The council comprised two Elders, two Dukes, two Marquesses, two Earls, two Viscounts, two Barons, and two Lords. Each ranked level had two species representing, never of the same kind, except for the Elders. So, on each level, it was either a Daimph, a Vampyre, or a Werewolf. The Ayacques were never a part of the council because they had not surrendered to the throne. They were from the south. The betrayers were the two Elders. Both elders were Werewolves, for apparent reasons keeping only the history of the werewolf relevant and alive. One Duke, another Werewolf, a Marquess, and a Lord are Vampyres. Aakifahlynn scoffed as she recalled Duke Mark Chapman's words. He dared to act concerned for her well-being when he was front and center... Well, more like front and off to the side, but still, he supported her husband during her death. Aakifahlynn felt a wave of anger rising in the pit of her stomach, causing her to see red at her demise. And a deep-seething hatred for those that
Aakifahlynn stared wide-eyed and unblinking because it was at this moment she learned that Jairus and Taisiya were not something that had happened recently because of her ailments, as she had initially thought. This has been going on since Taisiya returned a few months ago in this Timeline. And in her past Timeline, they would have been together for three years and counting. Aakifahlynn swore her heart skipped a bit, and at this moment, she was thankful she had decided to use her magic to calm her nerves and steady her emotions. She would have definitely gotten caught if she had not taken this precaution. Aakifahlynn also acknowledged she needed to rely on her wolf and magic to survive in this castle. Just to be able to be around them and not give herself away, she needed the reinforcement; she would not dare fool herself into thinking she could do this without help. Jairus's eyes dimmed, eyebrows pinched as if something suddenly disturbed him. He pulled away from caressing her f
Unable to continue watching how the duo fawns over each other while her husband caresses Taisiya's stomach, eyes shining with love and adoration, making Aakifahlynn sick to her stomach. She'd seen and heard enough. Her heart ached at the sight. Aakifahlynn called on her magic, removed herself from her husband's study, and landed by the treeline before the forest outside the castle gates. However, the lands of this Kingdom extend for miles on end. The sun was gone entirely, and now the beautiful half-full moon would rule the sky for the next ten hours or so. Aakifahlynn turned and watched the tall, mighty walls of the castle. She glanced around for any movements. The villagers were out and about having a merry time doing one thing or the other. Warriors were on their usual patrols, ensuring the grounds and walls were safe, while some were sparring and training. All oblivious to her torment and struggles. At night the castle grounds were not typically busy, but at this moment,
Aakifahlynn lay on the bank and hugged herself, a go-to move on her part now that it helps her with her coping. By the night's end, she had wailed freely and cried for hours on end, becoming a snotty nose mess. Every time she got lost in her mind and grief, her body automatically reacted to comfort herself at that critical moment. "I fed you a poison that weakened your wolf." "And when you continue to strain your body using magic, it did the rest of the work for me..." Aakifahlyn gagged at the memory of him kissing her cheek again, so tender and endearing. The more Aakifahlynn ventured down memory lane, the further down the rabbit hole she went in her grief. "I must thank you for that," She scowls at his smug face, tears streaming down her face. She angrily grabbed up a mixture of dirt, pebbles, and rocks and launched it aggressively as if trying to hit HIM. "You can never be her," he had said. "You A$$HOLE, I never WANTED to be HERRR, NEVEEERRRRRRRR," Aakifahlynn screamed at t
Nadie had always taken her time to ensure she did everything flawlessly for her Queen and Luna. Finally, Nadie finished on the balcony, "Anything you need before I fetch hot water to prepare your bath, Your Majesty?" Nadie asked, heading out the door to get started on her next task. "Oh, no, no, that's fine, Nadie," Aakifahlynn waved her off. The sooner Nadie left, the sooner Aakifahlynn could adorn her night dress, the one she was 'supposed to be in,' and rush straight to her breakfast. "Ok, I will be right back," Nadie bowed, gently closed the door behind her, and scurried out. Aakifahlynn listened for the sound of her feet receding, then, when convinced, Nadie was gone. She quickly pulled off her sheets and rushed to her closet, grabbing a nightshirt, almost tripping over the clothes she had sent via magic last night. Aakifahlynn righted herself and quickly dressed. When Aakifahlynn finished, she heaved a sigh of relief and was about to stroll out to the balcony when she reme
Queen Luna Aakifahlynn dressed for her day in another casual dress, slightly above her ankles. It was a dark blue, cinched at the waist, her corset, trousers, and boots with a hat and dark blue gloves.She emerged from her room, but her husband was not there. She'd heard him leave while she was still in the bath. This is where things start getting thrown off, as this time, they would still have been in bed, finally making it out before midday to begin their day and attend to their duties.So as for where he went, Aakifahlynn did not know. Nevertheless, she placed that thought in the backseat for now.Her first stop was the library. Aakifahlynn quickly made her way there, her boots thudding down the concrete corridor as she moved through the castle, twisting, turning corners, and climbing stairs to get to the library. To her aggravation, as she rounded the last corner, Aakifahlynn ran into Elder Raul Zev.She held her twitching lips, wanting to scowl, but she had to be calm. This serp
