Lessons in submission
1732 Words
Luciano's POV
"The troops are ready and recruitment has been promising." Cross said.
"Keep those numbers up. I'll stop by later to examine their skills myself."
"Of course, Alpha."
"You may leave." Cross bowed out and I faced the two most important people in my business and pack. Natasha and Mikah.
"Natasha, what do you have for me?"
"There's word on the streets that there is a new drug out. Distributors are laying low and you can't get a hit unless you know them."
I grunted. "Is the drug any good?"
"Days after the release, the FDA listed it."
"Sounds good to me." I smiled. "Put feelers out on the street. Get those who are deep in drug debts to acquire this drug for us. Promise them drugs, money. I want that drug here by tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Alpha." Natasha bowed and walked out of the room her dark ponytail and hips swaying with her movement, one of my most ruthless drug lords.
I turned to Mikah. "Talk to me."
"The Alphas are restive. The Cavanos are working in with Vitalio Bianchi to find Arabella."
"Are they onto us yet?"
"No not yet, Alpha. We covered our tracks well."
"Maybe a little too well." I mused. Did Vitalio really not suspect me? I had expected him to be at my doorstep this morning demanding I return his daughter but it would seem like he had made too many enemies that he didn't know who to suspect.
Maybe I could aid his investigation, drop a few hints along the line so that I would have him where I wanted him. I filed that away for later. Arabella still needed to be trained before she could see her father.
"The other Alphas?"
"Everyone is beefing up security and stockpiling arms to prepare in case of a pack war."
"Do the same here as well." I smirked. With everyone stockpiling arms and increasing security, Vitalio would have no idea who was actually holding Arabella.
Mikah bowed before continuing his report.
"Our new shipment of weapons has sold out.'
"Place an order for a new one. We will make crazy sales with this pseudo pack war that everyone is gearing up for."
"I already have, Alpha however the border security has increased in the past month, we might not be able to move them as easily as before."
I waved away his concerns. "I'll put a call across to some people. Just get the merchandise in place in time."
"Yes, Alpha."
I nodded pleased with the intelligence report so far.
"Our homefront, how is the situation?"
Mikah hesitated.
"The men, Cross in particular, have let word spread about Arabella and how you spared her."
I nodded. I had expected that. Just not from Cross. I filed it to the back of my head.
"The pack, how do they feel about it?"
"Mixed feelings. Some feel you are betraying your parents memory by sparing her, some praise your magnanimity and very few feel that Arabella Bianchi has ensnared you."
I scoffed but I understood the sentiment behind the statement. The latter opinion however would soon change due to the move I made this morning before leaving for my study.
"And Uncle Tommaso?"
It wasn't that I didn't trust my uncle, it was just that he had taught me too well for me to not cover all my bases.
"He's been inquiring discreetly about Arabella's abduction and the situation at the Bianchi household."
"Nothing suspicious?"
"None, Alpha."
I nodded. It was like I had expected. "Keep watching him just in case. Anything else I should know about?"
Micah looked faintly uncomfortable as he spoke.
"Your Uncle has begun to look for prospective brides for you."
I mentally face palmed. Of course he would do that. I should have seen it coming.
We had had this conversation many times about my mating ceremony. He knew I believed love was a weakness. Hell he agreed with me, but he'd thought we needed staunch allies in our war against Vitalio. I'd told him I wasn't giving up my harem and freedom to marry some frigid b***h and gain worthless allies.
He had let it go after I continued to expand our business, empire and lands without needing allies. He must have started this up again because he was afraid I'd fall for Arabella.
Like that would ever happen. The s*x was good but I'd had better lays that weren't constantly trying to tempt me into marking them by feigning naivety.
She had been a virgin, I knew, from the blood, her reactions and how tightly she gripped me. But virginity wasn't equal to naivety. She'd acted all naive until I'd taken her then she'd shown her true colors as the w***e she was.
Yeah, Uncle Tommaso had nothing to worry about.
My wolf was sated and my plans for revenge were well underway.
"You may leave Mikah."
My spymaster bowed and exited the room.
