Embers In The North
33

Reyna gawked at her reflection in the mirror, utterly astounded. She had transformed into an entirely different person. The efforts of Ariel and the other females were undeniably remarkable.

Without any Fang suits available, she had to settle for a resplendent purple dress that exuded both effortlessness and beauty.

The long sleeves snugly embraced her arms, extending to her elbows before cascading into a train. The dress plunged provocatively in the middle, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage. It then cinched at her waist, flowing into a train of ruffles that elegantly trailed behind her.

They had bathed her in lilies and spritzed her with an unknown scent that, though unfamiliar, had such a divine fragrance. Her feet was adorned with exquisite flats, and her hair meticulously styled into a voluminous cascade of bouncy curls.

She could barely recognize herself and she had to admit this was the most feminine she’d ever looked. She didn’t hate it, what she disliked was how delicate it made her look. The pink on her lips and the way her brows were highlighted and lashes curled up.

“You look glorious, milady,” one of the ladies said with a bow.

“The other wolves, what has Cridius done to them?” Reyna asked impatiently.

In her nightmarish visions, Cridius had ordered a barbaric duel, reminiscent of the Hero’s Forge Quest of Aupheadia, picking off each Alpha one by one. The haunting memories of Cridius challenging Seth, then Decker, and forcing her to witness a duel with Roth troubled her. As she massaged her chest, she wondered about the whereabouts of Roth and Bandos.

“We do not know, milady. Only the Gammas would know.” One of the females replied.

The females had this annoying habit of bowing in a somewhat submissive kneeling posture, and Reyna hated it.

“Go find out! I need to know what that prick plans to do with them!” Reyna huffed.

“Luna, we can try to find out when the ceremony is happening, not before,” Avery said.

“Alright, tell me this then: their staff, what is it? What magick is that?” Reyna asked, directing her question to all the Omegas in her presence.

The females exchanged glances before recoiling and stepping away from Reyna. Ariel intervened, dismissing them with a wave of her hand, and then turned back to Reyna, patiently awaiting her inquiries.

“They are called Koi. With our fealty to the gods comes that blessing at birth. Once a male is born, it manifests, and the stronger he is, the more power he can wield with it,” Ariel explained before pausing for emphasis.

“Only males?” Reyna raised a questioning brow, and Ariel nodded in affirmation. “Even the Omega males?”

“Yes, although their Koi are not as powerful given their station,” Ariel responded, shedding more light on the hierarchical nuances.

She had been about their Koi; it was equivalent to Aupheadia Shadowbeasts. But it was quite irritating that even the magical abilities in Kuntheas favoured only males. She had come from a somewhat male-dominated kingdom and now found herself in a world where gender bias was even more pronounced.

Her heart pounded in an inexplicable way, and she placed her palm against it, massaging it as she suddenly sensed Cridius invading her thoughts and being. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her racing heart and push him out of her mind.

“Milady?” Ariel called.

Reyna turned and started towards the door. She need to get away from here, to find out how her father was doing. As lovely as these females were, she had her own Gammas and she wouldn’t trade them for anyone else.

All five women hurried after her, arranging themselves in two lines behind her, with Ariel stepping up to her side.

“Luna, please, we need to escort you to the grand hall. Those were the Alpha’s orders,” Ariel insisted.

Reyna paid her no attention. She continued down the hall even though she had no idea where it led. Coming to a stop, she employed her all-seeing ability to survey the surroundings. Once she located the stairway leading out, she turned, and they all followed suit.

Lifting the train of her dress, she remembered the claw wound on her belly and faced Ariel.

“Do you have healers here?” she inquired. “I was injured when I arrived, and now it’s just gone.” The speed and completeness of the healing were astounding; the healers back home could not achieve such rapid and thorough recovery.

“The priestess came to mend your wounds earlier, Luna. No other healer is allowed near the Alpha’s mate,” Ariel explained.

