HECTOR“Alone, your highness,” Sarah whispered airily, tilting her head to the side The woman at the door was still looking at me, expecting an answer. Nola folded her hands over her buxom chest and I sighed, unable to believe it had come to this so soon. I’d caught the brunette watching me from across the stone castle, ducking behind the thick fold of curtains just as my gaze fastened on her doe-eyed expression.This close, I’d come this close to kissing the green-eyed imp from the wolf village. The very attractive green-eyed imp.I could smell the musk of her feminine heat from down the passageway going to her room. That was how down bad I was apparently.What the hell is wrong with you Hector? I was behaving like a bull in heat, charging up to the maiden's room to claim her like that.I just couldn't seem to get that scene with me and Nola on that pale horse out of my head! The feel of her nipples on my back, and the heat that had traveled through my hardened shaft.I didn't want
HECTORTwo thousand years!Two thousand years, and not one damned maiden has given me the rollercoaster of emotions the green-eyed imp seemed to have stowed up in her back pocket, throwing it at me like freaking bowling balls every chance she got.“Your highness! E-excuse me,Your Highness! If-if
NOLA REYNOLDS“Very well then, I release you from your promise.”It was the last thing the silver-haired man had said to me before he strode out of my wood-walled quarters of the stone castle.Why the hell had I spoken to the Lycan King of the mountains like that?Ugh! What was wrong with me?There were women- Sarah, Layla, the mountain city wives, - who would have killed to have his attention like that!I lowered myself to the lavender-netted canopy bed with a heavy sigh, calming the soft velvet duvet slowly.Should I apologize? But what would i be apologizing for?“Mr. Lycan sir, my apologies for bruising your ego?” I tried to mimic Sarah’s throaty high-pitched voice and gagged on the self-cringe.It didn't make sense! I couldn't deny regretting some of the things I’d said in the heat of the moment. The way he’d been looking at me was hardly his fault, but it made it difficult to think.Not that the reasoning came easily to you in the first place Nola.I squeezed my eyes shut, groan
NOLA“What?” I hacked a ragged breath, staggering backward a few steps as I started at the barrel-chested woman like she had just announced the end of the world.Yolanda watched me curiously, tucking her hands beneath her buxom chest and leaning on the dresser which gave a protestant squeak.Could it be what the Lycan had come to tell me? Was that why he had made me promise to stay by his side no matter what? Shit Nola, what have you done?I gripped the sides of my head, digging my fingers into my throbbing temple almost painfully.”Now I know chile, that you ain't thinking about bolting like you usually do,” The woman chuckled in what I was almost certain was a menacing fashion, turning back to the dresser to stare questioningly at it.”Was one of the reasons I came up here myself, keep my eye on you?” The woman croaked, grinning before she turned like she had confirmed her suspicions, and tucked both hands behind her back slowly, coyly.“What's that?” I screeched, not liking the
HECTOR BAYES”Miss Oliver? What are you doing here?” I sighed, watching as Sarah bowed a small courtesy before entering the statue-lined envelope of the stone castle garden.The granite of some of the dead-eyed sculptures had become run over with yellow-petaled moss, giving the garden all the feels of a resting jungle.”I’ve looked everywhere for you your highness! Its a miracle I found you when i did.” The woman gushed and i felt the air in my chest rise till i was walking toward her with raised shoulders, my back standing a tad bit straighter with all the air of self-importance her words had given me.“I-I uh, I just wanted to say thank you, for, for Mary.” Sarah breathed, a hiccup suddenly rising from her lips as the most of tears clouded her eyes for a moment before her ocean-blue eyes flickered away from me.A cowl formed on my forehead as I squeezed my eyebrows together, remembering that I had ordered for the unfortunately deceased maiden to be kept in the heavily guarded Castle
HECTOR BAYES“You trying to make all the maidens run away like Snow White Your Majesty?” Kalden’s annoying baritone cackled behind me and I looked up from the mirror to see that the stylishly dressed man who was looking polished in the crepe, jade-green suit-the color of his eyes- had come into my chambers undetected.“Kalden, I’d hardly count you as a blushing maiden now would I, not with the size of your forehead,” I grumbled light-heartedly, and the green-eyed roach threw back his dark mane of hair to let out a bellowed laugh, clutching his hands to his chest as tears sprung from his eyes.“You, bastard!” Kalden wheezed, gasping for breath as he dropped himself into the soft, gold comforter of my king-sized bed.”Duke’s here Merchling, with that insipid gods-reject of a woman he calls his wife. Who the fuck names their daughter Bartholomew? A SICK, depraved fuck Hector, that's who!” Kalden announced heatedly, groaning at the last part so that I couldn’t help the knowing smile that
