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THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 18
— Today one of you predicted the worst; a man on our beach — she sounds disgusted as she says the words. — The Mothers will divide into groups to search the island and find out if any foreigners have landed. You will be protected. They must stay within the tower walls until it is safe.There is no sound in the dining hall.Any word. No protests.I feel the fear in my Sisters.They fear men.What I fear, at this moment, is that I will be watched along with the others and the task of sending the foreigner away becomes even more difficult. Even if I can leave the tower without being seen, the Mothers will be watching the beach.And now? And now?— If foreigners arrive on our island and we can't expel them-... — Mother Heste pauses nervously and looks at the other Mothers, who all make a positive gesture with their faces, encouraging her. —The grace of the Goddess must be buried with us lest it be used again for the infamous purpose of men.The Sisters look at each other.My heart sinks i
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Does it seem plausible... or am I just trying to assuage the guilt I feel?The Sisters talk for at least another hour until the first of them shows signs of tiredness. Little by little, one by one, they retire to the shared beds.Arina sleeps next to me.I can see your restless face in the candlelight.I stroke her hair until I feel her small body relax, and then I get up. Her hand is tucked into her tunic pocket, tightly gripping the wolfsbane seeds that I take from her and throw anywhere.My heart rumbles in my chest.I will not allow Arina to die. I will not allow any of my Sisters to die.They are heavily asleep.Nothing will make them wake up for at least the next hour.I pick up my knife and the quiver with the bow and arrow. I get ready as if I'm going out hunting, even though it's still dawn, so I leave our room.I hesitate at the door. I look back at my Sisters who sleep, anxious and worried, in their shared beds.My bare feet make no noise as I step across the stone floor of
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That's when I see the first foreigner. He is five steps away from me and holds a metal pipe in his hands.The air has an ocher, dry smell that stings the nose.I slowly approach him from behind.I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him like he killed my mothers...I move forward silently, as I did when hunting rabbits without traps, and I jump, but I am caught in the air and pulled back.It's the wounded foreigner. He smells like the chamomile I used to cover his wounds, so I recognize him without having to turn around.The man holds me tightly. Too strong.I am breathless. I feel crushed.He drags me behind a rock, away from the foreigners.I struggle with my arms and legs, but I'm small and I don't know how to fight, and he's big and much stronger than me, and he's no longer sick, just tired and hungry. I'm not a challenge. He crushes me in his huge arms.I see dark figures approaching.Screams in a language I don't know.And darkness swallows me as my thoughts are flooded with
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Mr. Tastaren swallows hard.He's sweating, nervous and worried, but he translates, but his tone makes me think he didn't translate my words with the intensity I wanted.The foreigner narrows his good eye.I don't think I'll have an answer either, but after all he says a couple of dry words.— He says there's nothing on the island, girl — Mr. Tastaren weighs each word carefully, making a strange noise in his throat as he tries to clarify his voice. — The Prince says... there is nothing. All the... all the women... they're... — he shakes his face, speechless.— Did they kill them? — I demand, trembling. — Did those damn foreigners kill them all?Without thinking I squeeze my hand in my tunic pocket, holding the aconite seeds tightly.Mr. Tastaren asks, but the foreigner doesn't answer, he just looks at me silently. A horrible silence that I know I will never forget until the end of my life.“The grace of the Goddess must be buried with us lest it be used again for the infamous purpose o
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I choke and vomit a load of salty water that tears up my throat.All around me is a jumble of harsh voices shouting at each other.Huge arms hold me back, and I struggle to push them away.— Don't touch me... Don't touch me... I'm sacred... I'm-...Someone holds me while I vomit some more, and I don't have enough strength to push him away.Before I can think I'm lifted into the air.There's a red eye staring at me when I open my eyes.— You... are the worst of all... — I spit, and my conscience wavers.Salty water shoots out of my throat, and I feel like vomiting it over the injured stranger, but he won't let go of me, the unfortunate one. He holds me tighter.No, you can't touch me... Mom, forgive me...**This isn't the room I've been trapped in for the last few days, I think as I open my eyes. It's bigger, and it's freezing cold, even though my body is covered in thick sheets of fur.My body is tired, so I roll over in the sheets and rub my face.I'm still wet. My hair is wet.I he
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Clear.The door opens before I get to it and a wolf is standing there, holding a wooden box.The injured stranger opens it, then turns to me.At first I don't know what that pile of metal is, but it doesn't look threatening, so I just watch as the Prince kneels and passes two rings around my ankles. He barely closes them and then I understand: they are to arrest me. He's holding me like a real prisoner!Reflexively I slap him hard across the face as he starts to stand, then move forward and try to hit him harder.The wolf in black at the door drops the wooden box and tries to hold me back, but the stranger growls a harsh sentence at him, making him back away. He himself holds me by the arms. When he speaks he's very, very close to me, and I see that his teeth are huge fangs, all of them, like a real wolf, and it's hard to admit, but it really scares me for a moment.I scream and so does he, even though neither knows what the other is saying.For a second I think the foreigner is going
