Roseanne follows Dmitri into the cell. A foul stench of rotten meat and fungi hot her nostrils, making her nearly throw up.
“What is this smell?” She asks in disgust.
“This is the true stench of an Undead,” Dmitri says in a calm tone. Inside the cell is another corridor. At the end of the corridor is a smaller cell where the Undead has been kept under heavy security and even though the door is closed, the stench is still unbearable. With every step, it only strengthens making Roseanne sick to the stomach.
Dmitri does not seem to be affected even though the stench is more potent to him than it is to Roseanne. She is slightly awed by his ability to tolerate the smell and stays close to him. He holds her palm, as if to assure her that she is safe with him.
Roseanne pulls him down for a kiss, scratching his neck in the process, but Dmitri is faster. He puts his palm on her forehead and his eyes stare right into hers. Roseanne freezes in her action.For a moment, he only stares into her eyes but not out of love. Rather, he is concentrating hard as Roseanne’s pupils dilate. She is under a strange trance where she is unaware of anything else around her. Unlike the Heat, where her body dictates her mind, she is completely still as if her body is now obeying someone else other than her.A slow breeze twirls around them and the chamber turns cold as Dmitri murmurs under his breath.“Calm down, Roseanne Vadimovna,” he orders in a low tone. Roseanne is still unfocused and hypnotized under his gaze. He does not break their eye contact, unblinking and unflinchi
Roseanne steps out of the bathroom only to find Aria and Polina waiting for her. They bow in front of her which makes Roseanne a little uncomfortable. She is still not used to the formal way they treat her. “You do not have to bow in front of me,” she says in a wary tone. “We will follow protocols no matter what,” Polina states. Aria nods and steps forward to hand Roseanne a set of clothes. Roseanne takes them and frowns. The clothes are completely black. Unlike the gown and skirts women normally wore, there was a shirt and a pair of thick, straight cut pants which are usually worn by men in training. “What are these?” she asks. “These are for your training, My Lady,” Polina replies. “Surely the Duke must have info
A lone figure stands in front of the gigantic mountain range which oversees the borders of several countries. The mountain range is over 500 miles, stretching from the prosperous Ezealyra to the wretched ruins of Meosea. Only Sloria lies in the middle, separating the countries with its vast snow and large mountains which cloud the country from sight.No one dares to stroll in these mountains. There are creatures of the unknown lurking in them, waiting for unaware travelers. The snow is so cold and deep that even one misstep can plunge a person to a torturous death by hypothermia. Snowstorms are a common occurrence but if one is unlucky, then a small avalanche can bury them alive under the thick coated snow.Even werewolves and vampires find it hard to survive under such conditions, many dying on their journey. Everywhere one sees, is only white clad snow
Roseanne and the other trainees are separated into groups. The children are taken to another arena while the citizens are taken to a different door. The ones who will receive more intense training like her and Syron are taken through a different route. Polina and Timur are heading the way while Dmitri has disappeared off to train another group.They are walking through a long tunnel. Roseanne is apprehensive but the others do not look scared or nervous. On the contrary, they seem very excited.Slorians are strange, she thinks.Another set of gates fling open and they are led to a circular arena which is an open space. The snow has been cleared off to make a large field. On one side of the field is a running track while the other side has several equipment segregated for different kinds of training. Several trainees have already started, some of them having transformed into their wolves to fight one to one with an o
As soon as Roseanne enters her chamber that evening, she collapses on the bed. Her muscles are aching and she is tired from the training. Polina is a strict trainer and her magic spell is hard to break. Roseanne tried everything she could to overcome the spell but it was of no use. Her head was not working and there really was no way to finish the race.How did the other girls do it? She wonders. Roseanne asked a few of them and they simply said it took them a lot of training. They pitied her state and told her it will get better over time.“Ugh!” She scowls. “Why did the Duke not tell me about this? Or did he mention it and I cannot recall it?”Roseanne racks her brain to remember if Dmitri had mentioned it to her but her mind is blank. She is confused as to why he would hide something like
The next morning, Roseanne wakes up to find Iriana sitting calmly next to her bed. She is confused for a moment before realizing that she is completely naked under the blanket.“What happened?” She asks, feeling horrified.“You had your last wave of Heat for this month last night and jumped on Dmitri, naked,” Iriana says in a blunt tone. “He had to tie you to the bedpost and knock you unconscious to keep you from doing something you’d regret later.”Roseanne’s eyes widen in shock as the events of last night rush back to her memory. She was having a bath when the Heat came over her and she had approached Dmitri to seduce him! She even pounced to kiss him and he had to kiss her back so that he could tie her up to control her in that state.
Josephine’s eyes narrow in anger, yet she keeps her calm. She wants nothing more than to rip Roseanne’s arm off for touching her beloved Dmitri, but if she does anything to his mate, Dmitri will kill her. Josephine is well aware of Dmitri’s infamous motto: forgive but never forget. He always forgives his enemy, but he will never forget to punish them.“I shall see you at the ball tonight,” she says and promptly leaves. Roseanne watches her exit the study. Once the princess left, she turns to Dmitri.“How do you know her?” she demands.“I met her a few years ago for some work,” Dmitri replies, not looking at her.“What work?”Roseanne tries to keep her tone casu
Aria knocks on the Duchess’ chamber. She is holding a dress in her hands which was commissioned by Dmitri from the finest tailor in the land. Upon hearing that the Duke himself was giving him a task, the tailor took it upon himself to design a magnificent gown for Roseanne. The ball is going to take place that night and the tailor claims he made a dress befitting for their beloved Duchess.“My Lady, are you in there?” Aria asks, knocking on the door again. She hears someone sniffing inside and frowns.“Come in,” a thick voice comes from within. Aria opens the door. To her surprise, Roseanne is sitting on the floor. Her cheeks are puffy and her eyes are red. Tears stain Roseanne’s face, the powder she put on ruined. She is quietly sobbing in a corner which alarms Aria.&ldquo