I looked down at the written copies of their reports, petitions from members of the pack, account statements for me to peruse. I settled in and got to work.
*****
Arabella's POV
"Your legs need to be farther apart."
I adjusted it.
Her thin cane found its way to my back and left me with a burning sting and I knelt with a straight back, my knees parted and my hands behind my head lifting my boobs up astronomically.
Since I got myself out of the handcuffs, today had moved from shameful to bizarre.
Margaret had taken me from the room to instruct me on my etiquette around the Alpha alongside a crash course in what as submissive I was expected to do for and to my Master.
How to serve him. How to position myself waiting for him. How to give him a oral s*x. How to please him. How to speak to him.
I found myself equal parts irritated and fascinated.
People actually did this without being coerced and liked it?
I found out Alpha Luciano had a harem. A swear to God real harem with women just like me. Or rather women different from me because they actually liked Alpha Luciano and lived to please him.
I was to start staying with them and learning the ropes except none of them wanted to talk to me.
Maybe word had gotten around that I was Vitalio Bianchi's daughter and they didn't want anything to do with me because of that.
After I'd learnt the positioning to her liking, Margaret nodded and told me that was how I was to present myself to Alpha Luciano when next I was called upon to see him.
"What?" I thought of how embarrassing and humiliating the position was. "I don't think I can do it."
She tsked. "That tone of voice will simply not do. You must understand that serving the Alpha is a honour. Do you know how many women wish to warm his bed?"
If he had so many willing women, why was he forcing me to do it?
Because I was a Bianchi.
What exactly did he have against my family? All we had done was protect ourselves from him, his attacks and retaliate so as not to be seen as weak.
It was his family who had broken the treaty. It was he who had started raiding our cargo, ambushing our men and stealing our suppliers and buyers.
"You must present yourself in that manner or even I won't be able to save you from the punishment the Alpha will dish out to you."
Was this to be my life now? To be used day in, day out by a man I felt nothing for?
No, I had to escape from this place. Mate bond or not, I had my self respect. But first I had to know this place. All the entrances and exits. I knew we were on the Lupo-Mortale Pack lands but where exactly I couldn't tell.
Maybe if I could get a phone and put a call across to my father– no iI couldn't do that. He would bring his men over here and it would turn to an inter pack war.
Innocents would lose their lives and the other werewolf packs would pick their sides and escalate the whole affair. No, I had to escape from their pack lands altogether then I could call my dad.
Until then I couldn't afford to raise suspicion.
"Alright."
I sat alone on a lounge sittee at the harem picking at the plate of fruits the servants had shared as lunch.
The other women congregated at the other side of the room avoiding me like I had the plague or something. I could still hear their conversation though like they were next to me.
Perks of being a werewolf.
"Emery, how do you do it? The Alpha is always summoning you. Sometimes it's like he has forgotten about the rest of us." One giggled.
Emery. I remembered her. She was the one who had escorted me to see Alpha Luciano. She was stunning.
She had a milk pale complexion and fiery red hair with a light wave to it. Her features were like that of aristocracy in a lost era. She was soft, graceful, feminine yet authoritative. She was slender but perfectly proportioned. She made me feel like a bumbling troll.
Emery merely smiled at the comment not deigning to say a word.
Humble too.
Alpha Luciano must love her.
Margaret strode across the courtyard to join us and the women quietened down.
"The Alpha will grace one of your beds tonight."
"Already?" Most of them seemed surprised. It would seem it wasn't every day, he slept with one of them.
I saw Emery imperceptibly straighten up. Good for her since she liked him. Maybe he'd be so busy with her he'd forget– "Arabella, follow me to prepare yourself for the Alpha."
Wait what?
The courtyard became so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Emery sipped from her tea, her dainty hands steady. Then she spoke light and airly.
"Go ahead Arabella. You don't want to keep the Alpha waiting."
I stood up warily. While Emery's voice had been light and friendly,her gaze was anything but. It screamed bloody murder.
It would seem Alpha Luciano no longer wanted to kill me himself. He'd let his ladies do that for him instead.
- Writer
