Kent’s POV
I was honestly expecting a fierce, charming, mysterious woman, and all I saw was a scared—albeit somewhat bratty—girl. No doubt, it was because she had no idea who she was. All the mother’s doing. Though if I spawned one of those things, I’d keep it a secret too. I may not even let it live. Once the noise of the two dimwitted girls left, I snapped at Max, so he could leave too. He followed my instructions as he always did, and once it was just Madam Amelia and I, I let me guard down. “On top of everything, she is half human? You know her kind are not allowed in Astoria.” I informed her. Perhaps she was under the impression that Astoria, which my great-grandfather founded, allowed humans just because we took a vow not to hurt them. Well some of us took that vow. Others, like my dear brother, didn’t care. “She is the safest here.” Madam Amelia shot back. For a werewolf in her old age, she was quite a thing to witness. She had kindness in her eye, but her actions and words were calculated. I could tell, everyone in this house—including that mishmess of a creature—did what she commanded. “I also know you won’t hurt her because she is human.” See, calculated. “It does ruin my plan.” I said. “Was your plan to kill my daughter, Alpha Kent?” Madam Amelia asked. “My plan was to render her powers useless.” I diplomatically said. Though, as I did, I felt the copper dagger I had bought with me. The one I was going to stab into her heart. The real answer, yes, I was going to kill her daughter. Madam Amelia seemed to know this as she nodded her head at me. “Now what? You can’t break your vow. What will you do? You can’t have a Wolf Rider running around Astoria.” There it was. She knew what her daughter was. The half human part of it was the least of it. The fact that she was a Rider—a creature that could control a werewolf with a simple command. A creature that ruined my family's life. A creature, who must be destroyed before it gains power. There hasn't been a rider born in half a century, and even before, there was only one that ruled Astoria. How could I destroy her now? Her being half human, and Astoria’s vow made this complicated. “Now what indeed.” I sighed out loud. The best thing I could do was keep her in sight and make sure she didn’t realize her powers. Snuff it out before she did. I had Max. He was the most knowledgeable in werewolf law. He could help me. “I want—what’s the thing's name—? “Jezebel.” “I want Jezebel to come live with me. She will stay under my clan, as my ward.” Madam Amelia’s eyes widened. Like she couldn’t believe my audacity. “You know she isn’t safe here. Max saw her out in the forest, roaming. She is aware of her attraction to the wolves. She isn’t sure of her powers, and wolves will try to attack her. I can protect her.” Protect her? I couldn’t believe I said those words out loud. Madam Amelia said nothing. She stared at me, trying to figure me out. “I’ll go a step further—if you let me keep Jezebel, in three full moons I'll take Marianna as my mate. She is a beautiful girl. It would be my honor.” I added, and I meant it. Marianna with her fiery red hair, and freckled face, was very attractive. Still, Madam Amelia was trying to size me up. She said nothing for a long while. “You can’t tell her what she is. If you can make her lose her power in three moons, I take her back and you can have Marianna. If not, I want both my daughter’s returned to me. I’ll leave Astoria.” “How can I trust that you will? You already have broken vows of the land. Having relations with a human. Having his child.” I spat. “If I can’t figure out how to take her powers away, I will have to hand her over to my brother. He has no problem murdering humans.” “Charlie? No!” Odd. She knew my brother. How? I didn’t have to wait for the answer long. “He found out about Jezebel’s father and me. He killed him.” She cried. “He already knows about her. The wolf that attacked Jezebel last full moon—the one Max saw her at—he belongs to Charlie.” Amelia gasped. “She would be safer in my care.” “Says the man who came here to kill her and is promising to hand her over to his murderous brother.” “Charlie may find her now. In fact, it won’t be long before he finds her like I did, and he won’t hesitate to kill her. As soon as Max told me there was a woman commanding a full moon wolf to stop, and he listened, I knew we had a Wolf Rider on our hands. Now you have to pick—would you take a chance with Jezebel’s life here now, or would you take it with me. I may be able to help her.” “How?” “Max, my beta. He is well versed in wolf law. I have no doubt he can find a loophole. I just need her under my nose. I need to make sure she isn’t practicing her craft. Getting stronger. I use the three full moons to save her, and in return I become Marianna’s mate. You win. I win. It’s the best option.” I hopefully said. The silence was as long this time before she said, “fine. I won’t agree to you giving her to Charlie if you fail.” I figured she wouldn’t. What mother would. “Could we agree to cross that bridge when we get there? I won’t do anything without warning you.” Madam Amelia nodded. Though her eyes were wandering. Still deciding if this was a good idea.Kent’s POVI could not stop thinking about what just happened. If she hadn’t touched me, I would have attacked. Is this what she wanted? She wanted me to relinquish all my power to her? Perhaps she is just pretending not to know about her powers because how can someone so unaware be so effective?I paced back and forth in my chambers. I was safe here, but how long could I keep myself locked up? Keep her locked up? Something has to be done. “Max!” I howled again. My trusted servant’s feet pitter-pattered towards me. “I told them to use sandalwood because I hate the smell, but she is still irresistible to me. She needs to be locked away.” I threw a sheet from my bed towards Max and commanded, “Release.” My human friend was standing next to me now with the sheets over his body. “I told you—““I don’t want to hear, I told you so. You promise to find a cure. What ideas have you got? I have given you access to my full library.” I barked.“I did give you a cure. A stake through her heart.