“I am not his mate!” Reyna objected, her tone softening as she reminded herself that Ariel was not her enemy in this situation. “Where can I find this priestess?”

“In the Alpha’s tower, Luna,” Ariel replied. “We should make haste. If the Alpha grows impatient and sends his warriors, we’ll face severe consequences.”

“No. Take me to this priestess,” Reyna commanded.

“We cannot enter the Alpha’s tower. Only the Luna and the priestesses are allowed,” Ariel explained.

“What is the meaning of this!” an angry voice demanded from behind them, and Reyna knew it was just unnecessary trouble.

“Lord Keith, we’re simply escorting-”

“Shut your mouth, female!” The man interrupted Avery as he approached, flanked by two others. His steely eyes reminded her of Gareth, and she quickly identified him as either a beta or a commander.

“You had one job to do. Get the Luna to the feast!” Keith growled. “You should be flogged for this!”

“I’d love to see you try!” Reyna retorted. “Take your prowess elsewhere. Exerting it over females you outrank makes you a big prick, Keith.”

He snarled. “Milady, you misunderstand. Mate to the Alpha or not, you cannot speak-”

“No! You don’t tell me how I speak to you! They have done nothing but follow my orders, and I’ve had it with your kind belittling females! Get out of my sight!” Reyna barked.

“I truly wish I could, but the Alpha has commanded me to escort you to the great hall. You females are excused,” Keith ordered, and Avery and the others hastily departed. “The hall is this way.”

He walked ahead, deliberately brushing his shoulder against hers, leading the way. Reyna observed the other two, waiting for her to move before looking back over her shoulder at Keith. Her brows furrowed as she harnessed her frost, freezing the path in front of him.

He slipped and fell swiftly, and Reyna turned around, manipulating the ice to become a pool of water as she walked past him. She surmised that without his staff, she stood a chance, but she hadn’t yet determined if they could summon it at will.

“Don’t just lie there,” Reyna said with a sly smile. “We have a ceremony to get to.”

He rose to his feet with an amused chuckle, and Reyna glanced back at him.

“I’ll overlook that foolishness because you’re new here and may not understand how our society works,” he said as he stepped to her side. “Let me explain things to you, Luna. I believe that word means something else where you’re from, but here it doesn’t denote the Alpha Female. It means the female who will breed the next Alpha. You have no rank, nothing. Do you understand? You’re just a good enough womb to house the next Alpha.”

Reyna halted, turning to face him. He mirrored her, his Koi materializing in his hand, drawing a smile from her. They could summon it at will.

“Let me clarify something for you, Keith.” Her eyes simmered with rage as Ator materialized behind her with a growl. The other two joined him, summoning their staffs. Keith, however, remained composed, his gaze fixed on Ator.

“Perhaps this dress gives you the wrong impression. You will address me with respect because, if I choose to, I can crush you beneath my feet!” She walked up to him. “Only Cridius holds any sway over me, and that consequently makes me your Alpha as well. So, be cautious, because the next time you make the mistake of threatening me, I will carve out your heart and make you eat it before your body hits the floor. Nod if you understand me.”

His eyes flickered between her and Ator, and she smiled.

“I assure you, she’ll tear you apart before you can brandish that staff,” Reyna said.

She wasn’t sure of it, but neither was he. After a brief standoff, Keith nodded, dismissing his staff with a thought.

“I’m glad we had this talk. Now, you were leading me to the grand hall.” She smiled and waited until he stepped forward to lead her towards the hall.

Reyna turned to Ator, embracing her. “I’ve missed you too,” she whispered. “Get out of here; I’ll see you later.”

Once Ator had vanished, she faced Keith, and the other two took their positions behind her. Was she truly going to partake in a mating ceremony with Cridius? It wasn’t as if she had a choice. Even if she managed to escape his citadel, could she find her way back to the others?

In a sense, this was a battle they would lose unless they discovered how to rid these wolves of their staffs.

