by Bianca Mckay
At Dru’s silence, Aribelle chuckled.
“I thought so. See, I’ve sliced your brother open, and you still have not said a word in days. Imagine my surprise when I discover that you are not just any intruder, you’re the one they call the gentle prince! Always has his nose in a book, but loyal to a fault. You would never betray the secrets of your kingdom.” Aribelle said with an ersatz pout.
“That is correct. I would never betray my king or my kingdom, especially not for the likes of a mongrel such as yourself,” Dru said, holding his head high.
“Of course not! I completely understand. However, as I understand it, your brother is much better at this game than you, so from now on, he is the only one with whom I wish to discuss this particular matter,” Aribelle said.
Thame’s stomach suddenly felt queasy and full; dread sat like a leaden weight in its pit. He thought he might know what was coming, and that uneasy feeling crept slowly up his spine, sending a thrill of fear shooting through him.
“The ruthless heir, I believe is what they call you, Thame,” Aribelle said as she turned her back on Dru, effectively dismissing him as unimportant.
“Do not test me on this, Belle. Whatever rumors you’ve heard, I assure you they are true,” Thame growled, though he knew there was nothing he could do to stop her.
“What I have heard is that you have no real combat training, even though you rank as the commanding officer in your father’s imperial army. You take nothing more than rutting seriously because your brother is the only one with any brains in the family. Although, I did hear that your mother was rather smart, at least smart enough to get the fuck away from you both when she ran off with your uncle after she was tired of your father. That is why you fall into the bed of any woman who will have you between her thighs. Like mother, like son. A cock was more important to her than her family, and you cannot keep yours out of a random cunt long enough to learn how to fight, let alone rule a kingdom,” Aribelle said with a vicious gleam in her eyes.
Thame laughed mirthlessly, hiding the pain that the mention of his mother caused.
“You’re one to talk, Belle,” Thame chuckled, anger simmering in his veins. “I would bet my kingdom that you didn’t become this way overnight. Tell me, beast, is your mother a bigger bitch than you, or would you say about the same?”
Aribelle gasped, then growled low, her eyes turning crimson as the feral rage boiled beneath her skin. Thame could see how hard Aribelle was fighting the urge to shift into her wolf, her claws retracted and then sliced out from under her fingernails, fur covered her tanned arms then vanished, and her eyes flashed from red to blue and back again.
“My mother is a bigger bitch than me, trust me,” Aribelle snarled. “But I can and will still kill you if the need arises.”
“Oh, I don’t believe it!” Thame shouted with fake laughter.
He didn’t know why he was pushing her, why he couldn’t just keep his damn mouth shut. There was something there, beneath all of her sharp edges and that get-the-fuck-away-from-me stare that made him want to break through the walls she had up and be the first to discover what truly lay within the beast.
“How can anyone outdo the Queen of Beasts herself? Do you not turn children to wolves, curse innocents, and eat human babes for breakfast?” Thame sneered.
It was Aribelle’s turn to laugh mirthlessly as she shook her head.
“Your ignorance is astounding,” Aribelle said.
For a split second, Thame could swear he saw a hint of hurt in her eyes, but it was quickly masked and replaced with an impatient glare.
“My ignorance? It took you nearly a week to discover who we were. Anyone else would have figured it out within minutes,” Thame countered.
“Tell me why you are here,” Aribelle said, ignoring his jab.
Minutes ticked by in silence, with Thame and Aribelle glaring at each other. Aribelle’s arm blurred in an inhumanly fast movement, and suddenly Dru was screaming in agony with a blade in his arm, sunk deeply to the hilt. Blood oozed from around the silver blade, running in rivulets down Dru’s arm as his face turned ashen.
“What the fuck, Belle? What did you do that for?” Thame shouted in outrage.
Struggling against his manacles, Thame’s fury built as his brother screeched in pain.
“Stop calling me that,” Aribelle snapped. “I’ve already told you we are not friends. As for why I pricked your brother, I’ve explained that too. I want the truth now, or he becomes my new target practice.”