Aakifahlynn found a couple more books containing valuable information, books with sketches of positions, and one thing in all these sketches: everyone was without clothes.'How scandalous,' Aakifahlynn thought, while her cheeks tinted red in embarrassment as if someone had caught her in the act of doing something wrong.Aakifahlynn realized how deep the waters were, the very waters she decided to dip her toe in. 'What about their underdress? Or their nightshirt, for Goddess's sake?'She mumbled to herself, her tone terrified, shocked with a hint of surprise.And now Aakifahlynn was outraged, and yet she was intrigued, her interest piqued. Boy, was she clueless?Nevertheless, it did open her eyes to how much she did not know about the pleasures of men.It only showed her how much she needed to learn. If she were to pull this off successfully and yield any type of results, or else she would have done nothing more than embarrass herself in front of her husband, or he might simply see it
"I..I..it would be my first time with my husband," Piper jutted out a hand, and she placed a finger on Aakifahlynn's, aka Adeline's lips as she pursed hers and said, "Shhhh, say no more." "Come this way," Aakifahlynn still did not move. Instead, she blinked. Wow, that was easy; was this a regular thing, women wanting to learn how to please their husbands? "Maam?" Piper touched Aakifahlynn's elbow, gently tugging her forward. Piper was used to this, she had dealt with many women seeking the knowledge of pleasuring their husbands, and their sad story was always the same. There was another woman involved. She also knew sometimes some of them bolted before the door closed behind them, so innocent and pure in their minds. And today, she needed the extra bobs as her son had fallen ill, and she needed medication. So Piper could not afford for this 'Maam' to go skeltering out the door. She would take her time and show her exactly what she came to learn by grabbing one of those men she ha
Aakifahlynn was sorry she missed the opening but was too busy recovering from draining her strength after healing folks at a hospital and then having to recuperate. Nevertheless, she told him not to let her absence keep him from moving forward in their adventures; she would show up when she could to check on things.Plus, Aakifahlynn preferred the surprised visits; keeping him on his toes is always better. However, she must admit he still had that eagerness to help in any way she wanted after their encounter that faithful day she visited the Stygian.Nevertheless, Aakifahlynn learned that Taisiya does not exist, literally. She was found washed ashore at the age of sixteen with no family.And this Jarrod had confirmed as he lived it. He was there when Jairus brought her home. Taisiya had woven a web of lies throughout her life, leaving a lingering mystery about her true identity. Even Spencer, who had his men gather all the intel, was unsure. But he went on to explain his spy's find
This only heightened Aakifahlynn's curiosity, but before her mind could run away with all the possible reasons, he said, "It was about three years after my son took the throne to the kingdom." He paused, and Aakifahlynn slowly began devouring her plate. His eyes weary as he recalled his tale, while Aakifahlynn calculated in her mind and concurred that it was true, he suddenly died of a heart attack. A stroke, then a heart attack, to be exact, as per Jairus's words. "I overheard a conversation between Jairus and TaISiYa," he pronounced her name with a venomous disdain that was discernible in the air.And so the story began…One afternoon, Jarrod, who was no longer the Alpha, yet was so proud of his son but weary at the same time because he was concerned about some of Jairus's sudden choices. Instantaneously and vigorously wanting more and more. Waging war against any being human or creatures of the night that would not submit to the throne.At this, Aakifahlynn grimaced, almost drop
Now, Aakifahlynn had a plan for today. She wore her usual boots, trousers, and long dress with a three-inch belt at the waist. Her hair was up in a messy bun, with little loose tendrils falling over her forehead and to the side of her face.Her makeup was barely there, as she preferred it. However, right now, she moved through the Palace like a fly on the wall—well... literally. It was her favorite trick to spy, just like when she spied on Jairus and Taisiya on her first day back.It had been a few hours, and nothing stood out to her in this forbidden area, a place she had never been allowed to enter before. It was like this new Emperor, who had taken over, did not exist. It seemed as if he was a ghost and this left a determined Aakifahlynn perplexed. Worried even, however, Aakifahlynn was not prepared for what she was about to find, more so who and the truth that would be revealed.After Rounding a few more corners and poking in some more empty rooms, even flying in on some palace
