LARISSA
The square went entirely quiet at the words of Richard and from the looks of it, even Stefan was shocked. He rose to his feet and the square became even quieter, if that was even possible.
"Who do you think you are, challenging your alpha to a duel?" Vernon, Stefan's beta spat at Richard who looked undisturbed.
"It's not a duel, but just a game of sparring." Richard said, shrugging.
"How dare —"
"I accept your challenge." Stefan's voice echoed around the square. This got the people talking and whispers could be heard all over the grounds.
Stefan stepped down from his seat on the podium and picked up the second sword.
"May the best man win."
The pack was humming with so much excitement now. Nobody had ever taken this game that seriously, though people always got hurt. There had never been a match with this much experience in it; the alpha who was the strongest of the pack with or without a sword in his hand and Richard, my brother who was a five time winner of the prestigious Swordsman Of The Year award.
Both of them bowed to each other, then to the crowd and the fighting began. It kicked off on a fast note as Stefan's first attack was easily blocked by Richard. They clinked swords together for a while before Richard caught him unawares and struck him on his right sleeve.
Everyone gasped loudly as blood trickled from their alpha's clothes. Richard's face was a look of pure concentration. We all knew this was just a game and there was no pressure or anything but it wouldn't send a good message if Stefan lost and though his face was expressionless, I knew he was very aware of it.
Richard charged again at him hitting one, two, three times but all his attacks were well blocked. And suddenly this didn't seem like a game anymore. Stefan tried to charge but Richard was relentless, he charged again, striking multiple times till he caught Stefan again. This time it was on the right thigh.
Another roar came from the crowd at this and suddenly it began to look like Stefan was going to lose. He took a few steps back and glanced at me. For a few seconds my heart froze. Why did he look my way? But before I could think he roared and charged at my brother. Richard was expecting this and so blocked but Stefan used his strength to slash Richard's shirt and for the first time today, he bled.
Richard stepped back holding his chest and before anyone knew what was happening, he jumped at Stefan, slashing at his sword hand, this made Stefan drop his sword.
The crowd went wild again at this, the alpha was now completely helpless. All hope was lost.
"Do you give up?" Richard asked, pointing his sword to Stefan's face.
Stefan smiled and said, "Why would I?" And immediately dropped to the ground, kicking Richard off his feet and grabbing his sword as he fell. Richard was now on the ground as Stefan towered over him.
"Now you lose." He crouched and dug his sword deep.
Everyone gasped and my heart clenched. But before any tear dropped, Stefan raised Richard to his feet to show that the sword was dug into the ground and not Stefan's heart.
There was a long sigh of relief from the crowd then a thunderous round of applause followed. That might have been breathtaking at one point but it was definitely the best sparring match of all time in the pack.
"You're very skilled and your attack is solid. You should consider becoming a soldier, there's always room for fighters like you." Stefan said to Richard.
All eyes fell on Richard at this remark. The alpha was personally offering him a place in his army, that was a big deal.
Richard smiled, "I'm honored to hear this my lord but I can't take care of the family business and also be a soldier at once." He said, bowing respectfully.
"I understand. Good match." Stefan gave him a handshake and there was another round of applause.
After that, the party began in earnest. There was food, drinks and much more. I introduced Joy to Chloe and my family who loved her at first sight. After a couple of hours, Stefan came over to our table to get me but my mother wouldn't let me go so early.
"Can she spend just a little more time with us before she leaves, alpha? It's been ages." She told him in a pleading voice.
Stefan looked at all of us, "Is this what you want, Rissa?" He asked me.
This took me aback a little as he never called me anything other than You or Hey but I answered anyway,
"Yes. I would love to stay here a little longer." I smiled.
"Then there's not much I can do." He smiled and kissed my cheek. "See you later, my love." He said and left.
"Such a gentleman, you are lucky my dear." My mom said when he was gone.
I just smiled and said nothing. Those words really hurt but I couldn't say anything now.
After a while, my dad suggested we go back home together. "You can come too, dear." He told Joy.
Our house was a modern duplex, one of the finest in the pack. The white and blue paint and the green garden added to the beauty. It had been so long since I visited but it still looked as nice as ever.
