A few months have passed since the planning of our orphanage. I have named it Hildaโs Home, after my mother. I have placed a portrait of her that Harvey painted for me for our first wedding anniversary at the front door, and this is my home as much as it is the children that reside here.Emily splits her time working with me, between being a mother to her two boys and working at the orphanage as a doctor. Beta Tom works as her assistant and bodyguard. Harvey and I do our best to split our duties evenly, but he is here as often as I am.As long as phone is available, he can do his kingly duties here as well.The King of the North died in disgrace four and a half years ago, succumbing to his illness and the wound sustained from Harvey and me. No one attended his funeral, not even his wife. The people he left next in line have no issue with us, or us with them, so it has been a peaceful life.โLuna Queenie?โ I hear a small little girl ask as she looks up at me.She is about three, named
"Mate." His voice booms against my heart that batters against my chest.On the night of the full moon, the Lycan king presses me under him as his calloused hands greedily explore my body. My eyes shut in fear, I know I will lose my virginity to him tonight.โโElenaโs POVโWell, well, ladies! I believe you know what happens next!โMy heart stops.The werewolf in the center raises his jeweled pointer finger and smiles luridly. โLadies! Stand in a row!โNot even one beat is missed, all the women in the hall rush in a line. I grab onto Sally to prevent our separation. When the lining up ends, Sally stands beside me and we follow the line.A half hour ago, my friend Sally convinced me to wear the white slip dress she bought me for the party.Now, Sally pulls me into an opulent massive ballroom, with golden walls and overflowing with beautiful women all covered in jewels. It is not cold; however, they are wearing these furs to look more appealing to the werewolves.โThere are werewolves h
King?!Managing to raise my exhausted eyelids, I blink once. My vision fails and blurs all at once.Awake! Awake, stay awake, stay awake.Shaking my head, I manage to blink and keep my eyes open.Gamma Kevin throws me to the ground harshly. He scrambles to his knees in front of me, trembling in pure horror in a puddle of my innocent blood.โKing Harvey.โ Gamma Kevinโs voice shakes with his body. โI know I am in the wrong, please forgive me!โIn his bone-chilling fear, Gamma Kevin has reverted to his human form. He pants in fear. All that bravado is long gone.A massive figure stands in front of him. I only see the endless muscular expanse of his back. The telltale sign of his dusty red cloak adorned with black fur makes me freeze. He wears a silk black suit underneath to match.Slowly, the figure bends down and with practiced elegance grabs Gamma Kevin by the front of his shirt. He had picked up Gamma Kevin as if he weighed nothing.โI have not authorized any acts of violence.โ The fi
Elenaโs POVUnable to sleep more than 40 minutes I awake to my pounding heart.King Harvey will take my virginity in three days. I have never even had a boyfriend!According to every rumor I have heard, King Harvey is ruthless and cold. How could I feel comfortable to just let himโฆ give him my virginity?Exhaling heavily, I try to calm my thundering heart and empty stomach. Lying down, I force myself to breathe through my mouth and try to remember breathing exercises.Nothing comes to mind.I can just picture my sister crying over the phone to my dad, wondering where I am.Between the threat of my virginity being taken from me and worrying over my sister, I know I must escape. When I try to get up out of bed, it feels as if my skin peels off my back.โDamn it.โ I whisper to myself and grimace at the disgusting feeling.Literally sewn back together like a doll.I place my hand on my back carefully and feel a patch of bandages. Warm, harsh, yet dry. That is a slight relief.One final br
King Harvey carries me back to the castle. He says nothing and I know his stone face is proof that I insulted him by running away.The moonlight softly highlights his sharp high cheekbones and stone jaw. A soft smattering of stubble dances across his face. His brown eyes glow a soft gold.His brown hair is well combed and clean, short, and contained.The rumors of his ugly appearance must have had to do with his cold heart.King Harvey is rather handsome and if he wasnโt a werewolf, maybeโฆ Iโd like to have a relationship with him.The truth stands, he could kill me in a glance with the hand he is using to hold his wine glass.All of this is because of the mess Gamma Kevin put me in yesterday.I have been reduced to nothing but a living, breathing tool to relieve his heat.I didnโt expect my escape to be thwarted by King Harvey himself. Nor did I expect him to take me so lightly into his private chambers.The white walls are pristine, but the immense queen-sized bed covered by red velv
โYour wounds will not heal quickly, human.โ King Harvey frowns as he stops ripping my dress. He takes ointment and helps me apply it to my wounds. โYour wound is already glued to your clothes. You must remove it, or it will be inflamed.โโThank you.โ I whisper.My heart skips a beat and kills all the pain I feel.King Harvey remains silent, but I can feel his dissatisfaction. His voice leaks it.I know why he is unhappy. My stomach turns.I will not be able to have sex with him in three days to relieve him of his agony. Will I be killed by the others for my lack of use?If I die, my sister will be left alone, and no one will take care of her. Dad would sell her in a heartbeat for a shiny case of whiskey.โKing Harvey,โ I breathe through my pain uneasily. โI will be fine to help you, I will do anything, please let me go, please. I must take care of my sisterโฆโTurning to face King Harvey, I allow tears of pain to roll down my face. Not the physical discomfort I feel but of a broken hea
