Punishment and Gift

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CHAPTER 11

For a moment there, she sniffled, inhaling the strong masculine pinewood and lavender scent that assaulted her nostrils almost instantly.

Aurelia staggered back but was prevented from falling by those pair of strong arms while muttering some inaudible words.

Looking down at her, her saviour couldn't help the smile that crept up his lips. "Pfft." It wasn't until she heard him muffle a laugh that Aurelia peered up to see who it was.

"Ivan."

To say she was shocked was an understatement. If anyone would engage in such, she expected it to be Leo and not him. He was always too serious.

Her gaze trailed from his face to her left arm to rest on the book he held. No wonder they bumped into each other. He was too transfixed with what he was reading, causing their collision.

"Hello, sis. Where are you running off to?"

'Again with the questions.' Aurelia mentally noted and rolled her eyes.

"Nowhere." Before she could think of an answer for him, Labina blurted from behind her. 

"Nowhere?" Ivan wasn't easily fooled. His arched brow gave the impression he suspected more.

"Forgive her. She meant, nowhere of great importance. I am taking a stroll in the gardens. You know, to get some fresh air."

"Ah, I see. Okay I shall not keep you. Enjoy."

Labina took a deep bow as Aurelia flashed him a nice smile and walked past him.

Just to make her alibi true, she decided to first visit the gardens. And true enough, while she ventured through the garden, she caught sight of her brother watching her from afar and feigned ignorance.

It wasn't till he left that she pulled Labina with her and ran off.

********

After ensuring his sister was not in any trouble or thinking of fleeing, Ivan asked a guard to watch her carefully. 

But first, he ensured he gave her the impression he had followed her but left while letting her see him and acting oblivious. All in hopes of getting her to lower her guard.

Ivan smirked, his eyes fixed on the opened page of the book in front of him as he leaned against the table, his right hand supporting his head.

"Hmm?" 

Lost in his thought, he failed to notice when Leo walked into their personal shared study/library.

"Which girl has won the heart of my brother?" Leo commented. He reached for the fruit basket on the table, picked a pear and walked over to his brother. "Did any maiden from the Lycan King's party cat h your eye?"

"Hmm?"

"Really?" Leo threw his hands in defeat. "You haven't been listening to me. Urgh, Kieran must hear this."

"I must hear what?" Just then Kieran walked into the study with a map in his hand. His eyes did a quick scan of the room before setting the map on the desk.

"That Ivan is lovestruck."

Ivan's brows creased in a deep furrow. "I'm not."

"You are."

"Not."

"Then why were you smiling anyhow?"

"I was smirking," Ivan defended.

"And how would you know?"

He was about to respond to his brother but kicked against it. "Ignore him, Kieran. I was just thinking of our sister."

He barely got the words out when Leo growled at him, earning a chuckle from Kieran. 

"Good. Come close, brothers. Here." He tapped on a place in the map with a big red mark and then let his eyes rest on them one at a time. "The Blazed Moon Pack."

Astonishment washed over their faces. Immediately both brothers understood what he meant. 

"I believe we have a revenge to carry out. No one touches our sister and goes scot free."

*******

~Sloan's Chambers~

Ever since that day, he had not seen Aurelia and it was beginning to get to him. He wasn't known to be denied what he asked for but with Aurelia in the picture, he had been denied that luxury twice.

"Your Majesty." 

Sloan pivoted to the sound of his general's voice. "Kasey. What did you find?"

"For now, there's been no news or discussion in relation to your betrothal from the ministers and Lords. It seems like they are withholding any information until the Princess makes her decision."

Sloan breathed deeply. "And?" He waited for Kasey to continue with his report but when his general did not get the hint, he frowned. "Continue, Kase. What do you think? Would the princess agree? Is she persuading her brothers to cancel it or what?"

He growled, walking past Kasey till he got to the table in his room and stopped. "Wait."

He whipped his head back up. "Perhaps rather than wait, I should do something to prove to her that she should accept this. I should bestow on her a gift."

Kasey let him yammer on and on about how good he would look before the brothers without hitting the nail on the head on what he was going to do.

"Ah…" His shoulders raised in pride. He was sure any action he took would make this work. "Now, the most important thing, the gift. What should I do to win her vote?"

Kasey facepalmed. He thought after all the words that flew around, he'd find the perfect gift that would win everyone's heart but here he was.

"Think of something that Beta Walter may like…" Kasey gulped from how intense the stares he got from Sloan was. 

"Tsk. Why should I think of Walter when trying to please…" his eyes went round, a sinister smirk pulling on his lips and eyes as an idea came to him. "I know, make them pay."

"Enh? Your Majesty that would be pushing their buttons. It is not advisable—"

"They should have thought about that before harming my betrothed. Set fire to their fields and storage. Burn it all and let them suffer."

Kasey heaved a sigh as he lowered his head. His dirty blonde locks, spilt on his face as he placed a hand on his chest. 

It was useless arguing with Sloan. Once his mind was made up, that was it. Even though Kasey could tell there was no love and he needed a union with the werewolves, Sloan's pride and anger weren't one to be easily abated.

They not only messed with his betrothed, they deceived him. That wasn't a trifling matter.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."