When we got home, Richard took me aside and gave me one of his piercing looks. That wasn't a good sign.
"How are you?" He asked, still staring at me like that.
"Umm. I'm good."
"You know what I mean, Larissa. Are things okay between you and your husband? Is he treating you well? Are you happy?" He asked with a concerned expression.
I stared at him. That look was heartbreaking. If there was anyone I could tell about my life, my struggles or anything that troubled me, it would definitely be Richard. But I couldn't. Katya and Stefan had made me swear never to tell a soul or they would ruin my life forever. And also, me telling Richard would mean that I would have to divorce Stefan and I didn't want to bring that kind of disgrace on my family.
"Everything's fine, Richie. Why would you think I'm not happy? Just look at me." I said, flashing him a big smile.
He laughed and ruffled my hair. "Just looking out for my little sis. But if anything happens, you know you can always confide in me right?"
"Of course." I ruffled his hair as well.
"Let's play some games!" He screamed.
We played golf in the garden. None of us knew exactly what the rules were except for just getting the golf ball into a tiny hole. I guess that made it more fun. I made Joy play with us so she wouldn't feel left out and she turned out to be the best player among us.
While we were playing, I noticed one of the workers kept admiring Joy so I called Chloe aside.
"What's up?" She said when I beckoned him to come.
"Who's that?" I motioned to the tall chocolate skinned man in a cowboy hat watching them play golf. His eyes were still on Joy.
"Oh." She laughed. "I forgot it's been a while since you've been home. That's Kylian, the stable hand. He's Mr. Ortega's son. He's been taking care of the horses for about a year now since his father got sick. He's a hot slice of chocolate cake isn't he? Mmm hmm."
I chuckled. "So that's his son? Nice. Let's ride horses next after golf."
"Why?" She raised an eyebrow. "You ain't think what I'm think are you?"
"Mind your business, dear. Just asking for a friend." I said playfully and jogged away.
After golf we headed to the stables on the other side of the compound to pick horses to ride.
"Is the brown one taken, sir?" Joy asked.
"Comry is mine but you can take him for a spin ma'am." Kylian said nicely.
Joy blushed. "I'm not a ma'am."
"I'm not a sir either. I'm Kylian." He said and stretched forth his hand.
"Joy." She said and took his hand.
"Beautiful name." He said and gave her the reins of the horse.
Joy also seemed to be exceptional at horse riding. She beat everyone except for Kylian himself.
"Where did you learn to ride?" I asked her.
"My father taught me." She smiled.
"I've never seen a lady ride a horse that well since my mother." Kylian mused, taking his hat off for Joy. He was obviously stricken.
"Thank you Kylian." She blushed.
The sun was beginning to set and soon it would become dark.
"How about a dance before you leave, sister?" Richard said and pressed something in his hand and soft music began to play. Chloe clicked a switch and dim lights immediately filled the garden.
As I danced with Richard, Kylian walked up to joy and asked for a dance. She looked at me as if to ask for permission, when I nodded, she took his hand and they danced beautifully.
"They look really good together." Richard said.
"They sure do." I smiled.
After the dance, Kylian insisted on escorting us back. One would think he pressed because I was his master's daughter but I knew he just wanted an excuse to talk to Joy again.
When we reached the gate of our destination, he bowed to me then kissed Joy's hand and turned back.
When I entered the room, I saw Katya and Stefan talking and immediately I felt regret. I had so much fun today that I forgot what it meant to live like this.
Immediately Stefan saw me, he charged at me.
"Who the fuck do you think you are talking back to me in front of your fucking family? Huh?" He hissed, grabbing me by the neck.
"And that motherfucker you call a brother had the guts to even think about winning against me? Fuck you and your fucking family!" He squeezed even tighter.
I felt my face redden as I gasped desperately for breath.
"Stefan, stop. Stop. It!" Katya screamed and dragged him away from me. "She's no use if she's dead.
He stared at her then turned back towards me but before he could do anything, she turned him around and kissed him long and hard on the lips.
He grabbed her ass and pushed her on the bed. She quickly unbuckled his belt. He moaned when she started sucking him off.
I shut my eyes and turned to leave the room.
"Where the fuck are you going?" Stefan asked, his eyes flashing at me. "You'll stay right here and watch. That's a command."
