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I smena has been awake for at least twenty minutes now, but she'd been unable to get out of bed. She'd managed to sit up though, but that was where it ended.

To actually think that she'd fainted the night before!

She was not even surprised at how sore and crampy she was, she'd expected it anyway. But, damn if that expectation was doing anything to alleviate the pains in her body. She cannot even move her legs!

"I feel like one, big, giant bruise." She mumbled. Then, she moaned miserably when her voice came out hoarse and cracking.

God, she'd lost her voice.

She closed her eyes, running her hand through her messy hair. He truly was not joking when he whispered into her ears in the woods that he planned to make her lose consciousness, her voice, and her ability to walk.

"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God..." She shook her head repeatedly.

"Oh, you're awake?" Came the familiar voice from the door.

Ismena looked at the older housekeeper and smiled at her, "Good morning, Mirian." Then, she looked around the bedroom like a historical chamber of an aristocrat, with all the curtains drawn closed she could not see outside. "Wait, it is morning right?"

"Your voice is gone! Oh, you poor thing. No, my lady, it's evening. You slept the whole day away," She crossed the bedroom to the table to drop the neatly folded bedsheets she came in with.

"The whole day!?" Ismena gasped, horrified.

"Yes," The older woman went ahead to open all the curtains as she spoke, "But it is a great thing, my lady. A lady needs as much rest as she can get."

"What about Wolfe?"

"Wolfe?" For a second, Mirian was confused. "Oh, you mean the Alpha King? He has been in his study all day. You know he is a very busy male as he is in charge of all of us. He came here from time to time to check up on you while you were sleeping too."

"He did?" She might be feeling dull from such a long sleep, but her mind was clearly awake, replaying all about last night to her. Her cheeks warmed pleasantly.

Do not forget that he almost sent you back to your maker too. Her head reminded her.

Mirian came and sat down beside her on the bed, "Take a look at those grab-marks, and that bite on your neck...! Oh, you poor thing."

Ismena smiled awkwardly and covered her neck with her hair.

The older woman patted her hand consolingly, "Do not worry, my dear. I have some ointments for those bruises and sore muscles. I will mix it in your water. You will feel so much better after your bath. "

"Thank you so much, Mirian." Ismena meant it too, the woman is a savior.

"You know, I slept in my room at the downstairs of this tower the night before and I pitied you so much, my dear. Oh, I did not eavesdrop, trust me, the King will have my head for that. But, I did overhear you a few times."

Ismena ducked her head shyly.

Mirian shook her head, "It's alright, my dear. You cannot blame the king, you know. You are his mate. And when you both are still unmated, the hunger can be so driving and sometimes, very uncontrollable."

Ismena needed to know, "Does it mean that it... goes away after the couple's mate?"

"Oh no, my dear. It never goes away. Ever.

" She smiled, "But, it regulates. Now, nature and the mating pheromones are forcing you both to do what needs to be done, but once the mating ritual is completed, these two are satisfied and takes a few steps back.

Your love for each other and your bond created at the mating ritual as lifemates continues. "

"My love, Odin and I have been mated for over forty years now, and that fire still burns between us. We do not need the full moon night which lights the werewolves up with the intense fire of craving sexual intimacy to get closer to each other because our love—our bond—is strong."

Ismena envied the light that shines from her eyes as she speaks about her husband. It is so obvious, the love she has for her husband.

"At the beginning, it was like this too.

" She continued, smiling with memories, "We could not keep our hands off each other.

I was among the lucky changelings that found their mates early.

Odin and I found each other when I was seventeen, and he was twenty-four.

We had to wait for me to reach eighteen to mate because it was the right thing to do. "

"Usually, the mating heat starts coming from eighteen years old but mine started at seventeen.

It was hard to keep our hands off each other, you can understand what I am trying to say.

A month to my eighteenth birthday, we started being intimate in secret.

" Her cheeks flamed, "Of course, the hunger gets worse with every sexual intimacy between us without the mating ritual and it's even harder on the males.

So, once Odin started touching me, he couldn't stop. "

"So, he was...uhh...like this? Like Wolfe?" Somehow, it made Ismena feel better that she wasn't the only person that has ever gone through this.

"Close. The Alpha King is the Alpha King, so I'm sure it must’ve been different for you.

..much worse. He is infamous for his insatiability after all—most of our Alphas are.

" She grinned, "But, my point is, I understand what you're going through because I've been there too.

I just pity you so much, my dear, because you are not like us.

I do not know why he hasn't mated you yet. " She finished in a baffling tone.

But, Ismena knows. Her heart tightened at the reminder.

The older woman does not know that there will never be any mating ritual between her and the Alpha King. It hurt.

