Xenia's mother sauntered into the room with one of her latest victims, Xenia likes to call them, who was drooling behind her. She wore a black and red low-cut dress with a corset revealing her bare breasts like a prized meal. She wore a jeweled ruby necklace that complimented the dress, hanging low on her chest to help 'direct attention,' her mother would say.
From the texture, Xenia could tell the dress was made from expensive silk, which was easy for her mother to get these days. After all, she was a highly respectable and much sought-after courtesan.
"I can't believe you met a man and didn't tell me," she glared at me. "I prayed to the gods to send you someone better than Cristo-bore."
Xenia rolled her eyes. First, her best friend and now her mother are against Cristobal. The guy was a literal angel…well, as much of an angel as anyone could be nowadays.
"Mother, you're here early. I thought I was meeting you in two days," Xenia said, casually looking at the man behind her.
This wasn't a strange occurrence. When her mother entered this 'business,' Xenia didn't truly understand what she was doing. She even made the mistake of trying to memorize the men's names to be polite, but it became a bit much. They all started to blend together into one.
"I know, I know. I just wanted to see you and show off. I was telling Sir Rodrick-he's a royal guard-that you are the best baker in all of Asteria, and he had to try some of those adorable chocolate balls you make," she smiled, batting her long eyelashes.
"You didn't say you had a daughter, Lady Delilah," the man said, looking at Xenia as if she were the dessert her mother was discussing. He took her hand and planted a kiss on the back. "She is just as pretty as you. Maybe I'll double the price for bo-"
With quickness, Delilah's innocent face twisted up with anger, and her hands grabbed what Xenia guessed was the man's balls by the way his face contorted. The words from her mother's mouth were as smooth as velvet but still held a hint of menace.
"Do you know how easy it would be for me to rip your balls from your body, chop them up and feed them to you?" Delilah squeezed tighter as the man struggled to keep from passing out. "Very easy. So, think about that, Sir Rodrick, before you ever consider her daughter that way."
Delilah let go of the man as quickly as she grabbed him and returned to her pleasant self as if nothing happened. The man hoisted himself up.
"My apologies, Lady Delilah."
"Oh, it's fine, Sir Rodrick," her mother said sweetly. "How about you make it up to me? You know what to do." She pulled handcuffs from her purse and handed them to him.
Sir Rodrick, who was obviously still in pain, couldn't hide his smile. Trying to hold on to whatever pride he had left, he took the handcuffs and walked out the door. Xenia looked at Lottie with an amused look as Lottie forced a laugh back. This wasn't the first, second, or third time Xenia had seen her mother protect her from suitors and degenerates. Each time being more dramatic than the last.
"So, about those chocolates," Delilah continued as she browsed the counter of treats. Xenia smiled at her mother as she bagged a few chocolate treats.
Ever since her father's death when Xenia was only thirteen years old, it's just been the two of them. Xenia still remembers that day like it was yesterday. Humans and werewolves were still at each other's throats even though the Century War had been over for quite some time. Her mother said everyone needed time to heal after a long war which included werewolf attacks or people seeking to steal land.
Her father was a great warrior and trained most of the townspeople who wanted to learn. Whenever the town was attacked, everyone helped, and because of her father, their town was safe. People would say he was a 'tall, gentle giant' with a black-as-coal scruffy beard and matching dark, kind eyes. He was sociable, and his laughter could fill an entire tavern. When he spoke, no matter what they were doing, people stopped and listened. No matter what he was doing, he always carried his battle axe like a third arm.
He gifted her with her own axe when she turned twelve. It was a smaller replica of his with her name carved into the wood. He taught her the proper way to hold and use it in battle and the best way to sharpen it. That axe became her best friend, of course, after Lottie.
One day while hunting, they were attacked by werewolves. She could tell by the red glow of their eyes they were rogues, deserters from their packs, her father called them. They were too far from the town to yell for help, and there was no way her father could fight three on his own. He told her to run while he kept them at bay. Of course, Xenia refused and stood her ground, not realizing her mistake.
