Exactly three days later the field was booming with thousands of people from the packs along the seven tribes. They had all gathered to witness the Crimson Paw pack run because Finlay needed a Beta and so it was a contest. The Beta would be determined by the winner.All the abled men were partaking even a few from other neighboring packs. It would be an honor to win the pack run and serve as Finlay's beta, to be devoted to him. The man had grown even more popular since his return, words of him were on everyone's lips.The pack run was usually held so people could be awarded finely. If the Alpha wasn't married and wanted a wife, it would be strictly for maidens. Or if he had children who were of age, both genders would partake in the pack run, to give luck a chance if they could win and request to have the Alpha's daughter/son in marriage. Ophelia was seated beside Finlay on her own power seat, dressed to perfection like a true Luna. Finlay hadn't come after her anymore ever since sh
Immediately the whistle got blown by the referee, Stannis Robert did a tremendous backflip and started running along with his contestants. The crowd broke into cheers because it was his intention to seem exceptional.They were running really fast in their human form and Stannis seemed faster than each of them, a few were even fighting against the urge to shift into their wolf as they ran because they were going at a full speed. Some even had their wolves surfacing from time to time, stirring up laughter from the crowd.Finlay couldn't relax in his seat because it seemed as though he would get smacked in the face from how Stannis was in front. So he stood up and took steps forward to get a proper view of the pack run because it looked like if he stayed in his seat, things would leap from bad to worse for him.Ophelia had her hands clasped together in front of her dress, cringing because it was certain today wouldn't end well for her. She didn't want Stannis Roberts to win either.They r
Down Easton was the slums of Easton, populated with beggars, ragged people with no home nor families, rogues that were banished from other packs, thieves, black witches, prostitutes, and even a lot more. The air was polluted and there wasn't any good water. People were struggling to feed, eating from stale bread, rotten meat, and whatever things they could find edible.Ophelia pushed her way past some men selling items that were obviously stolen. As Luna of the Crimson Paw's pack, it was forbidden to step foot in such an area, because it was situated with outcasts. These people might try to hurt her because Up Easton residents were hated for living the perfect life; wearing clean outfits, eating good food, throwing parties, and having thousands of pounds in banks. And so she deliberately blackened her face with charcoal, before wearing a ragged, hooded cloak she had managed to secure before the servants burnt down the remains of her worn-out and faded garments. She couldn't even appea
"Alpha Finlay," Lewis Duncan bowed instead of curtsying, possibly because she was wearing a man's outfit, "I am here in respect of my duty as your Beta," she concluded, boldly staring deep into Finlay's eyes. It was she who won the pack run just the previous day and she had arrived to start.Finlay sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair from where he was seated on his Alpha throne, "perhaps we could discuss this later. I have an even more pressing issue at hand," he wanted to admire the fact that she was dressed like a man and was bold and outspoken, but he could not. Ophelia was missing."What could that be, Alpha?" Lewis put her hands behind her and stepped forward, unfazed by the powerful-looking guards that were in front."The Luna is missing," Finlay paused to catch a breath because point of correction, she wasn't exactly missing. She sneaked out under a disguise. "She left the place in the early hours of this morning. I saw someone climbing through the walls with the cla
"My Luna, they said you were missing." It was Irene, running towards Ophelia with her skirt fetched in her hands."Missing?" Ophelia narrowed her gaze when she got to her side. She had taken off the hood from her cloak, let her hair down, and washed her face in a stream and so the guards let her in, immediately she approached the gate."Yes, Alpha Finlay is out on the look for you," Irene blurted out.Oh, this was alarming and sort of amusing to Ophelia. She only sneaked out through the walls to head to Down Easton and she was declared missing? Could it be someone was stalking her? Why would she in her right mind run away? It crossed her mind during the first month of her marriage with Finlay because of his behavior and the way he treated her, but she could never summon the courage to do it. Her life was tied behind the thick castle walls, the heavy barrier from the outside world except she wanted to visit her family or the pack house orphanage because of the children.She didn't run
"Loki was impregnated by the stallion's foal and he later gave birth to Sleipnir, a gray, eight-legged horse,""Why? I thought men do not get pregnant," the boy with a missing tooth frowned at Ophelia from the floor."Isn't it rather absurd?" Another asked and then a series of questions started trooping in from the kids who were seated over the floor, and Ophelia didn't know which one to give a response to.She closed the book and raised her hand to gain silence."Calm down, kids, as I have read you, Loki was a trickster god.""And a man-" provided a girl who was stabbing her fingers into her nostrils and peeking for boogers."-who could change his gender and species with ease. I told you he shapeshifted into a female horse earlier," Ophelia explained and the perplexed and rowdy-looking children quieted down."Sleipnir ultimately belonged to Odin right after its birth.""Why?" A few were interested enough to ask."Being the best horse amongst gods and men, Loki gifted Odin, which expla
Ophelia was by the lakeshore, throwing pieces of pebbles into the lake from time to time. She was alone, temporal solitariness was required to have herself to her thoughts once in a while. This was her favorite place in terms of wanting to avoid the entire world, it felt like her own world when a single soul couldn't be found on this side. There were times she would read a series of books to live within the characters written on the pages, then she would forget about her own life with a marriage that was shitty.Tonight, she would go to Finlay be it her choice or not. He was her husband, had rights to her body but she dreaded getting intimate with a man after a year and two months. It would remind her she wasn't the only owner of her body. Her stubbornness was forming into a habit which needed to be put to stop, she was dutiful and loyal even the times he hurt her, why would she resist him now?Because Finlay would be disappointed when she would not conceive a child. And he might grow
"Tell me you don't like this, Ophelia," Finlay asked from behind, dipping his hand inside the water before placing it over her stomach.Ophelia couldn't let her brain properly align what was happening because having him pressed against her like that, was nearly driving her nuts. "I want you to know how it feels to be pleasured, Ophelia. You needn't dwell in the past where I rough-handled you during copulation," Finlay rasped out before turning her to face him."I..I.." Christ, she couldn't even let the right words out, she was falling. Falling into his charm, his blue gaze was stormy with lust that it made her breath get caught up in her throat. Because Finlay was completely irresistible right now. Her body even missed his pressed against it."I promise I'll handle you with care." His eyes, they held so much in them. She didn't know if it was lust making him speak that way or if he meant it."No, Finlay," she found her voice when her vocal cords decided they were done with the little