As quick as my legs could carry, I proceeded on my way to the pack house, ignoring all other intrusive scents and tuning in to that of my mate. He promised that we'd meet the moment he finishes with the some important meeting. He didn't open up on the purpose of the gathering.
Either way, I was dying to see him as our last encounter didn't go too well, he must've had a terrible fallout with his father, again.The pack house soon came into view and I slowed down, controlling my heartbeat to a steady rhythm. The lacy hem of my gown was held up to avoid it getting intertwined with twigs and roots. That was the last thing I needed at the moment, for my day to end with Mana Sylveon complaining of ruining her old dress.It was a purple beautiful thing made out of good silk, laces at the back and trimming of lace for the hem. She had given it to me when I told her of my plans to visit to Rylan. She is such a kind soul.By the time I arrived close, my labored breathing had calmed and the cold sweat on my skin had dried up. Quickly, I tucked in strands of loose hair away behind my ear with shaky fingers.I was extremely nervous to gaze into his icy orbs once more.That nervousness, however, increased a thousand folds when noise broke out from within the building. The men were either having a heated argument or they were done. I took closer steps only to be pulled back harshly. I whirled around to gaze into the face of Matteo, a man who would be a perfect character in one of those plays staged in the town hall on the nights of mates initiation."Neilla, what a pleasant coincidence! What are you doing here?" He pulled me into a tight hug, the ruffles on his shirt collar tickling my face with feathery brushes. He pulled back to look at me."Hi, Matteo!" I forced out in a forced tone. It wasn't that I didn't want him close but now was the wrong time to run into anyone. I only had eyes for one person and one man alone and he was yet to show up. I tried to peek above his shoulder unsuccessfully. That's when I gave up. "I'm just here to see someone. Nothing really. How about you?"He very well threw my question over his head, his eyebrows wiggling playfully. "You're here to see someone? And who might that be? Duke Wilton? The Knight? Who?"Just as I opened my mouth to reply, the entrance to the pack house opened and loud voices erupted from everywhere. Suddenly, the once tranquil space I was standing in didn't feel so quiet again. If anything, it grew tighter as men built like walls walked past me, making me feel so small and insignificant. Of course, I blame that everyday on my petite size. Being a 5'4ft woman in a man's world was no easy feat, especially when you meet taller women.I turned back to Matteo to speak and the words didn't make their way out because the one I'd come to see found me first. A fleeting emotion crossed his face at the sound of his voice but it went as quick as it'd come. My feet found their way around him and soon I was standing face to face with Rylan."You're here." I breathed out.He gazed down at me, unimpressed. "Why are you with him?" His gaze was focused on the spot where Matteo stood."I wasn't with him. We happened to find ourselves in the same space. Tell me, how did it go, your meeting?"He forced back his attention towards me, his steely gaze softening and his chest rising and falling softly. His fingers came up to lightly caress my face and I leaned into his touch, glad that he was in better mood for the display of affection. "Let's go somewhere else where there'll only be the two of us."I grinned broadly, taking a hold of his hand, cradling it between both of my hands. They were warm unlike mine which were still shaking from anxiety. At the corner of my eyes, I saw that Matteo wasn't in the place where I'd left him. Tried as I could, I didn't understand why both men didn't like each other despite my efforts in bringing them close.Catching myself, I shut down thoughts of another man. Rylan was all that mattered now."I need a run." His voice broke into my train of thoughts. He was already unbuttoning his shirt and discarding his belt with his muscles torso on display. There was a few scattering of scars on his skin but they were almost invisible to an outsider, not to me. I'd seen, touched each one and became familiar with what scar was where.I reached behind me to yank the laces to loosen the knots which was done to keep the dress in place. Warm hands met mine causing an involuntary shiver down my spine. I knew the next thing that was to come and my wolf did too. We panted in anticipation.Slowly, he turned me around to face him. My gaze dropped from his slowly darkening orbs to the fine silky hairs on his chest. His fingers reached out to under my chin with a gentle tug."Look at me." His deep voice belted out as he