Olive's POV"This is an outrage!" Archibald barked as the guards pulled him out of his house, together with his mate and son. "What is this about?" His angry eyes met Orvyn's frown. "I'm an elder of the Table. Why are you treating me like a criminal?!"Orvyn chose to remain silent, observing the situation keenly. Orvyn's turbulent emotions tugged at the mate bond, and I felt the urge to remind him I was here for him. He's angry someone in his pack- an elder at that- could abuse his kindness, choosing rather to betray him for my father.Conrad, Kent, Rufus, Walter, and a number of high ranking soldiers waited outside Archibald's house , while the guards ransacked every corner of his house to find any element of disloyalty that'd prove Alpha Cassian's story about the spy.I'm aware Archibald and Orvyn do not see eye to eye. He's Orvyn's major opposer during every council meeting, finding faults where none existed.Of course, anyone in Orvyn's place would nail the blame on Archibald. The
The House of Mortem; North of the RealmOlive's POVFather was that kind of man. He was the man who never listened to his only daughter about anything and everything. He was the man who saw his daughter as a tool to becoming more feared and powerful across the five Houses in the realm.The night he let Alpha Cassian take my maidenhead, he became no father of mine. Perhaps, I never did open my eyes to see what his cruelty to his own daughter would culminate into. Or perhaps, I expected too much from him, when apparently, he respected none of me.I peeped out of my bedroom window atop the castle keep, and saw him speaking with Alpha Cassian. They were nose deep into some mischief or the other. That, I was sure of.The bailey was agog with music, stringed musicians, clowns, ribaldry, and lots of food to be devoured. Tonight was the night I would be sold off to Alpha Cassian in the guise of marriage.Father wanted me to be his loving and obedient daughter, and be wed to Alpha Cassian with
The House of Mortem; North of the RealmOlive's POV"My Lady." Winifred, and a couple of maids bowed into my chambers. Each of them had a large basket sized to their waist containing wedding garments, ornaments, and garlands."Place the baskets on the table," I instructed without looking at them. My eyes were fastened on father and Alpha Cassian under the canopy prepared for them."Your father wants us to_""I know who my father is and I know what he wants," I turned my head to yell at them. "And I want you guinea pigs out of here now!""He'll have us sent to a whore house if we do not return with you." They trembled.I had pity on them. I had always had pity on them for being slaves to my father. Father used people, and loved things. That had been his manner of judgement.No one dared defy his orders if they wanted to see the next full moon. But not tonight. I needed to be a little bit of my father to exact the plan I had been nursing two new moons ago. Nothing and no one must ruin it
The House of Mortem; North of the RealmOlive's POVThe choke-hold around my neck was so powerful that I forgot how to breath. I felt the strength of his hand threatening the life out of my lungs. My eyes bulged under the crescent, and I saw the betrayal of the moon again."You... deceived me." I gnashed at the moon, scratching my way out of my captor's hold to, but no avail."You're supposed to be begging for your life, young lass." Though, I couldn't clearly see who it was, the voice of my captor was surprisingly smooth to my hearing. I expected a hoarse voice from a killer of his kind."N... Ne...ver!" I dug a claw into his forearm, but he didn't bulge. Instead, his grip tightened around my neck. I thought I was going to die."This is not the time to act brave, young lass. We need you to__"I flipped the hood of the cape open to reveal my face. If they saw I was their princess, I'd be safe, I thought.He released his hold on my neck, letting me crash to the root of the tree. I held
The House of Vagamor; South of the Realm.Orvyn's POV'She's the enemy's daughter,' I wanted to remind myself. 'Do not forget what her father made you lose.'The encounter I had with her in the woods kept popping out of nowhere and everywhere in my head. The closeness of our bodies and the feeling of our heart beating against each other was an experience I never thought I'd one day have.Being the daughter of the enemy, any act of intimacy between us would spark debate among the elders of The Table. Especially the power-hungry Archibald. He had been on my tail for a very long time, scouting for loopholes under my reign.The unity of the pack would be threatened, and Alpha Kazamir would widen the crevice to attack my pack and take my kingdom.Never!But those grey eyes that reflected the iridescence of the moon... I was lost in them.'Get your head in the game!' I fought the images beclouding my mind and judgement.It was becoming hard with each passing minute whenever I realized that
The House of Mortem; North of the RealmKazamir's POV"I believe, Sire, that if we stage an ambush at this valley," Drustian placed a wooden wolf head at a juncture on the cloth map spread on an oaken table in the meeting room. "Orvyn and his men will fall into our hands. I only need a dozen soldiers, and his head shall be yours before sundown.""Orvyn should not be under-estimated," I stroked my moustache, studying the large map that contained the geographical location of the five houses in the realm. "To catch a dog, you throw a bone. To catch a fish, hook a worm, and to catch a power-drunk Alpha..." I lifted my head, gazing into the serious faces of the men in the room, "... you give him more power.""You lost us there, Sire," Franklin, one of my strongest Betas furrowed. "What do you mean give him more power?""We all know Orvyn is not a true Vagamor. He cannot forget how I snapped the head of his father to take his throne." I strode to the window, gazing into the sunset. "Althoug
The House of Vagamor; South of the RealmOrvyn's POV"Oho! Oho! The House of Vagamor is victorious. Long live the House, and long live the Alpha!" The men chanted boisterously, drinking fermented ale from tall cups. Each man had a cup in one hand, and a whore in the other hand. They were drowning in the joy of capturing princess Olive, and making an example of her.It was never my will, but since the men wanted the night, I concurred.All through the night at Gaius' Tavern, my spirit was not with me. The feisty princess seemed to have gotten a hold of me. My thoughts had been corrupted by the shape of her perfect nose, and my lips long to taste the sweet nectars of her darling lips.Oh, those perky breasts! How I long to knead them with my bare hands like Katherine's dough."Orvyn!" Conrad clasped a hand over my shoulder from behind, taking a quick swig from his cup. "The night is blessed with wine and pleasure. I bet you cannot have enough of it, urh?""Hmmm." I raised the cup to my l
The House of Vagamor; South of the RealmOrvyn's POVFor the first time in twenty long years, I felt a air of peace winding through me. Since the murder of my father by the hands of his trusted Gamma, my sinews of pleasure had been frigid inside out.But this kiss was different. My body responded to it in ways I never thought it would. I munched hungrily at her lips, passing my hands down the curve of her spine. Her petite elegant frame against my body made me want to protect her from the preying eyes of the world. And her father.She eased away, slapping me across the face. "How dare you steal my dignity without my permission, you handsome pervert!""Pervert? Is it my fault now?" I shot one brow up. "Then you should have thought it through before dragging me down the bed with our faces few inches away. You're the pervert here!"She parted her mouth to speak, aghasted at my clever retort. From the contours on her face, she knew I was half correct, and half a bully. She traced my lips w