“A prick? YOU STABBED HIM!” Thame roared.
Aribelle tilted her head to the side and shrugged, conceding his point.
“Eh, he’ll live,” She replied.
“You know, I’m starting to understand why your mother would want to make you submit. You’re like a wild animal. You don’t care that you have two princes from a neighboring kingdom. We could be here to discuss important political matters! You’ve imprisoned us both, you tortured me, and I’ve let all of that slide because I would’ve done the same. But I draw the line at my brother. Leave him the hell alone,” Thame snapped, struggling harder against his bindings.
Aribelle was in his face in an instant. Her hand wrapped around his throat as she hoisted him several inches off the ground and held him in the air.
“You understand nothing,” She shouted. “I am what she made me. I didn’t choose this. I didn’t decide one morning that I wanted to be cursed with the consequences of a petty witch who couldn’t control her own anger! I didn’t want the responsibility of ruling three-thousand people, but I have no other choice! I was created out of spite, raised as a weapon, and played for a Goddess damned fool.”
Thame looked down upon her in horror at not just her story, but also the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m sorry,” Thame choked out.
“What?” Aribelle yelped, seeming to snap out of her melancholy.
She dropped Thame unceremoniously to the ground, where he landed in a heap of tangled limbs and chains. Her hands went to her cheeks, and she brushed off the tears with a look of stunned amazement on her face.
“These are real tears,” She said to herself, awed.
“Of course, they are,” Thame said, bewildered. “I am sorry that I am the reason they fall.”
“There must be magic around,” Aribelle said, pulling herself together and ignoring Thame.
Thame stared at Aribelle’s retreating form for several moments before a wild thought struck him.
“Have...Have you never cried before?” He asked.
“No one has ever made me cry,” She replied over her shoulder as she walked around the cabin to the front.
Thame sat leaning against his post, thinking that her answer wasn’t entirely truthful.
“Are you alright, brother?” Thame asked Dru, shaking clear his thoughts of Aribelle never having cried before.
“Oh, do I exist to you now?” Dru sniped, tears streaming down his own face.
Before Thame had time to respond, Dru continued, his voice hoarse from crying.
“If you’re going to bed her, be quick about it. At the first chance I have, I am writing father and getting the hell out of here.”
“Don’t you think we should find out more? Did you not hear what she said about her mother and how none of the horrible shit we’ve heard about this place is Belle’s fault?” Thame asked incredulously.
“I think I missed that because I was getting stabbed by the psycho woman you keep staring at like a lovesick puppy,” Dru griped.
“Calm down, brother, I just went through much worse than that for three days, mind you,” Thame said with a roll of his eyes.
Dru sighed deeply, and Thame smiled.
“That’s it, brother, just relax,” Thame said encouragingly.
A loud thud sounded, and Thame looked over to see Dru passed out on his side. The sound of approaching footsteps alerted Thame to reason; Tarja. Leaves crunched beneath boot
ed feet as Aribelle, Tarja, and Wren made their way to the back of the cabin. Wren kept glancing at Dru with concern but relaxed visibly when he let out an obnoxious snore.
“He’s all healed,” Tarja said. “Need me to stay, Alpha?”
Aribelle shook her head and replied, “No, we’re just going to pack up and meet everyone in the morning.”
Tarja nodded and disappeared into the forest, leaving Wren and Aribelle standing beside each other awkwardly.
“What are we packing for, Belle?” Thame asked conversationally.
Wren made a strange face and looked between Aribelle and Thame several times before knitting her brows and walking over to sit on a tree stump near Dru.
“Tomorrow we leave for Rynoch,” Aribelle said with a smirk.
Thame knew that Aribelle thought the idea of venturing deeper into Jurot would scare him, but it did not. On the contrary, he was excited to see more of her kingdom, more of her. For the first time in his life, there was a woman he really wanted to get to know. If only she felt the same, he thought with a forlorn sigh.
