The crickets chirped and the insects sang a chorus that filled the forest with a noise so loud that Valencia had an urge to burn the trees down. She wanted some peace for the moment. She and Gerald had returned from Dominic's place and he had rushed straight to his hideout.
She hadn't had time to apologize for her behavior. She kept recalling the look of terror in Tom's eyes and scolded herself. To add more to her guilt, her head couldn't stop replaying her conversation with Dominic. The way he had asked her to be his 'mate'... it was almost...weird?
What was it? Why was he acting so strange nowadays?
She shuddered at the thought of being someone’s mate. The idea itself seemed absurd to her. Dominic was an excellent person who she was sure would prove to be an ideal mate and husband, but she wasn’t ready to go down that path so soon.
After all, she had forever to live. For now, she was content living on her terms. To her, belonging to someone
It was almost dawn yet Valencia was still at her office in the headquarters. She had despised humans for thinking of any creature other than them as inferior but liked how they kept their personal and workspaces different. Thus, she kept her personal space and workspace poles apart. She had pinned the map on the wall and pulled a large desk in front of her. She had been sitting on the desk, her legs dangling at the edges. Her eyes were drooping and she stifled a yawn. Coffee cups littered the floor as did several crumpled papers. She was going in circles, she had everything in front of her yet she had no clue of where to look for the attacker. Her phone beeped at a text message from Dominic. Need to discuss the conclave meeting. Can we meet? Perfect. She could talk to him about ways to find something about the attacks. She knew her territory of Sricgis quite well but she hated visiting the human city, Grawd. Dominic, however, was a regular visitor and h
He continued to scan the menu and said, “I see you are feeling chatty today.” She pounced, “I see you are not.” He shook his head and she continued, “You asked me to meet and now you won't even look at me. Is this how you respect your archon alpha?” He looked at her taking in her clothes and her pink lipstick. He wondered how it would feel to crush his lips into hers and lick the lipstick off her face. Crap, what was he thinking? “I got news from my omega, the one you scared away- his name is Bob. He said that the hycwens have been going paranoid and hurting their own.” She considered the news, “So, you think someone is trying to control the pea sized brains of the hycwens?” He lowered his tone, “ Bob said that he heard the hycwens whisper something about a person entering their territory and hurt them for fun.” Valencia shrugged, “It could be the reason why they suddenly started attacking werewolves. They stay well out of the
The day that Valencia had been dreading was finally upon her. She couldn't escape it anymore. She had gotten a dozen reminders from Gerald and Dominic already. She groggily got up from her bed and parted the curtains to bathe in the morning sunlight. As her mind decided on the best way to approach her subjects, she put her face in her hands. She was going to have to make a speech of some sort. What would she say? Hello, lycans. It's a pleasure meeting you. If you want your heads intact upon your shoulders, don't say a thing. Or maybe Hey, werewolves. Why don't you try finding your mate in the forest? The hycwens are a decent lot and just imagine what your kids would look like? Her perfect speech was interrupted by a knock on the door. She expected Gerald, Dominic, or even Freyge. But she was surprised to hear a feminine voice greet her. "Good morning archon alpha," said Olivia as she walked inside. Olivia had been bus
Olivia had expected Valencia’s wardrobe to have rows upon rows of exquisite makeup bottles, accessories, designer dresses, and whatnot. Her face was a mask of disappointment when she opened the wardrobe to find clothes that she could count on her fingers. Still, determined to not be disappointed so quickly, she looked around feeling the walls, knocking on bricks and doors by placing an ear on them.Valencia raised an eyebrow. She was amused by Olivia’s behavior and couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly are you doing?”Olivia frowned, “Please tell me, there is a secret latch somewhere that would open up to a gigantic wardrobe. Don’t make me wait.”Valencia laughed, “Trust me, this is all I have.” She pointed at the open wardrobe before her.Olivia’s mind worked through the images in her mind, coming up with a good look for Valencia. She added “Ok, archon alpha. I may have to take a lead
Gerald had his hand raised on the door and was looking around when he knocked again. "Aww...at least look where you knock," Olivia added as she rubbed her forehead that Gerald had pounded. Gerald's face flushed with relief upon seeing her, "I have been looking all over for you. Do you know how long you have been gone?" Olivia embraced her husband as she wove her hands around his waist, "Did the kids give you a tough time?" Gerald grinned, "You bet? We played tug of war, me against the lot. Guess which side won every single time." Olivia chuckled as she kissed his cheek, "Sarah has a firm grip and Tom and Edith can yank a tree off its roots. They are growing stronger by the day." Gerald replied as he raised his chin once more to nudge her to kiss him again, "Yup. They were howling with laughter as they saw me fall down. They are one hell of a force. My three musketeers." "Did you lock the doors? I don't want them run
Sarah's eyes welled with tears and Valencia looked around helplessly. She didn't know how to stop a child from crying. But she tried, "Sarah, you will one day be the bravest werewolf in the history of lycans." Fat drops of tears splattered Sarah's cheeks, which she rubbed away with the back of her hand. "I promise that," she said as she looked at Valencia confidently. For some reason, Valencia wasn't angry with her. While her parents profusely apologized for their girl's behavior, Sarah didn't say a word and went back to studying the scenery outside the window. Valencia chuckled as she could see the makings of a confident and badass alpha in little Sarah- a girl who had turned the lycan world upside down and established new rules for them. She could see herself in Sarah. Gerald announced a minute later, "We have arrived." Valencia was glad to step out of the car, the question asked by Sarah churning through her mind. She had practiced and rehearsed wh
The alphas sputtered as if trying to rekindle a dying fire. They eyed each other nervously and one of them tried sounding confident, “Ar...Archon alpha, it would be really kind of you, if you would let us receive the same benefit as your beta.” Valencia raised her eyebrow, “And, what is that?” “Rumors have been rife that your blood has been important in helping your beta find a mate and successfully have not one but three cubs. Something, we haven't witnessed in ages.” Gerald uttered a guttural sound but Valencia looked amused, “So you all want me to offer you my blood to drink and magically regain your virility?” The crowd broke into hysterical laughter as the man who had spoken up was reduced to mortal shame. It was a common saying that between death by a blade and death by mortification, one would choose the former. Dominic spoke when the laughter had died down, “Archon alpha, what my good friend tried but failed at communicating is that we
The werewolves looked at each other skeptically, nobody uttered a word as the hall had gone eerily silent. Valencia looked alarmed. Of course, she didn’t believe that Dominic would do such a thing. But now was not the time to give friendship a priority. She asked in an edgy voice, “I thought you could do better, Dominic.” Dominic met her eyes with a steely gaze. She knew he wouldn’t speak unless she made him respond to her. He was prideful in that way. He smiled unnervingly, “So, I see the archon alpha has come to a conclusion. I guess the verdict is out.” He looked at her as if to signal, Two could play the game. Valencia’s eyes raked him. She loved and hated him at the same time for being cheeky. Why did he have to constantly push her? If there was someone who was smiling it was Mark. He was practically gloating at the effect he had had on the meeting. He stepped forward, “Archon alpha, I think we should strip this bastard of all his