Chapter 2

I had never been with a male before, so I had no idea what I was supposed to do with Darius. I had seen the warriors disappear with female wolves after their victories, but I had never paid much attention to what happened afterward. In the Northern Pack, no one treated sex like it was something worth talking about. Now that I had to do it myself, I suddenly had a lot of questions.

I needed to know what to expect.

When I returned to the kitchen, I found one of the female wolves, Tala, preparing food. Tala was older than me and had two children, so I decided she might know what I needed to ask. I walked over to her, trying to act as though there was nothing strange about the question I was about to ask.

She noticed me standing there and glanced at me. “Ayla, are you looking for something?”

I shook my head. “No. I just wanted to ask you something.”

She stopped what she was doing and looked at me curiously. “What is it?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I wasn’t sure how to ask without sounding foolish.

“You’ve had two children, right?”

She smiled. “Yes. My first was with my husband. He died in battle, and after that, I was married to his younger brother. I had my second child with him.”

“Oh.” I nodded slowly, then used my fingers to play with the edge of my sleeve. “So… you knew what to do?”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

I felt my face heat up. “I mean…” I lowered my voice. “When you were trying to have your first child, did you already know how?”

She stared at me for a moment, then seemed to understand. A small smile appeared on her face.

“No, not at first.”

I let out a quiet breath. “Oh.”

There was a short silence before I asked, “And… does it hurt?”

“When?” She asked.

I looked at her, pretending to be confused. “Hmm… the… making of the child.”

Her eyes widened slightly before she laughed. “Ayla, do you mean sex?”

My whole face burned. I quickly looked away. “I didn’t know what else to call it.”

She laughed again, but not cruelly. “It doesn’t have to hurt. If your husband is gentle and knows what he’s doing, it can actually feel good.”

I swallowed. “So… it doesn’t always feel bad?”

“No.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t.”

I was quiet for a moment before another question slipped out.

“Then why do the women sometimes cry when they have it?”

Her smile faded a little. “Because not every male is gentle.”

That answer made me think of the captured Southern women I had seen around the pack. Some of them cried, while others barely spoke to anyone. I had always assumed they were unhappy because they had no choice but to be with males they didn’t want.

Tala reached for another piece of food.

“I heard the Alpha King wants you to have the Southern prince’s child,” she said. “They say he was fierce in battle. He even nearly cut my husband’s head off.”

She gave me a small smile. “So I doubt the Prince has any trouble giving you a child.”

I didn’t smile back. My concern wasn’t whether Darius was strong enough. It was whether he would be gentle enough.

“But what if Darius doesn’t want to be gentle?” I asked.

Tala shrugged. “Then you’ll have to find out what kind of male he is.”

That answer did nothing to calm me. I had already seen Darius angry. I knew he hated the North, and he had threatened to kill us all the moment he escaped. Now I was supposed to walk into his room and ask him to help me have his child.

For the first time, I wondered if I had agreed too quickly.

Then I thought about Magnar and how badly the King would treat him if I refused. I didn’t want him to suffer because of my decision. He had spent his whole life protecting me. He had gone hungry so I could eat, taken punishments meant for me, and risked his life in battle to keep me safe. I knew he hadn’t asked me because he wanted this for himself. He was only desperate because the King had put him in a position where refusing could cost him everything. I was still afraid, but I didn’t want Magnar to face the King alone. I had made my choice, and I would do this for him.

By the next morning, the whole settlement was preparing for the victory celebration. People moved around, getting food ready while the fires burned. I sat beside Magnar as the Alpha King praised him for his victory and gave him furs, gold, and other spoils for bringing Prince Darius back.

Everyone around me seemed happy, but I barely ate. I kept moving the meat around my plate without really thinking. My thoughts kept going back to Darius. I knew I had to go to the dungeon, but the thought of seeing him again scared me.

Magnar seemed to notice how restless I was. He glanced at me while the warriors around us laughed, drank, and shouted over one another. At the tables nearby, the other warrior leaders were celebrating too. Female wolves stood beside them with lowered heads, filling cups and bringing food whenever their masters wanted something. The female wolves sat behind the tables, almost completely hidden from view.

I watched one of the women kneel beside a warrior to pick up the cup he had dropped. He didn’t even look at her before turning back to his companions and laughing. She quietly picked it up and returned to her place behind him. I tightened my grip around my spoon. I had grown up seeing women treated this way, but sitting there and watching it made the food in my mouth feel difficult to swallow.

I lowered my eyes to my plate, but I couldn’t make myself eat.

Magnar leaned closer, his voice low enough that only I could hear him.

“Ayla,” he said quietly. “Do you really want to do this?”

I looked at him but didn’t answer immediately.

Magnar studied my face. “You don’t have to pretend with me. If you’re scared or you’ve changed your mind, tell me.”

I shook my head. “I’m just nervous.”

He nodded slowly. “I know.”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he reached for my hand and squeezed it.

“I don’t want you to suffer because of me,” he said. “But if you refuse, the King may punish me. I don’t know what he’ll do, but I know he won’t be pleased.” I lowered my eyes to our joined hands. I understood exactly what he meant. Life in the North had never been easy for us, and everything Magnar had built could disappear with a single order from the King.

He gave my hand another squeeze. “If you still want to do this, I’ll take you there. But if you don’t, I’ll find another way.”

I looked at him. “I want to help you.”

Magnar sighed softly. “Ayla…”

“I’ve already decided.”

He looked at me for a moment before nodding.

“Come with me.”

I followed him away from the feast. Magnar didn’t say anything until we were far enough from the feast that the noise became faint. Then he reached into his clothes and pulled out a small bottle.

He held it out to me.

I took it and immediately noticed the sharp smell of blood. I frowned at the bottle. “What is this?”

“Deer blood mixed with a witch’s potion,” he said. “It will make a male wolf’s desire stronger. Give it to Darius before you try to make his child.”

I stared at him. “How am I supposed to give it to him?”

“Pour half of it into his mouth and make sure he swallows it. Then drink the other half yourself.”

His expression became serious. “It will make things easier for both of you.”

I looked down at the bottle again. I had seen Northern males drink something similar before tormenting female wolves they had captured. The memory made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to give it to Darius.

Magnar noticed my hesitation.

“You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to,” he said. “But without it, things may be harder.”

I looked at him.

“The silver chain around Darius is already gone,” he continued. “You need to go to him soon. If you don’t, the King will send another female wolf in your place.”

I held the bottle tightly. I didn’t want another woman sent to Darius. And after everything Magnar had done for me, I couldn’t bring myself to turn away when he needed my help.

I nodded.

Then I turned and started walking toward the dungeon, with the little bottle clutched in my hand.