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55. The Astrid Effect
I tried talking to Vesper, giving a valid reason as to why I cannot attend the wedding. Everyone gets to go home after, but my home isn't in Lycanthia.
Vesper assured me accomodation will be provided, nullifying my point.Then I told him straight out that I had no interest in attending, but his response was firm and uncompromising. As a student of Lycan School, I had no choice in the matter. The rules of the Royal Family and their jurisdiction applied to me, whether I liked it or not.The threat of suspension hangs in the air like a heavy cloud, casting a shadow over my hopes of escaping this. I feel sick to my stomach, and my breaths are harsh. Fast.My imaginations run wild on the various possibilities of how my day might go, but none of the outcomes are good. I'll probably pass out in the hall. Or puke. Or shift.I peer around my room, clutching my bags to my chest, heart heavy with resignation, bones heavy with fatigue. Packing seemRelated chapters
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 56. Bad Omen
I keep my head down as I try desperately to keep the tears from falling and my sobs from growing louder.But it only gets worse.I see Darian in my peripheral, trying to make it over to where I stand, but the Royal guards are pretty stern on the rules. No one else takes the carpet except the Royal family. He would have to go around to get to this other half of the hall, and since the King is here, movements are restricted and guards flank every area, looking out for possible threats to the throne. He'll have to stay there until this is over.I am pretty grateful, because I can't have him see how much of a mess I am right now. So much for being the hottest woman in the gathering. More like hottest mess.King Fenrir welcomes us with a speech that last for at least half an hour, and for the life of me, not a single word registers. A Royal Jester takes the stage next, spending a lot of time making the people laugh their heads off.
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 57. The Ceremony
Hekate's grasp on my calves tightens as I unleash my fury, ramming my fists into his broad back, his shoulder. I yank at his hair, screaming with every ounce of rage within me."I hate you! I'll kill you if you don't let me go! I'll burn you alive!" My words spill out, a desperate attempt to get to him. But it seems to only excite him further, to revel in this twisted dance of our emotions.Blood rushes to my head, and I squeeze my eyes shut as a wave of nausea crashes over me. Upside-down, my gaze scans the grand hall, straining to take in the surroundings. Six entry points, three of which are sealed shut. The remaining three are at opposite ends of the hall. Attempting to make a run for it once Hekate releases me doesn't seem like a bright plan. He would catch up to me before I make it across.As he carries me past one of the pillars, my gaze drifts to Darian. Unconscious, his head rests in Maya's lap. She cries, tenderly caressing his cheeks, whispering words that escape both his
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 58. The Blindfold
I can't see, and my head feels a little woozy. There is a blindfold around my eyes, and when I try to remove them, I realize that I can't move my hands either.Or my feet. I will bind your hands and feet, and you will spend the remainder of the night confined. In here. In our bedchamber.I shudder irritably and begin shuffling, yanking my hands and feet back and forth, but I only end end up hurting myself as what feels like ropes cut into my skin.Cool breeze drifts in from somewhere and kisses my skin. I gasp when it touches areas of me that should be covered.I am naked."Rune?" I call out into the space beyond, shifting on the soft mattress below me. Soft sheets rub against my skin, and Rune's scent fills my senses. I yank at the ropes again, needing to look around, but hands and feet are tied apart from each other, making moving impossible.I twist and pull, grunting. Hitting my head against the mattress in hopes of slipping the damn blindfold off doesn't seem to work either
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 59. Chaos
I wake up alone.The bed was utterly cold. I had only a few moments of clarity before the maids stormed the room, claiming that I had been summoned for breakfast. By the King.I stayed in instead, defying the order. He is not my King. No one tells me what to do in this foreign land. I didn't ask about Rune either. I didn't wish to know. Waking up alone was a loud enough message. He's back to being the bastard that he is, and frankly, I was too tired to care, to hungry to think. There was fatigue in my bones and I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes.So I buried my head in the soft, fluffy pillows and drifted off into dreamless sleep. Upon awakening the following day, shouts reverberate outside my door. Squinting, I witness the door being violently flung open, and my mother storms into the room, her eyes brimming with anger.Blinking, I push myself up from the bed and manage to croak, "Mom?"Her gaze fixes upon me, and for a fleeting moment, she freezes, scrutinizing my form. H
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 60. Scarred
It's been a month since my wedding. Rune didn't show up, and the treaty between our races is broken.In the early days, I would often find myself gazing out the window, subjecting myself to the torture of waiting and hoping to catch a glimpse of him. I would imagine him galloping across my father's lawn, his pale hair dancing around his exquisite face. Sometimes, I pictured him bursting through my bedroom door, whisking me away like a thief in the night.But the pain became unbearable, and I had to stop.Now, I spend my days holed up in my father's vast libraries, devouring books of any kind, since I can no longer go to school. At night, I scrub my body raw, tearing at my skin to inflict wounds on Rune's mark that can keep it hidden.Nothing works. It stands out so starkly, I can no longer wear revealing clothings. I walk around my castle in coats and cloaks, and they watch me with pity. They look at me like I am helpless, like I have been violated and I have lost my mind due to it.P
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 61. Dilemma
When I was fifteen, a disease plagued the poorer and destitute parts of Wolvendom. Father thought it would be good if I came with to see the people. That they would get to see me and know who their future queen was.Or, at least, that was what he told me. In truth, Father wanted me to see them, and understand the repercussions of his mistake in overlooking the cities himself, having handed their welfare over to a member of a council who thought it would be better to fill up his coffers than attend to the needs of the people.He was executed the moment we returned, but it did nothing to recover what had been lost.I got taken by rebels that day. I had gotten separated from my father's entourage when an angry mob--relatives of the sick and dead--attacked us.They took me and stripped me of all of my belongings, but it was the least of my worries, having found myself in a place I knew nothing about, surrounded by men, women and children who were either ill or dead. I was held hostage at
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 62. I loved you
I wrench my hand away from Rune's touch, my voice laced with venom as I address him. "Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. Don't fucking look at me. You are their guest, not mine." Turning my fury towards my parents, I continue, "I can't believe you. The both of you."“Boris!” I yell at my guard who my guard who seems oddly content in conversation with two lycan males by the door, dressed as regally as Rune. . .Is that Cass?The idiot winks at me and his companion waves, snickering. What the hell is happening? Did everyone suddenly forget what happened at Lycanthia? Why does it seem like they are all in bed with him? I spend the next few hours growling and pacing restlessly in my room, my frustration growing. I bite my fingers in my agitation, unable to contain my outrage. "He literally kidnapped me. I—I fainted, woke up in a room—I mean, he could've at least taken the ropes off... and the blindfolds too, though they were kinda nice and..." I shake my head, trying to dismiss the conflic
Lycan School: The Hekate's Bride 63: The Outrageous Lie
For supernaturals like us, love is a farfetched term. Having a deity choose who she thinks you are more compatible with saves you from a truckload of shit.Like falling in love. Being bound to someone and being in love with them are two different things.For wolves, our bonds are sacred, a gift from the Goddess. Love...love is discovered and built in the aftermath.That's why I know he's lying to me.Suddenly, laughter bubbles up from deep within me. It's unhinged, hysterical, and tinged with darkness. I jerk back, forcefully pushing my chair away. "Enjoy your dinner. We're finished here."Rune's fingers tighten around mine, attempting to stop me, but I wrench free, baring my teeth at him. "I'm not having your bullshit. You touch me one more time, and I swear by the Goddess that I'll fucking end you.""Astrid!" Mother scolds, her disapproval evident. "Don't speak to him in such a manner."I turn to her, my gaze piercing. "Remember what you said to me in the bathroom that day. What hap
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