The Miller and his son came earlier than I expected, and it seems one of us is at least excited to wed.
"I want six children from her. Do you see your blood every month, or are you like the ole maiden who gets hers once in three moons?" The Miller's son, Bran, speaks to me bluntly, and I shift in my seat, head down and nose scrunched from disgust.
"Yes, she does and can give you as many children as you want," my father quickly puts in, sensing the tension radiating from me.
"All boys too. Maybe a girl for the sake of dowry, but that's after the boys." My hands gripped the chair tightly. "Am I some kind of breeder to you?" I wanted to spit, but that would be a bad idea.
They had brought in two skins of milk, a jug of grape wine, and some coins to which, according to them, is what I'm worth since I'm old. I stare at my dowry silently, reasoning with myself whether I should just blurt out my true age and remain unmarried. I might probably get cast out.
"Look at me, woman," Bran says, ever so not gently, as he slouches on the chair I had laid a deer's coat on.
I look up at him, my eyes void of emotion, which made him visibly uncomfortable. I guess he's all talk.
"You will cook, clean, and assist me on the farm till our first son is of years. You will wait for me at the end of the day. You will offer me your cunt without question unless you're seeing your blood or heavily with child. Understood?" He leans toward me now, shoulders broadened to show dominance.
"Relax, you're going to chase away your wife before marrying her. I'm sure she knows her duties well, right?" The Miller turns toward me. I was about to speak when the sound of bells rang from the town square.
The four of us got up. I personally could kiss the bells right now. We rushed out, seeing children scurrying to their homes.
"Are the goblins stealing again?" I think to myself, wondering why everyone was so shook. A boy no older than thirteen ran past shouting at the top of his voice: "The werewolf king is coming! The werewolf king is coming!"
My blood ran cold. That tyrant… ugh. And we have no tribute or so I thought, as my father ran back in and snatched my dowry off the table, while the Miller and his son sprinted to their shack.
I stifled a laugh, and I think Bran heard me, seeing he turned his head slightly and muttered something under his breath. But I couldn't care less. At least I could breathe for now.
"Here, hold this." My father dropped the coins into my palm and dusted off his shirt.
"You do not look at the king, no matter what, alright? And maybe we'll get to live another ten years. And cover your hair properly." He warned as he guided me toward the front of our shack, just like the rest of the village was doing. I tucked my blonde locks properly under my cap and bowed slightly, as custom demanded, as we awaited the king.
I must have been daydreaming about my future doom when my father nudged me with his elbow.
"The tribute, peasant!"
I briefly looked up to a buff man towering over me. I nearly lost control of myself. I dropped the tribute into the box in his hands and waited for him to pass, but he stayed where he was, body tense, as I saw horse hooves in my lowered line of sight.
"What is your name?" A majestic, yet delicious, voice filled my ears, nearly making me weak in the knees.
"Aylin, sir," I quivered.
"It's your majesty to you, weakling," the tribute collector barked, but was abruptly silenced.
"Look up. Let me see you." That voice it's doing things to me. I tightened my legs together as I looked up and saw the most astonishing man to ever live. His blue eyes pierced into my soul, nearly making me swoon, and I quickly moved my eyes away before I lost my head, I frown thinking to myself there's something familiar about him ,like I've seen him before.
"Take her. She's coming with me."pausing my train of thoughts My head swung up faster than my brain could register, nearly making me faint. The soldiers grabbed me, ignoring my kicking and screaming. "What did I even do?" I muttered to myself " forgetting the fact that these beast has five times the hearing of a common man.
"Hush, or your father pays the price," the man holding my right arm snarled. Ugh my ill luck has finally caught up to me, am I going to be a sex slave? I heard their member when erect is about the size of a man's arm. I know they don't eat human meat so it's going to be either sex slave, slave or straight up severing me from my mortal coil darn my ill luck
"Your majesty, she's been promised to another." The horses stopped. His majesty nodded to a man, who walked to my father and dropped a bag of coins at his feet. Did I just get sold? My eyes widened at the thought of it as hot angry tears begin to form around my lashes blurring my vision.
"Return what is owed. She belongs to the king now," the man gruffly said. I stared at my father in bewilderment, knowing there was nothing he could do, as I was dragged away to what might be my impending doom.Seems I'm now a Tyrant's property I think to myself as they half drag me out of my known home.
Alaric's POV
It was supposed to be a decadal inspection, to show humans I am the reason they are safe.
"Do we have to go?" my wolf whined. "You know we could just stay here and run in the woods, then have a few she-wolves perform their duties of pleasure to us."
I mentally ignored my wolf. It's hard controlling a wolf hundreds of years old, thanks to the curse that altered my physical growth but did nothing for my desires.
I grabbed my sword, attaching it to my belt, as my Beta and best friend, Cedric, walked in without knocking.
"One of these days, I'll have your head on a stick for walking into my chambers without knocking."
Cedric smirked, lifting a white wolf's pelt off a chair and draping it over me.
"Then who would tolerate you, your majesty?" he mocked. I let it slide, as he truly is the only one who's not visibly shaken by me.
The ride to Luneshire was long and uneventful. Nearing the village, I sighted the guard scurrying to the bells, and not long after, they started ringing. The little lad is wise to know I do not like to waste time.
I watched and followed behind as my men collected tributes from the villagers. My wolf's hearing picked up insults hurled our way, and I had to stop him from getting too offended by reminding him they are beneath us and dull-minded.
"The tribute, peasant."
My mind link with my wolf was cut off as I heard, after oh-so-long minutes of silence, one of my soldiers snarling at a girl who hurriedly dropped the bag in the tribute box.
Moving closer after it was settled, I suddenly felt my wolf senses spike as the wind carried a sweet smell of jasmine my way.
"MATE!" my wolf yipped. I tried to mentally calm him down as I resisted the urge to run and claim her on the spot. Then I realized: She's human.
I rode my horse toward her as her scent filled my senses, and I felt my manhood harden at the thought of claiming her. I felt disgust at how my body responded to her, even as I fought to resist the urge.
"What is your name?" I asked, wanting to know who she was.
"Aylin, sir." My wolf went frantic. Her voice was like velvet in my ears.
"It's your majesty to you, weakling," my Beta snarled, and I swear, if he wasn't that important to me, my wolf would have made me rip off his head right there and then.
"Look up. Let me see you."
She looked up at me, grey eyes boring into mine, cheeks flushed, lips quivering from fear lips I wanted to bite. I blinked, thankful she had lowered her head again.Curse the damned she's a beauty even for a human which is odd but I curse the moon goddess under my breath for pairing me with her I would have gladly accepted an omega instead of this.
"Take her. She's coming with me."
I signaled to one of the men, who wasted no time in grabbing her. I heard her thrashing against their arms, and I wanted to tear off their limbs for touching her. My wolf was not helping, as he was actively snarling and threatening to force me to shift.
"Your majesty, she has been promised to another man," the girl's father begged.
I mind-linked my Beta, signaling for him to take care of it, as I didn't feel like speaking lest I stain the lush grass with the father's blood and guts. One of the perks of being a werewolf Alpha-king is that I can invade the minds of my pack members easily and speak with them.
I looked to where the scent of jasmine was strongest and saw my so-called mate pressed between two of my men, her feet barely touching the ground. I nearly laughed at the realization of how small she was, before leading my men out of the village and back to the pack unknown to me there were dangers lurking in the growing darkness ahead.