She pushed the unexpected pain away. Don't even start, Ismena. You knew what you were going in for when you entered into this physical relationship with him.

Mirian continued on, "Heaven knows that I cannot wait to see him mated and happy. He has been through so much! So much...!" Her throat choked up, she had to stop talking and take a deep breath to get herself under control again.

When it seems she has achieved that, she gave Ismena a small smile, "Anyway, I want to help you."

"To help?" Ismena asked, curiously .

Mirian took Ismena's hand into hers again.

"The Alpha King is a man of his words. He never breaks his promises and his word, when given, is gold.

That is an advantage on your part, my lady.

Anytime you are not ready for a marathon, you get him to agree on the rounds you can go.

At least, until the mating ritual is performed and the heat regulates. "

"If you want to go two rounds, you get him to agree to it and give his word before anything. I'm sure it's going to work." Mirian whispered confidently.

Ismena said nothing, but she was giving it some thought.

Mirian stood up then, smiling warmly. "So, while you keep that in mind and give it some thought, I'm going to get your healing bath ready.

The Alpha King cannot know I gave you this advice though because he will have my head for it.

But I could not help it. We females have to stick together and help each other out too. "

"Thank you so much, Mirian," Ismena said, sincerely. More than the advice, she was happy that the woman loves her enough to even give it and trusts her enough to tell her about her own life.

"You're welcome, my lady." The older woman inclined her head respectfully, "Now, I need to change that bed sheet, so, if you can get up and sit on any of those chairs, I'll be grateful."

"Actually, I wanted to use the bathroom but I can't...uhh...I can't get up." She blurted out, blushing furiously. God, this is so embarrassing!

"You can't get up—Oh, Oh, of course." The confusion cleared from Mirian's face. "Sorry, I forgot to think of that. I'll help you."

Ismena wanted to bury her head somewhere and allow the world to pass away. She cleared her throat, "Okay... Thank you."

Mirian saw her embarrassment and smiled warmly at her before she walked over to lift her up from the bed .

"I'll have the medicine man get something for that sore voice of yours too."

Kassandra stood between Alphose and Eline in front of a huge door of the Alpha King's study. Alphose knocked once.

"Come in."

The first thought that popped into Sandra's head was that the voice behind the door held power. As deep as a rich, expensive wine.

Alphose opened the door wide, entered, and stepped back to give her and Eline space to enter. Eline walked in before her, and she followed closely behind.

"A very good evening to you, Alpha King." Eline bowed her head in greeting as soon as she stepped into the study.

"A very good evening to you too, Eline." The voice answered.

Automatically, Sandra followed the sound of that voice and—

She practically froze. She heard the door close behind her, and as she looked at the man in front of her, she could not bring her legs to move forward an inch.

A man? No, this is not a man.

Even if she was still in Oklahoma—still unaware of the existence of this world—and she ran into a male like this man sitting behind that huge throne-like chair, she would know instantly that he is not human.

A human does not look like this. Ever.

The unusual color of his hair was a dead giveaway. Pale-yellow gold and snow-white silver color? Who has hair like that! ?

And then, his face...

Sandra swallowed once. Twice.

She'd consider him handsome if he wasn't so scary-looking. He terrified her so much, that she lowered her head to the floor, unable to look at his face long enough to make out his features in a descriptive way.

It's not as if he has the features of a monster or anything of that sort. No, it was mostly the unfathomable air of power and authority surrounding him that makes him so terrifying.

"You must be the human I have heard so much about." His voice boomed.

Then, he rose from his throne.

Sandra suddenly understood what all the fuss was about. Abruptly, it dawned on her why everyone whispered his name with fear and reverence the night before. Why even strong Eline was scared of him.

"I can smell your fear, Kassandra." She started a little when Alphose whispered to her ears, so spaced out she hadn't seen him come back to stand in front of her.

She looked up at him and swallowed tightly. Her eyes found Eline who seemed to be doing everything within her powers not to laugh.

She glanced back at Alphose and swallowed again.

"I can smell it and so does everyone in this room. Keep it together. He will not hurt you." Alphose said in the gentlest tone.

"Okay, okay." She grabbed hold of his clothes though and hid behind him .

She heard the almost soundless footsteps of the Alpha King of Naturiah as he walked closer, and closer, and closer towards them. Then, he stopped.

"Like the cougar Alpha said, I will not harm you, Kassandra." His deep voice reverberated through the big room. It was gentle, but it did not have the calming effects Alphose's voice did on her.

No, it had quite to opposite. She tightened her hand on Alphose's shirt, pressing closer to him like she wanted to disappear into his back.

"Step away from her, Alphose. I need to get a closer look at her." A pause, "Step out from his back and stand before me, Kassandra."

At that command, Sandra did something utterly embarrassing.

She peed on her panties.