I wanted to scream, to run away but I couldn't, I had no choice.
Katya gasped when he tore her clothes to reveal her big round breasts. He sucked them both in turn before going down on her. She moaned loudly when his tongue met her pussy. She struggled but he held her down till she squirted cum all over his face.
The tears stung my eyes at the sounds they made. I couldn't move. I have never felt so helpless in my entire life but Stefan had taken my choice away.
He mounted her like a stallion and slid his dick in slowly. Katya moaned all the way. He then pumped his hips in a slow rhythm before increasing the pace. Her pussy made wet sounds as he fucked her harder. He went faster till they both reached common speed. Her moans were now so loud even a deaf person would be able to hear. They fucked in different positions till they both climaxes at the same time while she screamed his name.
****
Stefan and Katya both laid on the other side of the bed. Talking like I wasn't even there. Still in the throes of their lovemaking, Stefan looked longingly at Katya and said, "Name one thing, just one thing you want and if it is in my power it will be yours."
Katya smiled at him like she had been waiting all night for this, "I want you, alpha."
"You already have me, my love." Stefan laughed but Katya's face was serious.
"I want to be yours. I want to be your luna."
My heart sank into my belly at those words and I prayed with everything in me that Stefan would find an excuse to decline.
Katya continued, "According to the rules of the pack, you can't have two lunas at once so to marry again you'd have to divorce your first wife. As alpha you control everything and nobody would dare stand in your way."
"Then you better start getting ready for our wedding." He said, kissing her cheek passionately.
Those words shattered my heart to a thousand pieces. What would I do? Where would I go?
Just thinking about it brought hot tears to my eyes but this time I didn't hold them back, I let the tears soak my pillow. I cried more than I had ever done before falling asleep due to fatigue.
LARISSAThe impact of my body crashing to the floor painfully woke me up. I winced in pain as it was my arm and head that had the most contact with the floor. The room was filled with light, even with my eyes closed, I could feel the brightness of the room on my face. Then slowly I tried to open my eyes, they felt heavy but I took it slow. There were two figures in front of me. I blinked severally and saw Katya and Stefan watching me. Katya had a smirk on her face and I knew she was the one who pushed me from the bed. But when I looked at Stefan, I felt a great pain in my chest and suddenly all the memories of last night came back to me; the assault on me, watching them both make love and Stefan agreeing to divorce me and marry Katya. I remembered the things they said and it brought tears to my eyes. They both watched."Please Stefan d–don't do this." I cried, grabbing him by the leg.He stared at me in disgust and withdrew his leg from my grasp.I turned my eyes to Katya instead, s
LARISSAI kept struggling even after they aggressively threw me inside and locked the door, kicking and scratching at everything in sight. I banged desperately on the windows screaming but the guards outside were undisturbed, they were talking to each other outside like I wasn't even there. I tried with all my power to fight it, to not think about it, but inevitably it was dawning on me; Stefan had publicly divorced me, rejected me as his mate and painted me to be a shameless whore in the presence of the entire pack. The shame this would bring to my family name would be tremendous.I sat in painful silence as the guards drove to the brothel. Some of the pack followed behind, some were just curious to see what would become of me but most of the rest followed to rain more abuses on me.The brothel was a shady looking building in the south side of the park. It looked abandoned but I knew better. There was a shabby little house beside it with "SEXY AUCTIONS" inscribed boldly in front of
KADENI froze when I saw her eyes glow in mine. I knew what it meant or at least what it might mean but when my wolf confirmed by saying "mate," I was very surprised.Even after she fainted, her breaths were still heavy and jagged. She must have been running for a long time, but from what? Or whom? There were so many things going through my mind all at once and all of a sudden, my hunting now felt very unimportant.I put a stray strand of hair on her face behind her ear and my fingers brushed her face and my wolf grunted something inaudible. Now that was strange. My wolf barely ever made a sound not to talk of grunting or mumbling. I mostly sensed it when I was angry. Now all of a sudden it was speaking freely. Ignoring all of this I lifted her from the ground. She was surprisingly light for the way she looked. She must have been out cold because she didn't move a muscle even as I carried her. My steps changed from a walk to a stride, then a jog. I could hear her heartbeat but it was
