The man before her looked nothing like she had been expecting. His eyes were golden but they looked so beautiful. His fangs weren't showing. In fact, he seemed to have no fangs at all. And… he wasn't as hairy as the Werewolves she had encountered before. He didn't have that werewolf appearance nor do he have a pointy nose.
He was hairy compared to humans, but he wasn't that hairy like all the other Werewolves she had previously seen. And the most striking thing of all was that… he was just… breathtaking.Roselle was lost in a trance but was immediately jolted back to the present when she heard someone clear their throat.
She couldn't take her eyes off his as she slowly lifted her hand to place it in his outstretched one. His eyes were golden yellow, akin to the bright moon, and they were full of life, as if there were many stars swirling within them. Then there were his lashes… they were so indecently long and thick for a man. His lips, his jaw, his nose… every single part of him rendered her speechless. She had never seen another human who had been fashioned with such beauty and perfection. But then again, she remembered that he wasn't human to begin with.
She told herself to look away but for some reason, she couldn't. She felt like he somehow did something to her as soon as their eyes met.
When her hand touched his, she almost flinched as her heartbeat thudded even louder. He led her to stand right next to him before he let go of her hand. When he released her hand, she felt the cool air replace where his hand had been and it was then that she realized his skin wasn't cold. She had heard from human soldiers that Werewolves were cold blooded creatures and that they were as cold as corpses to the touch.
But his hands weren't cold at all. Why was that? How come his hand was warm? It couldn't just be her imagination!
Roselle didn't have the chance to even begin to ponder this puzzle any further because the ceremony started without delay. Anyone from the outside looking in would easily be able to tell that everyone couldn't wait for this wedding to end. The humans present were eager for the Werewolves to finally leave this place and their empire while the visiting Werewolves were certainly also looking forward to granting the humans' wishes to leave this place and go back to their own empire. For once, humans and Werewolves agreed on the same thing.
And thus, just as everyone hoped, the wedding hastily ended.
Roselle had attended other princesses' and nobles' weddings before and she almost wanted to smirk at the speed at which they carried out and ended what was meant to be a most special occasion; her wedding. But then again, she couldn't blame anyone. No one wanted this wedding in the first place. Every one of them, even the bride and the groom, was forced into this union.
A deep, quiet sigh escaped Roselle's lips when everyone started to quickly move and disperse. She couldn't believe how quickly the hall became empty.
Her husband offered his hand to her again. Of course, Roselle already prepared herself for this. She was going to the Northern Empire, the Werewolf's land, right after the wedding so she already said her goodbyes to her family before the Werewolf even arrived.
A little shaky, Roselle placed her hand in his. Her eyes were hot but she swore not to tear up. She looked at her mother as the Werewolf prince led her towards the door.
Her mother was crying, sobbing quietly where she stood, and it took all of Roselle to stop herself from following her lead. Roselle looked away, focusing on the path before her instead. As the newlyweds reached the door, Roselle halted and looked back one last time. She subconsciously gripped her husband's hand before she turned to him and finally stepped forward. This was all she could do from here on out; to bravely walk into her future, one step at a time, to find out what destiny had in store for her.
