Chapter2

Astrid

“His what?”

I could not believe my ears as I rushed my eyes up to his. His icy-blue eyes bore into mine as they sowed comfort within me. He had a beautiful facial symmetry with a strong jawline. His dark hair fell down to his broad shoulders. He was tall with a full-on Athletic build and also a young man, one in his mid-30s.

He reached down and pulled me up. His touch was electrifying. My body hairs were on full alert, and my heartbeat increased, pulsating my muscles. It sent tingles rushing down my thighs into my core.

“Goddess, what is this?” Not that I cared. All I wanted was to be pushed to a corner and rammed to satisfaction. I moaned at just the thought of it. I could feel droplets of liquid rushing down my thighs coming from my core.

His muscular arms were what I needed at the moment, wrapping the life out of me.

“Goddess save me,” I gulped. She answered, but it was not what I had expected.

A cold biting slap ran through my face, ejecting me out of my fantasy into my reality.

“How dare you raise your face up to him, you peasant,” a Lady said, and from the look of things, one that had authority.

I quickly recoiled back into my senses as I dropped back to the floor, pleading and begging to be spared. Immediately, I remembered Hudson, how he had been killed in an instant, and told me these people are not to be messed with.

Despite the scent he produced, fear would not let me raise my head. He had growled at her but it was nothing more than that. Foolish of me to think he would do something about it. Guess I must have really lost my mind.

“Guards, take this thing into the dungeon and have it locked up,” the Lady yelled.

A guard came and grabbed me by the hair as I yelped at the pain. The next scene bore my eyes wide open. He had immediately gotten hold of the guard, tossing him halfway across the hall. This stunned everyone, including the Lady, as the rest of the guards did not attempt to move an inch.

“You do not want father hearing about this now do you?” She said to him,

He growled and whined at the same time before recoiling himself back as she gave the signal for the rest of the guards to take me away.

“Who were these people?” I kept thinking to myself as they dragged me out of the halls down the alleyways, down several stairs, and finally shutting me into the dungeon that squeaked with mice, sending them running up and down.

At the moment, I didn't care about where I was, only about who he was. He produced raw power, one that had an effect on almost everyone in that hall. “And who was her?” She also bore power but not as much as him.

“Why did he call me his mate?” I wondered at the thought. “It must be a mistake,” I thought to myself. “Who would want to be mated to an abomination like myself?”

But these reprimanding thoughts would not soothe the electrifying touch I had earlier felt. I concentrated my all on it, trying to savour the moment before it slipped out of my fingers. The little effects that remained were enough to send my legs crossing each other as they squished my V, making me groan in pleasure and desire.

****

My vision blurred, and my consciousness flickered. I was about to pass out. It had been days since I was locked up with no food or water. I had hoped he would come to my rescue, just the way he did at the great Halls, but the reverse was the case.

“The spurn of a vampire,” one of the guards had said to me a few days ago. No one would even look in my direction, let alone answer my call. All hopes of surviving had been turned off, as I slowly faded away into nothingness.

****

“Please wake up Astrid. It's been days since you were like this. I can't lose you, please Astrid, wake up.”

I recognised the voice pleading for my revival. It was Merabeth's. Of course, I would recognise her voice any day. I slowly opened my eyes as the bright lights made their way into my pupils, making me squint my eyes in response to their bombardment.

Merabeth sat in a corner not too far away from me. Her eyes were running profusely with tears as she tried to stop the rolling tears but was unable to do so.

“She's going to be fine, my little wolf. The goddess will not take her away from you,” Someone was consoling her. I recognised the voice also, although I could not get a clear picture of him. It was Rollo, her mate.

Merabeth was lucky enough to find a mate at Riverbay; the residence of all the slaves, whether higher or lower. A companion to keep you going. I envied her for that, but that was not the case currently at hand.

Although I had been fully awake, my body felt numb, unable to move.

“What happened? Why are you crying?” I questioned, as I tried to move bits of my body that were free to move.

“Astrid!” She yelled as she sprang forth, covering herself on me while sobbing like a baby that had lost its mother.

“You might want to give her breathing space,” Rollo said, pulling her backwards and wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Astrid, what happened? I cannot understand why the royal guards would personally bring you here,” Merabeth questioned as I pulled myself into a sitting position.

The Royal Guards? The thought went through my head. “So it's all true,” I said.

“What's true?” Merabeth responded.

“Umm.. nothing really. Just that I was locked up for some time at the Castle dungeons for trespassing into the great Halls, where it's forbidden to our kind. Honestly, I'm just lucky to keep my head,” I replied.

“Why hadn't I told her about finding my mate?” I thought to myself. What exactly would I say? I found a mate, and not only was he among the royals, he was a powerful one at that, one whose status I know nothing about.

I chuckled within myself. The thought of ever having a mate made me laugh. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding.

“Well, I thank the goddess that you are safe with us. Not everyday miracles like this happen,” She said as she held my palms to her, while Rollo massaged her back.

“Well, guess who's back in town?” Merabeth questioned.

“Tell me, who's back?” I replied.

“The Alpha King,” she responded.

“The Alpha who?”