My uncle, who I still don’t know the name of, told me to wait back in my room for a girl who would help me with adjusting to my life. I went back to the same room I woke up in this morning. It looked the same as the one I had been living in for 18 years but without the smell of urine and arousal which I stained it with last night. Even though the rooms looked exactly the same, I was still glad I didn’t go back to the old one. It was a chapter of a new beginning.
I moved my body closer to the mirror on the wall and looked at my reflection. My red hair, sticky with sweat, was falling over my breasts. My green eyes stared blankly back at myself. Only then did the realization of last night come rushing into my head. My body still ached from the pain caused by the absence of his touch.
I was being openly horny for my own father. How can I ever face him again? I was disgusted with myself. It made me sick to the stomach. But then again, it was not really under my control. He could have shown more empathy. Instead, he chose to insult me.
I heard timid footsteps behind me and I knew they belonged to no laric.
"Hello, Sarai. My name is Natasa. I am here to inform you about what is about to happen in the next two weeks."
"I thought no she- wolf was allowed to stay in here after they get fu*ked by males." I said with my back facing her.
"I am no she- wolf, Sarai. I work for your father and I would appreciate some respect or I will be forced to report it to him."
I sniffed the air. She was human. Slowly, like deer in a red light, I turned towards her. It was the first time I had seen a human. She was quite small. Around five feet. Are all humans that short? She was perhaps a bit older than I was. Her eyes held a certain pride. It was indeed a great honor for a human to be trusted with the knowledge of our world, let alone allowed to work for the oldest werewolf pack. It bothered me when I noticed how high she held her head around. It was too high, distasteful even, for someone standing in front of royalty. Even werewolves coming from patrician families would show more respect than that.
"Why would a human work for my father? Is he paying you well?"
"I am here to discuss your situation, princess. Let's not make this encounter any longer than it should be."
I remained silent and she continued.
"In two weeks there will be a great meeting held in this residence. Werewolves from all over the world are coming with only one desire. To start a war with your father. They plan on doing that by accusing him of sparing the life of his own mate- to be precise, your life. They hope it will enrage other packs. If they prove it right, you are on your own. Your father won't start a war over you- do you understand?"
"Or maybe you hope he will turn you into a werewolf. Only the original werewolf could do that and I bet you already knew that. "
"Princess, concentrate on yourself instead of me. You have a lot on your own plate to think about. Like, saving your own life. If the mate bond becomes confirmed, don't doubt, he will give your life, right there, in exchange for peace."
“How can I fool them, Natasha? One sniff at me and they will know. It is useless.”
“You are forgetting that only your father’s pack, Blood pack, can tell by sniffing. Wolves from other packs don’t have that enhanced smell. Fortunately, your father's pack is okay with your existence, as long as you don’t consummate your mate bond. I am afraid other packs won’t be that tolerant.“
“I still fail to see how my existence would bother foreign packs, where, ironically, each pack member has its own mate. It is hypocritical.”
She sneered at me as If I insulted her somehow.
“The only hypocritical thing here- is you being alive, while so many others were stripped of that same privilege.”
I looked at her with pure hatred in my eyes. I didn’t even try to hide it.
“And it won’t bother them. They are hoping it will bother our own Blood pack but more so other packs where they also killing their own mates."
I looked at her confused.
“Did you really think Blood pack was the only one doing it? There are many places in Russia where your father has absolute power and where he enforces his rules. Silver Knife pack, White Bird pack, Broken Glass pack, and that’s just a few of the many.”
My body involuntarily shivered and she didn’t miss it.
“If they come to understand who you are, what you are, they will tear you apart. Royal or not, they won't give a sh*t.”
“How will they test me? What can I even do?”
“They will only test him and, as for you, you just need to control your own wetness around him, because even the lowest ranked wolf can smell it. Also, you shouldn't say anything stupid, preferably nothing at all."
"They will only test him?" I repeated her words, confused.
"Yes, but you don't have to worry about that. They will put you as a participant in a traditional game called circle and your father has to remain unbothered to whatever... happens."
I felt as if a hundred needles went through my body, piercing each and every part of me. I heard about that game long ago. The girl has to run inside the circle before wolves get to her. If she doesn't, they take their turns on her. They used to play those games on human girls, never she- wolves. It was very disrespectful.
She smiled when she noticed me recognizing the game she was talking about.
"But you don't have to worry. Your father will remain unbethered to whatever happens."
While straightening my back, I didn't even notice that I was holding on to the sink all this time. With my 5'9, I walked towards her small posture with upright steps. The heels must have made me even taller and more intimidating in her eyes.
"I just figured why you work here, Natasha. Perhaps it is a different kind of p*****t you get here, so tell me, are you exclusive or does the whole pack take turns?"
I didn't wait for her response. With a quick movement, I planted my teeth in her neck and tried to tear out her throat. It was my first time and I struggled. It was messy and I guess I didn't hit the right sport because she fought back. Vigorously. She managed to scratch my face and, in surprise, I loosened my grip on her neck. I tried to disable her with my hands but she got ahead of me and scratched me again, this time deeper and I let her neck free of my bite.
She stumbled back and reached for the door to escape when someone came into the room, probably smelling blood. I recognized Laric 2. After seeing what was happening, it took him a moment to put the puzzles together. He grabbed Natasa by the neck, only his hand keeping her in a straight position, and observed her wound.
She tried to say something but instead of words only streams of blood came out of her mouth. Next thing I know, he snapped her neck, as one would do with a rag doll.
As he looked at me angrily, I clutched my knees panting with her blood smeared across my face.
"I saved her from what would be a very painful death."
"And here I thought you were giving me a hand." I tried to smile.
He ignored my teasing.
"She was the companion of Laric 1. She may not be his mate, but he loved her and, more importantly, he marked her as his."
"So what?"
"You may be from the original bloodline but she still belonged to the highest ranking Laric."
"She insulted me! You didn't hear what she said to me."
"So what?" He purposely chose the same words I did merely seconds ago.
"To be accurate, even as a human, she was lawfully inside these walls and thereby had more rights than you have."
What he truly meant was that I should have been dead a long time ago. It became clear to me that even my own pack was merely tolerating my existence.
I had nothing. Even me, being from the original werewolf bloodline, couldn't clean up the stain that the mate bond caused.
My father's mercy was the only thing keeping me alive in this place. But somehow they still thought I didn't have enough of his protection to be given the respect I should have had.
"You had no right to take her life. You will be held accountable." With those words he left.