THREE: DARK DESIRES

ALPHA EZRA BLACKWOOD

A splitting headache hammered between my eyes and a vein throbbed in my temples as the circle of elders continued their debate.

“Our pack legacy is on the brink of extinction Alpha Blackwood! We simply cannot wait around for Luna Cassandra any longer!” One of the elders thundered loudly, pumping his fists in the air.

It was enough that they expected me to dethrone Cassandra who had been by my side since forever, but to put my seed into any willing maid?

What the hell did they think this was? Fucking Russian roulette?

“Actions must be taken if we’re ever going to beat those bastards at the Doveclan pack!” Another of the big muscular wolves piped up, his eyes sliding away from mine when I turned my gaze to his red, blotchy face.

“Enough! I’ve heard enough! You want an heir? Fine. I’ll see the maids, one. And not another word more if they fail too.” I deadpanned, and the silence in the hall was deafening.

“Of course, Your Highness, nothing more will be required for now.” The red-faced wolf spoke first as I rubbed at the sore spot on my temples.

“Leave me. All of you.” I grunted, rising from the leather seat to pace over to the window just as a woman’s piercing scream tore through the space.

The hell?

“Who the fuck is she?” I growled with clenched fists as my eyes narrowed on the red-haired vixen who was causing all the ruckus in Blackwood.

I could feel the eyes of the men turn toward the blue-tinted window with interest as I glared down at the scene.

I prided my pack and rule on peace and quiet unless some motherfucker really wanted to die, and yet, here I was, unable to tear my eyes away from the woman who was screaming loudly in the entryway to my castle.

Of course the surrogates were here already! Not even a second had passed since I agreed to the preposterous idea, and I was already regretting it.

“It’s the human the council selected Your Highness. The Milkhart surrogate. Her mother has served the pack greatly in the past-“ The long-bearded scribe beside me droned on before I cut him off with one raised hand.

My breath caught in my throat as I leaned forward reflexively, noting the flare of the woman’s shapely hips, and the swell of her full breasts as she panted heavily and screamed at the guards.

A human? How the hell was I so drawn to a mere human?

It was obvious from the panic on her face that she didn't want to be here, which was absurd! Blackwood Castle was the one place every woman was dying to come to!

If the woman was as put off by seeing me as I was with her, then this might not be so bad after all. I intended to make it quick, for both our sakes.

“Well, what do you know? This might be fun after all.” I drawled, leaning away from the windows a split second before the woman’s sharp green eyes would have locked on me.

My skin felt like it had caught on fire and for a moment I froze, awed by her beauty. The almond shape of those fiery eyes, the full pout of her pink lips…

There was something about her that seemed to call to me, I wanted to fist my hands in her hair, to grip the small of her waist as I buried my cock inside her...

“Fucking hell, Ezra, focus!” I growled to myself, trying to ignore the hardness that pressed against my pants as I signaled for the chief guard, watching his bright orange gaze lock on mine with acknowledgment.

I watched the woman’s curvy figure slump after the guard pressed his elbow into the back of her neck.

Darkness weaved in and out of my vision as I made my way downstairs, through the long, beautifully decorated hallways and courtyards before breaking into the foyer where the gasps of surprise echoed as I walked through the crowd.

The effect I had on the women did not catch me by surprise. It had been like this ever since I had grown into my Wolf.

With a towering, muscular frame, wolf-cut gray eyes, and a shock of obsidian black hair that parted around my unsmiling face, there was no woman I knew of who could resist me.

None, except this one. The feisty redhead.

“Y-Your Highness, we caught her just as she was trying to escape. It is an insult punishable by death-” Rudolf growled indignantly before I cut him off with a raised hand, pleased to quietly admire the faint freckles on the woman’s unconscious face.

“A-Alpha Blackwood? What a pleasure it is to finally meet you!” One of the maids I had seen standing dutifully in the line a second ago approached me before the guards stopped her with their spears.

I turned to face the intruder, slightly irritated to find that she was equally beautiful. A wolf woman with long blonde hair and the damnedest orange tattoo on her collarbone.

I stared at her mutely for a beat, watching the mask of confidence on her face falter as she glanced around the crowd before bowing again.

“F-Forgive my manners, my name is Princess Sarah Sossen. I come from a long line of royal surrogates and I am extremely pleased to make your acquaintance!” She announced, her seductive eyes catching mine once more before I nodded to the guards.

“Prepare the royal quarters for the women. We feast tonight.” I ordered, ignoring the chief guard's startled look.

“And the runaway, Your Highness? Is she to be put in with the rest or held at the castle dungeons?” Rudolf whispered, his bright orange eyes glowing with vengeance.

They didn't call him the royal defender for no reason.

I could have had the woman hanged for her actions if I wanted to…I SHOULD have her hanged for treason, but as I watched her snoring softly in the guard’s arms, something that had been frozen in my chest seemed to thaw.

“No…room her with the other surrogates,” I growled, and a few more gasps and murmurs swept across the crowd.

No one runs away from me. Not even beautiful redheads with flaming green eyes.