Page 20

“Y es, I hired a lot of women,” I answer one of the officers in the office on Saturday morning.

I haven’t seen one she-wolf at these daily warriors’ meetings. I get why they are curious about it, so I elaborate.

“Especially mates, if they’re willing, because they can mind-link each other even in human form. But I always anticipate them not wanting to fight while pregnant. Which can be quite often with true mates. The lives of baby pups should always be our priority. That’s whose future we are fighting for, right?”

Unless you are a Rogue Prince. My eyes go to Cain.

He’s barely said a word to me, I realize now, since the morning a few days ago when I told him that he acted very unprofessional. That if he really considers me as his future General?which I’m sure he does, judging by the way he keeps testing me against other officers?he has to start treating me the same way he treats them. And a blowjob for a penalty is not it.

I think he disagrees.

“Unless you fight for power,” I add nonchalantly, finally making Cain talk.

“I fight for the power of my future children,” he says and then looks down, turning a pen in his fingers.

He seems bored. Again. I’m starting to think it is just his go-to look that is supposed to hide his real emotions.

“Plural, my Alpha?” I lift my brow.

A few soldiers snicker in the background but stop when Cain gives them his signature death stare .

“Unless there is a new King, who is willing to write a new decree with the blood of my father, I advise you to get used to the thought that our children will be made to fight each other—to the death—at some point in their early adult lives,” this time he looks straight at me.

“Yes, Alpha,” I bow my head to hide the roll of my eyes at this blood-of-his-father-nonsense, because I have every intention of acting professionally myself.

I will never have more than one kid with the Rogue Prince. I’m ready to kill them myself before they lose their precious innocence by being brought up by this murderer—just to slaughter their siblings!

“How do you manage people? Normal humans?” Asks another officer. Maybe he is curious, or maybe he just wants to defuse the tension.

“What do you mean? They have their problems and their own governments, so we don’t deal with them. They used to know about our existence, but now we are only a legend that no one believes is real. And we like it that way.”

“But you can’t be yourself around them,” he is a skeptic, and I don’t blame him after watching all the werewolf kids playing freely on the streets, in their true forms, every day.

It’s enchanting and looks so freeing.

“But it’s peaceful and safer for us,” I argue. “Human nature is horrible. When they are scared, they are ready to do anything. No one wants nuclear war, that would wipe all of us out.”

I go back to the reports of the attacks up north that I was reading before they started to shower me with questions.

“Am I the only one who is concerned about this?” I ask finally.

“It’s just minor problems here and there,” says Officer Rein.

“Can I get a pen, Alpha?”

Cain looks at me, annoyed, but throws me his pen anyway.

I give him the reports after adding zeros to all the numbers.

“Reread it, and don’t tell me it doesn’t look like war efforts, Alpha,” I add a bow again, realizing that only his Beta could get away with my tone by just adding Alpha at the end.

I had to do more, especially as a woman. Ughh.

Cain looks at me for longer than necessary, in complete silence might I add, then rolls his eyes and reads the reports again.

“Fuck. You are right. Everybody out, wait for my command to come back. Officer Asher, stay.”

I stand before his desk at attention, straight back, and lifted chin. The doors shut behind me.

“Do you want to add anything else, now that no one can question your abilities because of your pussy?”

I already know I won’t be able to attend the rest of the meeting. He’s just one step away from sending me to the city with Atlas. No matter how good I am, because of my pussy, he doesn’t give me any real chance for the officer position—and that stings.

But I swallow my pride.

“Can I at least start some Luna duties? I’ll go wherever I’m needed. Your Gamma already showed me where your mini wolves—”

“No.”

I narrow my eyes.

“Do you not want me to because you plan to kill me anyway? Is that it?”

He chuckles shortly.

“No. We’ve never had a Luna. We’re good.”

“I wish I could go back in time and tell that to my Luna duties teacher,” I scoff, meaning every word. I hated that crone.

Cain lifts his eyebrows at me, taken aback .

“You had Luna lessons? Why? Isn’t it just… being nurturing and, um, baby-friendly or something?”

Oh Goddess, they really have no idea here what a true Luna is supposed to be.

“Miss Tarraby would hit your hands with a ruler for that incompetent statement,” I smile at him, but my fingers have phantom burning. “And well… even if it is just being nurturing and other baby-friendly stuff, I think you forget I’m a royal alpha by blood, just like you. I’m not any of those things.”

He leans back in his office chair and looks at me with his navy-blue eyes with a hint of interest.

“I can assure you, all the politeness you’ll ever see in me,” I continue, “Is just behavior rooted in me by royal teachers; who had to prepare me for finding my true mate in some regular Alpha, below my royal status. In my heart, I’m a possessive ruler with anger issues. Just. Like. You.”

“You do have anger issues, don’t you?” he asks with a sexy, amused smirk.

I almost growl at him, which only proves his point.

“Atlas will be busy. I’m sending him away for a mission at night. You can take my delta.”

I want to ask about the mission, but it hits me… Cain has a delta.

“You have a delta?”

What else? Kappa? Are we a college sorority? I bit my tongue after the first question, though.

“Okay, you’ll go with my beta, then,” he says firmly, probably disliking my tone.

Who has anger issues now, huh?

“You know I can’t be left alone with your beta.” I protest, and he bursts out laughing. “It’s not funny! Last time he cut my dress open… who knows what he’ll—”

“He’s gay,” Cain interrupts me with another roll of his eyes .

“Wait, really?”

“Hundred percent. He only likes dicks. I’m sure of that.”