While her father fought off two of them, the third cornered her into a tree. All she had left was her axe and a few small knives, and she was prepared to give that werewolf hell. The werewolf jumped at her, and she swung, catching the werewolf in the jaw. The werewolf shook the axe off and lunged at her again.
Xenia pulled out a dagger and charged, screaming like hell until she ran into a wall. When she opened her eyes, the werewolf was latched onto her father's shoulder. He looked at her as if it was nothing to him, saying it would be okay. Without hesitation, Xenia drove the dagger into the werewolf's head.
Her father stood in front of her, bleeding but refusing to give up. He blocked Xenia from the other two werewolves approaching them. They snapped their jaws, and Xenia was calm for the first time. She figured this was it. This was how she would die, and she was okay with it. The two werewolves came at them, and at the same time, another werewolf joined the battle out of nowhere.
This one was huge, at least three times bigger than the others, with velvety black fur and a white fur patch over one eye in the shape of a half-moon. Xenia felt relief when it attacked the other wolves, giving her time to focus on her father, who was holding himself up by his axe. She took a cloth and tried to apply it to his wound, but it was too big. She could tell he was in pain, but his face never showed it. Instead, he smiled at her.
"You are the bravest and most stubborn little lady I know, Xeni, and I couldn't be prouder."
The black werewolf killed the other two with ease before turning towards them. Still doubtful of its intentions, Xenia held the dagger as the black werewolf got closer. She had never seen one like this one before, especially one so huge. Two more brown wolves came to its side as they moved towards them. She was scared shit-less, but she held her ground. If she was going to die, she was going out swinging.
Xenia gripped her dagger, watching the werewolves approach them. She stopped in front of her father, who didn't seem worried at the moment. Still, she stood her ground. "Stay back," Xenia said with a shaky breath as the black werewolf looked at her sideways. Its golden eyes regarded her curiously. "Xeni, it's alright," her father said through labored breath. "They are our friends." The werewolf approached her father, who grabbed its fur to hoist himself up. The black werewolf shifted as her father covered her eyes, and the sounds of bones breaking filled the area. "Fredrick, that wound-" "I know, but I have to get her to safety. There are more out there." "Then we will help." Her father uncovered her eyes and hoisted her onto the back of one of the werewolves as he mounted the black werewolf. She held on to his hand. "Papa…" "Hold on tight, Xeni. It's going to be okay." She did as she was told but knew it was far from okay. Her father was paler than before, and his
Xenia's eyes went wide before she quickly recovered. Of course, her mother knew. Nothing gets past this lady. Xenia shook her head, ignoring her mother's question. "How can you ask me that after assaulting someone? Mother, you know you can't go on abusing every man that wants to fuck me," Xenia said while bagging all the chocolates her mother pointed to. "Hmph, it's not abuse, sweetie, if they like," she beamed. "I can teach you some things you know." Xenia shook her head and gave the bag of goodies to her mother. Lottie clapped her hands as she walked over, giving her mother a hug. "Miss Delilah, I'm not sure if I ever said this, but I think you're my spirit animal." My mother grinned at the compliment, flipping her hair to the side. "Oh, Lottie, you flatter me so." She gave Lottie a once-over. "Darling, what is this new look? I am loving this fabric. It feels like Faevian silk." Her mother walked around Lottie. "Who do I have to seduce to get one of these?" Lottie
Lottie threw her hands in the air, walking around in a circle before pointing at Xenia. "I can't believe you were going to keep this from me." "I'm sorry, Lottie. This is…new for me, okay. I've never felt like this around someone, especially a stranger and werewolf. You know how I feel about the latter." Xenia leaned her head against the counter with refrigerated goods, hoping the coolness would help with her inflamed cheeks. She had to get better control of this blushing. It was unbecoming to her. "I don't know, Lottie. I just met the guy. Now look at me. He keeps popping in my head even more than Cristobal. I don't think I've thought about someone as much as I have about Cristobal. It's quite...strange."Strange, yet the pit of her stomach was still filled with butterflies. Did he do something to me? She wondered as thoughts of how he caught her and held her for a few seconds played on a loop in her mind. Lottie slammed her hands against the counter, making Xenia jump up and
