Chapter 2

   It's been three days since their arrival. The palace was more than she'd imagined the walls were made of gold and beautiful marble the guards were neatly dressed for people who turned carnivores on a full moon, and beautiful portraits of half-humans littered the walls, it was her home now and she has to come in terms with it.

"It's been three days and am yet to meet the one who is to Lord me," she muttered while taking her bath in the steel basin at the corner of her room.

"Do not take to heart what the Lord does am sure he's busy, he a king after all," yulu the young maid assigned to her when she first arrived on wolfclan said trying to placate her.

"If you are to be queen you should know the king wouldn't be available at all times," yulu added while taking the brush beside the basin to brush her hair.

"I Don't want to be queen," Sophia murmured. "Will he let me go if I plead his conscience? you said he is a kind king." Sophia added now turning back to look at yulu who stood behind her brushing her hair. Memories of the first day she meet yulu came back in flashes.

          Yulu, a young human girl who was lost at war, the events of that night in the forest still hunt her. It was a beautiful night like any other the sounds of cricket could be heard In the dark, and the sound of the wave of the sea could be heard from afar as it clashed with the rock. Her dad stood beside her holding on to her right as he leads her through the forest. It was a full moon so they needed no assistance to Wonder the forest. Then it came from the back on all fours heading for her dad, eyes shining blue like the sea with its claws elongated readily to pounce. Her dad trying to protect himself picked up a stick to shove at it but it was persistent, then came again from the rear eyes red as coal heading on all fours heading straight for her dad, she could do nothing but scream hoping someone would hear. It was as if the screaming scared them they decided to let her father live now heading for her with every speed it could muster. its fang sinking into her feet, she could do nothing but shoved at them hopefully her dad would come to her rescue but he was nowhere to be found. The wolfs as if regaining consciousness let yulu live, taking her as there's from that day forward. She sleeps well knowing the one she calls Lord was no coward.

"The Lord is no bad man he takes what he owns and pays those he owes," she murmured rather harshly adding more force as she combed her hair.

 

"I see you respect the lord?." She asked noticing the change in Yulu's voice and the force she applied to her hair.

"He saved my life, it will be bad of me to watch you speak badly of him," she mumbled.

" if I may speak my lady are you heading somewhere?"Yulu asked while admiring the dress Sophia wore for her outing. it was a dark blue dress with shades of white with gemstones used as decoration.

"I want to go see Clarissa it's been two days since I last visit where she was laid to rest," Sophia replied while trying to hold back her tears the memories of her last days with Clarissa filling her head the pain couldn't go away no matter how much she tried.

Hector stood at the top of the castle with his dark and shining hair, the light of the Halfmoon reflecting on his face memory of the past few days flooding back. the flashbacks of Sophia crying over the death of her maid, she did love her. He felt the sadness in her voice when she begged him to bring back her remains, he couldn't refuse that, she was his bride after all. Her tears were his wolfsbane and would rather die than watch them flow.

   

 "I knew I would find you here."Kyle who stood six feet away said, with his eyes glowing through the tick of the night.

"I wouldn't fault you thought you needed the air, seeing you refuse to introduce me to your bride." he teased.

   "She grieves for the one she lost, it would be unkind of me to intrude, and worst of all she hates me," he said while trying to hide the care in his voice. Flashbacks of the day he first met her filled his head. He could read the disdain in her eyes when her father told her the truth. she was never going to love him.

"When did you begin to care what people say? she's yours to do as you dim fit, I fear her presence weakens you," he stated while taking a few steps back. it would unwise to stand close to a king whose ego has just been bruised.

"Do not speak to me of weakness," he growled, his wolf taking over. eyes red as the blood moon. "I am your king and you should know your place." an Alpha should know when to draw the line. werewolves are part humans but the animal is more of who they are, the need to submit to a higher power the weakness of a pack without an alpha, all were part of the curse. 

"I didn't mean to offend you sire, I just needed to express my concern," he said calmly with his head bowed to the ground.

"I respect you Kyle but Sophia is off limit, also I will see her when am ready. for now, I would love to be left alone," he said rather calmly the beast withdrawing back.

"As you wish sire," Kyle muttered as he took his leave.

  

       Back at the Clarissa burial site, Sophia couldn't control her tears, the one person she could call mother was gone. Clarissa was a young girl from a small town she grew up in the southern part of the country, unlucky for her, her small town was cut between a war with the north and south, Her people didn't make it. she was the last of her people but now she's gone.

  "Clarissa, I miss you," Sophia said as she knelt beside her grave. "You didn't deserve the life you lived. I know I never told you this but you were like the mother I never had." Sophia said in-between sobs as she spoke to Clarissa. "I rest easy knowing you are with your people, you know the ones you have always told me about. rest easy till we meet again," she muttered while turning her back determined to put the sorrow behind her, she's got her beast to tame.

 Walking into the palace hall with no fear, determined to see the Lord, the one who was to Lord her. fear was something she couldn't afford if she was to tame the beast within. dressed in regalia feet for an occasion, she walked straight into the hall.

"The Lord is busy." the guard who stood at the front door, dressed in golden armor tried to stop her. Ignoring him and walking hastily into the palace, holding close the dagger Adina gave her, swearing to take down whoever decides to go full wolf on her.

"God she's beautiful," Hector muttered watching her walk into the palace with no prior invitation, Cal the palace guard tried to stop her but couldn't. She was a handful.

"I demand to see the king," she said standing in front of the one she wanted to see, not minding the meeting she disrupted even if he was to kill her for it.

 

"Gentleman and ladies this is my bride-to-be Sophia." Hector introduced her to the members of his cabinet. she felt so embarrassed, it seems Hector had a thing for making her look like a fool. She shouldn't have walked into the palace swearing fire and brimstone. That wasn't the reaction she expected from him, he weakened her defense.

"I acknowledge your presence Lord's and lady of the court". She greeted wishing for the Earth to open its bowels for her to hide her shame.

     

"I would love to be left alone with my bride." He muttered. she wondered how they heard him, she was one foot away but had to strain her ears to hear him. They left in a single file living with her husband-to-be.

"They could turn to wolfs at will, it would be no surprise they had excellent hearing." She said within herself Now looking at the gorgeous king who was to bed her. His eyes were blank and unreadable.

          "You requested to see me. Craving my touch already?" He asked smiling sheepishly. God, he was handsome. He had the face of a God with his hair slightly above his butt, his lips sexually inviting, his eyes dark as obsidian, you could never see through him and that was what made him king you could never second guess him. 

"You refuse to come to see me." She said, while trying to hide her sexual attraction she could never be attracted to him she made a promise to her mother and must keep it.

"You lost someone dear to you and I think it wise to give you space." He said trying to reduce the sexual rising tension in the room.

"I don't know about animals but in the real world, when one loses a loved one, she is surrounded by loved ones. condolence is to be sent and received." She yelled. Her head quickly registered she just called her host an animal.

"Do you see me as a loved one?" He asked. Trying to not take to heart what she called him, an animal. He wouldn't blame her though that was what he was and will be, a beast at will.

"That came out wrongly," she said filling sorry for calling him an animal. "And no I don't see you as a loved one, a loved one would never do what you did." 

"And that is?"

"Do not play dumb with me, am your captive, not your bride."