The Lycan’s Bride

Chapter 6

Yelina’s Point of View

“What was she to you?” I asked, not even bothering to look at him. “No, let me rephrase it—what are we to you?”

“You, including the past bearers of the lycan’s mark are all important to me,” he replied.

“Did you even see them more than how you were supposed to?” I asked him again. “Did you even see them as who they are not just being vessels?”

“Of course,” he promptly replied. “Why are you asking me that now?”

I took a deep breath before I shook my head. “Nothing in particular; I just want to hear it from you.” I actually want to ask him why Helen regretted her life. I wanted to know what kind of vessel she was before I came, but I don’t why I don’t have the courage to do it. Maybe I am afraid that I will see myself in her and end up with the same fate as she did.

“Do we have anything left to do here?” I asked.

“You can leave,” he told me. “I’ll remain here for a little longer.”

“Okay.” I left him and hurried to the door. I also want to leave as soon as possible since I want to have some time to think alone. “Milly,” I called, and it was just a few seconds before she came to me.

She excitedly wags her tail at me. “Did Alpha Zachary put his mark on you already?” she asked, grinning. I can see her canine fangs as she waits for my answer.

My forehead creased since I did not get the context of her question. “What do you mean by that?” I raised my hand and showed her the lycan’s mark. “Is this what you’re talking about?”

She shook her head. “No. What I mean was the literal mark.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We did not even have any contact,” I told her.

“Oh, so you haven’t done it, huh?” she murmurs in disappointment, ears and tail lowering.

I looked at her with a wrinkled face. Her words and expression got me all curious now. “Tell me what is exactly is that mark you’re talking about?”

“I...I don’t think I am in the position to tell you that, Lady Yelina. Only Alpha Zachary can tell you about it,” she replied, quickly turning her back. “Shall we go upstairs?”

“Yes. Take me back to my room. I want to have some rest.”

---

The mark thing Milly told me has been bothering me ever since I heard it. Now I can’t seem to rest easy. It has been on my mind for quite a while now. Adding to that are my thoughts about that beast. I can’t stop myself from thinking about him; how he treated he bearers before me; or how is the quality of his relationship with them. Did they hate them, too, the way they hated them? Did he also think that we stole his freedom to live the life he wanted?

“I can’t take this anymore,” I murmur, getting up from my bed. “I need to face that beast and ask for answers,” I added as I stood up and headed to the door.

Milly welcomed me with a smile. “Going somewhere, Lady Yelina?”

“Yes,” I shortly replied. “But I want you to stay here. I want to go alone,” I told her. And before she could even think of anything, I continued, “I won’t run away. As if I have somewhere else to go,” I assured her before passing through her. “I’ll just talk with your alpha.”

“Okay, but he is not in his room now,” she said. “He’s helping the scouts check the vicinity of the fortress.”

“Oh...” I turned to her. “Then I guess I’ll just have to ask you.”

“About what, Lady Yelina?”

I passed through her. “Come to my room and close the door,” I told her before I entered my room.

She followed me and did what I told her to. I then told her to find a seat and when she did, I began asking, “How was Helen?”

“She’s a responsible vessel, Lady Yelina. She treated us well,” she replied.

“Her relationship with your alpha?”

“I am sorry but I cannot tell anything related to Alpha Zachary. It’s best if you ask him yourself,” she answered.

I hissed in dismay before I slowly nod. “Fine; I will ask him later. Inform me as soon as he gets back.”

“Yes, Lady Yelina.”

“Okay. You may go out now. I’ll take a nap while waiting for him to be back,” I told her before I threw myself on my bed.

“But you haven’t eaten anything yet,” she pointed out. “You did not even eat the food I prepared for you,” she added.

I looked at the bedside table and the tray of food is no longer there. She might have thrown it away already. And now that she mentioned it, I felt my stomach growling like a furious beast. My cheeks heated up in embarrassment since the sound was too loud to not be heard by her.

She let out a chuckle while covering her mouth. “Come with me, Lady Yelina. Let me prepare something for you to eat while we wait for the alpha’s return,” she says, grabbing my wrist. “Come on. I also want you to meet the others. They are all excited to get to know you.”

I was not able to do anything when she started dragging me out of the room. We went downstairs and I was immediately greeted by the people working in the grand hall. They wagged their tails and flashed their bright smiles, showing their canine fangs. “Lady Yelina, welcome to our domain!”

