The room had only one bed. There wasn’t even a couch in sight. Baka lamented as she stood awkwardly by the door while Blessing gave them a little tour around the small room.“And the bathroom is right there,” she said, pointing to a shabby brown door just across from them. “The water can be brown sometimes so you have to let it run when you open the faucet. It should be clear after a minute or two. “Also, the toilet flush doesn’t work. You will have to fetch water in a bucket and pour it into the toilet bowl instead.”The Alpha king nodded. “Thank you. Anything else?”She looked at Baka, then returned her gaze to the Alpha King. “No, that’s it. Enjoy your stay here.”“We will, thank you.”With a small nod and another curious glance at Baka, Blessing left them alone.“Looks like we’re sharing a bed,” the Alpha king announced, a little while after Blessing was out of earshot.Baka swallowed. Her nerves were doing somersaults in her veins. Surely she wasn’t going to share a bed with the

Several minutes had passed and Baka hadn't left her seat. She couldn't muster up the courage to walk over to the Alpha King. She could barely stand him in his human form, how was she to contend with his wolf? Coax him, Blessing had said. Say sweet things to him, she had said. Baka had nothing sweet to say to him. Nor could she think of ways to help him remember himself. She was way out of her league here.With great consternation, she got up from her chair and walked extremely slowly towards his wolf.It was sitting on his hind and fore legs, looking straight at her. Blood pooled around it, dripping slowly from a wound in its stomach. It was a giant of a wolf and every instinct in Baka told her to turn around and head for the hills. But she pressed forward.It growled when he noticed her move towards it and she stopped walking instantly, standing very stiffly. She should run. She absolutely should just head for the hills.But after what felt like five minutes, she took one step fo

The silence was palpable. Baka wanted to scream.“If you want me to stop, tell me now,” the Alpha king whispered slowly, his warm breath fanning her face. She opened her mouth, but no words came. It was as though she was hypnotized. Baka couldn't think of anything else but him at this moment, looking at her like she was the only light in his life. Touching her with so much gentleness and warmth. Talking to her like a lover, a lover she realized with great turmoil she wanted to be.On top of that, he smelled amazing. How? A few hours ago, he had been a wolf, for Pete’s sake. A big black furry looking animal. None of that was evident right now. No, in this moment, he was a man with a broad naked torso and a bulging member.“Please…” she begged. What was she even begging him to do? She wasn't sure if she was begging him to kiss her or to leave her alone. “Please what?” he whispered. His free hand lightly brushed through her hair and settled at the nape of her neck.Her vision blurr

As they got ready to leave the following morning, they worked in companionable silence. The Alpha king was getting dressed while Baka inspected their belongings, making sure nothing was missing.Since their kiss, something had changed between them. Whether it was for the worse or for the better, Baka had no idea.“I didn't know your name was Ruby,” the Alpha king said all of a sudden.Baka looked up at him, then she let out a small sigh. “You were eavesdropping.”The Alpha King shrugged. “It's a pretty name.”“Thank you. It's my middle name. I was named after my maternal grandmother.”Baka went back to inspecting their belongings, going through them a final time. Hearing nothing from the Alpha king, she looked up again to see him staring at her.“What now?”“Just thinking about all the things I don't know about you.”She got up from her squatting position. “What do you want to know?”“Your full name.”“Bakady Ruby Clark.”“Date of birth?”“May twentieth.”“Mine is—”“I know what yours

The Alpha King Boaz’s palace was much bigger than Tatum’s. But the decor was lacking. Despite being a broad expanse of silver ornaments and marble plated tiles, Boaz’s domain was built more for style and elegance than for comfort.Baka couldn't help but note the vast differences between Tatum’s domain and Boaz’s. While Tatum had built his palace for ease and comfort, Boaz cared more for superficial aesthetics and grand interiors.There were at least three statues of him in the garden outside his palace. Inside, rows of family pictures lined the hallway and the throne room.The throne room harboured three chairs, the biggest one in the middle. They were gold plated and screamed lavish. As Baka drew closer, she noticed that so much attention was put into the details. Roaring wolves could be seen etched into all the chairs, a stark contrast to Tatum’s single throne which had wolf fur lining its length, beautiful and simple.They followed after the guard past the throne room and into a hu