Akemi Ravenscar.
I think Renna, Drogo’s mother is the only female here not dressed in the kind of robe that I’m wearing. Instead, she wears something far more modest and I think it has to do with her title. Though I am now dressed like them, the fabric feels unbelievably soft against my skin. And then there was Drogo’s reaction… the way he gasped when I turned.
What…what did he see that made him react like that?
Her hair is in the shade of warm brown hair, it matches her eyes. From a few minutes of speaking to her, she appears to be so free spirited, holding my hands as we tour the dining hall. It is large—large enough to be walked through like a garden. Oh, have I mentioned that there is a garden in it?
I see parrots perched on branches and tiny bunnies dart between lush greenery. A crystal-clear fountain gushes softly in the centre, surrounded by trees with golden leaves. It is utterly, ethereally beautiful.
Once again, I find myself caught off guard. How intelligent are wolves to create something this breath-taking in a place as simple as a dining area?
“He is angry and stubborn, I can tell you that for sure.” Renna says, and though I nod, I wish I could ask if there’s anything good about him.
I still don’t understand how my dress could have caused such a reaction from Drogo. Why did he act with such urgency, such fear?
“I didn’t mean to disrespect—” I begin, but she cuts me off with a gentle smile.
“Akemi, I know you didn’t mean to disrespect our customs. But the werewolf system is different from human system. Here, it is considered blasphemy to ignore tradition. Any mistake—no matter how small—is taken seriously, especially when it concerns you and Drogo. His throne has no heir yet.”
I nod.
As we walk through the dining hall where food is being served, I feel Drogo’s molten gaze on me. Yes, he is in the dining hall too.
The hall is awash in sunlight from its grand windows. It illuminates the walls painted in creamy whites. Splashes of color from the plants brighten the space—ivory, gold, deep crimson. I never knew plants could even come in these colors.
At least ten omega wards come in, carrying silver trays stacked with food.
I had told myself earlier that I wasn’t hungry. I had only eaten a few berries and an apple for breakfast because I was too nervous to eat anything else. After all, what do werewolves eat? Surely, not the same things as humans.
But now, the rich aroma of smoked fish, salmon, roasted vegetables, and seared steak finds my nostrils.
I press a hand to my belly just as it lets out a quiet rumble.
Across the room, Drogo is speaking to someone—but his gaze snaps to me.
Wait… did he hear that? Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I look away quickly.
“Hungry?” Renna asks.
“Um, not really.” I lie.
“Of course, you are. Your omega ward told me you only had berries and apples this morning.”
Before I can answer, the grand doors open.
Susana and Bella enter first, followed by a male figure I haven’t seen before.
He is huge, built like a warrior. He has deep and pronounced scars on his face. The male has eyes of gold with a jaw that is very much, clenched tight, as if he’s biting back words or curses. His nose may been broken before, maybe more than once—I know this because I have brothers.
And his hair is nothing but a dark mane streaked with strands of sun-bleached brown, as if he’s spent years under the open sky.
As soon as they reach Renna, Susana and Bella curtsy.
The man, however, moves in for an embrace. Startled, I step back as he hugs her.
"Welcome back, son."
Renna releases him and as soon as they part, his gaze lands on me.
"You must be our very own Luna. I heard about you on my way back home."
I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know who he is. Should I curtsy? No. I’m a queen—I wouldn’t.
"I'm Akemi." I say simply.
"I am Throgo, your brother-in-law." His voice is rasping, carrying weight I don’t yet understand. Is he high up in the ranks of the wolves? The way he stands, the way the others shift around him—it’s clear he holds some power. But what rank? Gamma? Beta? Something else entirely?
"A pleasure to meet you." I say, but his golden eyes seem to swallow me whole. He stares, assessing, as if searching for weakness. And then, he starts going towards Drogo.
"Majesty," Throgo says, placing a hand over his chest in a formal salute.
Drogo, seated at the head of the table like a king on a throne of shadows, acknowledges him with a nod.
Renna takes my hand. "Come, you should sit next to Drogo."
She pulls me forward, past Bella, who steps aside quickly. I expect a glare, a whispered insult—something. But instead, she offers a sweet smile. What happened to the venomous girl from before?
An omega ward pulls out my chair and I sit next to Drogo. Renna sits across from me. Heavens, only if she knew that her presence is such a comfort.
I watch as no one serves themselves. Instead, they simply point to what they want, and the omega wards place it on their golden plates.
I glance back at Kie before shyly pointing at the roasted potatoes.