I could not stop myself from smiling at them. They are just too adorable to ignore.

“Everyone in this fortress has their own job to do,” Milly said, smiling. “Some are tasked to clean, to farm, to cook, to scout, and any other works that are beneficial for the fortress and its people,” she added.

“How many are you here?” I asked, looking at the people around. Most of them look just around my age.

“We’re a hundred, Lady Yelina, including the alpha,” she answered. “But the pack will keep on growing as time pass by,” she said before she giggles, and I don’t quite understand what was that for, but I somehow felt it was meant for me. I don’t know. “This is the dining hall,” she said as soon as we entered a spacious room. There are four sets of long tables. Above are a line of three massive chandeliers. “This is where all of us eat together, and you’ll soon join us.”

My eyes roamed around the place. Everything I see reminds me of the medieval age.

“Let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll introduce you to the cook squad.”

I followed her and she led me to a smaller room. There are tools and utensils everywhere as well as ingredients. There are also massive chunks of meat hanging near the window. At the side of the room are four women wearing black aprons. They are currently peeling potatoes but they stopped as soon as they saw me.

“Lady Yelina!” they greeted in chorus before bowing their head.

“I dragged her here since I want you to meet her,” Milly said, pulling me closer to them. “She also needs something to eat, so it would be good if you prepare something while you get along with her,” she added and the four immediately moved.

“Can I help in peeling these potatoes?” I asked, grabbing one.

I saw hesitation in their eyes but I smiled at them. “Don’t worry, I know how to peel it,” I assured them which was all a lie. I was never allowed to hold anything that might bruise or cut me back in the mortal realm. But now that I am no longer there, I want to try thing I wasn’t able to do so.

“Please be careful, Lady Yelina, we don’t want to be scolded by the Alpha,” one of them said.

“Don’t worry, if he scolds you, I’ll scold him back,” I assured her as I started peeling the potatoes. I bit my lower lip when I can’t seem to do it the same way they do. They are doing it with ease yet here I am, struggling to even glide the knife.

I noticed pairs of eyes looking at me so I looked up and caught them staring at me with creased forehead. “I...” I could not stop myself from blushing. “Actually, this is my first time.”

“I knew it!” one of them blurted but she immediately covered her mouth. “I am sorry, Lady Yelina. I did—”

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Josephine,” she replied.

I smiled at her. “It’s okay, Jospehine. You have nothing to worry about,” I assured her. I asked the others their names, too.

Josephine has this midnight black pair of ears, hair, and tail. The others are Mary, Risha, and Lara. The three of them has brown ears and tails and their hair are in the shade of hazelnut. All of their eyes are identical—gold in color. The only one I saw with a different shade is their alpha, Zachary.

“I knew from the moment you held the knife,” Jospehine told me. “This is how you do it, Lady Yelina.” She started guiding me until I finally got the gist on how to properly do it.

We also had some talks about my life back in the mortal realm, and they were all excited to hear my boring life, but to them, it sounded like a fairytale. And that made me realize that the life they have here is way too simple than what I had.

“It’s done,” Lara said as she put the bowl of food. “It’s still hot, so be careful, Lady Yelina.”

My stomach growled louder when the aroma of the stew hit my nose. It smells like it’s full of flavor. I can smell the scent of a foreign meat along with the herbs and spices added to it. I let it sit for a few couple of minutes for it to somehow cool down.

“How does it taste?” Lara asked when I took a sip. They all went quiet, waiting for my response.

“It taste...” I grinned at them. I can see their anticipation. “It taste good,” I added and I saw relief in their faces, even Milly.

While I was eating, we talked over some random things. I was able to learn that the meat they use was from a wild boar the hunters caught. I asked them a few more questions about the environment and it made me realize that it is not that different to where I came from.

The talk with them has made me feel that being here isn’t that bad at all; that I was wrong for thinking I’d live a miserable life once I cross the other world. It was actually kind of fun here. I think I will soon like this place and its people. Well, except for their alpha. I really can’t see myself liking him. Everything is awkward when he is around, and maybe it was because of ‘that’ urge that I feel whenever he comes close. It’s like there’s a force pulling me closer to him.

And I can’t help but to wonder what causes it. Did the others feel it too? I wanted to find out as soon as possible, and I know that the only one who can give me a clear answer is him alone.