The journey was not one I haven’t taken before. But it was certainly longer and more tiring, being inside the carriage all day. That night, the hackney I hired was smart to go into all the shortcuts that cut my time to travel in half. But I figured since this is a royal carriage, they cannot go down the same road. The downside of those shortcuts was that they were infested with bandits and beggars. They were not one for a royal convoy to pass through. Hence why the journey to the House of the Wolves took a whole day.When we arrived, it was already night. And when we went past the dense woods hiding the werewolves’ race, I finally saw the town proper in its glory. The town looked peaceful at night. Though the streets were empty, the streetlights gave light to the inhabited houses whose people must already be asleep. I observed the houses and streets as the convoy quietly passed the town.We climbed a small hill to reach the House, the familiar obsidian mansion with sharp tower roofs,
I underestimated the people’s dislike of me, a human, as their Luna.For the past few days, I’ve been walking on thin ice and acting as cautiously as a mouse in a cat’s den. I have never felt so discriminated against and different before. It’s not that I am being disrespected, but I am barely recognized as the madam of the house. Had it not been for my title, I assume I’ll be treated worse here.Every day I receive cold treatment and distance from the servants as if I am a walking disease.At first, I was confused. I did not know why they act so distant and uncomfortable around me until I eavesdropped a few of the maids talking about me in hushed voices.“Bear with it. She will not be our Luna for long. She cannot even be our Luna, since she is human. The Alpha merely wedded her for the royal palace to be our allies.”“You’re right. It is merely a political alliance. Although, I cannot take it. Her scent is too strong! She stands out among us as a human. She smells and looks like a we
The amphitheater, oval arenas with seating tiers around them, was abuzz as soon as we arrived. These amphitheaters are the main venues for a variety of events or battles; those that are historical, or those that are merely entertaining. These amphitheaters are famous throughout the realms and most, if not all, Houses have at least one in their territory. Some are legal, some aren’t. In this House, it appears as if it’s symbolic and part of their culture. Utterly interesting.Unsurprisingly, the seats are filled and so are my ears. The noise is unparalleled. And since my attendance was not publicly announced, as it surprised me so, the crowd only got louder. I was assisted to the exclusive box saved usually for the Alpha. Now I sat in that seat as I await the duel with beads of sweat forming on my forehead. The sun has left us and the moon replaced her, the perfect time for a duel between two sons of the Moon Goddess to occur.“Princess, I do think it’s better we return to the House an
In one swift and big bite, without an ounce of hesitation, blood quickly stained the arena and a pained cry was heard throughout.It was unsettling how indifferent he was to spill blood that was just like his. His family’s blood. I do wonder if he still has a heart past all that murderous intent.I realized the two brothers also had polar opposite strategies—Flavian’s is calculative and careful, while Fenrir’s is cynical and unpredictable. It was easy to see, how Flavian was one-upped because he could not predict Fenrir’s next move. The crease in my forehead was deepening as the battle went on. The table is slowly yet surely tilting in ‘his’ favor. No matter how many times Flavian retaliate, it would not take a fool to see he is sustaining more injuries than his brother.This is a nightmare. He is an unmatched beast. My husband will end up dead if this continues and I am frustrated for not being able to do anything.“Princess…shall we go? You look quite pale,” whispered Ellie from my
From inside the woods came a spine-chilling scream that woke everyone, including the Alpha.The crows flew from their branches, equally in distress as the wolves on the ground. Their hurried footsteps and weary eyes signified their growing fear of the recent unrest in the woods, the borders of the pack’s territory. A shrill, evidently terrified scream, is never a good sign. For nights, the guards have been walking on thin ice on high alert for the danger that lurks in the woods.In fact, this is not the first scream at unholy hours of the night inside the woods. Some days it is a man’s voice, sometimes it’s a woman’s. Regardless, they are all victims.“Search the woods!” Flavian’s authoritative voice boomed and suddenly everyone is on their feet, with their wolves ready to surface at his order. “Do not let a single creature escape!”That night, just like all others, the woods were turned upside down by the guards. And just like the past nights, the body is found in the same exact plac
Of course, I ate my own words again. Managing the pack’s affairs in the absence of my husband is not at all easy, nor is it comparable to the affairs in the palace.“Ma’am, the blacksmiths are complaining. Since the trade is temporarily stopped because of the dangers at the border, our coal and metal resources are nearly depleted. This delays their weapon production and they won’t be able to sell…ultimately, they won’t be able to provide for their family. They are begging for your help.”I am currently in his office, where political or economic affairs do not cease to exist and every passing day my headache worsens. As I hear a new complaint, I massage my temples and attempt to manage my problematic expression. “I will have to discuss this matter with the elders first,” I say, as I really am out of ideas. My help is limited in matters of trade and leaving the borders, because I cannot open or reopen the trade deals, else the lives of the traders will be my responsibility—especially n
Somewhere far from the House of the Wolves, past the continent and to a foreign land, stood a tall man surrounded by curious women, all speaking a foreign language. Clad in his traveler coat and boots, he reached the hidden society of the witches. Just like his pack, the witches’ coven is hidden and protected by the rainforest, where vicious hurricanes and storms brew and keep outsiders—like him—away.It had been a rough trip. Crossing the continent and traveling straight for a week without companionship was not an easy feat, however, his willpower is more than enough to keep him on his feet. Though, now that he has reached his destination, he does not know how to progress into the army of warrior women and enchantresses safely.It’s becoming crowded, but Flavian could not think of a way to evade the crowd. This is his first time here. He had successfully forced himself here, past the strong weather changes of the rainforest, but that’s all he had planned. He imagined it’d be easy get
A pile of books, with dust gathered on top of each, greeted Flavian that morning. As he was led to this library of sort of the coven, where a bunch of books crowded him. If yesterday it was women, today, it was books. It appears he’s a man who can gather a crowd wherever he goes.Nevertheless, Flavian sat down and ought to start browsing through these books as it’ll take him an entire day to finish them all, however, he ran into a problem early on. The books, knowledge-filled as they are, are written in a different language.He cannot understand a word in these books. His shoulders slump in defeat.But just then, a pair of footsteps come into earshot. He turns around, hopeful, and freezes on his spot.“G-Good morning…” she whispers, awkward air hanging around them. Her timid forest eyes looked at everything but him. While he looked nowhere else but hers. “I apologize…for the mess. I thought nobody else would come in here so I left it as it is.”As if waking up from a fever dream, he s