"Scared?" His deep and masculine voice echoed inside the carriage causing the already tensed Roselle to flinch. She realized that she was clutching her dress so hard that her knuckles had turned white. She kept her face looking outside the window, blankly staring at the palace that they were just married in, as it slowly disappeared from her view.With a deliberate slowness, Roselle turned to face him. When she lifted her face, his perfect face graced her eyes. Only one thought ran through her mind as she looked at him. If only… If only, he was human.She answered him with a shake of her head. Of course, that was a lie. She was scared to death. It didn't help that her husband… yes, her husband was such a gorgeous creature, because she knew what was really hidden behind all that beauty and perfection."I… I thought w-werewolves didn't ride in carriages," she stammered, saying the first thing her mind could think of that had nothing to do with
The inside of the carriage was enveloped with silence. The prince simply remained still, closing his eyes as if he had shut himself down.The night was getting deeper and Roselle could now feel the fatigue and dizziness from the rollercoaster of emotions from the day that even though she wanted to ponder her situation more, her mind began to float like clouds drifting aimlessly. She had been unable to sleep the few days before her wedding because of thoughts about her wedding and the Werewolf she was going to marry so she felt a little like an Undead Creature. She felt lightheaded and dizzy and she tried to find the right position for her to sleep, but to her dismay, whenever she did manage to nod off, the carriage bounced on the rough patches on the road and she was awakened again. At times, it was so bad that she nearly bumped her head against the wall.This was the first time she had travelled by night, but Roselle knew she had to endure this. Her wedding was a secr
"No one's allowed to hurt you, not even me. You have nothing to be scared about," he added gently and before Roselle realized it, as though he had cast a bewitching spell on her, she obeyed.He shifted and made room for her and then she found herself half lying on him with her back to his chest and his arm wrapped around her, holding her, keeping her tucked against him as the carriage lurched forward. It seemed her fatigue and dizziness had given her away because of how little resistance she had against his irresistible offer of comfort. The back of her head settled on his solid and hard chest, which suddenly felt like a cushion, as she relaxed comfortably.This was the first time she had experienced anything like this. She had never let any man hold her this way before. She found it overwhelming because, even in her lightheaded state, her body reacted in a strange way as he held her. And the most surprising thing was she didn't hate it. She had thought she would despise any physical
The sight of her surroundings made her swallow and goosebumps crawled on her skin. It wasn't just because of the biting cold, it was mostly because the valley felt absolutely eerie. In fact, eerie might still be an understatement to describe the place. All the countless trees were coal black and leafless as if they were all scorched to death. Black ravens were settled on the tree branches and they all looked like they were staring straight at them. Roselle couldn't see any plant that seemed to still be alive.A thick layer of snow had iced the ground. The fog was also thick that even though it was still morning, it already felt like twilight. It felt like the darkness would soon settle in and she imagined those notorious beasts suddenly appearing from the thick mist surrounding them."I- I think we should go on," she stammered.Romeo's head whipped around to face her."But you're clearly –""I'm fine.""You're not."Roselle met his gaze and was surprised at what she saw in his moon-li
Bone-chilling growls filled Roselle's ears as soon as the carriage door was closed. Her eyes were still wide and her hand was left hanging in midair in a failed attempt to stop her husband from leaving. She knew by the monstrous sounds alone that the beasts had come. Why? It was not even nighttime yet!Roselle's throat ran dry. Her face became even paler as she noticed the sounds becoming louder and louder. The beasts were approaching closer and it seemed that there weren't just two or three of them. It sounded like a whole tribe had come for them. Her hands flew to her heart as the fear spread throughout her entire body. What was going to happen? Was she going to die here?Dull sounds of what seemed like a sword slashing into flesh filled the air and the growls became more violent. She felt the earth-shaking thuds which caused the carriage to shake. She wanted to hear Romeo's voice but all she could hear was the overwhelming sounds of battle that she never wanted to hear. "Please, do
The poor little bunny moved and peeked at him through her silver-blond locks but the moment their eyes met, she flinched and buried her face again. Romeo's eyebrows twitched from the realization that the bunny was scared of him, not at the dead beasts that were scattered around him. He shut his eyes and when he opened them again, his eyes were no longer golden-red. It had became a silver coloured eye He ran his fingers through his hair and patiently, he tried to coax the bunny once more. Slowly, he climbed inside the carriage, moving very carefully as he approached and squatted before her. "The beasts are dead. You're safe now. No one can hurt you," he said, but the girl still didn't move. Romeo knew that there was no way it would be easy for this little terrified bunny to crawl back to him again after what she saw. However, he could see that she was on the verge of freezing herself to death. Glancing at the crumpled blanket on the carriage floor, Romeo picked it up. "At least take
