Chapter Eight - Hidden Rivals

Arianna gave a dubious look at the kind seeming elderly woman. "Oh you must be Arianna; you are a really lovely woman. You will be a wonderful Luna for Loki, certainly." The woman said but Arianna said nothing. 

"Of course,where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself. I am Freya, and I watched over Loki as a child. I raised him from infancy as his mother passed away when she was birthing him. I love him like my own son and am more or less his mommy. The woman said, and Arianna at last felt relaxed with her.

"That's fantastic but why are you telling me all this?" Arianna asked naturally, unable to help. "I'm sharing this as you are the ideal partner for Loki and will assist in more than one kind of change for him. Once you get to know him, you will see that despite his rough and commanding exterior, he is truly a darling within. He always just has the greatest of intentions, even though he could act aggressively occasionally." Freya then went on to clarify.

Regarding what she was being told, Arianna was unsure of her own reaction. "I want you to know I've rejected Loki; I don't want to sound nasty or anything else." Arianna unveiled.

"I know that because you are a human, but you're Loki's mate and he seems to already love you so much so it's meant to be. My darling you will only end up harming yourself if you try to defy destiny. Loki has been involved with a few ladies; all of them wanted to be marked by him, but he turned them down; he simply wanted to wait for you, his destined mate since he knew you would be all he desired. Though you might not know it yet, your rejection of him has truly hurt him greatly." Freya remarked, and Arianna felt a little bad but she couldn't start to blame herself.

Whether he was the Alpha or not, it was her life as well and she ought to have a

say not just some crazy mating system but also who she wants to spend it with.

"I want him to know that I'm in love with someone else and a relationship between us could never work but since I've already made a deal, I'll keep to it and I won't try to escape; rather, I want to go back home to the people I know and love. Though it has hardly even begun, I will have to stay here for ninety days and I really can't wait for the time to pass." Arianna said.

"I understand it's difficult for you to embrace something you truly dislike since everyone believes it's fate yet darling, I'm not asking for too much. I promise, you will love Loki like everyone else in the pack; I only want you to try your best to make friends with him and get to know him during this period. Would you kindly do it for me? Freya asked, her hand in Arianna's.

" I'll try." She said, not very promising. "That's a good start at least. Since you would be here for the meantime, it would be great to learn about his ways; you have so much to learn about him. Don't you think so?" Arianna nodded when Freya questioned.

“Sure, that's a really great idea. I mean, except attempting to avoid Loki's love traps, there isn't much to do here." Arianna said before realizing that she had said it out loud and then she covered her mouth quickly which caused Freya to laugh.

"It's okay; you can consider me as a friend rather than being shy around me. And lest I forget; just call me if you need anything and I'll have it delivered to you." Freya said then Arianna thanked her.

Freya turned suddenly and murmured something to Arianna that later proved to be uncomfortable after walking for the door and opening it.

"Adrianna sweetheart be careful especially among the other wolves you'll meet in the pack house and around the walls of this palace. Most of them may not understand the unique bond you have with the Alpha, therefore you could find hidden rivals, Just be careful with the people you trust” Freya stated then turned to leave Arianna to brood over her words.

Arianna opted to interact with a book she had discovered since she could stop thinking about what Freya had said. She didn't even realize when time went and the sun set into darkness; the book proved to be plenty of interest.

Arianna heard a knock at the door and she told the person to come in,a young girl she hadn't seen before,came into the room. Arianna quickly guessed that she was a maid as soon as she curtsied and kept her head bowed while speaking to her.

Arianna didn't know if she liked being treated like royalty because it felt somewhat weird.

"I apologies my lady; if I have bothered you, the Alpha asks for your presence right away." The maid declared.

Why's that? Is there a problem?" Arianna asked, then started to grow worried rapidly.

"Not at all my lady, the Alpha and the esteemed members of the pack house are at the dining area and the Alpha refuses to have dinner without you and if the Alpha doesn't eat first, none else can." Arianna listened as the maid clarified.

She wondered what he was up to since they were not even mates yet and he was busy performing such a trick. Was he seeking for the other pack members to despise her or something else? 

Alternatively was this just an average approach of trying to persuade her over by seeming as though he loved her?

Knowing that she and Loki were not the only occupants of the palace intrigued her more since it prevented her from determining how much of a relief the knowledge offered.

 From all the clues She had gathered, it was rather clear that the Alpha's underlings or council had some sort of location in the palace known as a pack house.

Members or whatever they called resided in the pack house with their families. Arianna reasoned that the system was fair.

This made her worry just how Loki would be romantic with her when other people were around. The simple truth that he was the Alpha and he could readily dismiss everyone else swiftly addressed that question.

The maids' voices pulled her from her reverie and led her to the knowledge the girl was still awaiting a response. "My lady, kindly come to the dining area with me." The maid begged.

"Go tell your Alpha, I'm not hungry.

and that I'm remaining exactly here. He might eat with the others or, better still, starve.” She said and the maid gasped.

"But my lady……." The maid worked to reason with her. "No ifs and buts, just go tell that to your Alpha and leave at once, I have to get back to my book." Arianna instructed, then the maid bowed once more before going.

Although Arianna knew Loki would not be pleased with her actions, she had nevertheless proceeded mostly for two reasons. She truly wasn't hungry, and the most she knew about was what kind of food wolves would consume.

She wanted to avoid the other pack members at any cost, hence Freya's warning stayed strong in her mind and she didn't want to engage in any activity that would cause issues or maybe endanger her during her stay.

She reassured herself that she had made the correct decision as Loki's wrath would be less than the pack's hate; little did she know that her action would have consequences.