Mason threw the man he was holding at least twenty feet down the alleyway while the other man watched with his mouth wide open before looking at Mason. Mason ignored him and checked on Xenia, who shared the same expression he had of her earlier. "Stay back," he said to her, and she did just that. Xenia watched the bandit pull out a silver knife and grinned as if he had already won. Mason looked unamused, which made Xenia even more curious about him. She looked towards the street and knew she could quickly escape, but something was keeping her feet planted. The bandit circled Mason, waiting for the right moment to strike. It wasn't until Mason glanced over to Xenia that the bandit lunged at him with quick strikes. Each time trying to cut any part of Mason's flesh, knowing what silver does to werewolves. Mason easily dodged his attacks, impressed that the bandit could move with the amount of ale on his breath. Out of breath, the bandit's strikes were becoming sloppy, and now Mason
Xenia made it home in record time. Her heated moment with Mason set her soul aflame, especially between her legs. Is this the fire my mother was talking about? she wondered. Just thinking about it got her all hot and frustrated. She needed to get these thoughts of him out of her head and think only of Cristobal. Yes, sweet, charming, and human Cristobal. The person she's been waiting to see for the past three months. She loved their relationship and what it provided. No strings and no drama…well, maybe a bit of drama and a couple of strings. The one-bedroom cabin she rented with Lottie was small, but somehow, they managed to make it homey. The open floor plan gave them the perfect amount of room for Lottie to cook and Xenia to bake. The first few months took some getting used to the space, but they finally settled into their own little rhythm. Now it feels empty without her, Xenia thought. After light cleaning, she started on the food her lovely Lottie had already prepared. All s
"Hello, beautiful." The flowers lowered to display a pair of blue eyes, different from the almond browns Xenia half expected. "Cristobal?!" A breath of relief came from her mouth with a slight disappointment, but she smiled anyway. "Expecting someone else," he asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Should I be worried?" "Of course not," she laughed while trying to shake her nerves. "These are orange blossoms?" "Yes, I know I always bring red blossoms because they remind you of home, but once you told me your dad took you to Grovershire, you fell in love with orange blossoms," Cristobal said proudly. "See, I listen." Dammit, Xenia said to herself as she thought about Lottie's question. She forgot all about that trip but felt appreciated that he remembered. "These are beautiful, Cris. How did you even get these," she asked as she sniffed the bouquet before searching for a vase. "I have my ways. Besides, it's nothing but the best for you," Cristobal said while checking out what she wo
Everything moved in slow motion as Xenia tried to focus on the scene before her. One moment she felt pure ecstasy; the next, a giant ass werewolf crashed through her window, lunging straight toward Cristobal. Her first thought was Illipio since he didn't like Cristobal much, but this werewolf was too big, and the fur was pure black with a white patch and red eyes. Those eyes, she thought. They look familiar. She watched as Cristobal quickly evaded the werewolf and rolled out of the way into the hall. Cristobal's eyes went from the werewolf to her. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't register what he said. 'There was a werewolf in my room' was the only thing her mind kept replaying until it fully registered. She couldn't move for a moment until a piece of wood fell from her ceiling, breaking her out of her trance. "There's a werewolf in my room," Xenia yelled. She jumped into action and rolled across her bed away from the werewolf, whose attention was on Cristobal. She watche
Before Xenia could second-guess herself, she grabbed her axe off the floor and bolted out the door. She instantly regretted not wearing shoes the moment her feet touched the ground. There was a chill in the night air, and it became apparent when Xenia realized the only thing covering her was the black teddy. I can't think of that now. It would only be a matter of time before he seeks her out. So she ran through the trees, heading back towards the town. Occasionally, she would look back to see if he was coming. After a few more minutes, she felt like her lungs would burst, cursing herself for not joining Lottie on her morning runs. Xenia started to slow down to a fast walk until she heard a howl. She looked behind, waiting for the big mass of black fur to show up, but it wasn't black. The werewolf running towards her was a medium-sized with brown fur and soft gray eyes. "Illipio!" Xenia didn't think she wanted to see any kind of wolf. Still, she wrapped her arms around Illipio's