Alpha King Jairus Mathiasen, the ruler of the Kingdom, had spoken with his Beta, his trusted advisor, and arranged to send out inquiries, hoping to get some answers on the whereabouts of his number one choice, a key political figure and the Viscount, an expert in the medical field. Despite the unsettling possibility that his top choice had deserted him, Alpha King Jairus Mathiasen stood resolute, refusing to succumb to worry. Not long after, an idea sparked in his mind. His unyielding determination led him to his next move. Jairus, recalling Taisiya's abilities, decided to seek her out. He believed she could help him and thought this to himself, still believing that she had always been a loyal ally. He believed she could sense if anything was off with the Duke and even the Viscount using her magic or whatever other tricks she did. He was indeed desperate. Jairus barged in on Taisiya without knocking, instantly stating his request, and Taisiya, already in a foul mood, blurted, "Du
Back in familiar surroundings, Taisiya, though feeling defeated and weak in her body and mind, was resolute in grappling with the weight of her responsibilities and the fear of failing again. This visit, while it did provide her with some much-needed support, also stirred a sense of impending conflict within her, a war between her determination and her doubts.The only thing was her enemy's elusivity. Elder Raul Zev was cunning, and she wondered who was backing him. This only made her more vengeful, snapping at anything and everyone.Her plans to be the trusted Queen to step in were no longer possible the way she'd initially planned. But when she returned home, Taisiya was reminded of what she was working towards.The wasteland they called home, where they hid from other sea creatures while trying to survive in an almost un-survivable place, was hard to ignore.Down there it was always dark and cloudy, except when the starfish graced them with their magnificent presence, glowing iride
A Duke can only do so much, and Taisiya knew this much. His reach was not as far-reaching as the Alpha King's, and his word was not as final as the Alpha King's. Looking deep into her mate's love-filled gaze for what she thought would be the last time, she grabbed him into one last tearful, passion-filled kiss for the night.Tears streamed down her cheeks, wanting to smudge her neatly done makeup. She then pulled away, shoulders back, head high, and walked away from him without another word or a second glance, making up her mind to leave him and this fantasy behind her.That night, they went their separate ways.Duke Mark Chapman did not pursue her; he let her go because what she said struck a chord with him. She was right. Was he ready to throw it all away just like that?Was he even prepared for such a move?He had to be innovative and plan better. Based on his mate's reaction, what would he prepare for if she would not run away with him?She left him with much to think about, even
Taisiya knew she needed to escape this room momentarily to regroup. Duke Chapman's gaze was becoming intoxicating, almost suffocating. The longer they gazed upon each other from across the room, the more she felt unable to breathe.There was an undeniable pull toward him, and Taisiya did not like it one bit. At the same time, her inner being hoped she would be followed when she slipped away. Soon enough, after all the introductions, casually light conversations, and a drink or two, Taisiya felt it appropriate to excuse herself to the powder room for fresh air. After all, cigars and other gentlemanly treats kept the men busy.She soon whispered into Jairus's ear while her eyes bore into Chapman's, who was now chatting with a Vampyre, Earl Phillippe Paulsen, on the other side of the room. Duke Chapman soon whispered something to the Earl, quickly excusing himself and slipping out the back after he observed Taisiya.Taisiya ran straight past the powder room, through the kitchen, and ou
Jairus, the Alpha King, found himself in a precarious position. His aim was obstructed by a less-than-genuine statement from Viscount Everald Ferguson, a Vampyre with his own ambitions. The air sizzled with uncertainty as Jairus navigated this challenging terrain.Alpha King Jairus wanted to wait for Duke Chapman as the Duke was his top choice. However, Viscount Ferguson made the option of waiting any longer difficult. However, Alpha King Jairus was not about to back down. He was prepared to demand, even challenge if necessary, "Great point, Viscount Ferguson. I cannot argue with you there. However, this is the nomination process for the Eldership position." His words were a thinly veiled warning, a sign of the tension that was building. Jairus's voice resonated with the weight of the Eldership, a position that held significant power and influence. His tone and mannerisms underscored the gravity of the situation.He continued, his gaze shifting around the room, meeting everyone's,
Taisiya, the Duke's close friend and confidante, or was it something much more? Yes, it was so much more.She was becoming desperate. After looking around the castle some more, she secretly sought information on his whereabouts, asking if they had seen him. Nothing. She needed to see him, and it was clear he was not there. She recalled the voting at midday, a crucial event that could determine the future of the Kingdom.Taisiya's shoulders relaxed slightly, but she was not yet convinced, leaving her with only one choice.With no other option in sight, she resolved to visit his home, her determination tenacious in her quest to find him. Taisiya grimaced at the thought of his mother. But no matter, she would brave that wretched woman to know if he was alright.Moments later, Taisiya was leaving her room after grabbing a coat and gloves, putting on more suitable footwear and a jacket, and hastily making her way to a carriage.Then, midway, she realized it would be faster and more appro