Heavens, I want everything.
"Asparagus..." I murmur, so softly I’m not sure he hears me.
But she does. And soon, my plate is heaped with food so delicious, I nearly forget my nerves. The moment I take my first bite, all my doubts about wolf delicacies disappear. The food is beyond delicious. The meat melts in my mouth like butter, the vegetables are perfectly charred, and the potatoes—soft, creamy.
I’m halfway through my tenth bite or maybe my twentieth, when I realize I’ve been eating like a starved wolf myself. Chew softer, Akemi. You’re a queen now, not a street urchin. I don’t think anyone notices because Drogo and his brother are in a back-to-back conversation.
But then—a piece of meat stops in my throat.
I cough…hard, face flushing as I scramble for a napkin.
Drogo’s conversation stops and every eye turns to me. I am so mortified! I grab a napkin and push back from the chair to unchoke myself.
“Excuse me—” I barely managing to step away from the table when I feel a hand on my back.
One, two, three gentle pats, right on my shoulder blades. My throat clears, and I glance back to find Drogo standing behind me.
He reaches for the jug on the table, fills a glass with water and hands it to me.
“Drink.”
I take it. My fingers brush his for the briefest moment before I lift it to my lips.
“The food isn’t going anywhere.” he murmurs before walking back to his seat.
“Come on, take a seat, Akemi.” Renna gestures.
“Perhaps she isn’t used to our seasoning—just as she isn’t used to our Moon robes.” Susana cannot resist to jab at me.
Moon robes? Is that what they call their clothes?
I take my seat and Bella is next speak.
“I heard humans believe wolves eat bugs, drink blood and tear apart live animals for food. They think that’s how we get our strength.”
“That’s not true.” I respond, a little sharper than intended. I already feel like an outsider, and now I’m being treated like a child with foolish superstitions.
Throgo suddenly speaks. “I brought back ten women for your harem, brother.”
My eyes snap toward him.
“Oh, I forgot—we have a queen now and she may not like that. Forgive me, Akemi.” His grin is all teeth as he apologizes. He and Drogo are terrifying in completely different ways.
“I’ve already explained to Akemi why the castle has harems…” Bella says. “I’m sure she has no problem with it. A virtuous queen wouldn’t stand in the way of an heir forming.”
This is the part where I want to roll my eyes.
“Is that true, Akemi?” Renna asks. “Are you okay with it?”
If I cared for Drogo—if I loved him the way a wife normally would—then my answer would be a furious no. And ‘no’ would also mean that I am willing to sleep with him and bear this heir that everyone keeps talking about. I still have a secret that I am carrying with me, I am not a virgin.
How long can I keep this up? Kie mentioned something about a consummation—something that’s supposed to happen in ten days, in front of the elders.
“Akemi?” Renna calls me.
“Uhm, no. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t have a problem with the king having a harem.” The words taste foreign on my tongue, but I say them anyway.
Bella hums in satisfaction but Drogo says nothing.
Khal Drogo.Did her omega wards fail to feed her? Do I need to punish someone for that? I roll my jaw but besides that, she’s fine with me having a harem?The silence that follows her words is telling. No one here actually believes she means them. Not Micah. Not Throgo. Not even me.She’s intimidated. Vastly. By me, by this kingdom, by everything she does not yet understand. If I were some human king, some docile counterpart of hers, would she still agree to it? I highly doubt it. But I have never been the kind of male to bend at the will of a woman—queen or not. Her opinion on the matter holds no weight."Really?" Throgo drags his tongue across his teeth.I know him. I know exactly why he’s bringing this up. He wants to test her. To gauge strength or lack thereof, in the human girl who now sits beside me. And now. he has his answer—she is soft, docile, breakable. His ridiculous little investigation should end here.I turn to him with a warn. Enough.He knows better than to push me. I
Akemi Ravenscar.I became afraid.The moment he mentioned sending me away—giving me back to my brothers—I realized just how easily they could sell me again. If they could sell me to a werewolf, what’s stopping them from selling me to someone worse? Someone crueler than Drogo?My eldest brother, Liam, isn’t present. They did this while he was gone. I can’t risk going back to them, not when I don’t even recognize them anymore. Not when I don’t know what kind of monsters they’d trade me to next. At least here, I know the fear of Drogo. I know what’s expected of me. And as terrifying as he is, he hasn’t given me a reason to believe he would truly hurt me.But what was I thinking when I said I would learn to be intimate with him?I turn over on the bed. This is my second night here. This is the same room where he slept last night. Why hasn’t he come in yet? Is he not coming?I can’t sleep. I am exhausted but my mind is a rabbit hole, spiralling deeper and deeper.I’m not a virgin.If I had