“You can go in and start packing, Wren,” Aribelle said. “I’m just going to grab some firewood.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Wren replied with a bow of her head.
“Don’t forget to grab two tents! You’ll need one for you and your lover boy,” Aribelle called out with a laugh.
When Wren was inside, Aribelle walked closer to Thame, checking the chains and manacles closely. Leaning down to his ear, she inhaled deeply and then whispered to him.
“Tomorrow, we will find out exactly what you want in exchange for your secrets.”
Thame gave her a half-smile, his mind filled with thoughts he didn’t want to think about. What if she was as evil as they were led to believe? He knew she was ruthless and cold, but if anything she said was true, then he needed the whole truth before he could move forward with their plan. She could be innocent, or at least not worthy of death, or a life lived under a spell.
But what if she wasn’t innocent? What if she was evil? What if she was a threat to his kingdom?
Although he did not want to admit it to himself, Thame wasn’t quite sure he would care as long as he was with her.
Ten: Purest Evil
“Momma, what happened to the last Alpha?”
“She would not obey me anymore, my beauty, and for that, I took her head.”
It was hours before dawn when Aribelle woke the princes to begin their journey to Rynoch. The forest surrounding the cabin was eerily dark, heavy mist hanging low to the ground curled around the trees. What little moonlight glowed from the otherwise pitch-black sky only served to illuminate the dense fog, making it appear more sinister and otherworldly.
“Hurry, the pack awaits,” Aribelle barked, unlocking the manacles.
Thame stared dumbly as the chains fell to the ground at his feet. Dru looked equal parts hopeful and scared.
“You are letting us go?” Thame asked dubiously.
“Of course not.” Aribelle scoffed with a shake of her head. “Thank the Goddess that you’re pretty because you haven’t many brains.”
Aribelle led them both to the front of the cabin, where Wren and several large bags sat waiting.
“If you are not allowing us our freedom, then why release us from our bonds?” Thame asked.
“That is unimportant,” Aribelle said with a shrug of her shoulders. “It’s time to leave.”
Wren shouldered two of the bags as Aribelle did the same to the others. The women set a leisurely pace down a well-worn path that led from the cabin to the woods.
“Wait just one moment, Belle! I say this is important as it is my life of which we are speaking,” Thame shouted from behind.
Aribelle continued walking, giving no indication that she heard Thame.
“Let’s just go.” Dru hissed loudly.
“That would not be wise,” Aribelle said, stopping in her tracks.
Wren fidgeted where she stood, shuffling her feet impatiently as she gazed up at the few stars that twinkled above the canopy of leaves. The mist furled around them, wrapping them in a cold embrace. Aribelle could sense the excitement in the air; the pack had gathered and were ready for their hunt. And as hard as Wren had been fighting accepting her new life, Aribelle could feel the anticipation building around her new assistant.
“Because you will hunt us down like animals?” Dru asked sarcastically, flailing his arms about.
“Because it would not be wise,” Aribelle repeated, raising a brow. “Do as I say and follow me.”
Aribelle continued her trek down the path, pushing aside low hanging branches. A hand landed on her shoulder, squeezing gently. The bubbling fury inside her burst with surprising force, leaving only a whisper of calm washing over her like a warm breeze.
“Just tell us what is going on, Belle,” Thame said in a low whisper, his eyes pleading.
“Is it not enough to know that I am Alpha, and you should heed my orders or be eaten?” She asked without infliction.
Thame chuckled low and leaned forward, his breath fanning her face.
“It is not. Please, just explain,” He asked.
With a huff, Aribelle stepped away from Thame’s annoying soothing presence. His closeness calmed the rage that simmered in her blood, tamed the wildness that threatened to consume her, and made heat pool deep in her belly. It was wholly despicable, she thought, to have this reaction to a man, let alone one who was likely sent here for nefarious reasons.
“I didn’t want to say anything because your brother is, quite frankly, a whiny bitch. I’ve seen old women on their death beds with bigger balls than he.” Aribelle replied.