NOLA REYNOLDSThe Samoan woman was looking at me like she just won the national lottery and I was the big fat check the officials handed her.“My, what an impression you are going to make on the guests, my, an impression indeed!” Yolanda whispered cryptically, her eyes bulging as she eyed me up and down before I rolled my eyes, tired of shifting from foot to foot awkwardly.”Yolanda, yoo-hoo, eyes up here!” I groaned and the woman snapped her eyes up to me, before flashing me an amused smile, as if to say my impatience was cute but that she was still going to take her sweet, darling time.I watched exasperated as the buxom woman made odd gurgling noises in her throat as she circled me, tucking taffeta purple lace in and plucking it out in some places before her large hands settled on the exposed top of my breasts and I stifled the back-handing that had straightened my palm.“What the hell Yolanda?” I screeched, struggling to shimmy away from the u smiling woman until she snapped up he
NOLA REYNOLDSI squeezed my eyes shut, raising my hands to shield my face from the slap that never came.“Huh?” I mumbled, looking back at the blonde woman who was dressed like a geisha Cinderella to see that there was a large hand wrapped around her wrist. A hand that extended from behind me.“Y-Your H-highness-“ The woman stammered, her eyes widening to oranges in their sockets as she dropped an awkward bow and I watched with bated breath as the workers and maidens in front of us bowed as well.The heat that shot up my spine was like my back catching fire.Your Highness?The Lycan was behind me! I could feel the heat of his presence everywhere now as goosebumps collided on the exposed flesh of my back and I struggled to keep my neck straight.“What’s all the ruckus, Oliver?” The Lycan’s guttural baritone reverberated through my core, making my core tingle enough that I fought to resist the urge to lean into him. I could feel his breath warming the back of my neck, and all it took wa
NOLA BAYESIt had been months since my bonded died, but for the first time since that sordid night, I was feeling confident, happy even.The mountain city troops had grown to staggering numbers in the past months, so I had dispensed a good number of guards to survey the old wolf village.My new city. The King and I hadn't decided on a name yet, but I knew it was going to be soon.We had freed the wolf village captives the next day, after the gruesome war. Alpha Theo’s rescue had been one I handled myself, with admittedly way too much joy than I could think to hide.“R-Reynolds? I-is that you dear girl?” He had rasped, the curved nails of his claws coming through the wrought-iron bars to lace over my hand before I snatched it away, incensed.“That’s Queen of the Highlands to you Alpha Theo, a shame to see you like this I must say, especially with the way you threw us maidens out on our behinds with nothing to our names.” I spouted, watching with a measure of satisfaction when he bent
HECTOR BAYESI didn't want to let her go, Nola, but I knew in my heart that I had to.And she did run, jerking away from my arms, to throw open the underground chamber grates with a strength I hadn't imagined her capable of.I followed on her heels as we ran down the stone slab of stairs at breakneck speed, into the crematorium where Kalden was lying, still as a statue, encased in the frosty insides of a glass coffin.I felt my breath catch in my throat and I paused at the doorway, my eyes widening when I saw the wreath of white and blood-red hydrangea flower bushes decked in small steps around the dias.“Kalden? Kalden, say something!” Nola gasped, slapping open the casing as a whoosh of frigid air swept up from the body, hitting me right in the nostrils.“Hector, you can't do this, I won't let you!” She screamed, turning to grip the lapel of my shirt with tears glistening on her cheeks.I nodded to the mourners huddled off to the side, darting tear-filled looks at us, and they bowed
HECTOR BAYESThe feeling of the dead man’s body as I writhed on top of him had not left my chest as we rode on horseback, into the gates of the mountain city.“Are you alright?” The green-eyed woman who had been watching me since we passed through the gates whispered, clumps of mud and twigs sticking out of her hair from where she’d brushed her face against mine.The porcelain of her high cheekbones was ashen with dust and grime, and the sight of the salt streak of tears dried and flaky sent a pang through my frame.I allowed myself a shallow breath, We had come a long way, the imp and me, and I was almost certain I couldn't have won the war if it weren't for her quick thinking with the sword.God-freaking dammit, Was I alright? I couldn't tell.The singed fur of my son’s corpse weighed heavy on my heart. Or It might have been the hole of my soul sword that refused to heal.I hadn't wanted to kill the boy, the monster, far from it. Saints! Lord knew Japhtar deserved worse for coming
NOLA REYNOLDSThe sound of a woman screaming reached my ears, distorted in the quake that seemed to shake the earth all around us before I realized I was the one who had been screaming.The Lycan’s sword shook in my hands, the weight of the huge beast pressed against it towered over me, the sprain in my wrist threatening to explode through the net work of veins.“Oh, Dear God!” I screamed again, darting away and watching the impaled beast fall heavily to the dust with a rumbling groan, the Lycan following as I clapped cold hands to my mouth to stifle another scream.“What's happening?” They whispered,“By Joves!”“...Do you reckon he's dead?” The hushed voices of the werewolves gathered rose, seeming to come to a standstill with the skewered monsters as they huddled around the intertwined mass of the Lycan and his son, with the silver tip of his sword- MY sword, shooting up from the soaked due of his back.“Hector!” I shrieked, falling to my knees beside him as I watched the Lycan fal
