ELORAI sat in the carriage as it drove off. I stared back from time to time, looking at the brothel to see if I would see Olivia from the window of Madam Moira's room. I could see nothing.I sat back and closed my eyes and imagined what Mother would be feeling right now.Was Alma taking care of her?Was Alma even okay?Was Mother okay?And Bennett and Brian?I barely knew Lucy.Could I trust her with them? I stretched my legs in the carriage and looked out of the window to the side. The bushes were flying by quickly as we rode to the palace. I was going to be offered to the King's Father. I was going to be his mistress as part of a deal he had with Kain.I had cried myself to sleep last night, after the meeting with Kain. Olivia had lain beside me, weeping as well. The headaches had increased and my nose hurt badly from constantly blowing it.But now, I didn't look it. My face had been powdered and arranged for this morning. Kain had threatened to harm mother and make Olivia work in
ROMERome had been by the lake for about an hour and had no desire to leave just yet, not with the tranquillity the cool shade and fragrance of the lakes flora offered.Everything felt different there; the serenity, the birds, the view of the Castle, the grass, and the lake itself. He couldn’t imagine a place that held as many positive memories in the entirety of Hanaerum. He remembered coming down often to the lake with Mother and Skye on long picnics where she’d tell them stories of her childhood. It was where they came to be away from all the problems existing within the Castle and court.To Rome, it was the most beautiful part of the Castle as it was away from people and noise. The grass lining it marshy edges stayed green all year rounded sporting small red flowers that transported one into a land of fairies and rainbows with its almost hallucinating perfume.If one wanted to escape everything, Red River was the place. He lay back on the grass and closed his eyes, worry somehow
DARWIN PACK - ALKAROD"He's burning up again." The Alpha's personal physician, Pelto, stated touching the Alpha's sons head.He had been trying to treat him for days now but nothing had worked. Since Ethan had broken the link between him and Elora the day she bit him, he had been suffering from seizures and had never stopped being feverish."What do you mean, Pelto? You've been pumping him full of medicine and still haven’t made progress!" Rasmus yelled, hitting the drawer with a bang that had the smaller man jumping.His wife, Thalia and Luna of the Darwin Pack, rubbed circles on his shoulder trying to calm him. She somehow managed to stay strong even though their heir was dying."You have to stay calm, My Love." She cooed, “Yelling won’t do him any good.”"Alpha, I'm doing my best. I truly am." The physician tried to explain wringing his hands as beads of sweat formed on his forehead."Your best is not fucking good enough! Your best isn't getting my son healed, you fucker!!" Rasmus
ROMEThe king stood at the large window facing the royal gardens. One would think he was admiring the greenery but he couldn’t even see past the problems weighing him down. He was disturbed by the news he had heard but didn’t seem to have any solution forthcoming.Rome knew his father was evil, useless, and self-absorbed but he didn't imagine any of that would affect someone he’d know directly.The thought of Elora being violated by his father set a sick churning feeling in his gut.Rome ran a hand through his hair as images of a crying Elora in a ripped dress flooded his mind. If she hadn’t been a fighter perhaps she would be under his father now as he did despicable things to her.His jaw clenched tightly in frustration because even if he didn’t want to care about anything happening to her, the thought of the vulnerability he had seen in her eyes had the soft side of him wanting to prove her innocence. The only problem being he couldn’t see a way to save her and her family from the
ELORA"Oh, Elora. I never thought I'd see you again!" Lucy squealed engulfing me in a tight hug I welcomed after the terrible day I’d had.She smelled of the lavender soap I remembered using before I had been taken away bringing happy memories of the few days I had spent in the Castle. I wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks smiling at the woman that had come to mean a lot to me.The king had ordered the maids to bathe and dress me so I had been given a simple pink frock that was easily the most expensive and comfortable dress I had ever worn. The soft material clung to my skin without showing too much off and I felt like twirling just to see if the full skirts would move as prettily as I imagined. "I missed you too, Lucy." I smiled hugging her just as firmly.To think just that morning, I had been considering becoming the old King’s bed slave just to save my sister from the debauched men who frequented Lord Kain’s establishment.It was a miracle I had stumbled into the kind Lycan
ELORAGentle sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains framing my bedroom window alerting me that morning had come and I had been up all night. I had tossed and turned unable to ease my mind enough to sleep, anxiety a fearsome wind billowing in my gut as I thought of resuming my duties in the King’s library.He had been pretty cold to me after saving me from his father’s men but had been overly kind in sending his own Hand to save my sister from Lord Kain’s brothel even though we had been named traitors. It seemed even though he detested slavers, his kind heart wouldn’t let him look away from people being mistreated. The contradictory behaviour he displayed had me wondering how he would react if he were to encounter me in the library today.I stared at my reflection in the mirror above my vanity table wincing at the tired girl that looked back at me. My eyes had sunk in with a visible dark ring as if I hadn’t slept in over a fortnight and my mouth was set in a permanent scowl. I
EAST BALESomething was watching them.Something they could not see."We’re being watched!" Rasmus yelled this time, "Ready yourselves!"They were on their way to the Elven territory at the outskirts of Bale. Rasmus had to look for a cure for his child.His commands drew his guard to unsheathe their swords forming a circle around him and Alpha Rasmus. Even he drew out a small dagger he had strapped under his cloak as the air suddenly went silent.The air stilled and turned chilly, the shadows lining the floors where the dirt path met trees looming closer like creeping vines with an almost conscious quality to it.Pelto’s eyes shot form one point to another as if he could pin point where the attack could come from but before he could blink, a dark silhouette shot out of the nearest tree snatching one of the guards from atop his horses, pulling him into the shadowed forest.Chaos broke out as the now startled guards broke formation spinning around to locate the invisible enemy that had
ELORA"Hey!" A chirpy voice I recognized called behind me as I twisted the key to lock the general access doors to the library, turning around to see Lucy smiling and waving wildly as she skipped towards me. "Hello, there! The royal librarian herself." She stood before me now, panting from her exercise, curtsying and smiling even more. "May I have a word, Ma'am?" She said with a feigned accent."Yes. How may I help you, Miss?" I asked, taking on the role that she had so bestowed on me. She made Royal librarian sound like it was nobility. I took that, raising my head and shoulders a bit."Ma'am, I'm here to get your butt home." She laughed so hard that I couldn't help but join in and we fell to the carpet clutching our stomachs at her antics. After we had exhausted ourselves from laughing as hard as we had, we laid there for a second until someone made a noise clearing their throat.We immediately jumped to our feet, straightening our gowns. I half thought it was a nobleman that would