lifted my chin towards his face. One of his hands reached out to circle around my waist while the other remained on my face, his thumb warming up my skin with his touch.Our lips soon touched. I felt my wolf scratching from within my chest to be let out. Still as impatient as ever. I willed the rumbling sound within to still but my wolf wanted out. That was the effect of being intimate with your mate. Suddenly, noise came from the distance, the vibrations from the movements revealed it was a person. A sniff in the wind and flowery scent mingled with spring water pervaded my senses."Hey, there you are. I've been looking around for you." A thin shrill rang out like an earsplitting echo.I stopped to listen, discovering that I didn't know who owned the voice. Rylan pulled away from me to observe the new comer. He didn't show disapproval at the newcomer's intrusion as opposed to how he would normally react. I stood perplexed."I thought I asked you to wait for me at the palace, Venn. What are you doing here now?"I came out from behind him, struggling to hold on to my loosened dress and wondering why he was looking at her that way. The same way he would look at me."Who is this?" She questioned rudely, her nose flaring in my direction like she was repulsed at the sight of me."Stop growling, Neilla." He ordered gently. My eyes met his and I realized the vibrations in my chest. I looked away with an annoyed tsk, struggling to do the laces behind me. "Whatever it is you want to say now can wait till I'm done, Venn. I need to be with her one last time."That caught my full attention. I spun around quickly. "One last time? What do you mean by that?" I whispered.That caught my full attention. I spun around quickly. "One last time? What do you mean by that?" I whispered.He glared at the raven haired girl, "I mean it. Leave."She rolled her eyes, then with a sick smile blew him an air kiss. "Oh alright but remember to come back quickly to me. We have a recital to work on." With that and a wink, she went back the same way she'd come."One last time? What was that about?" My head felt full with complexities of questions. We were mates, soul tied by the moon goddess or so I thought. Why did he speak about meeting with me one last time. Did I do something wrong?"No you haven't, Neilla." He'd been listening in to my thoughts, another proof that we were a match made to be. "There's a lot of things going on that are out of my control. As you know, I'm not the alpha king and as heir, a lot if responsibilities are expected of me. I can't let the pack down, not after everything my father has worked so hard to build."I nodded slowly even when none of
On my arrival home, I was met with deafening silence, just the atmosphere I wanted to come home to. I needed room to think about what happened at the pack house. Everything was spinning fast out of my grip and I was only given the option of tears.Maybe it was true what they thought of me. Maybe I was really the weak one, incapable of leading alongside the alpha. The previous Luna before her passing was a firm and rigid wolf who, although not cruel, was wise to the last letter of the word.Here I was, feeling humiliated and quite the opposite. How the hell did I think I was going to be Luna to Rylan? I looked feeble and breakable, very easy on the eyes with brown hair that mirrored the natural hues of my irises."What were you thinking, Neilla? That you could be Luna?" I muttered out loud, slapping a hand on my forehead. I sighed, folding the dress Mana borrowed me back in her drawer and retiring to my room. I threw on a much more plain gown made with cotton, it was the oldest dress I
RYLAN'S POVI slowly stirred awake, the sunlight from the window warming my face and disrupting my rest. I didn't want to leave my bed as it was the first time in a while since I had time to recuperate from the countless council and ministerial meetings we'd been having overtime. I needed a break from all of that.I turned away from the light, trying to get back sleep but it felt like an effort wasted. I blamed my body for it. The moment I opened my eyes meant I would stay awake no matter how much I tried to pretend to be asleep in order to fall asleep.The door opened as a string of four servants ushered themselves in. They came in bearing neatly folded clothes, shoes and other things I didn't want to look at. As future ruler, they never failed to drum into my ears the essence of looking the part. The refused me wearing plain shirts and pants, opting instead for intricately designed clothings. Neilla would always wonder the need of wearing such expensive fits when they'd be ripped in