Elenaโs POVI awake to the morning sun, gently caressing my face.What day is it? And where am I?A look around the room shows me I am in the same room I had passed out in. Feeling my forehead, I feel no fever. My body no longer aches.I slept all day.Counting on my fingers, I conclude that tomorrow night is the night of the full moon. Time is short again and my heart begins to beat irregularly.Am I ready to be mated with? In two days, there is no way I can escape.โHuman. There is a visitor for you.โ Another maid appears to the right of me, and even though her tone is cold, it is not malicious like the last two maids.She is new to me with soft brown hair and a very gentle voice.Did King Harvey speak to her? Did he threaten everyone here?โShe is just some lowly humanโฆ nothingโฆโ She mutters as she walks out of the room.I sigh, placing my face in my hands.I shake it off with one deep breath, deciding to focus on the fact that if I wasnโt needed, as the only human here, King Harve
Elenaโs POVKing Harvey nods at my words but says nothing.My heart freezes. Unable to breathe, I shut my eyes. To say I am surprised is an understatement, my knees are weak and almost buckle.King Harvey takes a long look at me then silently opens the door to my room, ushers me in and closes it. Throwing myself on my bed, I find myself unable to cry. I bury my face in my pillows and have no courage to scream.King Harvey is aloof. Why would he care what a weak human pleads of him.I close my eyes against the fear surging through my body. I am going to be sick if I keep replaying my morning over in my head. I take a sip of the lukewarm water left for me at my bedside.My stomach lurches at the water slipping down my throat and I rush off to the bathroom to puke.What a beautiful mate I will makeโฆKing Harveyโs POVWalking into my red study, I pull out my cellphone. The cellphone weighs nothing in my hand and for a moment I stare at it. What an odd piece of technology. I know I donโt n
A few months have passed since the planning of our orphanage. I have named it Hildaโs Home, after my mother. I have placed a portrait of her that Harvey painted for me for our first wedding anniversary at the front door, and this is my home as much as it is the children that reside here.Emily splits her time working with me, between being a mother to her two boys and working at the orphanage as a doctor. Beta Tom works as her assistant and bodyguard. Harvey and I do our best to split our duties evenly, but he is here as often as I am.As long as phone is available, he can do his kingly duties here as well.The King of the North died in disgrace four and a half years ago, succumbing to his illness and the wound sustained from Harvey and me. No one attended his funeral, not even his wife. The people he left next in line have no issue with us, or us with them, so it has been a peaceful life.โLuna Queenie?โ I hear a small little girl ask as she looks up at me.She is about three, named
The King of the North has not made a sound for months after his attack and we are all grateful. King Harvey remains at my side, loyal as always, but more silent. โElena.โ King Harvey starts as I look over the blueprint for an a new building. Should it be a school, a hospital? A shelter from wars and storms? In these past months, Emily has married Beta Tom and swiftly got pregnant. I am still waiting for my symptoms of pregnancy. There are none. I think I know what he wants to tell me. โHarveyโฆ I am not with child.โ โNo, Elena. Not yet.โ King Harvey bows his head and turns away to face the window. When I see tears roll down his face, I leap at him, holding him tightly to my chest. His hand dig into my back desperately. โWhy a false positive?โ I ask, trying not to weep openly. Tears roll down my face too. โYour luna abilities are so strong, Elena. It seemed and smelled like you were, and I believed it, until now. Doris pointed out that you would be showing by now, for sureโฆโ K
It has been a couple of weeks since King Harvey told me I was pregnant. I feel better, but my luna powers are starting to light my hands when I am asleep. No one knows what it means. Emily is all over me, asking if I am having nightmares or pain. There is nothing bothering me physically. Emotionally, I am very stressed by the thought of being a mother. I am just worried.Nervous, very, very nervous.โKing Harvey.โ I call for my husband in the dark, wondering where he is. His side of the bed is empty.The front door cracks open slowly, and an orange light bathes my husband from behind. King Harvey shuts the light behind him and walks back to bed silently. He presses a napkin in my hand, and this is when I feel two pieces of toast with butter in my hand.I canโt help but laugh out loud at the innocence of his act.โYou were saying you were hungry in your sleep, Elena.โ King Harvey says between crunches of his own toast. โWould you rather have a sandwich?โโThank you, King Harvey. You ar
