"Please don’t hurt me." She whispered, blocking her face with her hand as she leaned against the wall. He felt broken as she stumbled backwards from him. Wasn’t she aware of werewolves?
"You don’t need to be afraid." He said softly. "I won’t hurt you."
Her heart still raced. "What are you? You just turned into a monster."
"I’m not a monster, Blossom. I’m a werewolf. Have you also forgotten about werewolves?"
She didn’t respond. Her chest continued rising and falling from the fear she felt. Her silence confirmed his question. She had forgotten that too.
"We are all werewolves here. We transform into wolves. We live in packs, but..." He paused, knowing the last detail wasn’t easy to be revealed. "I’m a rogue. We are all rogues here, cast out of our packs and struggling to survive on cursed lands."
She frowned slightly, trying to put the pieces together. "And that thing you fought?"
"It’s still a rogue, but not one of us. It chose to roam about and attack people instead of surviving." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novelꞁire.net
He continued talking about the lore surrounding werewolves, but she barely listened. He followed her gaze to see her eyes resting on his groin region.
"You should put on some clothes." She mumbled, her cheeks reddened and she looked away.
Trevor paused, seeming a bit startled. "My apologies," he said, grabbing a cloak by the door and wrapping it around his waist.
"Do I also have a wolf?" Maria asked out of genuine curiosity.
"You’re a werewolf, so you should have one, except you didn’t receive one on your 18th birthday."
Trevor studied her carefully, checking if it was the right time to tell her the truth. "Among werewolves, there is a mate bond which attracts two of them, like a couple. Blossom, you’re my mate."
"Mate? So, we’re a couple?"
"It’s deeper than that, and yes, we are couples." He reached out to hold her hand, and she didn’t hesitate to place hers in his. He led her inside. He could see that she still had a lot of questions to ask. Perhaps she was bothered about the mate lore, and he’d make sure he explained it to her gradually.
Time for dinner arrived and there were more people at the dining hall, compared to the empty castle she saw all day. Trevor had put on proper clothes. The table was lined with bread, meat and sauce. The rogues bowed their heads respectfully as Trevor walked forward, though he casually waved them back to their seats.
Maria hesitated by the doorway, unsure if she should join them.
Trevor noticed her. "You’ll sit by me Blossom." He said, gently pulling a chair beside his.
She settled in the chair. A few curious gazes drifted towards her. Trevor made no effort to hide their presence, instead he nodded for them to speak freely.
A burly man with a deep voice leaned forward. "She’s the one the king saved, isn’t she?"
The man smiled warmly. "Welcome Blossom, I’m Devon. I was cast out of my pack in Lycanthia for stealing from a merchant who deserved it." His grin widened, showing a missing tooth. "I’ve been living with King Trevor since."
Next to him, a young woman with brown hair spoke. "I’m Kira. I burned my father’s field the day he tried to marry me off to a brute twice my age."
Maria turned towards Trevor. "And why were you cast out?"
Trevor pointed towards another man at the table. "This is Grok. He was thrown from his pack when he was framed for a crime."
"I see more men than women," she murmured to him.
Trevor felt relieved that he had been able to change the subject from him. He nodded and sipped his drink. "Men commit more offenses than women." He leaned closer to her, his voice lower. "But you don’t need to fear them, no one will ever touch you."
"You’re different from what I imagined a king to be."
"I don’t believe in ruling through fear."
He spoke as a true protector. She admired his calm leadership spirit. Kings rarely ate with their subjects.
The dinner continued with them chattering among themselves. Devon cracked several jokes. He was the funny one among them.
As the dinner ended, the plates were cleared and others began leaving. When he was finally alone with her, he opened a drawer by the corner and retrieved something. It was a contraption of wood and metal.
He handed it to her. "It’s a defense tool. I’m worried that it’s not safe out there, especially as you can’t defend yourself with your wolf. If danger comes, pull this lever and the blades spring out." He explained.
She examined it with wonder. It was beautifully crafted. She did as he instructed and the blades sprung out. "You made this?"
He nodded. "Every rogue carries one."
"Thank you." She said with a smile.
Trevor hesitated before asking. "Did you feel any change when that wolf tried to attack you? Like a primal instinct stirring inside you."
She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, just fear."
"Then maybe the wolf inside you is still asleep. We can train together on how you can find her."
"I like that. Finally I’d be able to transform." She said gleefully.
"Goodnight Blossom. I’m a bit tired." Trevor said with a yawn.
When Maria returned to her room, Alice was already there, pouring her a small cup of tonic and preparing a bath for her. Trevor had assigned her to take care of Maria.
"You’re just in time." Alice said warmly. "Drink this before you sleep."
Maria collected the cup and drank slowly. "Alice, are you a werewolf too?"
Alice chuckled softly. "Yes dear, though not as strong as the king."
"He told me we are mates."
"Ah. So he told you." Alice leaned against the table with bright eyes. "It means the moon paired your souls, you and him are bound together."
"Very real and quite rare for rogues. I suspected it from the start from the way he looked at you and the smell."
"I can smell his pheromones each time he’s with you. He’s trying very hard to restrain himself."
Maria nearly choked. "Pheromones?"
"Only mates are supposed to scent each other’s pheromones, but I was born with a sharper sense of smell." Alice said proudly. "I can also sense emotions, fear, even desire. It’s a blessing and a curse."
"Can others smell it too?"
"Not like I can. It depends if you have Veilwood blood in you, then you can have such gifts."
Maria nodded slowly, more intrigued by Alice’s revelations. "The pheromones sound a bit embarrassing."
"Not at all. It means the bond is growing. If you want to know more, the library has books on wolf bonds and mating rituals."
"Maybe I’ll read about it later."
Alice smiled and gathered the empty cup. "Have your bath and rest well dear. Goodnight."
When she left, the room grew quiet again. Maria stepped into the bath and afterwards, put on the new dress Alice laid out for her. She couldn’t sleep. Curiosity tugged at her to go to the library.
She got out of the room and followed the path Alice had described. The library’s doors creaked open, revealing rows of shelves stacked with books. The air was a bit dusty and cobwebs hung around. She wondered if people hardly came here.
She trailed her fingers along the spines of the books until she found one titled: "The Lunar Bond, The mating of wolves"
Her hand trembled slightly as she lifted the heavy book. She opened it, reading in silence about bonds, instinct and transformations.
Then, something broke the silence. A sound, faint at first like a muffled sob.
Her heart thudded and she lifted her head from the book. The sound came again, sounding louder from the far end of the library. "Could there be someone else here?" She asked herself.
She followed it and at the far corner, the shelves gave way to a hidden narrow staircase leading downwards.
The air grew colder as she descended the stairs. Maybe there was a child stuck down there.
"Hello, is someone there?"
The path opened into a dimly lit space with two fire torches on the wall. Rows of iron bars lined small compartments which looked like prisons.
A frail woman sat behind one of the bars, her hair was tangled, and her skin extremely pale and sickly. Tears streaked down her face. When she lifted her head to face Maria, her voice broke. "Help me," she whispered.
Maria’s nerves were shaken. She stepped closer, curling her finger against the cold metal bar. This woman looked skinny like she hadn’t eaten in days. "Who are you?" she asked in a voice full of uncertainty.
The woman’s lips quivered and more tears ran down her face. "Please, don’t let him find me again."
Maria’s blood ran cold, confusion written over her face. "Who?" She asked in a whisper.