They entered an expansive hallway and came to a stop as Cridius and two large males emerged into view. A breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. Keith and his warriors bowed to Cridius, stepping aside to allow him through. He was adorned in a white ceremonial robe with golden rims, his long black hair intricately braided, resting gracefully on his right shoulder.

“Your Shadowbeast, summon her again,” he said softly, a request that caught her off guard.

His tone held an unexpected eagerness, as if the summoning of a Shadowbeast intrigued him more than anything else. While she was certain he knew much about the wolves of Aupheadia and their capabilities, the concept of a Shadowbeast was likely unfamiliar to him.

Recalling Seth’s words about Ator’s inability to harm an Alpha, she hesitated.

“You’re not going to hurt her, are you?” Reyna asked.

“No, I want to see your Howler up close.” He stepped closer, his scent enveloping her, sending her pulse into a rapid rhythm. “It’ll be my first.”

Ator materialized beside her, drawing the attention of Cridius and the other wolves who observed her with disbelief. Cridius approached Ator, circled around the Shadowbeast, and returned to Reyna with a small smile.

“She’s breathtaking,” he remarked, his gaze roved over Reyna slowly,as if he was committing every detail to memory. “Where are your maidens?” he asked.

“Why are you being nice to me? What do you want?” Reyna arched a brow at him.

He chuckled. “What do you mean?” Then he held his finger up, signalling her to wait, and turned around. “Leave us,” he ordered in a tone that was both commanding and final.

All five men bowed and exited, leaving them alone. Cridius turned back to her, his eyes returning to Ator. Reyna dismissed her Shadowbeast back to the shadows, drawing the deep brown eyes of Cridius toward her.

“You tried to leave,” he said. “I understand you’re used to a different set of rules where you’re from, but things are different here. The ceremony will commence at dusk. Ariel will spend the next few hours showing you around and teaching you how things work here.”

“What did you think I was back where I’m from?” Reyna wondered.

“A Luna, doted on by everyone, even your Alphas.” He grinned.

Reyna shook her head. “I was Prime. In your world, it means the warrior who serves the Alpha. I have no need for doting, only wielding my blade, and you won’t stop me from doing that here, Cridius.”

“Ah, see, that’s where you’re wrong. I told you what is expected of you. You are to bear heirs for the Alpha, nothing more.”

The dynamics of their conversation had taken an unexpected turn. It was different, more tranquil and subdued compared to their previous confrontations filled with strife. Perhaps, in asserting his claim over her, he had become oddly more open to communication.

With a smile, she approached him, overcoming the allure of his scent—something she couldn’t quite identify but found strangely delightful. His eyes traced her features as she bridged the distance between them, and to her surprise, he didn’t waver. A curious smirk played on his lips, prompting her to wonder if the mate bond had any influence on him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Trying to read your mind,” Reyna said.

He arched a brow, amused. “Good luck with that. My mind is a fortress.”

Reyna chuckled, enjoying the unexpected lightness in the conversation. “Guess I’ll have to settle for the more traditional forms of communication.”

He regarded her with a thoughtful expression, as if processing the change in their interaction. “You’re different from the other females I’ve encountered, and it’s not just because you’re a Luna.”

“That’s because I’m not just a Luna. I’m a Prime. I’ve fought battles, led warriors. I won’t be easily subdued.”

Cridius closed in on her, advancing until Reyna felt the cold touch of a stone pillar against her back. “You’re a challenge, and I appreciate that. But I’ve yet to meet one I haven’t conquered,” he murmured, leaning in as if contemplating a kiss. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Nothing vexes me more than a male who believes he can control me. I won’t bend to anyone’s will, not even my mate’s.”

His gaze, a blend of intrigue and something she couldn’t quite decipher, locked onto hers. “We’ll see about that, mate.”

Stepping away, he turned to depart, and Reyna released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. But just as he moved away, he halted and pivoted back, casting a peculiar look her way, as if a realization had struck him. Without a word, he grunted and continued down the corridor, leaving her to wonder what it was.

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