Two weeks pass by as I train harder. I can create a shield with no effort, but I canโt hold it for very long. That will come with time. I have had to pause my training because I have been feeling weak these past few days. I know I am running a fever. King Harvey checked my temperature and Emily checked me. I wonder where I got it from. Opening my eyes aches the rest of my body, I have been in and out of sleep for the past hour. โElena.โ King Harvey whispers to me at my right side of the bed. I see him kneeling at my side and I try to sit up. When I groan, he pops up and slips to his side of the bed and helps me sit up, wrapping a warm arm around my shoulders. โAre you well, Elena?โ King Harvey asks as he readjusts so I can rest my head on a pillow he props behind my head and against the headboard. โI feel very weak.โ I say to the best of my ability. It hurts to speak. King Harvey says nothing as he lights his hand with a soft red flame, he places the healing flame on my forehea
King Harvey cradles me lovingly to his chest in our bed, and winces when his knuckles brush my face. โOw,โ he grimaces. โThat stupid ice shield! I had no idea he would do that!โ โHow did you break it anyway?โ I ask, lifting my hand to press it above his and heal his wounds lightly. I can handle scrapes and that is about it. King Harvey smiles down at me. โI am so thankful you are my mateโฆ and naked.โ โKing Harvey.โ I address my husband firmly. โHow did you break the barrier?โ โForce.โ โAh, so I canโt do that.โ King Harvey understands my question and his brown eyes widen. โOh, you believe it was werewolf abilities?โ โYes.โ โNo, it was my strength. But with your luna abilities I am sure you can highlight your hands and fight. Not that I want you in any form of close combat, Elena.โ King Harvey takes my hands and kisses them sweetly, then presses a kiss to my cheek. โI am so glad you were not harmed.โ โYou wanted to kill himโฆโ โWhat husband in love wouldnโt?โ King Harvey voil
King Harvey quietly takes a seat beside me in his office as I stare at the treaty I am writing up. I have been sitting with it all day, oscillating between feeling as if my words will fall on deaf ears, and pure joy that humans will finally have a voice. Will both sides listen to me? King Harvey interlocks his fingers with mine. โElena, you are doing wonderful. Please, do not stress.โ โWhat if they do not listen?โ King Harvey tilts his head to the side. โPlenty will not, but once it is law, they have no choice but to follow. Many will, and those that donโt will be punished. It is nothing new, Elena.โ โYes, I know laws are important, but if there is a massive pushโฆโ My husband brushes the hair out of my face with a gentle and steady hand. โThey will not defy me.โ โKing Harvey!โ Beta Tom exclaims as he runs through the double doors. โThe King of the North is here to see you!โ Automatically, Beta Tom turns to the left and bows as the King of the North and his wife walk into our o
Awakening from a long passionate night with my husband to Emily laughing loudly outside my front door makes me smile. Slowly, I sit up and feel King Harveyโs warm hand on my lower stomach. โSleep, my mate.โ King Harveyโs voice is still worn with sleep. His lower register makes me shiver, but when Emily continues, I want to throw open the door. โStay in bed, King Harvey. I need to see why she is happy.โ King Harvey chuckles. โYou believe she will not tell you?โ โYes, she willโฆ you are correct, it is best we rest.โ My eyes drift shut again when King Harvey holds me close. By midafternoon, King Harvey and I are awake and are strolling around the exterior of the castle. King Harvey tells me about the trees and how he used to climb them as a child, with a sweet smile on his face. I wonder what our future will hold for us. โHarvey.โ King Harveyโs mother calls from behind us. Instantly, King Harvey sheathes his sword again and we turn to his mother. โHello.โ We both greet his mother
Three days pass of more planning for Emilyโs wedding as King Harvey trains the betas. King Harvey has final test for the betas, and then after, he would like me to ask the betas what they think of me.I have spent the whole morning fretting, my hands lightly shaking as I hope I can go through five betas with full power and get real answers for King Harvey. My ability to be a lie detector also helps the kingdom. I need to master this.I need to, for my sake too, to stay safe.All morning I have heard King Harvey battling the betas in hand-to-hand combat, to test their strength and endurance. The sounds make my heart rattle, they are ferocious warriors. I wish I could go hand to hand with a werewolf. It seems less terrifying than my luna powers failing me here and me looking like a fool, holding hands with a werewolf beta that is certainly not my dear husband.โElena.โ King Harvey appears at my doorway and smiles, shirtless and sweaty.โAre you hungry?โ I question, rushing to him and ta
โYou are free to marry Emily, Beta Tom, after you get your work squared away. I can do without you for about two weeks.โ King Harvey says as he flips through a thick book of wedding cake recipes. โThank you, King Harvey.โ Beta Tom bows slightly as he flips through the same wedding book I did. Emily is sitting beside me on a red velvet sofa as we look for wedding dresses for her. Emily is a simple woman and wishes to marry as I did. In the church first, then a mating ceremony. The only difference is that only King Harvey and I will be at her mating ceremony to make sure it happens. It doesnโt have to be every royal werewolf and I am glad for that. โRemember Momโs wedding dress? Those lace sleeves and helm? I want that.โ Emily says as she keeps flipping through the book. โThat will be very beautiful. And lingerie?โ I purposely ask and look at Beta Tom, who turns as red as the couch we are sitting on. Good, that means he has some morals about him. King Harvey flashes me a fang-fill