Chapter 50Kyle'You're the best person ever.'I was someone's best person ever. Even if that someone was my king's wife and the person I was to protect. She was always touching me; something that people didn't do often... Women didn't do often. And she was not an ordinary woman. She was someone's wife. My king's wife.The more I thought of her, the more complex things seemed to be. I looked down on the hand that she grabbed without permission. The hand that she held and didn't let go of until I told her to. I caressed the palm with my other hand, then lifted it to my nose.Her fragrance still lingered on my hand. Vanilla. That was what she smelled like. With a flowery hint, due to the time she spent in the garden today. She seemed so happy, despite the horrid things that had happened to her here.Despite the number of times that I had failed to protect her. I was a good-for-nothing guard but it seemed like she preferred me that way. Hah... "What are you doing?" Someone said as the d
Chapter 51HopeKyle and I were sneaking out of the castle. I was dressed in commoner clothes which consisted of a dark cream long-sleeved top and a long brown apron. My hair was packed into an untidy bun and I wore a heavy cloak to cover myself.Kyle was dressed in a different fashion. I hadn't seen what he was wearing underneath his own cloak but I could tell that it would be drastically different from the uniform I always saw him in. Somehow, that thought excited me.We were going to use the fence at the back of the garden to leave. It was dark and only a half moon was out, so it would be quite hard to sneak out. Not only because of that but because of the knights patrolling around. They were never this much during the day, so how come they were hundreds of them at night?It was like they knew I was planning to sneak out today and posed as barriers in my way. But no matter, I trusted Kyle to get me out of this prison. He was going to take me to a festival in the village but only fo
PrologueAt the dawn of the year, fourteen hundred, the Lycans came out of hiding and brought war onto Humans. The Lycans were powerful and skilled in combat, unlike the humans. They conquered the Humans and ruled over them. The Lycan King of that century was cruel and turned every Human into a slave or a sex worker.After two hundred years, from the human slaves came a man with the name Vitalis. He despised the werewolves and their rule, along with some other Humans. They secretly learned combat skills from the Lycan army. Once they became strong, they led a war against the Lycans.They were strong but not as strong as the Lycans. They fought well and slew one-fourth of the Lycans, while their numbers remained less than half. The Lycan King decided to end the war by bringing forth a proposition.He offered a treaty for peace to reign, he wanted to ally with Humans. In exchange for peace to reign, he would marry the first daughter of Vitalis, whom he thought was beautiful. Vitalis was
Chapter 2HopeDarius looked like he was in the mood for killing. Killing me. I gulped down on my saliva as I stared at him, not knowing what else to do.My parents had rushed to my aid, trying to create a barrier between the King of the Lycans and myself."Your Majesty, never mind Hope. Light must be playing somewhere around the castle. You know that, don't you? That she plays a lot." My Father said with a rushed tone, then added a nervous laugh. He sounded nothing like how a person who bore the name 'Vitalis' should sound. Then again, for the past few hundred years, the Vitalis' had not upheld the glory of the name. My Mother also let out a nervous laugh, supporting my Father.Darius regarded them as specks of dust. He walked right past them and stood a few paces in front of me. His red lips were pressed into a thin firm line as he looked down at my short figure. Compared to his six-foot-seven height, I looked like a child. Hells, every Human who stood next to him looked like a chi
Chapter 3HopeMy entire being froze up. I could not believe what my ears were hearing and my eyes were seeing. My fingers started to fiddle on their own as my breathing turned uneven. "I don't approve of your suggestion. This daughter of yours has nothing to offer," Darius glanced back at me, his eyes raked across my body from my head, down to my toes, then back up to settle on my breasts. He didn't look interested in them the slightest bit, only curious.He turned back to my Father. "I want Light and no one else. That was the deal. Find her and get her to return the Morati knife to me." Darius said with a firm tone.My Father trembled on the spot as he racked his brain for another suggestion. My Mother was ahead of him, she threw herself in front of the Lycan King with desperacy written all over her features."Your Majesty, Hope is a fine young lady. She will bring you no trouble. She is beautiful, well-mannered, and most important of all, quiet. She is very quiet." My Mother spoke
Chapter 4HopeI was married to the Lycan King. Everyone started to stand up from their seats to leave the wedding scene. I looked around me, searching for my parents but I found them nowhere among the dispersing crowd. My throat felt dry.Were they going to leave me all alone?I looked at the Lycan King—my husband—and he bore no expression on his beautiful face. He gripped my wrist once again as he started to yank me away from the scene. I tried to free myself, tugging my hand away from his grip.Once he noticed it, he stopped yanking me. "What?" he spat in annoyance and I gulped down on my saliva."My parents. I have to go bid them farewell and…" I trailed off as I saw the angry look on his face."They do not wish to see you. If they did, then they would have been the ones to seek you out instead of you going to them." He said, and I hated the logic behind his words.He started to move again, and I stopped him once more with a whimper. "My things. They haven't been packed yet. I c
Chapter 5HopeMy lips parted as I tried to assimilate Darius' words. Consummate this marriage? My throat felt dry and a scary shiver ran down my spine.I watched as Darius took a step into the room and locked the door behind him. My heart dropped at the act. He ambulated towards me like a predator going for the kill. Once he got to me, he gripped my wrist, raising it to his chest, and I gasped at the sudden act."Strip." He commanded, my heartbeat race sped up."Your Majesty, I can't—""I will not repeat myself one more time. Strip." He boomed with a loud voice, and I flinched. My heart was racing. I couldn't do what he asked of me. My chastity was all I had. If I yielded, he would taint and destroy me. Moreover, I was not supposed to be his wife, Light was. "King Darius, please. My innocence is all I have. I have never been with a man before." I explained, looking into his dead eyes, hoping to find some shred of sympathy in them but I couldn't find any.His eyes gave nothing of em
Chapter 6HopeI was terrified. I felt myself shrink that instant as Darius glared at me. I wanted to ask what made him so upset but he spoke up before I could do that."It's like you don't know where you are. You are in Moratia. The Lycan King's castle. You will learn to behave yourself while you reside here." He said with a no-nonsense tone and I wetted my lips unconsciously.He was still agitated about the meal incident. I had no idea that telling them the truth would be such a huge thing. I wasn't supposed to eat eggs and meat, what was so disrespectful about that?"My Mother—" I started to speak, but the look he threw my way caused the rest of my words to die down inside my throat."I do not want to hear any of that; anything about those spineless parents of yours," my lips parted but words refused to come out to defend my parents. "Since finding your sister has proven to be a challenge, I don't want to keep wrapping myself up in all of your useless family drama." Darius contin