Xenia blinked, struggling to steady herself as the dream faded, ripped from her mind like torn silk. Her body ached. Every breath felt like she was inhaling smoke. She sat up slowly–and froze.Melania lay sprawled on the ground, her elegant dress torn, blood staining her lip. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed but furious.A sound to her left made Xenia twist around. Mason. Stumbling into the area, just as beaten. His shirt was ripped, and blood dripped from various parts of his body. He spotted Melania on the floor. His expression snapped.“No,” he whispered, then louder, “What did you do?”Xenia barely had time to get to her feet before he lunged at her.“You ruined everything!” Mason bellowed, slamming into her and knocking her back. “She gave you everything! And you spat on it!”Xenia hit the floor hard, the impact stealing the breath from her lungs. Dazed, she barely registered Mason’s shadow looming above her, his fist coming down.But it never landed.A hand caught it mid-swing wit
Xenia woke up alone. The brothers were nowhere to be seen, so she decided to get ready for another perfect day. She got dressed, fixing her appearance in the mirror. The moment she looked away, the reflection turned to Melania, who smiled before disappearing. Xenia stared at her reflection before leaving.“Good,” Xenia said to herself. “Today’s going to be perfect.”Downstairs the brothers were in the kitchen with Delilah. Micah was unusually focused, slicing and arranging with the precision of a man on a mission. Mason was just as focused, carefully packing fruits and cheeses, and crusty bread into woven baskets. Delilah flitted about the kitchen like a hummingbird, humming a lullaby Xenia swore she hadn’t heard since childhood.They walked to the sea, just the four of them. The cliffs were painted with wildflowers, the ocean stretched endlessly, calm and blue. Xenia leaned into the breeze and tried not to think too hard.But something was wrong.She felt it when she reached for the
Melania kept her magic flowing into Xenia, but she felt herself losing strength. Micah stood before them, his presence blazing with power.Melania didn’t flinch. “Keep him away,” she said to Mason. “She’s so close to accepting her new reality. If he interrupts now, she might have the strength to fight back. I need time.”“He won’t understand,” Mason said.“Then make him,” she snapped. “I know you can.”“I won’t say it again,” Micah said, interrupting their conversation. “Get out of my way Mason.”“I can’t let you,” Mason said, his voice shaking with fury. “You took her away from me once. I won’t let it happen again!”Mason snarled, aura flaring to full strength as he launched forward. Micah’s wolf, Roman, collided with Mason in mid-air, the impact sending a shockwave through the spirit realm. Mason crashed to the ground, rolling once before skidding to a stop.“Damn you, Roman,” he spat, rising. “Do you have to interfere. This is between brothers.” Roman stood between him and Mason,
Xenia stood frozen as Mason held her waist, his touch gentle. This was the kind of moment a girl might fantasize about–the reformed villain pledging himself at her feet. But something about it soured in her gut. The air shimmered, just slightly, like heat rising off pavement. Mason’s skin was warm, too warm, feverish. And his voice… it wasn’t Mason’s. Not really.“I’m nothing without you,” he whispered, face pressed to her abdomen. “You saved me, Xenia. Don’t you remember?”“Mason, I…” Her throat constricted. It was suddenly hard to speak. Hard to think. But she could hear her mother and Micah returning–footsteps, laughter, too far and too close all at once. The sounds blurred, like a warped vinyl record.“I believe you,” she said quickly, trying to get him up but he tightened his arms around her.“You know I can tell when you’re lying,” he said, eyes flicking up to hers. There was a flicker–just for a second–where his eyes changed, glitching like bad film. A blink later and they were