Kaden POVThe words rolled off of Annalise like venom itself. I could see the despair on her face, small beads of sweat beginning to form on her wide forehead. The small figure on the bed was shaking vehemently with her eyes wide open, irises rolled back to her skull. The impact on the bed was rash, and Annalise was flairing her hands in the air"I can't seem to stop her shaking." She muttered in exasperation, her eyes narrowing so slightly while she pulled on the woman's hands. "Please stop shaking." She whispered again.The Annalise I was used to was one composed woman, with impressive medical history, but the woman in front of me looked like she couldn't take even the slightest jab back at defeat. She turned to look at me, her eyes wide."I know you're hurt, Alpha but could you help me hold her in place?" Her tone was a tad hesitant, even the way her hands grappled the woman's violent arms was desperate. I cocked a hesitant brow at her, she dared order me? Hissing, I finally droppe
Chapter 9KadenDid those people not know their place at all? I remembered the sickening expression Derek had on his face as I dug out his gut, he showed not even the slightest remorse. If this letter said anything, it was clear that we may have been fooled all along.I tapped at my study table repeatedly, I couldn't shake away the unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. The tug of war in my head was threatening to drive me to utter insanity. On one end, there was the news of that bastardy pack that now looked like one big chess puzzle, on the other, there was a pressing concern for the half comatose woman lying in the medical room.Annalise had been pleased when my guards returned with the foul smelling Melathionapalm, and assured me that the woman's vital's were stable enough. By her calculations, she was going to regain consciousness in a matter of days. I felt a small, tingly bubble from my wolf and I let out a hiss."We don't even know her yet." I mumbled out, moving the poo
Chapter 9 part 2Larissa I forced myself to pace the entrance to the room that had been my abode for the past five days, despite my legs wobbling and threatening to give out. The sun had settled for an amber yellow, and soft breeze rustled through the surrounding trees and my hair, and even through my clothes. Or lack thereof. I remembered the sunset I spent with Richard before my accursed marriage. It was a beautiful sunset orange with dewy weather, and I was wearing a deep blue dress he had gifted me.But here I was with a simple, white satin dress hanging loosely on my form, and the sun's depressing glow adding fuel to fire. Like the fire in his eyes when he yelled at me. He was beyond angry, I could tell. But whatever did I do to him? My mate perhaps already hated me before properly meeting me, and the idea was more heartbreaking than the last two years of my life.My words had been stuck in my throat at the villous way he spoke to me. I could literally feel the wind being knocke
Chapter 10Larrissa"Do you think you can handle him? Fucking chicken out if you can't."I heard the words echo in my head as I walked back mindlessly, following the lead of a brunette wolf. He said nothing as we walked up the stairwell, leading to what I assumed was my room. He walked faster than I could keep up with, but I followed the best I could. The hallway was long with a hint of magenta, olive and primrose, just like the alley and the alpha's study room.He finally stopped at the end of the hallway. There was a full length window where a wall should have been, providing illumination for the otherwise dark hall. Although there were a few lights hanging from the ceiling, they were turned off. I stopped just behind him, leaning slightly to see the plain oak door."The Alpha has instructed that you stay here." He finally spoke. His voice was surprisingly soft, but empty nonetheless. He stepped away from the door so that I could enter. Heaving a sigh again, I reached for the doorkn
Larissa's POVI haven't had such a good night's sleep in years. My body felt awfully relaxed as I stretched my limbs on the comfortable sheets. It felt nice, I could literally wish for this not to end if only I didn't have to work.Rustling under the sheets, my thoughts drifted off to the moody toddler beside my room. The woman who I'd seen yesterday called herself Gwendoline, and it seemed Declan wasn't particularly fond of her. He seemed to dislike my presence as well. But then, he was now in my care. And he needed to go to kindergarten today.I stood up from the bed gingerly, taking a quick bath before covering myself up in the only other dress in the closet. It was an unflattering dull grey ensemble, but whatever. I had to wear it like that, and probably search for some new clothes once I got paid.I tied my blonde hair up in a ponytail and smiled to myself, hoping that I looked nice enough. There was no mirror in the room. Applying some ointment that I had been given, I heard my