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Pontis Maari is what Mr. Tastaren said.Even in the distance I can see the high dark stone walls that seem to touch the sky. A moment of curiosity strikes me and I wonder who built it and why.I can smell the sea from here, and if I pay close attention I can hear it too, but I can't see it.We are close to the sea.The road to the capital was almost empty. A few equally closed carts, and others open, passed us. I could hear the man leading the horses greeting the others with a short sort of whistle.I don't know how long it took from the port to here. I don't even know what time of day it is. But there is still sun. A weak, squalid sun that doesn't offer much resistance to the cold wind or metal-colored clouds.I stick my hands into the thin fabric of my dress to warm them.My feet aren't so lucky, and I grumble at myself for ripping off all that hem fabric that could very well have warmed them.The trees become scarcer as we get closer to the walls until they become squares of stone
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A moment later my captor holds my chains, so I am forced to follow him and I notice that the wolves that welcomed us look at the chains with curiosity and a little annoyance.The hallways are made of stone, and there are doors and conversations everywhere.I have the impression that many people live here in the fortress.Wolves, I remember. I'm among wolves. Not people.A man appears to be leading our group, gesturing from side to side, showing things to my captor that he observes with interest. We see rooms and courtyards decorated with carved stone and flowers I don't know in vases as big as me, covered in paintings. There are hot water pools where young girls and boys of various ages dip their feet while chatting. There's also an entire wing where the smell of food simmers in the air.The guide points to the ceiling and says a bunch more things, explaining what's above us, I imagine.I would like to pay attention. I'm curious. But most of all I'm tired.I rub my eyes and hide a yaw
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THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 97
My chest hurts.My entire body hurts.I cannot conceive the idea that Miguel will, of his own free will, die for his people, instead of staying with me.He prefers death. The honor. The duty.I prefer love, and that's why a part of me will die when it's gone.— We have gold — Arina says suddenly with her lips pressed to my forehead. — Let's help them. Let's help the Wolf King and Prince Azerai take back the throne.— Arina, don’t talk nonsense…—Their army is within the walls of Tarus'dei, is it not? — she continues, inflamed by a determination I don't know. — Let's help them get there. There must be a chance. At least a chance to win. It is not?— Arina, all the wolves are against them...— And the people of the continent?We stared at each other in silence for a long moment, mentally debating the possibilities.Is it possible that there is any hope?— This is insane! — Azerai doesn't even bother to hide his offensive tone of voice, and is looking at me. — The people of Agreis would
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— Is there a need for a reason to cause harm to another, Kim?I bite my lips.Miguel looks away. To the sea.His expression is a mystery to me, but I imagine how he must be feeling; betrayed, furious, unhappy. He barely had time to be king to his people before they unfairly took that away from him.I would like to hug him, but I just stand there next to him, my hands nervous, not knowing what to do.— The Great Houses consider the people of the continent inferior. The causes of our exile. I heard that a million times growing up — Miguel says. — Many wolves think they must die to pay for the sins of their ancestors. It was a grudge nurtured by our kings over the centuries.— Did your father believe that too?There is a long hesitation before responding.- He believed. For a long time. But he got here and didn't find the monsters he imagined. They were just… people. Like us. He wrote this in letters to me over the years. He wanted me to forget my grudge and be a king different from the
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An hour passes and nothing happens.Then two and three.Arina looks out the window of our cabin all the time, trying to see something, anything, but there is nothing, just the angry sea, full of threatening ice shards the size of ships.Is our idea really good?Dock, go down to the mainland and from there try to reach Pontis Maari?The wolves would be idiots if they didn't have soldiers on land too, waiting for us. Arina and I are small women. Of course, we have white hair and that attracts attention, but a good thick fabric cap would solve the problem. But Miguel and Azerai? They are big wolves. Much larger than common iberiis. This is not easy to disguise. A wolf with one red eye and one with gold eyes? Yes, they would go unnoticed very easily…I know that the Great Houses were trying to reach the throne of the Tarus before. I know it. But I can't help but suffer knowing that I was the trigger. Without me they would have nothing against Mig.Oh, Mother. Protect us.I don't know if p
