"Is that supposed to be a form of punishment?"It was Theo who asked this and the dowager nodded in response. However, Jessica smiled widely, pumping her chest up, "Yes, your majesty," The way she said it. The way her eyes glittered with mischief. I knew then that somehow Jessica knew that I was hiding more than my identity, somehow she knew that I'm an half-shifter.Was.But still, I couldn't shift in front of them. I hadn't even told Theo about my wolf and if I revealed that I was a white wolf, I had no idea how they would treat me. Swallowing, I stepped forward making Jessica's smile falter,"You want me to strip myself in front of all these people. Isn't that what you're insinuating?" She balked, eyes widening, "What? No-No, that's not what I-""Then what else would you possibly mean?" I cut her off, raising a hand, "If I shift, my clothes would be shredded and once I shift back, I would be naked. Or perhaps do you plan on giving me snakeskin?" Snakeskin was an apparel worn by
We pushed the last of the bag into the trunk before proceeding to slam the door shut. Cora blew out a heavy exhale, smoothing her hair with a palm,"Thanks," She said, her voice breathy, "That's the last of it." I smiled and nodded, "I didn't realize you brought so many bags. Just how much clothes are in there?"She chuckled at my comment, motioning for me to follow her to the entrance of the van. The other girls were hanging around as well, most of them immersed in their phones and taking pictures,"Enough to open a mini store, perhaps?" I snorted causing her to bump her shoulder against mine, "I'm kind of glad that I'll be leaving. I miss my home already, all these forest and trees were starting to make me nauseous."That piqued my interest and I fully turned to face her, "Oh, really? What are used to then?"She smiled lazily, shutting her eyes and leaning her head backwards. The peaceful look in her face reminded me of one who was reminiscing of a good memory,"Water. We had a lar
I felt an oppressive shadow above me, nestling its form between the sides of my body. I tried to open my eyes but found that I could not, it was almost as if they were glued shut."I warned you," The disembodied voice crooned, "I warned you to stay away but you didn't listen." I struggled to move, to find an escape from whatever this was. It was fruitless, my hands and legs were bound and my eyes still refused to open.I felt thread-like whispers over my neck, it was fragile moving over my skin like silk. I stilled when the shadow moved closer, breathing loudly on my face. I scrunched my nose, the rancid smell emitting from its mouth made me want to throw up."Now," The voice whispered, clearer this time, "You die."At that moment, my eyes flew open meeting Jessica's face. Only that it wasn't her, the face I was seeing should be meant for that of a monster. Twisted, gnarly and darkened. I opened my mouth to scream but the monster pressed her hand over my neck, squeezing tightly,I ch
"Ma'am, I'm afraid you can't enter."I scoffed, trying to push my way past but they stood their ground, "You have to let me through. I need to see the King!" One of the guard, the blonde one with a jerk face scowled at me, "Do you have a permit or were you in any way scheduled to meet him beforehand?" "I-uh. No," I said weakly causing him to roll his eyes. He pointed behind me, from the direction I came from,"Leave. Before we make you."I huffed in disbelief, placing my hands on my hips, "Oh really? I'm not going to move an inch from here until you let me see him."Jerkface snorted, shrugging a shoulder, "Suit yourself."I ignored him, facing his companion, the kinder one. I clapped my palms together in a pleading manners, "Please sir, I have to see him. It's urgent. A matter of life and death."He opened his mouth to say something but Jerkface rudely cut him off, "Don't even think of it!" He faced me, grabbing both of my shoulders, "Leave!"I struggled back, shoving his chest, "L
She lived in the castle. I was stunned by that revelation, making me wonder what her position was in the hierarchy. The building was a medieval structured kind, situated behind the main palace. Lily told me that all officials were subjected to live within the castle walls and it was true since her home wasn't the only one on the ground. There were several others too, some smaller than the others, "Those houses belong to the castle workers although some choose to live outside," She told me when I asked who owned the smaller units.I shut the door carefully behind me and then kicked off my shoes before walking inside. The interior was not like I imagined, in contrast to the splendor of the other parts of the castle, Lily's home maintained a homey feel without being too extravagant."Your home is beautiful," I said as I settled on one of the smaller couches. Lilly offered me a smile, walking in the direction of an open kitchen,"Oh, I and my husband make do with what we have," She repli
My legs bounced up and down repeatedly on the tiled ground, making light rapping sounds. My eyes flickered to the double glass doors and I exhaled tiredly,How long did it take someone to give birth?We had been sitting like this for minutes now and I was beginning to get agitated. Mason has gone in as soon as the doctor in charge arrived, leaving only the two of us out here. I was still refusing to look at him, although I could feel his stare burning the side of my face.It was funny, how I had a lot to say to him but now that he was actually here, all the words had vanished rendering me speechless."Emma," He called my name, slow and unsure. My spine went rigid and the movements with my legs seized instantly. "Emma?"I swallowed, hesitantly turning my head to face him with a small smile, "Your Majesty?"He arched a brow questioningly, "What's wrong?" I felt his warm palm on top mine and my widened eyes fell on our hands and then back to his face,"Anyone could see," I whispered warn