NEILLA'S POVI stared at him, the intensity of my gaze boring holes into his back as he followed closely behind Venn, the strange woman with eyes capable of digging into the soul of anyone she had in her grip. It infuriated me the more that there was no protest coming from him at the position of her hands on his body. Soon they arrived the altar. I cast another furtive glance at the processions in the center of the crowd of werewolves who'd gathered to watch in silent anticipation. The Oracle continued the ritual rounds around the couple, the lone chime of the bell in his grasp resounding in slow succession.The first chime seemed to increase the pace of my troubled heart. It rose ever so slowly and by the seventh time the chime sounded, echoing throughout the deafening silence, my poor heart slammed ceaselessly against my ribcage. Even though I had renounced Rylan as my mate, he hadn't accepted not rejected it.He said nothing in response even when the rejection had sawed through h
RYLAN'S POVThe long process was rounding to a close sooner than anticipated. I couldn't wait to get out of the view of everyone else and lock myself in my study, reveling in the pain I'd caused my mate.I betrayed her. Openly humiliated her before the eyes of the kingdom, even though I didn't attempt that actively, I passively brought her name to mud with my actions. I'd branded her a shameful name.My thoughts were interrupted with shouts of "All hail the King and Queen. All Hail the King and Queen" filling the air suddenly. The procession was finally over."Zadik. Come with me to my office. Now." I mindlinked to my most trusted aide. He was my Beta and the only person I could trust with my life. Even though he wasn't so pleased when he found out about Venn, he swallowed his disapproval, placing rational thoughts forward rather than emotions.He'd fought bravely by my side during the unfortunate events that took my mother's life. Despite her bold front as she took the enemy head on
RYLAN'S POV Soon after they'd discarded the dead body, we got into the zone of business. I stepped briefly into the bathroom to wash my bloody hand. Under the water gushing from the tap, I watched the water turn red as they flowed down to my fingers and through the drain in the basin. Soon, I was done. I reentered the office again, to meet the presence of older wolves.Zadik then proceeded to notify me of the arrival of a few notable personalities sent by Commander Vladimir, who was the Alpha of the Bloodtrail pack."Bloodtrail pack?" I echoed after him, surprised at such peculiar name. Never heard of them. "Is it a new pack that just got birthed or have they been existing for ages?""Your majesty, I would have you know that while you were making plans to make Venn your... Luna," I could tell how he fought the urge to whack me upside the head with the laptop in his grip. "I'd been making my own findings and turned out they've been around for plenty centuries. Just not into public exp
NEILLA'S POVThe following morning breezed in with the skyline illuminated by the rising sun which infiltrated through the sheer curtains that hung on the window facing my bed. My eyelids were heavy, swollen from the bitter years I'd cried from the previous night.Throwing the blanket over my tired form, I turned away from the light, feeling very reluctant to rise up to start the day. Matteo had taken me home, breaking the law for my sake in order not to have me witness the rites coming to an end.There came a knock on the door. I flinched at first, then burrowed further into the bed as shame washed over me again.The knock came once more and I turned deaf ears to it. Soon, it grew insistent, the short raps turning into loud bangs against the wooden door."I know you're in there right now, Neilla. Pretend all you want, it won't change the fact that what happened yesterday was in fact a reality. Fucking get over it bitch."I sprung up from the bed in shock. That was Mirald, Matteo's gi
NEILLA'S POVThis is not good, I thought, dashing straight into the bathroom to throw up whatever I had left in my stomach. Mirald followed closely behind me, holding up my hair as I retched nothing but bile into the washing hand basin.When nothing more climbed up my throat, I sank back down on the cold tiles, leaning my back against the wall for strength. It felt like life was drained out of me at that moment. An invasion could be happening in the next room at that point, and I wouldn't even have the strength to bat an eyelid. I was that drained."What's up? Spill." I managed to look up at Mirald with a confused expression. "What do you mean spill?"She dropped down to her knees next to me. "I know you're pregnant, baby girl. Even if you choose to hide it from me. I'm a special wolf, dog. Don't miss out that important fun fact."Pregnant? How?I'm sure my face mirrored my inner turmoil as I turned to look at her slowly. I couldn't be pregnant. "I'm not pregnant. I really am not. W