ContdAkemi Ravenscar.When Kie returns, I still haven’t collected myself.My body feels off. I’m still warm between my legs, still moist—an embarrassing reminder of what just happened. When he leaned against me—I felt his porousness.He was hard, but unbelievably soft too. A contradiction.“Are you okay? Was the king—upset?”I hear her but I don’t answer.What did he just do to me?I’m humiliated, not just by my reaction but by the fact that he could walk away so easily. Detached. Unaffected.There are eight days.Eight days until the consummation.Eight days until my secret is revealed. Eight days are nothing. They’ll pass in a breath.And when he finds out… will he sell me himself? I never lied to him. I never said I was a virgin but my stupid brothers just assumed so. Therefore, how could I stand before a werewolf king and tell him otherwise?I saw his rage over something as simple as human fabric. If that’s his temper over clothes, what will he do when he learns the truth?"Queen
Khal Drogo.“You want her?”“You want her, Drogo. Don’t pretend.” Ragar, my stupid wolf laughs—maniacally this time.I close my eyes and so, he decides to give me images of her. The first image he gives me is one where her legs wrap around my waist like a gift and her hips lift to meet every thrust.In the second, she is bent against the headboard of our great bed. My hand will own her waist and I will drive into her honeypot until she’s breathless.The third—my mouth is on her breast; her fingers are buried in my hair and her body is full with my seed.“Your Majesty?”“Your Majesty?”I blink and realize that I am in front of sixty-two ministers of the parliament and just like the number, this parliament is called the Sixty-Two Fangs.“Yes?” I exhale, resting my elbows on the wolf-bone arms of my throne.“We have reason to believe that our future queen is not willing to let go of her human culture yet.” Kaden, the Minister of Legacies, starts. Legacy meaning, it’s his job is to make s
Akemi Ravenscar.“Gareth, don’t do this to me!” I scream, desperately trying to catch the hem of my brother’s sleeve. But the barbaric hands of the Firefang wolves yank me, dragging me to a ground where thousands of other human girls are already kneeling in the biting snow.It is called “The Choosing” an offering of virgins. And for the first time, it is commanded by the barbarian Alpha King of Basgiath, a ruthless monarch whose name alone is enough to turn the day into night.Of the seven kingdoms, four are governed by human monarchies, while the remaining three fall under the dominion of werewolf rule. Among these, Basgiath reigns supreme. The Alpha King has never showed interest in any human kingdom until a week ago, where he expressed his desire to forge a marriage alliance with a human kingdom. Nobles, merchants, the royal family, lords, and even commoners have forcefully brought their daughters to a foreign realm—all for the sake of alliances, for the allure of power.Yet, I ne
Khal Drogo.When I laid my eyes upon her, something strummed in my chest. Her lips were as red as blood. Skin as fair as snow. The human girl looked fragile, too pure for a wolf like me. Her hair, more white than blonde—crowned her head yet fell in waves down her back. I have met many women in my lifetime, yet in an eternal lifetime, this human girl, Akemi, would pale goddess Aphrodite.It was her scent that sprang my feet. Then, it was her eyes that kept me in front of her. Green. The color of fresh moss, they unnerved me like a man going to battle without his weapons.She is small—fragile even—dwarfed by my size. I am easily four times her weight, and yet, when I held her face in my hands, her lashes fluttered, delicate like the wings of a trapped butterfly, daring me to be gentle. To me, her entire being is a contradiction to all that I am. And then, there was her face, so innocent, petite nose, leading to a rose bud lip—it arrested me the most.When I touched her, it was as though
Akemi Ravenscar.I’m not a virgin…not anymore.It’s been one month since I gave that part of myself away, to a man I believed I’d spend my life with—Elias. We met in secret. We fell in love secretly. And I let him deflower me secretly. Gareth doesn’t know about it.Once I open my eyes, the foreign bedroom sinks in. And there, I see them—sun melted eyes watching me on the pillows. I squeal, jerking backward, only to realize that there is nowhere to go. How long has he been watching me sleep? A shiver runs through me. I hope to heaven that I didn’t whisper the secret I now carry, the one I’ll have to guard for as long as I can.In a few days—if I’m lucky, weeks—he’ll get to know the truth that I’m not a virgin. And when he finds out, he’ll kill me. Not just me, but my brothers, their wives, my nieces. All of us will be reduced to ashes.The bed is wide yet he is like a mountain fallen on the landscape. His body is massive and basked with muscle. When he rises, I follow his movements as
