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THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 41
I make a movement with my hand so the maid stops talking.— Slowly, Reeina — I ask. — I don't understand anything you're saying.Your face flushes slightly.— Oh, Lyn Kim, I'm so sorry. I'm babbling nonstop and without thinking that you don't understand many things about our people.I nod. She does the same as if she were making a deal with me.— Hm... Let's see — He rests his index finger on his chin, thinking about where to start. - Oh yeah. Before, when you bled during the bath, I told you very little about how this works for a cannis female, like me, for example. Well, I know that human females — he points at me — have one heat a month, but we only have one a year. We call this erben.— Heat? — my voice comes out a little high-pitched when I ask.— Yes, when your body is ready to receive a male and have puppies.For a moment I think she's talking about animals, not humans, but after all wolves are very close to their animal ancestors, aren't they? Do humans have animal ancestors t
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 42
Now there's a dark stain on Reeina's cheek as she says goodbye to me at the stone flower-decorated doors of what she calls the dassbat.She says a maid in your position cannot come with me here.She says this is a sacred place for her people, where Prince Alpha takes care of his tzauri. Before leaving, he tells me that I am safe here, that no harm will come to me, and that the Wolf King will come and get me as soon as he can stand up, “because I am important to him”.I want to believe everything Reeina tells me when I enter the dassbat.She also assured me that she will be back soon to see if I am settled in properly and need anything.— Most Auri Fen speak your language, lyn Kim. If you need something, call them.This makes me calmer.I advance through the narrow corridors of the dassbat.Here the air smells sweet and spicy, and there is a kind of low music being played on a stringed instrument that I don't recognize. There were few instruments on Goddess Island, and all of them were
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 43
As always, that damn curiosity gets me into trouble.I begin to feel as if the heat is coming from within me, not from the environment, directly from my belly, tightening. It's not a colic. Not exactly. It's like a pulse. Hot agony.I take a deep breath, trying to focus on something else, anything other than this pulse, and then my lungs fill with a delicious smell, like wet wood in the sea. A salty, warm, damp, enticing scent.I turn my face to the left, but I bite my tongue when I see that it's my captor.That smell comes from him and I can feel it because of the effect of the flower. Oh, no... I'm so silent that the wolf asks twice if I'm okay. Last time my response was almost a scream. I want you to leave me alone in your private rooms and disappear for the rest of the day. But of course he doesn't do that. No. Instead of leaving me alone as he usually does, he takes off his heavy armor-like coat and places it on the back of the chair after securing me in the floor vise.I have no
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 44
I hold my breath, apprehensive, and realize almost happily that yes, my captor has returned alone.He frowns when he sees me standing there and starts to say something that I push away as I step forward and proclaim what has been rattling around in my head all day.— I want you to release me. Now.The wolf closes the door and begins to unbutton the metal buttons on his coat almost lazily.His previous casual expression is replaced by a mask of irritation.— Your tone is dangerously close to a demand, female. Why would I do that?I fill my chest with courage.I lift my chin.— You are the king of wolves and I saved your life.I do not need to say anything more. He understands where I'm going.He lets out a long breath through his nose and moves his huge shoulders as he takes off his coat and throws it on the bed.“Reeina,” he murmurs.I retreat inwardly.Of course he knows who gave me this information.I fear for her.That wolf wouldn't hurt you, would it?“It's my right,” I say.— Did
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 45
It's the ninth day and he's not coming back.I don't know where it is and I don't care.Reeina comes to see me every day. At least Miguel didn't take that away from me. And Fen doesn't seem to know about our last confrontation. The way she talks, excitedly, I don't think she knows anything. She is the one who accompanies me. She can't go into the bathing rooms yet, but she waits for me while I go.I am deeply sad, so I do everything almost without feeling it.I read and draw in the morning, have my first meal, sleep a little and read in the afternoon, then shower and last meal, a little more reading and then sleep. And I repeat everything the next day.On the ninth day Reeina is so excited that she can barely contain herself.It's my captor's coronation day.Tonight he will officially become the Wolf King of Agreis.She says she was excused from the preparations because “His Superior Majesty, Wolf King Michael asked her to keep me company.”I pretend I don't hear.Nothing holds my att
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 46
A guard wolf accompanies me, and for the first time it is not an escort, but a guide. I don't know where in the fortress the coronation will take place, and Reeina is not allowed to go there with me.I can't help but notice his eyes through the slits in his mask, constantly darting toward me.What is the problem?But I know that if I ask he won't answer. He doesn't know my language and even if he did he would remain silent. I know them well enough to know that.I hear the music when we are still far away, and finally we arrive at a corridor that seems to go up indefinitely.The wolf stops on the first step and makes a rough move for me to continue climbing.Great, so it's up there and he's not allowed past here either.These wolves have a lot of rules about who can go where.I climb slowly, without rushing, taking advantage of all the movement I can make with my legs now that I'm not trapped. There is an almost childlike joy in me when I do this.I climb and climb for what seems like
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 47
The coronation is a very pompous event.The dining tables have been cleared, the music has stopped, and ten elderly men now form a circle around the Mig.He stands there, a foot taller than them. Maybe more.Old people read things I don't understand on an old parchment that they pass between them. I stand in the corner, trying to attract as little attention as possible, but I feel the Wolf King's eyes every now and then on me. I think he's checking to make sure I didn't run away and throw away our deal. After enduring the last two hours I convince myself to go ahead.I want that horse and I want those provisions. I deserve them.Wolves surround him.I see a lot of shiny clothes, beautiful fabrics and embroidery with metals, jewels, precious stones. It's the Great Houses that Reeina said before. There are nine. Nine important families for the wolf race. They were once kings or very close to the former kings, and it is clear that they want to secure their wealthy place near this one as
THE ROYALTY OF WOLFES 48
I think about my sister. The one who is with the wolves, and unlike me, is certainly making predictions for them. About what?- Did you see her? Do you know her name?Miguel is so distracted by his own thoughts that it takes him a while to realize that I'm talking to him. After all, he denies it with his face.— And the guards you sent to look for this information?Another negative.—No one ever saw her. It's just a rumor, but it seems like a pretty solid rumor, doesn't it? If we even know the rare color of her hair and about her gifts of foresight.In fact.Something else occurs to me and I bite my lip, my heart pounding in my chest.- What? — the wolf asks, noticing the devastated expression on my face.— We were forbidden to make predictions for men — I say quietly, and I realize that I am pressing a hand over my heart, fearful. — If my Sister is really making predictions for these wolves... They must... — I choke, imagining the worst.When I look up, Miguel's red eye is locked on
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