Triplet Lycan Kings' Mate

001-Morana

The extravagant soirées of the nobles are the best places to rob. No one ever suspects a thing.

My lips curl up in a pleasing smile as I bat my eyelashes at the toothless lord in front of me as he takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. While he's too busy being charmed by the decidedly low neckline of my gown, I see Clarence swiping out the gold pocket watch from his coat.

"It was such a pleasure meeting you, lady Freya." He states with a gremlin like grin on his face and I give him a curtsy low enough to keep him distracted while Clarence slips away.

"Oh, my lord the pleasure is all mine." I say to him in the manner young maidens are supposed to. His greedy eyes feast on my looks for another long moment before he finally dips his hat in my direction, lowering his eyes down to my cleavage for the tenth time since he started talking, and thinking that he was subtle, he slowly walks away.

I breathe in a sigh of relief and allow my disgust to be washed away by the wine that slithers down my throat, flooding my senses with the pure comfort of intoxication.

"Ah, Mrs. Henley!" I exclaim the moment I see the elderly posh woman with her hair done in a huge updo as she dawdles towards me like I have all the time in the world to make her acquaintance.

"Oh, you must be the dearest lady Freya, how are you, my darling? I had heard that a fair maiden was coming into town this moon, just didn't know how beautiful you were." The silver in her hair glints under the light of the sun as she smiles up at me, clearly my statuesque frame giving her a reason to crane her neck in order to meet my gaze.

I give her a gentle bow, "oh, certainly it is. I am slowly settling in the town. Having only been here for a week, I am thrilled to slowly get acquainted with everyone here."

She smiles at me and just before she can say anything else, her handkerchief slips from between her fingers and falls down to the ground at my feet.

"Oh, such a clumsy woman I am." She mumbles underneath her breath as I smile and bend down along with her to retrieve her handkerchief.

And just as we both get back up, Mrs. Henley lacks a certain emerald hair pin but it's not as if I had anything to do with it.

I chat with the nimble woman for a few moments longer and then as we part ways, she has made me richer than when I came here.

Clarence smirks at me from across the garden, jabbering on with a few other nobles while she also makes their coffers lighter without them even realising it.

But stealing gold and jewels is not even half the reason we're here.

We're here for something else entirely. Something that Knox— the Blood Lord we work for— wants deeply.

Revenge.

And as Valencia's greatest assassins and spies, it is our duty to deliver that to him on a cold platter.

My brows furrow when I feel myself under the attack of someone's intense gaze as I immediately snap my head in the direction and find my eyes crashing with someone's and my entire breathing stops.

Time stands still for me.

"Morana!" I hear Clarence's voice hissing from beside me as I blink my eyes a few times, pulling away my gaze from the mysterious man sitting on the other side of the garden before finding myself looking straight into Clarence's icy blue orbs.

"Why are you calling me that?" I hiss at her, reaching out to clutch her wrist tightly and she lets out a small wince of regret as she gives me a sheepish gaze. "What is it?" I enquire, wanting to know why she felt the need to make conversation with me in the middle of our mission.

"Lord Baelish." She whispers, "he's leaving the soirée." She glances towards the short noble man making his way to the carts lined outside.

I scowl before looking around to ensure that no one is watching us suspiciously before meeting Clarence's gaze once again, "follow after him." I tell her, my voice void of any emotion that I usually feel for her.

We cannot let our feelings wander around in our heads when we're out pulling a job like this.

Knox wants to see Baelish's severed head as proof and it is my job to deliver it to him.

Clarence takes a moment to ensure that it doesn't seem like she's following after the parting noble and then she proceeds in the same direction as him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I look around for more victims to rob, since I have the time on my hand.

My eyes gaze over this garden party that has been arranged beside a glimmering lake on the estate of one of the richest lords of this town— the Earl of Greyfang, Lord Casteil Windler who is also a renowned politician of this town of Demmington and is very close to the Valencian royalties.

Small brunch tables are arranged with ivory white and lace cloth covers while rustic chairs surround these round tables where nobles and other distinguished men and women of Demmington enjoy an early afternoon tea with an endless supply of pastries and finger cakes. A string quartet plays by the lake but no one is really paying attention to the music as they all mostly care for the gossip that is being exchanged.

I feel uneasy just thinking about how all the young maidens have arrived here thinking that they will be taken as wives by someone from the werewolf royalties and how they will get to leave their mortal qualms behind.

Oh, how strange this world is where we live.

"Haven't seen you around before, fair lady."

I hear a deep voice speak from behind me and something— probably the suddenness— makes my breathing hitch in my throat as I immediately turn around and find myself standing in front of the man whom I felt watching me earlier.

My heart starts to race the moment our eyes meet.

I don't know what it is about him, but I understand two things about him just by looking into his liquid gold eyes—

My heart won't stop struggling in my chest and suddenly even the breeze feels too heavy on my skin.

And—

He's a werewolf.

My magic struggles to remain coiled up under my skin as it craves to be unleashed upon the mystery man standing in front of me.

However, keeping that in check, I give him a polite smile, putting forth my hand towards him, "I'm Freya. From Muneria. I recently came here half a moon ago. Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir...?"

He gives me the kind of smile that maidens must swoon over, "Rune. My name is Rune. I'm from Evara." And saying that, he brings my hand to his lips, placing a swift kiss on my knuckles that is enough to make me weak in my knees.

What is it about this man? I feel an insane amount of attraction towards him and for no apparent reason.

I take a good look at him, unable to say anything at the moment as I gaze into his eyes that look like they were made out of glimmering gold itself.

His deep brown hair contrasts perfectly with his tanned golden skin while his facial features resemble those of an ancient god's. A strong jaw, depicting an age old determination while his full lips seem like they would taste sweeter than all the nectars of this world. He has his hair tied up in a messy bun but a few tendrils have escaped the leather tie, falling in front of his left eye where I can see a deep scar cutting his eyebrow in half, adding more to his timeless allure. He has a beauty mark just above his upper lip and right now, all I can think about is reaching up to run my fingertips along the bow of his lips. He's wearing a dark blue tunic and from the way his neck muscles are flexed, I know that this is a man living inside the body of one of the forgotten gods.

He is an enigma and I have to say that I am finding myself smitten by the electricity coursing between us.

"Pleasure to meet you," he whispers, blinking as if he too is confused about whatever he's feeling.

Who is he?