"Where are you taking me to?"I looked away from the window to Theo who was seated beside me. He had his gaze fixed on the phone in his hold, rapidly tapping at the screen."If I tell you now, it won't be much of a surprise now, would it?" I huffed, turning away from him and back to the window, watching the main city from here didn't justify the beauty of it but at least it was better. All my encounters at the square was nothing short of exciting and for now, I'd rather be a spectator than a partaker."Did you know that they city could be so gruel?" I questioned without looking at him, my face still pressed to the window. I heard him shift, the sound of his material rustling against the leather chair. "What do you mean?"This time, I did shift to face him, "Beggars, thiefs and kidnappers. They walk amongst those people and you never know who is who."He exhaled deeply and then dropped his phone in the space between us, "No matter how hard you try or how much good you do, they'll alw
He released my wrist and turned on his heel to face me properly. The smile on his face matched mine and he lifted his finger to tuck the strands that were blowing in my front of my face behind my ear,"Will you be fine walking back?"I nodded, placing my palms on his own hand that was cupping my face. He gave me one last once-over before bobbing his head and releasing my face,"Alright, call me when you get settled in." He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss on my forehead.When he straightened, I gave him a funny look, "Why do you want me to call you?""Because," He pinched my cheek lightly, "I just want you to."I chuckled softly, shrugging as I stepped away from him. He gave me a mock salute and I returned the gesture, watching as he spun and began walking away. I stood there staring, even after he had disappeared down the road.Another small smile crept on my lips and wrapped my arms around my middle, rubbing my elbow. It was quite chilly and the weather has turned dark, the prob
|SIX YEARS LATER|Castle Black, Pack Black Haven(Capital city).Another chapter. Another day, combined with hours of waiting and anticipating his return. It is cold, dreadfully so and it seems like no matter the amount of layers I put on, I will still remain frozen. Maybe it is because I am pregnant but Paige says I should keep warm, so the child wouldn't end up a white wolf as his mother. But I am doubtful, the doctor already said that one of the children will take on my gene, I only wonder who."Your highness!"Today, I had nothing important to do, asides settling a dispute between two neighbours who claimed ownership over a goat. Unlike what I'd expected, a Queen didn't have much duties asides making sure that the capital was in order. It took months to help the beggars on the streets and even longer to put an end to alleyway bag thiefs. I had to persuade the council to fund an open house for the poor and needy plus two orphanages as well."Your Highness!!"At first, they were skep
Gorgeous.The girl staring back at me was so unbelievably gorgeous, it shocked me to the core. Her snow blonde hair was thrown over a shoulder in beautiful waves, golden flowers were pinned in different angles of her head. Her ruby red lips would put the colour of blood to shame and kohl-rimmed eyes blinked back at me."You are truly stunning, Luna Emma," The voice from behind me was almost starling and I tore my eyes away from my reflection to stare at Lady Calloway who had an expression of awe etched on her features.I smiled grimly, looking back at the mirror. The gown I wore was a shimmering blue, the same shade as her eyes. Although she truly looked stunning, her lips were pulled down into a small frown.I blew out a heavy breath, twisting around to face the woman in front of me, "Do you really think I would be a good Queen?" I asked hesitantly, chewing on the inside of my cheek.Lady Calloway smiled gently, crouching and placing a palm above my hand, "I think you will make a gr
I stirred on the bed, stretching my limbs with a pop. My eyelids fluttered open, lips parting to release a drawn out yawn,I winced softly, rubbing my exposed tummy. My vision was a bit blurry and I squinted when I turned towards the window, the bright morning light shining in my direction."You're awake," I whipped in the direction of the voice, my lips pulling into a lazy smile. Theo walked around the bed towards my end and leaned to press a soft kiss on my head. He was still shirtless but had donned on a different pair of pants that looked a little bit oversized. His hair was messy on top of his head and there was a twinkle in his eyes, one I hadn't seen before. "Sleep good?" I shook my head, pointing between my legs, "I feel sore," My voice came out as a small whine causing him to huff out a short laugh."I knew you would say that, hence I prepared a warm bath for you,."I frowned at his statement. Warm bath?My question was brought to a cease when he moved his hands beneath my