Khal Drogo.“Was she pleasant?”I look up at Ozaiah, my female beta.She is a wolf who has won many battles alongside me, beaten countless males and earned her place through strength. I don’t answer her question. One, nothing happened between me and the human girl. Uh…Akemi, let me pretend like I do not remember her name. Two—I’m not fool enough to admit that nothing happened us.“When I heard she survived the morning. I was impressed. Your mark alone would’ve killed most, let alone sharing your bed. History will speak of this for centuries.” Ozaiah jokes again, and I catch Clifford, cleaning his sword and chuckling under his breath.I return my attention to the map in front of me, gently shifting the chess-like pieces that show how much more territory we’ve conquered before the blazing winter. Basgiath is expanding. Refugees are coming here from other werewolf realms to seek the safety we provide but they will not leech off me.We will have their sweat and their skills—we need fisher
Khal Drogo.“You want her?”“You want her, Drogo. Don’t pretend.” Ragar, my stupid wolf laughs—maniacally this time.I close my eyes and so, he decides to give me images of her. The first image he gives me is one where her legs wrap around my waist like a gift and her hips lift to meet every thrust.In the second, she is bent against the headboard of our great bed. My hand will own her waist and I will drive into her honeypot until she’s breathless.The third—my mouth is on her breast; her fingers are buried in my hair and her body is full with my seed.“Your Majesty?”“Your Majesty?”I blink and realize that I am in front of sixty-two ministers of the parliament and just like the number, this parliament is called the Sixty-Two Fangs.“Yes?” I exhale, resting my elbows on the wolf-bone arms of my throne.“We have reason to believe that our future queen is not willing to let go of her human culture yet.” Kaden, the Minister of Legacies, starts. Legacy meaning, it’s his job is to make s
ContdAkemi Ravenscar.When Kie returns, I still haven’t collected myself.My body feels off. I’m still warm between my legs, still moist—an embarrassing reminder of what just happened. When he leaned against me—I felt his porousness.He was hard, but unbelievably soft too. A contradiction.“Are you okay? Was the king—upset?”I hear her but I don’t answer.What did he just do to me?I’m humiliated, not just by my reaction but by the fact that he could walk away so easily. Detached. Unaffected.There are eight days.Eight days until the consummation.Eight days until my secret is revealed. Eight days are nothing. They’ll pass in a breath.And when he finds out… will he sell me himself? I never lied to him. I never said I was a virgin but my stupid brothers just assumed so. Therefore, how could I stand before a werewolf king and tell him otherwise?I saw his rage over something as simple as human fabric. If that’s his temper over clothes, what will he do when he learns the truth?"Queen
Akemi Ravenscar.I became afraid.The moment he mentioned sending me away—giving me back to my brothers—I realized just how easily they could sell me again. If they could sell me to a werewolf, what’s stopping them from selling me to someone worse? Someone crueler than Drogo?My eldest brother, Liam, isn’t present. They did this while he was gone. I can’t risk going back to them, not when I don’t even recognize them anymore. Not when I don’t know what kind of monsters they’d trade me to next. At least here, I know the fear of Drogo. I know what’s expected of me. And as terrifying as he is, he hasn’t given me a reason to believe he would truly hurt me.But what was I thinking when I said I would learn to be intimate with him?I turn over on the bed. This is my second night here. This is the same room where he slept last night. Why hasn’t he come in yet? Is he not coming?I can’t sleep. I am exhausted but my mind is a rabbit hole, spiralling deeper and deeper.I’m not a virgin.If I had
Khal Drogo.Did her omega wards fail to feed her? Do I need to punish someone for that? I roll my jaw but besides that, she’s fine with me having a harem?The silence that follows her words is telling. No one here actually believes she means them. Not Micah. Not Throgo. Not even me.She’s intimidated. Vastly. By me, by this kingdom, by everything she does not yet understand. If I were some human king, some docile counterpart of hers, would she still agree to it? I highly doubt it. But I have never been the kind of male to bend at the will of a woman—queen or not. Her opinion on the matter holds no weight."Really?" Throgo drags his tongue across his teeth.I know him. I know exactly why he’s bringing this up. He wants to test her. To gauge strength or lack thereof, in the human girl who now sits beside me. And now. he has his answer—she is soft, docile, breakable. His ridiculous little investigation should end here.I turn to him with a warn. Enough.He knows better than to push me. I
