallchief, and Erin was determined to play an important role in it. She was not going to just sit back in this hut and let a bunch of male werew
Putting the mysterious potion into Nikjin’s food turned out to be more challenging than Erin had envisaged. With Rowana safely tucked away in the bleeding hut, that left she, Mizzah, and Timah to oversee the preparation of their lord’s meal.There was so much care and attention that went into the cooking and laying out of the food, that one would think that the women were preparing a feast for a respectable leader, instead of a bully who delighted in hurting everyone around him. Erin was amazed that it had never occurred to any of the other women to poison their captor’s food and end their misery. Was it Stockholm’s syndrome that kept them hooked and loyal to him or was it just plain fear?They fussed and primped over the meal until Erin was sure that she was going to lose her mind if she has to keep watching them go at it for one more second.“Is Lord Nikjin having guests over at his place tonight or is all this food for him alone?” Erin asked dryly.“You know our lord loves variety,
Two days after that harrowing experience, Erin was sitting alone in the women’s hut when Rowana came running in with a tear-stained face and completely hysterical.“I am in trouble!” She said to Erin. “My life is over!”“Calm down, Rowana. Tell me, what is it?”Rowana looked about wildly as if to make sure that they were indeed alone before she leaned toward Erin and whispered, “I am with child.”Erin gasped. She knew the implication of this development and she understood why the other woman was beside herself with fear. “Are you certain?”“Yes. My bleeding has not come for the past three months and this is the fourth month now.”“Well, there could be other explanations for that,” said Erin, hopefully.“No, Edvana. It is only a matter of time before it becomes public knowledge. Look at me,” she said and stood up so that Erin could see her stomach. Her lower belly was slightly protruded, a clear indication that her pregnancy was well into the second trimester already.“Oh,” said Erin w
For the first time since she arrived in this place, Erin was not only afraid for her life but terrified that she might not live to see the next sunrise after tonight because Zokman had given her a task that was designed to get her killed one way or another. He’d confided in her, telling her that he has been secretly sneaking food to Vak in his forest cell to keep the Alpha King strong although he had only told Nikjin that his step-brother was getting little quantities of water every other day.As far as Nikjin was concerned, his most important captive was wilting away in his cell, waiting to be devoured on the night of the full moon. It would be a massive shocker to him on that day when he finds out that he had been fooled by his right-hand man, Zokman.Meanwhile, the devious shaman had instructed her to carry out today’s food delivery to Vak Smallchief because he would be in a meeting with Nikjin and a handful of werewolves who were loyal to his friend’s cause. They would be going ov
Zokman’s hut was located outside the border of Nikjin’s compound, hidden behind trees and tall grasses. It was bigger than the standard-sized huts and had two torches burning on either side of the entrance.“Do you want me to follow you inside?” Mizzah asked with a shaky voice.Erin could see that the young woman was terrified of Zokman and she could understand why. “No, Mizzah. You don’t have to come with me. You can go back now, I’ll go inside alone.”“Are you sure?”“Yes. Go on, go back home. I will join you and the others later.”Mizzah hesitated only a moment before she spun on her heels and hurried away like a scared child.Alone, Erin inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She didn’t know what she was going to say to the shaman but she knew that she needed to choose her words carefully because Zokman would hang on to anything incriminating to use against her when he reunited with his ally. She squared her shoulders and took the first step forward.“I smell a luna coming to visit me
There was nothing warm or romantic about her escapade with Nikjin and so when Erin woke up sometime after their first romp, all she wanted to do was to get the rest of the aphrodisiac’s effect out of her system. He was asleep beside her, looking so peaceful and impossibly gorgeous but she felt no tenderness toward him. All she felt was a strong desire to jump on him and ride him ruthlessly as he had ridden her not too long ago until every last drop of Zokman’s vile potion was completed removed from her body. Only then will she be able to think clearly and plan a way to get out of here after successfully ruining her captor’s political ambitions.She got up to a sitting position and took hold of his resting cock in her palm. When she bent down to wet it with her tongue, she heard Nikjin’s gasp of surprise. Her erotic activity had woken him up and she watched with mounting excitement as his organ began to harden in her hand. She licked the head, liking how he shivered in reaction to that