Thame’s mouth split in a wide grin, his eyes crinkling in the corners.
“I’m going to marry you, Belle, Queen of Beasts,” Thame said as he stared intensely into her eyes.
“I’m pretty sure she’ll eat you alive before she marries you.” Wren chimed in.
“Are you serious, Thame? Do you want to marry the beast? We didn’t come here for you to fall in love with the enemy.” Dru shouted shrilly.
Aribelle snorted loudly, giving Dru a withering stare that she hoped would communicate just how badly she wished for him to drop dead.
“I wouldn’t marry you if the Goddess herself told me to,” Aribelle said coolly, though her heart flipped over at his declaration.
It was a rare occurrence that anyone showed her affection or genuine interest. The few men she had been with either wanted the power that would come with being part of the Alpha pair, or they couldn’t handle her brashness and callous personality. Thame appeared to be genuinely interested in all parts of her, the angry cursed beast and the confused but determined woman. If she was honest with herself, she wanted to peel back his layers too. Find the ruthless prince under the womanizing whore, and see what other sides he hid beneath.
“We need to go,” Aribelle said curtly. “You’re both unchained because otherwise, you would be trapped prey to those who don’t have complete control over their wolf counterpart. It’ll be hard enough to ensure that the gentle prince here makes it to Rynoch alive because if there’s one thing the pack knows how to do, it’s picking off the weakest. Just follow me and keep quiet if you want to stay alive, because if you accidentally challenge someone or you become a sniveling spoiled brat, I will not intervene with our ways to save your sorry sack of skin and bones.”
Aribelle turned to continue down the path when Dru spoke again.
“What is stopping us from escaping or fleeing in the night?”
“The pack,” Aribelle said smugly. “You think my people docile?”
Aribelle laughed cruelly, mockingly, as she stepped towards Dru.
“They will look for a reason to hunt you down. They are likely praying to the Goddess right now that you do try to flee, just for an excuse to sink their fangs into your creamy flesh,” Aribelle warned.
Dru nodded his head, gulping loudly.
“Got it,” He assured.
“I really hope you do because I will not berate or punish my people for being who they are in reaction to intruders who didn’t know their place. And in case you didn’t know, your place was in Vildaheim. You chose to come here on whatever foolish quest you’re on. You can stop being pissed at me, stop crying about everything, and for all of our sakes put a stopper in your incessant whining. Neither myself nor my people brought you here or forced you to come here. If you’re going to continue to hate anyone, start with yourself,” Aribelle spat.
“I think he gets it, love,” Thame said as he put an arm around Aribelle’s shoulders, in an attempted to steer her forward.
Throwing his arm off of her, Aribelle bared her teeth at Thame, who walked along ahead of her following the path whilst whistling a jaunty tune.
“Do not touch me again,” Aribelle snarled after him.
“The next time I touch you, it will be because you begged it of me,” Thame said over his shoulder with a wink.
“Hold your breath while you wait, please!” Aribelle shouted at his back.
The group walked the path as it twisted and turned through the forest, jumping over fallen trees and swatting flying insects as they nipped are their flesh. It took another fifteen minutes of brisk walking before they reached a small field of wildflowers, where over two hundred men and women stood anxiously, shuffling their feet, talking excitedly, and drinking merrily together.
The men and women were dressed in leather or fur, with most of their skin exposed. Men were mostly shirtless or wearing vests, whilst the women wore mainly skirts with tops that barely covered their breasts. Many were nude, standing amongst the pack uncaring about having their nakedness on display before their peers. As Dru shifted uncomfortably, Aribelle rolled her eyes, thinking her earlier assessment of the young prince’s intact virginity was correct.
“They all look so…feral,” Dru whispered to Thame.
“They dress a little differently than we, but who cares?” Thame said, giving his brother a reproachful look.
“You cannot tell me that they don’t look untamed and uncivilized. They will kill us, can’t you see that?” Dru scoffed incredulously.