I slept horribly the first night. Nightmares of the moon turning so bright that all of Astoria disappeared, or of Kent turning then flying up to me and stuffing my mouth with chocolate cake. I woke up every hour, because of the howling I heard throughout the night. At our cottage, because we were so far removed from the village, and because my sisters never changed without the full moon, I barely heard howling. Now—that’s all I heard all night.When Madeline came to wake me up, I was already sitting tired-eyed in my bed—a little too soft for my taste.“Hello, my lady.” She said. “I have a bath ready for you.”“Ok.” I automatically said as I slid out of the bed. Madeline led me to a relatively empty room with a wooden curtain on the side and a steel bathtub, filled with water and flowers in the middle. It smelled divine in there. A mix of flowers, citrusy lemon, and a hint of sandalwood. Madeline turned around and indicated I removed my dress by mocking the removal of her own. I did
Kent’s POVThis was crazy. I had essentially kidnapped a woman–no, she was too immature to be called one. I had no idea what to do with her. So I snapped my fingers and called out, “Max!”Max’s paws pitter-pattered as he walked down the castle steps and met me at the side, right underneath the creature's tower where I was pacing.“Release,” I commanded. The wolf turned into a man. I handed him his clothes. “I did the wrong thing, didn't I?”“No, not at all, sire. It was a great idea to have a wolf rider in your castle!” Max sarcastically said.“She doesn't even know what she is!” I said. The guilt I had been feeling about this particular fact had resurfaced. To the creature, I had ripped her away from her home for no reason. Maybe she thinks it's because she is human—half-human—but that factor made this very complicated. Now she was under my protection. A human. Someone I didn't just vow not to hurt but protect. “That doesn't make her any less dangerous. Until we tame her. She is—a t
“Wow,” I said and it echoed back to me. I was in the foyer of the castle. It was a long hallway and alongside the walls, gold-framed paintings of old men hung lazily. Kent and Max were in front of me, leading the way. “Max, I am sure you are tired.” Kent snapped his fingers and a giggling young girl ran up to him.“Ser,” she bowed. “Clothes for Max.” He simply said. The girl disappeared and another appeared in her place with a set of clothes. “Turn the other way,” Kent said to me. I did as I was told. So did the other girl.“Max release,” Kent commanded, I slightly turned my head to see the dog, whose back I was riding a few moments ago, reassembled as a man. He was skinny, short, and looked tired. His eyes were dull, but kind. His hair was dirty red and shaggy but not in a purposeful way like Kent's. He looked quite messy. The rags Kent had ordered—loose brown pants and an even looser white blouse—didn’t help Max any. “Take her to her room. Lock her in there till we can figure som
“We are walking there?” I wined. “I travel transformed usually.”“Oh I have an idea, why don’t you transform and run back to your castle, and I just stay here? Win-win.” I sarcastically said. He glared back at me. “How long is the walk?” “Two hours if we cut through the forest.” “I am not allowed in the forest,” I said.“I am allowing it. My permission is the only one you need now.” He barked. “My permission is the only one you need now.” I mocked. “Start moving!” I barked back.He started walking without arguing back. So fast I could barely keep up. “Wait! Wait up.” I yelled. “Wait for me!” He slowed down, giving me a chance to catch up to him. He was right at the entrance of the forest which wasn’t far from our cottage. “Don’t ever, ever, command me like that again.” He said. His black-red eyes are more red than black now. “I wasn’t commanding,” I said, taken aback. “I was just joking.”“I want you to quietly follow behind me. Not another word till we get to the castle.”
“This isn’t fair. You can’t do this.” I cried. My face was buried into my purple bed covers that were getting stained with tears. While Marianna, who’s lap my head was resting on, stroked my hair. The revelation from earlier was still fogging up my brain but the news that came after was worse. After the beaded bracelet on my arms turned green, I rushed home, expecting my mother to explain things further. I was a mess. Confused. Lost about who I was. In disbelief. Mother did no such thing. As soon as I walked in, I was told I had two hours to pack and be ready to leave. Kent was waiting for me in the living room. “You hate me so much that you want to kick me out?” I tried using guilt to get her to stop. “Mother, does she have to go? I know you said she was to go to the castle to learn the ins and outs for me so I am ready to be his mate, but can’t I just go do that?”“It’s improper. Full moon for a wolf is no laughing matter. Especially a male wolf. Kent doesn’t want to lose control