The men creased their brows, with heads cocked to one side. However, despite the confusion which were visibly portrayed on their faces, everyone immediately obeyed and took off their cloaks."Give them to me," Romeo ordered and once again, the men glanced at each other, except David who had kept his eyes set on the Werewolf prince.One by one, the men approached the carriage, single file and handed their cloaks which they had flicked off earlier to remove any dust and dirt and all neatly folded, to their prince. The Werewolf prince's face was so serious that no one dared question what he was about to do. The men could only wait to see what he intended to do with all those cloaks. And then, they watched him carefully and slowly wrapped the human girl with their cloaks.Their eyes widened in shocked surprise, mouths hanging open speechlessly. Their prince was moving so damned slowly that to them, a turtle might be moving faster than him. Werewolves move quick and it was no difference fo
Roselle frantically surveyed herself. There seemed to be nothing unusual with her body. The Werewolf prince didn't seem to have done anything to her while she was asleep, she just somehow knew it.She looked at his sleeping face again and her shoulders relaxed. A long sigh escaped her lips before she looked around the room. It was vast and the windows were covered with thick maroon curtains. The ceiling was also very high. It was a little dark but Roselle could tell it was daylight. How long did she sleep? Was she in the village across the Dark Valley?But judging from the size of this room, it somehow seemed to be a master room of a huge castle. Was there a huge castle in the very first village across the border? Or could it be that this wasn't the village anymore?The thought that she was finally in the foreign land, the land she and all her friends used to imagine as a place as good as hell, made her subconsciously hug herself. She didn't tremble in fear but there was a peculiar ch
Blood suddenly sprayed out of the huge man's body without him realizing until Romeo's powerful fist crashed into his face and he was sent flying away from the troops only to drop to the ground not unlike a chunk of huge stone. Following the tremor of Gallas' collapse, there reigned a few seconds of dumbfounded silence from both armies who were watching this awe-inspiring exchange.Watching the fight and being able to follow their moves, Romeo's men smiled. "There he goes," David smirked and then lifted his sword as he shouted out at the Dacrian soldiers. "Our prince is the strongest, so don't falter! Kill them all!" he roared, and the Dacrians' morale soared as they too roared along and attacked with an even higher and renewed vigour. Their roar was so loud that the crown prince at the far back heard them and his darkened face went even darker.Leon, the half-blood who sent Romeo away in one strike, who stayed back to observe was now back. Jumping in front of Romeo and blocking him be
The half-bloods instinctively stepped back. Their expressions had changed, especially Gallas'. His haughty look was now gone, being replaced by incredulity and shock. He had been prepared to expect many things from this traitorous prince, but this was not one of the possibilities that he had imagined ever happening. At all. Leon who rarely shows any emotions was also showing a wary look on his face and very clearly had his guard up.Their purple eyes had gone bloody red. Time seemed to have come to a standstill and the suffocating air that enveloped them thickened even further. It was as if they were mired in a bog and not only their breathing was being smothered, but the movements of their limbs were also slowed down, like invisible strong chains were weighing them down and pulling them back.The next moment, a flash of something whisked out from the direction of the rubble and struck at one of them. The half-blood called Leon had speedy reflexes and managed to block the unexpected s
Staring uneasily out the windows, towards the direction of the front line that her eyes could not even see, Roselle remained tense long after Luc had dropped her off according to Romeo's orders. She somehow felt that the air was heavier and chillier, even though the temperature was the same as last night.Unease and worry laid heavy on her as if there were a boulder sitting on her chest. She remembered those times in her younger years, she and her mother used to feel this way every time her father goes out to war. It was an awful feeling. Like she was holding back her breath the whole time and could only breath again when he finally come back home, alive. And this time, she could obviously feel her anxiety was more intense.Taking a deep breath, Roselle gripped the dagger Romeo had gifted to her. Tonight, she was not going to do anything but to patiently wait and hope and fervently pray that her husband will be fine and fulfil his promise… that he will be returning to her side. She si
