Chapter 1: Letters of Warning
SERAPHINA
'To Princess Seraphina Lancaster of the Moorlands Pack.'
"You have received a letter, my princess."
My handmaid said, approaching me as she dropped a well-sealed letter with a red patterned seal on my vanity.
For a second, my pulse quickened when I stared at the letter, hoping against hope this wasn't going to be the same terrible news.
"The destruction of the Lord of Misery is drawing close. He is destroying every pack, every land which has made his sweat turn to blood, and he would have the heads of your pack. Each and every one of you and your land might be next.
Adieu, Bird Whisperer."
My heart thumped loudly, hands clenched tightly against the letter as I crumpled it, staring at myself in the mirror.
"Who sent this?"
I asked, not looking at my personal maid, who had instantly stopped fixing my corset gown—which felt like it would suffocate me any second now.
"It was sent through the dragons, like it has been for the past six months."
She whispered, her hands grazing over my gown, removing the creases.
I turned to look at her, which made her stutter.
"Whoever this Bird Whisperer is has been sending these letters for the past six months, and yet, nothing. The Lord of Misery has been attacking lands, packs, and every kingdom he's laid his hands on, and yet, he hasn't attacked ours. Do you think whoever this Bird Whisperer is—do you think he's toying with us? Playing with our emotions?"
I questioned, staring at the letter in my hands, but Greta remained quiet, hands still placed around my black corset gown.
"The letters have been more frequent this past month, but you shouldn't be worried. We have dragons. We have been blessed by the moon goddess who has given us dragons—they can protect us. And the union between you and Adrian would make us unstoppable. We can defeat the Lord of Misery with our dragons, with Adrian's men, with your father's authority. Our land will be the last of his misery."
She whispered, her eyes shining with so much intensity that spoke of hope and courage—enough to make my own courage swell and my hope ignite once more.
I allowed her to finish arranging my hair, and with that, I left the room, my hands still wrapped around the letter.
I walked through the halls, through the castle walls, I heard slaves being whipped with lashes as they wailed. My heart clenched at the sound. The desire to get married wasn't just out of duty to protect my pack, but to stop the entire slavery system. To stop my father's inhuman treatment against humans and other creatures whom my father had deemed to be an abomination.
I doubled my strides, hurrying away from the scenes happening around me, and finally, I stopped in front of a door—a huge mahogany door.
The last thing I wanted to do was see him. I took in a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.
My heart didn't clench, nor did I feel my blood running cold, or my mouth drop when I saw the scene in front of me.
It was Adrian, fucking two whores. All of them naked. One of them riding his cock, the other had dropped her ass on his face, his hands palmed against her cheeks as he sucked into her core.
A disgusting and repelling sight which I wished I didn't have to see.
But I was used to it—used to seeing my betrothed fucking women every single day.
But our wedding was in two days' time, and shouldn't he be making arrangements?
"OOOhhh yessss, yesss, just like that... ride that…oohhhh my goddd…"
"Yessss my king…. Your cock is soooo fucking gooood…ohhh yesss… I love thisss."
"Eat me sooo well….oohh god..my king…you are so…good at this…"
Their moans filled the room, but I remained there, unmoving, watching the disgusting show. The women must have wanted to make it even worse—their screams getting even louder when they noticed I was there.
They had all seen me but kept fucking my betrothed.
Not able to take it anymore, I walked toward the table. My hand settled on the bell and I rang it so hard that its sound pierced through the room, loud enough to make them freeze as their heads all snapped toward me.
Adrian's stare found mine, his jaw clenched, hands still placed on the whore's waist. The darkening of his eyes signified that he was angry—mad that I had interrupted his hot session.
"Do I need to tell you that the show is over before you leave?"
I said, my voice calm but cold enough to send the whores scrambling from his bed, dragging their belongings as they rushed out of the room, bowing as they left.
Leaving me alone with Adrian. His organ still remained standing even with the women gone, which made it an even more repulsive sight.
"Interrupting my session is uncalled for, Seraphina."
Adrian snarled, climbing out of the bed as he walked toward me, fully naked. His steps were slow and predatory as he approached, stopping just an inch from me and towering over me.
"We have a wedding…but you're fucking some whores… don't you have any shame, Adrian Bateaus?"
I whispered, taking everything in me not to look down at his phallus, which was impossibly close to my belly. But he chuckled—it sounded so disgusting to my ears. I hated everything about this asshole.
"Would you want me to fuck you then? I don't mind doing that. Even though this marriage is made out of duty to my father and your own father, I don't mind turning you around, pressing your back to these walls and ripping that gown apart while I grab your hair and fuck you so badly from behind. Trust me, you will enjoy it—every single bit of it."
He finished, his eyes shifting between black and gray as he stared at me, his face turned up into a smirk as he said those words. I bit my tongue, clenching my fists and trying to stop myself from slapping him hard across his cheek.
"The Lord of Misery sent another letter. We need your men to arrive today to protect my pack, and you need to seal your own part of this duty."
But instead, I received a chuckle. His eyes glanced downward to the letter in my hands. He snapped it from me, his face turning solemn when he read the letter. Then he chuckled again. Turning, he walked toward the fireplace and threw the letter into the fire, the paper diminishing into flames with the red ink showing the last words, making it look like a dreadful sight.
I glared at him.
"How dare you burn the letter. I was going to give it to my father."
I snarled, but he walked toward me.
"But I am going to be the new alpha to two packs. I make the decisions, not your father."
He snapped, making my eyes widen at his words.
"You are no alpha until you are married to me, and I'd rather fuck a slave than fuck you, Adrian…"
I spoke the words before I could stop them, but Adrian had other plans. His mouth crashed against mine as he pushed me against the wall, his hands palmed against my ass, making me gasp—enough to give him entrance to my mouth. His kiss was rough, demanding…and everything I hated.
His hands pushed against my breasts, palming and cupping them in his hands as he rolled my nipples between his fingers, causing me to let out a moan which I tried so hard to stop. But it came out before I could control it. With that, he pulled himself away from me, his cock pressed against my belly—large and thick. My eyes watered with distaste and yet…hunger.
Fuck. I hated myself for feeling this way.
When I raised my eyes to stare at him, his eyes bored into mine with anger and something else—hate and repulsion. Then he wrapped his hand around my neck in a rough way that made me stop breathing for a second. His face held a twisted smirk, loving the mess he had put me in.
"I fucking hate you, Seraphina, for turning my world around in such a repulsive way. This marriage is nothing, and I will fuck every living thing away from you. Remember, you are nothing in this but an obedient whore when I need you to be. And once I marry you, I will have everything you own—your dragons, your pack. And once I kill Draven Gravestone, I will kill even your own father…and everyone else who dares cross my path."
He said, pushing me hard to the floor roughly.
My eyes widened with shock, still breathless from the kiss, but not believing what he had just said.