FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
The house at the top of the mountain became a beehive of activity after the birth of Penelope and Darius’s child.
Families from the pack came in to offer congratulations and help around the home, and everyone was in high spirits.
Rose had even managed to stop worrying about her looming dilemma as she attended to her sister and the guests. She found comfort in staying busyheavens knew she hadn’t been as occupied since leaving the palace.
Her days at the palace had been filled with training and studies. Her training had included everything from battle tactics to combat skills, and her studies spanned matters of both werewolf and human worlds.
It was imperative for the leader of the werewolves to know everything about ensuring the survival of the race in the midst of a quickly expanding human society.
Now, it seemed that all of that training had been for naught. At Blood Moon, she wasn’t allowed to take part in matters regarding the pack’s defence or security, and there was a bevy of servants and slaves who saw to the household affairs.
She was like a ghost in her own home, drifting around day after day bored to death.
Her sister’s house was like a much-needed refugeif she ignored her misadventures surrounding a certain tall, blue-eyed, dark-haired Beta.
She hadn’t heard any whispers yet about it, so she assumed he hadn’t spread word about her. Even if he had and she just hadn’t gotten wind of it, she should have been receiving curious looks, of which she got none.
After a couple of days of paranoia, she decided he had been teasing her. Penelope talked about him like he was an honourable man, and her sister was a good judge of character.
Also, he didn’t appear to Rose as the kind of male who went around trading gossip.
While her fears had cooled down, her imagination hadn’t. In fact, as the days wore on, the wilder it became.
It didn’t help that she had gone three days now without catching a glimpse of him. She hadn’t anticipated that his absence would bother her so much. At first, she had fooled herself that if he wasn’t around, she could put him out of her mind. The opposite proved to be more accurate.
Her heart jumped every time she caught a figure in her peripheral that looked like him. She searched for opportunities to ask about the pack from her brother-in-law or Daisy that would lead to their mentioning him.
She stayed longer at the breakfast table, hoping he would appear after ending his night-long guard duty.
If she wasn’t so busy, she would have lost her mind.
She had never been so fixated on someone before. Her obsession had gone from wondering how it would feel to be in his arms to simply wanting to lay eyes on him, to be around him.
Fortunately, she had found out that he wasn’t mated. If he had been, she wouldn’t have entertained her thoughts about him any further.
Her own marital status was the least of her concerns. The only thing she owed Marcus as his mate was an heir, and he would get one when the time came.
He didn’t afford her any respect or loyalty as his mate, so if she had any misgivings about her desires, they had nothing to do with him.
Of course, if she were to do anything about her burning desire for Mountain Blacks’ Beta, she would have to ensure Marcus never found out.
It wasn’t any secret that even though he paraded around with other females, he would kill any male who touched her. He would bury her with him too if she wasn’t the werewolf king’s daughter.
All of the activity around the house peaked on the first full moon night after the birth of her nephew.
According to custom, werewolf newborns were dedicated to the Goddess on the first full moon after birth, and it was one of the biggest feasts among packs. When the child happened to be an Alpha’s firstborn, it was the biggest it could get.
After the dedication rites were complete, it was time for festivities. The feast happened in the forest, with a huge bonfire serving as the centrepiece for a lot of merrymaking.
Penelope left soon after the formal part of the ceremony was done, and Rose went with her.
Andrew was at the ceremony, but she hadn’t interacted with him directly. He hadn’t paid her any attention, but then, he had been busy with his duties. She supposed that was for the better. She had no idea what she intended to say when they finally came face to face again.
Penelope told her she didn’t have to accompany her back to the house, but she insisted. Apart from Daisy who went back with them, everyone else was at the feast. She couldn’t just leave her. Her sister was her reason for being there. She wasn’t there to entertain herself, either with parties or unattainable fantasies.
They were in the middle of drinking some herbal tea Daisy had made when Darius showed up. He said it would be a shame for Rose to miss the fun part of the ceremony and all but ushered her out of the house.
No longer worried about her sister, she gave in and walked back towards the celebrations.
She had never taken part in the celebrations that took place after the dedication was over. They were rowdy, and hence not suitable entertainment for a noble she-wolf. Now, she had the chance to see it all for herself.
Before she could step into the clearing, she stayed hidden in the trees and scanned the area. Pack members milled around drinking, eating, laughing.
Two males were fighting near the bonfire, and most of the attendees had gathered to watch and cheer. One of the warriors soon lost the fight, and another one stepped forward to challenge the winner. So, a tournament.
She wanted to see it up close, but first, she needed to locate him. She couldn’t find him. Had he left?
Disappointment was beginning to sink in when her eyes fell on a familiar face.
He was sitting on a log in front of the semicircle of the fight spectators, so his face was well-lit by the fire. Raine, Andrew’s friend. She had seen him clearly a second time after that first day and could recognise him right away. As she could the other male who sat beside him.
Darius’s cousin, Dale. He had been around the house a lot recently, and they had been introduced to each other.
But what caught her eyes wasn’t their presence. It was the female who was sitting on Raine’s lap.
While everybody else focused on the fight happening in front of them, the two men were distracted by the woman.
As she watched, Raine raised his hand from the woman’s waist to her bosom. Her eyes widened as he fondled her openly, his fingers sinking into one breast before moving to the other.
The woman giggled and lowered her head towards his. Raine met her lips with his, and they shared a long kiss.
Beside them, Dale shoved his hand under her skirt and up her thighs. Rose blinked. The woman reached for Dale’s arms and pulled him closer, urging his hand further.
Her breathing quickened. How could they do that right in front of everyone? Not that anyone seemed to be paying attention to them.
The kiss ended, and Raine’s attention shifted to the fight. But his hands didn’t stop their ministrations on her breasts, and Dale’s hand was still beneath her skirt.
A familiar ache rose between her legs, and she pressed her thighs together to ease it.
She had spent days wondering how Andrew pleasured females alongside his friends. She was finally getting a preview, and it was getting her hotter than her imaginations had.
How far could they go in front of the crowd? How far could they go in private? If Andrew was with them
“Like what you see?”
Andrew’s voice startled her and she turned around so fast she stumbled on a rock and went falling backwards.
He caught her just in time, wrapping his strong arms around her. He pulled her up until she was pressed against his hard body.