HECTOR BAYESI am halfway across the field when I realize something is wrong.The man on the other end is grinning, the defined barrel of his chest rising and falling with excited breathing as I closed the distance between the two armies.“For the mountain city!” I bellowed, gripping the silver hilt of my sword as I sent the blade flying through the air in a neat arc, slashing the werewolves in my circle as the black goo of their blood sprayed into my eyes, stinging the liquid from them.Why the fuck did Japhtar keep smiling at me?I let my eyes roam over the lot, catching Nola’s tear-streaked face briefly, before the horde of werewolves fighting closed around her and I felt the rake of claws slice across my back.“Eyes in the heavens! Feast on their bones!” Japhtar’s deep voice boomed in the space as I felt the pound of my heart starting to hammer wildly in my ribcages.I snapped my head up to see that the same type of mist that hung over the city walls had climbed to cover the moon’
JAPHTAR“You’re sick Japhtar! That's what you are, a sick fucking bastard-” The maiden rasped hotly and I felt a bitter fork spike through me at her words, only seconds before I let the back of one giant hand rip across her cheek, sending her back into the hay with a loud thump.“Stupid, stupid girl,” I growled, stalking toward her and snatching the porcelain-faced dwarf by the lapel of her gown, raising her until she was suspended in the air, whimpering loudly.“Make no mistake wench,” I wheezed, shaking her roughly, as one would do to a dirty kitchen rag and watching the muscle in her tight little jaw tighten, no doubt holding back her pained screams.“I am not my father. I will not hesitate to snap your pert little neck, doesn't make a difference to me if you're alive or dead wench, pussy’s pussy.” I grinned, letting my eyes roam delightedly over the maiden’s body as I slammed my hairy paw into the crevice between her legs, her ear-splitting screams music to my ears.“And that's on
HECTOR BAYES“What did you just say?” I wheezed, my heart hammering wildly between the cages of my rib as heat rushed to my head and ears.“Y-your highness, I- they saw her, being carted away, over the north of the forest,” Gordon murmured in a mousey voice, and I felt my eyes grow until they were the size of fucking beach balls in my sockets.Japhtar had Nola? How did that happen? Saints! Why didn’t the imp ever listen to me? The irritation building inside me grew until it blotted out everything else as I clenched my fists until they shook lightly beside me.Taking my woman was the worst thing he could have done, and now, I was going to make him pay for it.“Assemble the royal troops, we're going to storm the outskirts.” I gritted, making a few of the werewolves present gasp as they cuddled around themselves before I strode out, Gordon running last me to assemble the troops before I got there and thoughts of the fair maiden swirling in my head.“Your highness?” Sarah whispered as I m
NOLA It was the whirl of the overhead ceiling fan I heard first as I came to, the ache in my temple searing through the balls of my eyes as I allowed my eyelids to flutter open, the memory of what had happened hit me like a freight train so that I let a loud gasp slip.What the fuck was that smell?I gagged, huffing frantically as I struggled against the wires that twisted into my skin painfully, the stench of male musk and excrement sticking to the hairs in my nose.“Oi! I reckon the princess’s awake, get a look at this eh?” A gravelly voice jeered as hushed whispers rose around me, the crooked claw of one werewolf poking the flesh of my hand hard enough thank screamed, tearing my eyes open to see the obelisk of their misshapen faces hovering over me.”Get the fuck away from me!” I screeched, aware that my chest was rising and falling frantically with suppressed pants as I watched the trio throw back their heads and laugh.Shit. How long had I been out? The man with pink eyes. I cou
HECTOR BAYESJaphtar Bayes was in the wild, He’d fled. The bastard.It was lucky that he had when he did, the moon goddess had hidden her silver bulb behind the iron-grey mist that kept as the fight died down around and wearied-looking soldiers from the royal army speared off the rogues that lingered.“After them!” I roared, struggling to my feet as the cobblestones of the ground rose to my vision again before I came down hard, my hand shooting out to strike the pavement, the tremors going through me.I’d been halfway up and on his heels, the ache from the gash in my midriff stinging enough that tears rose in the pools of my eyelids before I yelled for the soldiers to follow him, my heart sinking with each second that passed when I noticed he had run toward the castle.Nola! I couldn't let him make it to the gates even! Not when the stone city castle held the remainder of the survivors that had managed to escape the gruesome war.I straightened with a large inhale, feeling my muscles