Someone deliberately cleared his throat so Roselle could only push Romeo away."Your Highness, it's more than time already. We must depart now." Luc said, his face still managing to remain quite stoic, despite everything that he had seen and heard."Go, I'll be fine." Roselle urged her husband as well all the while trying to break free from his hold. Elijah also emerged from the stairs, already holding Roselle's cloak and dagger with him."Alright," Romeo's hold finally loosened rather reluctantly. His struggle to let go of her was apparent to everyone that were present. "But I need you to kiss me first." Romeo demanded Roselle boldly, not caring that his men and butler were there to witness how childish he was behaving at the moment.Roselle, and the other two Werewolves could literally hear their jaws dropping to the ground. She glanced at Elijah and Luc and the two suddenly whirled around, turning their backs to them in a bid to afford the couple their privacy – well, whatever priv
Shock was clearly etched on Roselle's face as Romeo eased away from her and faced Luc. Roselle saw how his face had transformed from one that was playful and seductive, into one that was cold and flint-like."Take my wife back to the castle." He ordered in a calm voice and the green eyed blond immediately nodded.Roselle reached out and clasped at Romeo's coat. Her expression was severe.Seeing the worry in her eyes, Romeo bent and whispered to her. "Don't make that face, love. Didn't I promise I'd protect you? I will not let a single unwelcomed person get pass this wall so do not worry, okay? Furthermore, we need to continue what we started but was rudely interrupted… right?" Romeo teased with a grin, trying to ease Roselle's worry.The certainty in his voice made Roselle felt secured and that teasing managed to get her to loosen up a little. However, she was not so much worried about herself but more for him. She knew he was strong but… that earlier nightmare… what if her father had
Roselle's eyes flung open. She was sweating and breathing hard as her wide opened eyes stared fixedly at the ceiling until she managed to get her breathing stabilized. How long had it been since she last had a nightmare? She could not even remember anymore.To the members of the house of Anderson, nightmares were not just some random or normal occurrence. For them, these were taken seriously and were messages of forewarning or signs of things to come.Strangely, it was very rare for the members of the family to ever have nightmares. She heard that there were even some members who had never experienced having nightmares in their lifetime. Roselle however had experienced it once, but that was when she was still a child, so she already knew how it felt.Back home, if one of them would ever have a nightmare, they were required to immediately confess everything that they saw to the head of the family, the dragon keeper. This was a rule of the house that must not be broken, and everyone cou
"Roselle, stop –" Romeo chocked on his saliva as he was incredibly turned on but had to force himself to hold back for her sake.She squeezed him gently and all he could do was groan. His hands that held her, the hands that was supposed to stop her trembled. This was bad. He wanted her so much it was killing him. He didn't want to stop her. The caresses of her delicate hands felt like salvation. He felt like a person who was dying of thirst in the desert and had finally found that saving jug of water – only to have it held at arm's length. It was so close yet so far that he felt himself nearing insanity.Her lashes lifted as her hands continued caressing him and Romeo sucked in his breath. Her hair had darkened because of their wetness. She was like a moon goddess that had emerged from some mystical lake."This is…" she opened her lips hesitantly. "What a man will put inside a woman, right?" she asked, shy and innocent. Not knowing that her innocent question was the most potent drug t
Roselle supported her weight on his shoulders and rose to her knees when Romeo stilled under her. She was too dazed to realize the primitive hunger dancing in his eyes."Ro–" she couldn't even complete his name because Romeo suddenly moved and grabbed her. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her up slightly as he buried his head against her torso. Roselle felt his forehead a feverish contrast as to the cool span of her upper body, helping her clear her muddled head a little."Roselle… oh, god…" his tone was grave, his eyes were passion-drowsed as he cupped the soft shape of her breast with his one hand. He gently kneaded, squeezed it while his mouth kissed her throat.His hands began to explore her body, on and on, she felt both his light and heavy touches alternately everywhere as if he were determined to leave nothing untouched and unexplored."Ro…" Roselle moaned and gasped and strained at his touches and kisses. The strong hands tracing over every nook and cranny of
"You're so exquisite, my love." He said, his gaze worshipfully running across every curve and dip of her delectable figure. But he stepped away. "Get into the water first while I undress. It's cold."Even though Roselle unusually was not feeling cold at all, she took Romeo's hand and let him help her into the tub. She quickly lowered herself until all of her was submerged except her head, in the hopes of hiding her naked body in the water. The water felt too hot on her already feverish skin.Roselle could see him undressing from the corner of her eyes, but she did not dare turn that way to look and confirm her thoughts. She instead resolutely fixed her gaze at the fireplace, trying to calm herself from the seemingly growing fire inside of her. What was going with her, was she having a fever? But it did not feel like the fever she normally get…"Wife," his voice pulled her attention back to him and she absentmindedly turned her head towards Romeo."Hmmm? What is…" she replied distracte