Blood and ash thickened the air as Alpha Micah and the group made their way through the packhouse and towards the ritual grounds. The howls of distant wolves still echoed, but for now, the area had settled into a tense, almost eerie silence. Laurie floated down from a treeline, black eyes turning back to her usual color, her expression grim. “More guards than we thought,” she whispered. “And that’s just the outer ring. Inside the ritual circle, we’ve the Three Sisters.”Micah’s jaw tightened. “The Three Sisters?”Laurie nodded. “They’re channeling the ritual. It’s working. Xenia’s… already changing.”“What do you mean changing?” Delilah asked, panic rising in her voice.Micah placed a firm but comforting hand on Delilah’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Miss Delilah. It’s not over yet.” Then, turning back to Laurie, he asked, “Can we get past them?”Laurie nodded. “They’re powerful, but we can get rid of them if we destroy the effigy tethering them here.”A chilling scream cut through the ni
In the cozy kitchen of her family home, Xenia found herself caught in a comical, slightly awkward situation as she sat down to breakfast. Her mother sat across from her with her chin resting on her clasped fingers. Delilah’s eyes darted between the two brothers she forced Xenia to sit between.“So,” Delilah began, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she sipped her tea. “Since I didn’t get the chance to properly introduce myself to you both because of the… incident in Ornyville…”“We are so sorry about that, Miss Bakken,” Micah interjected. Xenia turned to look at him and he regarded her with a smile before taking her hand and turning back to Delilah. “It’s just been a while since we had a mate and the bond was stronger than we anticipated.”“I don’t know what the big fuss was,” Mason added. Xenia turned to look at him. Her heart started to race as her hand curled into fists.What is this feeling towards him?“We did replace the bar table and compensated the owner,” Mason continued. “T
Serif laid down on the sand, exhausted. They’ve been digging themselves from the little sand hole the others stuff them into to avoid detection. Dottie and Molly ran to his side to help him sit up. He swatted them away.“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he said with irritation. “I’m just a bit tired, hungry, and my ass is full of sand. How much longer do we have to stay here?”Dottie looked over the empty waves, shaking her head. “Laurie said to wait here for reinforcements.”“She didn’t say how long they will be,” Molly added. “But this was the safer option.”Serik looked toward the tunnel the others left through the other day, wondering if they were better off going with them. Then he thought about the fighting and unnecessary bloodshed and decided he chose the right path. Still, the shade of the moon in the sky gave him an eerie feeling.“There!” Dottie pointed to a ship that appeared on the horizon. Dottie and Molly exclaimed, jumping up and waving their hands in the air. Serif groaned, bare
As the morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room, Xenia slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying in her room. She quickly sat up in bed, looking around. Was she dreaming? She had to be. That was the only explanation. She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. She was the same as she was before. She pinched herself thinking she was dreaming but she felt pain.What the hell?She absentmindedly touched her face, arms, and hair. Unable to believe where she was. She tried remembering where she was before. Melania. The fight. Nova. She had to get back and…“Xeni?”Xenia’s inner thoughts stopped and she froze. She looked towards the doorway, willing herself to move but her body was shaking with emotions.“Mother?”As if on cue, Delilah appeared in the doorway with a smile on her face. “There you are? What is taking you so long? Put on some clothes and come to breakfast.”Delilah turned to leave but Xenia grabbed her and pulled h
Delilah caught Jane before she fell to the floor. Jane gazed over Rick’s lifeless body, her body trembling of what had just happened before. before letting out a heavy sigh.“I knew this was going to hurt, but damn,” Jane laughed. “You would think I would be used to pain.”“Jane, what’s going on?” Delilah asked.“Later,”Jane said with one last look at Rick before shaking her head. “We have to get to the others.”“Agreed,” Archie said, gripping the hilt of his sword. “No delays. Where are the others?”Jane pointed in the direction of the dungeon cells. “Cells are down that way, but we’re not the only ones down here.”On cue, a loud crash could be heard through the tunnels. The group raced forward, coming to a scene of pure chaos. Lacey, Friend, and Danny were in the middle of an all-out brawl against several guards. Lacey was throwing punches like a rabid beast, while Frieda and Danny–both laughing wildly–used each other to break through. Danny swung Frieda around like a rag doll while