VALERIE It was a well-known fact that werewolves were among the most attractive species on earth, but this man was something else. He looked like a prince, plucked straight from a fairytale. His hair was blond, just long enough to curl beneath his ear. His eyes the color of lightning—blue and pooling with light. He was lean, but strong. Not quite like the burly guards that accompanied the Alpha. He wore a shirt, half-buttoned that showed his pale flesh beneath, white as the marble stone we walked upon. Tangled in his arms was a human girl. She reminded me a bit of Ashley, with her pretty face and her long golden hair. She wore nothing but a thin night dress that saved little to the imagination. But despite that she was human, she was donned in fine jewelry and makeup, which made me think that she was either from a prestigious family, or she had been gifted those things by someone much more fortunate. Her face was glazed in ecstasy, and I could tell from the lost look in her eyes th
VALERIE How had I not realized? He had all the traits of a vampire: a sharp-boned, handsome face, skin the color of fresh fallen-snow—and the glinting I’d noticed must’ve been his fangs peaking out over his devious smile. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what vampires looked like, or that I wouldn’t have been able to identify one in person—but this man called Lucas was different than the vampires I’d come to know. He was larger, stronger, almost the size of a werewolf. This was unusual for vampires, who were often just as small in stature as humans. Then again, I had only met a vampire once before. It had happened at a wedding reception I’d attended with my parents and Mathilda. The bride and groom had been close family friends, and they’d celebrated their marriage at their newly acquired home in a small, quaint little village. Things were different then. There was still good in the world, and the war had not destroyed most of what we held dear. The couple were deeply in love, and th
VALERIE I followed obediently. What else was a slave to do? As long as I obeyed, he hadn’t a reason to punish me. Once we reached the top of the staircase, I allowed myself to look around for the first time. Over the banister, a large lounge room came into view. It was dark and spacious, with leather furniture and walls made of stone. A fire radiated from somewhere inside. I wondered why so much space was necessary. Who would be spending their time in such a room? We passed, and heading toward a room at the end of another long hallway. Two ornate doors awaited us, the scent of sweet oak filling the air. As we approached, I noticed the guards at the door—two on either side. The door itself was made of a tawny bronze material, looking like it weighed more than the both of us combined. Was this where I would be kept? After all, making an escape through those doors would be impossible. I supposed it was better than a locked cell. The Alpha stopped before the guards, and waited as th
VALERIE By the time I’d arrived back downstairs, the foyer had filled with the wafting scents of fresh-cooked meats and baked bread. I wasn’t sure why I had been invited to dinner when it was probably more fitting for a servant to be in the kitchen actually cooking the meal, but I couldn’t deny that the smells wreathing me were irresistible. Flavor was not something we experienced often back at the slave shop. The aunts complied to the Alpha’s orders to feed us meat and milk every week, but seasoning and sweets were something we only caught a whiff of when the windows were left open on a windy afternoon. I rounded the foyer and stood at the threshold of the dining room, watching servants buzz around the table. They dropped off platters full of food, and laid out silverware in a distinct order. The sight made me nervous. Which spoons was I meant to use? Which knives and forks? One of the servants pulled back a chair when he spotted me and gestured for me to sit beside the Alpha, ac
VALERIE The Alpha had a point. Why would those vampires have risked their privileged lives to go up against the council? The council was full of hardened, unforgiving men. They would have been deprived of their luxurious lifestyles and been put on trial immediately, if not imprisoned entirely for their crimes. It was so like the high class to think they were above the treaty. It was so like vampires to believe they were above everyone. There had to be more motive behind their crimes. Vampires we not the most powerful creatures, but they were certainly smart. Smarter than the average human, and much smarter than the average wolf. Lucas frowned. Even his frown looked pretty. “Perhaps they’re after something…more attractive?” “Yes, much more attractive,” said the Alpha. “Attractive even to you and me.” I did not miss the rough, disgruntled edges to his voice as he said, “It’s related to the prophecy.” Lucas’s frown eased into a look of interest. All hint of playfulness had vanished
ValerieSo that was it.That was why the Alpha had wanted me.It was not that he saw past my imperfections, but rather, my flaws were useful to him. He wanted to…use me.I should not have been surprised. All my life, I was made fun of for my mark. Even long before I had been taken in as a slave, children pointed and laughed when they saw it. I recalled the way the neighbor kids used to point and said, “Look! She has a stain on her neck!” And for a long while, I thought it was just that—a stain.For months, I tried to scrub it off in the bath, even making it bleed at one point. Eventually, I came to understand that it was not a stain at all. It was a part of me and I would never be rid of it.I had never expected that for the past several years, it would be the one thing keeping me from living a life of slavery and abuse. I had also never expected that it would be the one feature on me that caught the Alpha’s eyes. That he would be the one to take me from the shop and feed me delicious
ValerieMy heart beat like a drum in my chest the entire walk back to the Alpha’s room. Every step he took echoed against my ears like a firecracker. I was beginning to sweat at the thought of what awaited me in that room.Once the doors were closed…what would happen?And to think, just a moment ago I was upset he didn’t want me. Stupid girl…By the time we reached his room, I was beginning to tremble at the knees. The guards stepped forward to open the heavy doors for us, and I tried to keep my legs from buckling beneath me as I followed the Alpha in. I hoped they would leave the doors open, but the heavy things were sealed shut behind us, the sound of their heavy wood booming through the halls.I could not go much further on weak knees, so I hung by the doors, watching as he approached his large desk. A white box rested atop a pile of neat documents. I couldn’t recall it being there before. Surely one of the servants had been ordered to bring it up.Why couldn’t I have switched plac
XavierFor the most part, the slave girl had been entirely emotionless. From the moment I spotted her in the shop, she wore only one look on her face—a calm, submissive expression, which sometimes shifted with fear. But otherwise, remained still and unmoving.Now, for the first time, something else shown on her face.It wasn’t quite a smile, but a semblance of something close. A flutter of excitement, or perhaps surprise.Hope. That was the look she wore. A look of hope. How refreshing.“I-I’m sorry. What did you say?” she asked.She was skittish. A stray, seeking help, but too timid to approach all the way. I wanted to reach for her, but I couldn’t allow myself to scare her off.She stammered. “I—You said I…”“You’ll be free,” I assured her.The unsure expression on her face pulled a chuckle out of me. This one was different. She was smart and in control of her emotions. But somewhere beneath her calm was a raging storm. She had a temper; I could smell it. And I could smell the grief