Akemi Ravenscar.I think Renna, Drogo’s mother is the only female here not dressed in the kind of robe that I’m wearing. Instead, she wears something far more modest and I think it has to do with her title. Though I am now dressed like them, the fabric feels unbelievably soft against my skin. And then there was Drogo’s reaction… the way he gasped when I turned.What…what did he see that made him react like that?Her hair is in the shade of warm brown hair, it matches her eyes. From a few minutes of speaking to her, she appears to be so free spirited, holding my hands as we tour the dining hall. It is large—large enough to be walked through like a garden. Oh, have I mentioned that there is a garden in it?I see parrots perched on branches and tiny bunnies dart between lush greenery. A crystal-clear fountain gushes softly in the centre, surrounded by trees with golden leaves. It is utterly, ethereally beautiful.Once again, I find myself caught off guard. How intelligent are wolves to c
Khal Drogo."What do you think you are wearing?"My eyes rake over her disgraceful excuse for a dress—fabric that reeks of humanity, nothing of the title she now holds. I take in the sight of her, waiting for her to offer an explanation, but all I see is her lips trembling like a leaf caught in the fucking wind."I said, what are you wearing!?"She flinches, recoiling at the edge of the courtyard stairs. Pathetic. I rarely raise my voice unless I am in my war room, unless I am commanding men on the battlefield. But at this level of depravity, I will yell."Your Majesty, please—it’s my fault." the omega ward behind her pleads. "I should have told her how strict the castle’s policies are.""Please, don’t punish her." Akemi’s voice is a whisper meant only to be taken by the bustling wind but I catch every word. "It’s my fault. I’m not used to your culture—I just wanted something familiar."Familiar. Her word rings in my head but I know humans—they take things they do not understand as be
Akemi Ravenscar.I don’t understand these people’s culture. Their clothes remind me of what courtesans and entertainers wear back in the human realm—waists exposed, small tops that end just above the abdomen. Beautiful, yes, embroidered with gold threads and jewelled embellishments, but it’s not me.An hour ago, I made that very clear to the—what did she call herself? An omega ward? Kie. I don’t quite understand the terms they use here yet and honestly, I’m struggling to keep up.Fortunately, my brothers thought ahead when they—well, when they sold me to the Alpha King. They packed me a bag and in it is the one thing that still feels like mine: a dark blue gown, laced at the bosom and wrists, with an inbuilt corset that ties at the back and delicate lace lining the hem.“You’ll be in big trouble if the King sees you like this.” Kie says, placing a worried hand on her head. She’s not the only one—the other six girls in the room exchange the same uneasy glances.“Look, I let you all oil
Khal Drogo.“Was she pleasant?”I look up at Ozaiah, my female beta.She is a wolf who has won many battles alongside me, beaten countless males and earned her place through strength. I don’t answer her question. One, nothing happened between me and the human girl. Uh…Akemi, let me pretend like I do not remember her name. Two—I’m not fool enough to admit that nothing happened us.“When I heard she survived the morning. I was impressed. Your mark alone would’ve killed most, let alone sharing your bed. History will speak of this for centuries.” Ozaiah jokes again, and I catch Clifford, cleaning his sword and chuckling under his breath.I return my attention to the map in front of me, gently shifting the chess-like pieces that show how much more territory we’ve conquered before the blazing winter. Basgiath is expanding. Refugees are coming here from other werewolf realms to seek the safety we provide but they will not leech off me.We will have their sweat and their skills—we need fisher
Akemi Ravenscar.I’m not a virgin…not anymore.It’s been one month since I gave that part of myself away, to a man I believed I’d spend my life with—Elias. We met in secret. We fell in love secretly. And I let him deflower me secretly. Gareth doesn’t know about it.Once I open my eyes, the foreign bedroom sinks in. And there, I see them—sun melted eyes watching me on the pillows. I squeal, jerking backward, only to realize that there is nowhere to go. How long has he been watching me sleep? A shiver runs through me. I hope to heaven that I didn’t whisper the secret I now carry, the one I’ll have to guard for as long as I can.In a few days—if I’m lucky, weeks—he’ll get to know the truth that I’m not a virgin. And when he finds out, he’ll kill me. Not just me, but my brothers, their wives, my nieces. All of us will be reduced to ashes.The bed is wide yet he is like a mountain fallen on the landscape. His body is massive and basked with muscle. When he rises, I follow his movements as