The hem of my robe dragged across the floor as I walked, the candle was resting perfectly on the inside of my palm and I had to keep from wincing every time the hot wax dropped on my skin. It was dark, the moon hadn't fully risen yet all we had as illumination was the dim light of the bulbs overhead and the large rose-scented candles in our grip.The lady in front stopped suddenly, causing all of us to grind to a halt. She turned to look at me and for a moment, the corner of her lips curled upwards. Lad Calloway nudged her head towards the close door,"This is his chamber, wait inside until he comes." I inhaled deeply before expelling the air. In one swift motion, I turned towards the door and tipped my chin in a confident manner,"Open it," I said, my determined gaze set on the embellishments on the wooden entrance.Tonight was the night everyone had been anticipating, including me. The mating ceremony was a revered ritual among us, it was when two people either chosen or fated mate
I took in a deep breath after explaining, watching warily for his reaction. His face was gloom and drawn tight, there was a little furrow between his brows which meant that he was still digesting everything.Finally, he exhaled before shifting to properly look at me, "Why didn't you tell me? I would've ripped the bastard's head right off."I smiled wryly, tightening our conjoined fingers together, "Trust me, I wanted to do that too. I debated if killing was the best idea and then choose not to do it.""Why?" He asked curiously and I chuckled softly, bumping my shoulders against his."Because," I started, drawling in a tired manner, "For people like Hansen, their lives matter less to them but their prestige on the other hand?" I shook my head, "That's what their entire world is built upon." Theo hummed thoughtfully, his eyes glazing over. Suddenly he smiled brightly, throwing an arm over my shoulder, "I'm glad I have such a smart mate."I rolled my eyes, stifling the giggle that was t
I stared at my reflection in the large mirror, my fingers playing with the silk robe tied around my waist. After the whole contest yesterday, I was brought into the Queen's quarters and was given strict instructions not to leave there until instructed. Apparently, I had to be cleansed and purified before the mating process began.The dowager had asked me to phone my family and order them to be on their way so they would make it in time for the coronation. That was this morning and I haven't picked up my phone yet,"Black looks good on you,"I flinched, whipping around to face the intruder. Theo was casually leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest and a serious look in his eyes,I frowned, puzzled by his appearance, "How-when did you get here?"He shrugged, pushing himself from the wall and stalking towards me, "A while back,"I sighed and turned to face the morrow away, my fingers still fiddling with the knot in front. When he wrapped his large arms around my waist, I
"Should I be scared or nervous?"I gave the man a grim smile, pushing the small cup of tea towards him before grabbing my own. I gingerly took a sip, savoring in the warm sweetness that invaded my tongue instantly,"Which one of the two do you think is more appropriate?" I asked, arching a brow when he pushed his cup away, a small gesture but one I caught nonetheless.I gave him a look, one he not-so-politely ignored, clearing his throat loudly, "I don't quite know, you're no longer a contestant anymore but the mate of the Alpha and future Queen of the entire werekind. It would be stupid not to feel some amount of petrification." My lips curled and I slowly placed the cup back on the table, smacking my lips together, "I'll be straight with you, Lord Hansen," That piqued his attention causing him to lean nearer, "I called you here for one specific reason,"Something akin to uneasiness flashed in his eyes but he quickly concealed it with a cocky smile, "Do tell," "Jessica." I said si
When I was younger, I always wished that I would get like my sister's colour of wolf. Dahlia was my role model, everything she did, I copied and she loved it too so it was only natural that I got her colour. But sometimes, in the secret I would wish for my mother's colour too, hers was a beautiful grey and I loved the way the fur looked underneath the moonlight. Never in my life would I imagine being a white wolf. A wolf so powerful, they were regarded as too much for the werekind. A wolf so special, they were rare to find.So why, why did the moon goodness find me fit to become one?My eyes flew open, burning so bright and powerful. It felt like the sun was scorching me from inside and I couldn't help it. A piercing scream ripped its way from my chest and I curled into myself,My wolf emerged like lightning, spearing through my entire system. My eyes flew open and I shook my head but I realized that I wasn't in my human form anymore.Jessica looked stunned, her jaw was hanging open
The arena was filled to the brim, I was very much certain of that. They had used the same place as the first round where we had to go through different obstacle courses, the same place where I had purposefully broken my leg in a bid to avoid what I was presently doing.I looked around me, at the wild crowd cheering and crying. Their sentences almost inaudible since they were all yelling at once, excitement and tension pooled in my stomach,My eyes met my opponent's but she wasn't focused on me, her gaze was on the crowd. She was smiling and waving at them as though they were chanting for her, probably they were I couldn't hear anything either ways. I wondered if Lord Hansen had told her that his plan had flopped and there was nothing holding me back now. I wondered if she knew just how dangerous I could be once I shifted."Werewolves and shewolves," Lady Calloway spoke through the loud microphone that carried her voice round the entire auditorium. "The moment we have finally been wai