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I tilt my face and kiss her wrist reverently.My Wolf King...— No — he pulls my face back, realizing what I'm doing. - No…We kiss as Miguel possesses my body for the last time.Our lips tremble.I can not stop crying.He cums in silence. Without blinking. His blood red eye stuck in mine. His hips push me against the wooden floor and I feel him filling me inside. The hot, thick jets, the smell of spices and the sea, running down my legs, wetting the tunic beneath me.I'm the first to look away, push away the hand that holds my face.Miguel walks away.I sit down and try to tidy up the destroyed clothes.He stays behind me.I see the movements in my peripheral vision and I guess that he is fastening his pants, his belt.He finished.His seed covers my legs. My body shudders with pleasure as I see the remains of what we did still on me. My pussy pulses like it wants some more. As if I want him back, even though I'm sore from the ferocity with which he took me.— This will be the last t
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When we board the ship it is almost lunch time. I don't know exactly how many boxes were shipped with books, but seventeen of them are full of gold that was taken from our Mothers' secret room. Everything that wasn't secured in some way was boxed up. The rest will be picked up later.We were lucky that the ship was returning empty to Agreis after its business trip to the Salt Walls. Now its holds are cluttered with books and gold. Arina and I remain silent.I don't know what she thinks, but I believe there shouldn't be silence and reflection between us. We have gold to be free. We don't even need to go back to Tarus'dei. No one can force us to go. We can ask the ship to dock anywhere on the coast and go live our lives. People on the mainland don't know us. We can use the gold to hire a guard, buy a house. Never see wolves again in my life.But I don't say anything. Neither does she.We eat meals together, then I go down to the ship's hold and read as many books as I can.Sailors don't
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We dressed in silence. Each with their own thoughts. And by looking at Miguel's distraught face I can get the idea that his thoughts are even more chaotic than mine.Was your mother a Servant of the Goddess?How is this possible?That's not possible.It is not.He is mistaken...You have to be mistaken.We returned together to the tower through the front door. We go side by side, but still in silence.I need to talk to Arina.Sleep plans were cancelled. There is no possibility of sleeping a wink with this new information before us.Azerai is near the kitchen door, talking to the Iberii. He looks at us and his gold eyes narrow in irritation, but he doesn't say anything. Miguel makes a gesture with his face and he moves away from the guards.I don't look back.I push open the kitchen door and call for Arina.She's at the sink, washing the pots and dishes from dinner, and when she looks up and sees me, her relaxed expression cools.- And now? — he asks softly.Before I can speak the door
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There is a silent climb to the upper floors. Each one entangled in their own thoughts. I don't know what's going on in each of their heads, but in mine there is absolute disbelief.Am I the reincarnation of our Mother Goddess? Mirsai?If that were true, I'm supposed to be special in some way, right? I don't feel special. I don't feel any different knowing these things. I'm just myself still. Same Kim as always. Maybe a little more tired and beaten down by the events of the last few days, but definitely myself.I still don't know exactly what my place is in this world. I don't know what I'll do tomorrow. Or today.Arina and I go to the kitchen and get busy preparing the last meal of the day. Miguel and Azerai leave together, talking quietly to each other. The Iberiis are nowhere to be seen, and I try, if only for the last minute, not to think about anything we've just discovered.**We ate bread, fried vegetables, and meat from the deer that Miguel hunted and Azerai cooked over a fire
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— Are you saying that our Mother Goddess is… somehow… a goddess of your culture? — my Sister frowns at the Prince, almost offended.I understand your irritation. We had very strict discipline over our Mother Goddess and what this wolf says actually seems like a type of blasphemy, but I place a hand on my Sister's arm and ask her for patience with a look.Let's let these wolves talk.— I think it's worth going deeper into this — Azerai continues. — Maybe it will enlighten us about the prophecy and everything else.I nod.Arina maintains her irritated expression.— Do you have any paintings or drawings of your Goddess? — Miguel asks more politely. — If she looks like any of our cannis goddesses, I'll recognize her.Lightning passes through me.A hundred memories hitting me hard.Oh no…— You said I look like your goddess of lust — I murmur hoarsely, unaware of my next voice.Miguel looks at me for the first time in the last few hours, and his red eye opens wider with surprise, understan
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— This one — I show Arina the forecast as soon as we sit together on the floor.Miguel and Azerai approach, but only the Wolf King seems interested in what we say. The Prince stands closer to the door, like a guard.My Sister tilts her delicate face to read, but it doesn't take long.- What does that mean? "Party power"?I shrug.— And this "wolf in the sky" thing?I shake my face.- I don't know-...- What did you say? — Miguel extends his hand so I can pass him the tome with the prediction.I casually look for his gaze, but he denies it. He's focused on the book, his brow furrowed in question.— I think it's related to the other prophecy — I say to Arina. — Our Sisters predicted the arrival of wolves on our beaches long before it happened. Ceisa wasn't the only one to see them coming.A brief expression of disgust crosses Arina's face, but she shakes it off with a deep breath. She opens her mouth, but Miguel talks over her.— This is a prediction from my people.We all looked at him