I look at him dumbfounded for a minute.

“You took a gay guy as your beta?” I bend down with a deep sigh and a hand on my chest, my heart fluttering after all the pent-up stress. “Such a fucking relief! I was terrified of the possibility of spending a lifetime with a homophobe, and you are… fine!”

“Why would you assume I am a homophobe?” He asks, almost offended. “Wait. I’m a fucking murderer, and you were terrified I don’t accept queer people?”

And he uses the word ‘queer’? I could cry with happiness right now!

“I can get past the murder thing, but being an intolerant asshole is a no-no for me. I was determined to change your mind if I had to. You won’t believe how many imaginary conversations I practiced, just in case!”

“Okay…” He gives me a weird look. “Go grab my gay beta and get out already. See you at dinner.”

I run up to him to kiss him in the spur of the moment, and he bites my lip. “Go already!”

“Yes, Alpha!” I salute him and go to the doors, where I hesitate for a moment.

“Just say it,” he huffs.

“Do I need to freshen up on my Greek alphabet?” I’m facing the still-closed doors so he can’t see the grin on my face.

He sighs, so I control my face and turn around to him. He puts on black leather gloves and takes something from his desk drawer.

“It’s a huge pack that I intended to divide between my alpha-blooded officers and beta, after my coronation.”

I look mesmerized as he polishes the blade of his sword with something I’m assuming is silver tonic, but I still manage to catch the past tense he just used .

“Intended?”

He shrugs. “I didn’t know I’d get married, and have kids who could inherit my alpha prince position.”

“Do you really want to have kids with me?” My voice reeks of skepticism.

He looks up at me, fully amused. “What part of ‘provide an heir’ in our peace agreement did you not understand?”

“Oh shit, really?” I burst into a short laugh. “Uhm. Sorry. To be honest I didn't pay much attention to it after all the military stuff was over.”

“Of course, you didn't. You were too occupied with checking me out.”

“Well. You are hot and I was bored, and it’s not like you included me in the conversation anyway.”

He smirks but goes back to polishing.

“Do we have a copy?” I ask. “Was it worded that way? Provide? Can we adopt it? Can we hire someone else? What does provide mean exactly?”

He sighs heavily and slowly looks back at me, his navy-blue eyes drilling into my soul.

“You are still very young, and we are not true mates, so stop stressing about it—for a few years at least. I meant what I said to my father. It’s your body.”

We are true mates, I think bitterly, but it doesn’t matter. I nod, glad he isn’t as medieval as his castle.

“So, Beta With No Name, why I am not allowed to stay for the whole meeting?” I ask on our way to the town market.

“They usually end with the King coming for an official report,” he doesn’t spare me a glance.

“I’m not afraid of the King,” I scoff.

I mean, I am, but not to the point I would mind being in the same room for a meeting. Come on. It could be interesting!

“You are the only one, then.”

I look at him skeptically.

“You aren’t telling me your Alpha is scared of anyone, even the King.”

Beta looks at me, his lips pursed in a thin line. Then, after a moment, he looks back straight forward.

“Alpha is not afraid of the King, but he is afraid for you.”

I furrow my brows.

“What do you mean?”

Did Cain tell him that I am scared of the King? I knew it was too honest…

“You wear pants.”

“What do you mean?” I ask again, looking down at my black skinny jeans and leather jacket. It’s getting chilly here up North.

“The King doesn’t like women in pants, in the castle. He likes to show it by ripping them off, then raping them for good measure.”

I stand still instantly.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

That would explain a lot . All these werewolf women in narrow-waisted old school dresses, that are no-fit for a quick shift. Cain asking me to change into one the first day; and even my advisors asking me to wear traditional attire for the meeting with The Rogue King before the wedding!

“Why does he let me wear pants at all, then?”

Beta looks briefly at me again and shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe he wants you to be free to dress as you please. ”

We arrive at the natural hair stuff stand, so I leave the topic for now and pick up my order.

“Why is it purple?” I ask about the conditioner in one of the bottles.

“That’s for the anti-brass effect we talked about,” says a young wolf girl, whose silky, ass-length black hair is the ultimate goal.

“Ah, mm-hm, okay, thank you.” I did ask for my hair to look more pinkish than orange.

I used to dye it bubble-gum-pink with washable shampoo, before my advisors asked me to stop and leave it natural for the visit from the Rogue King.

I wonder if he rapes girls with tinted hair too.

Atlas already paid for my order a few days ago, so we just say our goodbyes and stroll in the direction of the parlor where I have a sugar paste waxing appointment.

“So, your Alpha—”

“He’s your Alpha, too,” The Beta interrupts immediately.

We don’t like each other, it’s clear, but he answers all my questions with raw honesty, so I take what I can.

“So. Our Alpha. He lets me wear what I want and just helps me avoid the King? It’s… too nice. It doesn’t seem like him.”

“It doesn’t? Dude ran out of an important meeting just to wipe your tears,” Beta says, annoyed at my questioning.

“Dude? Did you just call Rogue Alpha Prince a dude?” I stifle a laugh.

“Whatever,” he murmurs with a scoff. “My point is, Alpha is pussy whipped.”

I look up at him. Surprisingly, he looks honest again. Hmm. Am I missing something here? Cain, whipped ?

When we enter the dining hall a few hours later, Cain is already seated at the long table and smiling at me from afar, leaning back in his throne-like chair. His black hair is ruffled, his torso naked, and his abs being touched by some laughing girl with breasts spilling dangerously out of her empire-cut dress.