Verona had no spectacle nor prying eyes as she faced her punishment in the open.
Everyone minded their business and kept gossip down to mere whispers; further proving the power of the King's command. It turned out to be a bearable experience when the woman began to whip her.
Her hands were soft.
Softer than the painful water slash she had to endure during her conversion test. Softer than the hell from when she had to cut off her wolf and, lighter than Omar's horsewhip on rare days when he couldn't handle his frustrations. But yet, she felt broken.Her pride had been reduced to nothing.
The perfumed woman said nothing to her. She had simply done her duties and left almost immediately.
Verona couldn't even see any reason to hate his woman, for she had been only but a slave to the commands of her master. Women would always be bound by the commands of men, whether they chose to or not.
But then, she also knew that often times the so-called choice was merely an illusion. Disobedience was not tolerated in the wolf realm, especially coming from a she-wolf. It is outrageous, ridiculous, barbaric and many more choice words that fit, but it was their reality.
Eight strikes from a woman only trained in the service of pleasure was really nothing to mull over. She'd experienced worse and yet survived.
It was obvious he held some level of affection for the slave, as she was the only one able to elicit an explosive reaction from him. The sudden realization put a small doubt on what she knew of the man. He was unfeeling, arrogant, cruel, a sadist that derives immense pleasure from the sufferings of others. Razhal wasn't capable of love nor to understand feelings and emotions.
Even Omar had told her of the King's first mate whom he abandoned after she was captured by Fox shifters decades ago. His act of nonchalance led to her death and it was believed the goddess cursed him never to get the blessings of a second chance.
So why did he break character over such a woman…?
The night kept getting darker way faster than she would have liked, and the entire surrounding got enveloped in the darkness. Aside the howls of patrolling wolves there was no other noise coming from the palace. People have gone to sleep.Even her own eyes were beginning to get heavy and soon enough she got lulled into sleep.
Verona got submerged into what seemed like a nightmare where all she heard were whispered voices. Several of them, all echoing and each one sounding more desperate than the other.
"Wake up!...""Please save me…""Wake and look at the bloody letters…"
"They call you…"
"Lost soul."
It kept going and more and more voices joined in causing her great discomfort. Their words were becoming jumbled and hard to make meaning of. She could neither tell if they belonged to a man or a woman, young or old.But just as it turned for the worst where she felt her ears bleeding, a mighty howl rented her mind, silencing the voices and bringing her peace.
At last her she was saved, or so she thought. But a wet mouth got placed right beside her ears with a strange message.
"Beware of becoming a fool. Omega!!!"
Verona's eyes snapped open only to be met with the sharp glares of the sun. She was drenched in her own sweat with her heart running a marathon. Was it another vision?
There were a lot of questions on her tongue begging for an answer but she also knew she may never find it on her own. Her time in the palace would turn worse if she keeps maintaining such a slow pace.
He had punished her to satisfy his ego but she now sees it as a warning from the universe.
Verona needed to find out about the raids since her husband used to mention the words so often anytime his fellow wardens come for a visit.Shortly before his demise, Omar was compiling a document of strange names and details. He usually left it in his study at the center of his oak table.
Verona hadn't given it much attention since it seemed private and important to him, but she could remember the words "JUDGEMENT DAY" boldly written at the hard front cover.
That book mysteriously disappeared after Omar was killed. She'd gone home to mourn him and immediately felt its absence from the usual spot leading her to believe the killers had taken it.
Her next mission must be to search his office and bedroom. She'll have to find and read that book. Somehow there was a gut feeling that the answer to her questions may lie in the book.
****
Razhal refused to think of the outcome to what Riko had told him. He refused to acknowledge that he had been fooled by someone yet unknown.It was very obvious the rebellion was already in motion.
Some persons were actively trying to divert his attention using pesky controlled rogues and border wars.But this game planner knew nothing of his capabilities and how willing he was to burn down the entire realm if it became unmanageable.
Ever since that prophecy found its way into the palace ten years ago, right in the middle of a full moon festival. He knew that his reign would take a drastic turn.
The descendants of Hiroshae have converged again after three decades, to carry out their master's plans.The plan to institute 'Narachi' across the realm, which simply means 'taking back power'. Apparently they saw no reason to be led by the Goddess's watchdogs (Lycans) and now seeks to destroy them…him precisely.
Razhal wasn't moved by the solidarity to the moon goddess, no…because he too held no filial likeness for the being. He just couldn't fathom that wolves think they could survive on their own without any supreme power to guide them.
His head hurt when he remembered the words of the audacious man just before his claws pulled out his beating heart.
"I will find your chosen one Razhal...and she will become the death of you"
It was a threat that had stayed in his heart since then always, like a shadow waiting to swallow him.
Razhal had made deliberate efforts to locate his mate. It was a straightforward plan, kill her before she becomes a weapon fashioned against him, but all his search yielded no result.
He waited several years and moons for the so-called 'chosen one', and just when it seemed hopeless…she came to him in an unusual way.
The King saw his mate for the first time, and felt his heart stop. She was like sunshine on a very cloudy morning, with all the beauty the earth had to offer. Razhal felt the power of a soul mate and the force of the mate bond all at once and was humbled to his knees.She was too good to be true…too good to be his.
He only had to stare into her shining brown eyes for him to know he couldn't act upon his promise. She had slipped away from him, and he wasn't sure of who to blame; his heart or the beast within him. He could neither be with her nor kill her. So he chose to simply let her go.
The real Galen was somewhere out there. The baby was only used to throw them off their backs, although it was temporal…because he already knew where the man was headed and what he planned to do next.
"Tell Feibond to return to the palace. Something ugly is making its way to us" his command was received by the trio who began to go in different directions.
He could hear the voices of men, women, children begging the Garavan's for mercy. But their begging would be useless; he was very sure of that. After all they had been warned.This was just their fate, an unfortunate one but theirs regardless.
To put a distance between him and the destruction, he jumped down the cliff and landed right at the entrance of what seemed like a makeshift temple. He entered without any second thoughts and the walkway brought him into an exit that faced an abandoned tunnel.
Razhal taken with curiosity matched into the unknown territory and his footsteps echoed along with the golden bracelet on his ankle. As he got deeper, the light dimmed and the air became cooler.
There was a point ahead where light seemed to have burst from an opening above and the King pridefully walked towards it like a hunter advancing a prey.He was almost under the opening when it happened.
So sudden and loud; a rush of energy hit his chest and exploded into a shade of red behind his eyes.The stench of blood filled the air, but what's most surprising is that the blood seemed to be coming from him.