Zedkiel
“You will be fine, Evangeline,” Alistair is saying, the door to the bathroom is slightly ajar. “You have been given an upbringing better than most werewolves. Just pretend you aren’t an omega tonight. The Prince is taking you to this dinner as a date, as an equal in a way. You do not want to let him down.”
Raised better than most, that is what I had heard too, and it is exactly what I am banking on for tonight. When Ragnar and Chasyn had mind-linked earlier, they said that Dad has set a date for the tournament. We have two weeks. Two fucking weeks to find a luna.
Like hell I was going to find a woman that my Lycan wouldn’t rip to shreds. I am unhinged. There are days he is calmer, but others where my blood thirst is heightened, which are far worse.
I stand up silently, walk over to the bedroom door and peer through it, staring inside. She stands there with her back to me, her smooth, creamy back on display branded with my mark. Her curvy hips and that ass snugly fit into that nude slinky velvet dress. I bite my lip, imagining what fucking her would feel like, but I have to push the thought away before I end up getting fucking turned on.
Evangeline. The name suits her, yet I can’t bring myself to call her by it.
She takes a deep breath, slipping her slender feet into a pair of nude heels. Her hair is pulled back in a stylish quiff, with the rest in a ponytail.
“I will. I’ll do my best. Is there anything I should know? Anything one of the royals doesn’t like?" she asks, turning to Alistair, and I slowly move back, still listening. There is no fear in her voice. Her voice is appealing and sounds even better when it isn’t filled with fear.
“Hmm, well, the Queen doesn’t like eye contact when you answer. She most likely won’t talk to you, but if she does… don’t look her in the eye,” Alistair warns. I nod.
That was a fucking good point. The man is proving ideal as a guide for her.
She exhales sharply, “Understood.”
“Remember to serve the Prince his food, refill his glass when needed, and you will be fine,” he says confidently, and I frown slightly, deciding I need to try to remain relaxed so she isn’t so fucking uptight. I hope my plan works, I can’t just let this chance pass by.
“Okay, Miss Rose, good luck. Oh, and do fill me in on how it goes,” he adds, and I can hear he is packing up. I move away, crossing the room and sitting on one of the sofas. Resting my left ankle on my right knee as I spread my arms over the back of the sofa, I relax, waiting for her to come out.
Alistair steps out of the bedroom first. Spotting me, he lowers his head. That fear and nervousness that he was so confidently telling her not to feel is shrouding him. The sound of heels follows, she steps out and fuck if she looked good from behind, the front is no less. “I will. Thank you, Alistair, for everything,” she says with a small smile, adjusting the thin strap of her dress, one she wears no bra under.
“Oh darling, I have a good feeling about you,” he whispers, casting me a furtive glance before he leaves, lowering his head as he goes.
She exhales once the door shuts after him before jumping when she spots me, her hand flying to her breasts. Our eyes met, and her heartbeat quickens. She closes her eyes for a moment. My gaze locks on the way her thick lashes brush her cheeks before they flutter open.
“Shall we go?" she asks gracefully, and I see the shift in her posture. She squares her shoulders and raises her chin. I cock my eyebrow, my eyes raking over her one final time before I give a curt nod leading the way out. Taking another quiet breath, she follows.
We enter the dining room to see everyone is already there.
“Zedkiel,” Dad says. All eyes turn on Evangeline as she lowers her head to the table. Dad barely hides his shock.
“Never seen a woman before, Father? Considering how many you have had, that’s a little surprising,” I taunt coldly, walking around to my seat beside Alcazer. I jerk my head to the seat on my other side, and she sits down slowly. I had already notified them I was bringing a guest, although Dad had said he wanted to talk about something important.
Danciana is on Dad’s right, with Chasyn and Maryka on his left. Next to Danciana is Alcazer, and then on Evangeline’s other side is Jeremiah, with Ragnar and the twins besides Chasyn and Maryka.
I look at Evangeline from the corner of my eye. She is still emotionless and graceful, but I don’t miss the steadying breaths she’s taken a few times.
“You brought a guest, Zedkiel. What an honour and a surprise,” Danciana remarks as the omegas begin serving. Two of them keep glancing at Evangeline but remain professional.
“A guest I’m surprised is still alive,” Ragnar sneers arrogantly.
“Yeah? Well, we all know if someone pisses me off, what the fuck happens. No matter who they are, brother,” I counter coldly, “Don’t fuck with me, and no one dies.”
“I presume this is regarding that condition, Zedkiel,” Dad murmurs thoughtfully as he begins helping himself to some steak. Danciana sits forward, placing some other stuff on his plate, and no one moves, not until he takes his first damn bite. I don’t respond to his question, instead turning my attention to the lavish meal on the table before us.
The only thing that would make this better was if I had some blood.The moment Dad takes the first bite, Evangeline moves forward and places food on my plate. From how those lush breasts rise and fall, I know she is doing her best not to panic. I actually like seeing her acting brave. She is still that fragile omega – submissive and innocent, ready for me to break. Still, she can at least act normal without sounding scared.
It makes her all the more alluring to fuck. She looks up, our eyes meeting, and all I want is a taste of her lips against mine. It is addicting, and the hint of her blood that I had tasted… Fuck.
I look away, feeling myself hardening in my pants. “I don’t eat that much,” I mutter, leaning closer to her just so my arm could brush hers. My gaze dips to her cleavage, and I smirk when she stops herself from adding another potato to my plate. “Now make sure you eat; I like a woman with meat,” I murmur, not caring who hears.
She blushes, her eyes widening as she places the potato on her plate. I don’t know why she can’t fucking believe that. Every man has his preference, but I want some meat in my hands, not just muscle and bone.
“So, I called this dinner regarding the tournament. Two weeks from now, those who are eligible will be readied for the coming tests. You will not be given prior notice to the events or challenges. However, the High Court has decided that due to not one of my sons having been given the destiny of the crown, the Alpha heirs of all packs will take part if they, of course, have a luna, too,” Dad remarks.
I look at him sharply, not expecting that. A tense silence falls over the table. This was why Chasyn said Dad was stressed. Those fuckers are trying to claim the crown for their own bastards.
“That’s fucked up,” Ragnar scoffs. “They aren’t Lycans.”
“No, but there’s not been any sign that a Lycan is the next ruler. This dynasty of my forefathers may just end here; unless, of course, one of you wins the title,” Dad says, smiling gravely. A fake smile that I see right through. He is stressed and worried.
“That’s unfair. That crown is ours,” Ragnar growls.
“I’m out of the race, then. I’m sure they won’t want to pardon or make the rules easier for me,” Alcazer mutters. “I don’t see myself taking a luna so soon.”
“Father, this was your idea. How did the High Court even come to have a say?” Chasyn asks, glancing towards my little omega. Can she be trusted? She is from the Silver Mountain Pack, who do have a potential alpha who may join the race.The mention of that pup makes anger slither through me.
She is. She has no contact with any of them anymore,Danciana sighs as Drystan scoffs. “That’s messed up and not fair. That plan backfired, didn’t it, Dad?”
“I know, sons. But it seems the subtle instigation was only to make me put the plan forward and then… that’s it. I was not really given an option. It doesn’t matter; there is little I can do. But let’s not mull over it. Right now only Chasyn is eligible for the tournament. The rest of you are mateless. This is the other issue. The competition will trial and pitch the lunas against one another, too.”
“Oh fuck,” Drystan growls as Maryka smiles.
“Well, I won’t let you down, Father,” she says to Dad. “Those titles belong to the Vilkas legacy, no one else.”
He ain’t your fucking father.“I have faith in you, Maryka.”