Him with his dick barely contained in his loosely buttoned pants.
It
would be a showdown that would be talked about for ages and I had no desire to lose to him. I wasn’t going to die today nor was I going to be forced to take his cock.
We circled each other in the newly cleared space. I clutched at the knife in my hand and he reached for one that had fallen to the floor near him. When he stood back up, he sneered at me, his own fury just as strong as mine.
“You should have just chosen an omega,” I said with a scowl.
“I will have you, Freya. Before the night is through, I’ll be fucking that defiant alpha pussy until it’s flowing with slick and full of my seed,” he retorted.
I snarled with my fury and rushed toward him. I swung my fist around, my knuckles just glancing off his cheek, and quickly pivoted to thrust my knife at his throat. He spun just out of my reach and I hurtled forward, pinning him against the wall behind him. He twisted hard, grabbing at my arm and throwing me against the wall too. I screamed as a flash of pain raced down my spine, but I was used to the ache of battle. I shook it off as I rolled into a feint in one direction while quickly transferring my weight from one foot to the other to come at him when he least expected it.
I didn’t stop pushing him, again and again until the two of us were flushed with adrenaline. I could feel the sweat dripping down my spine, and I used the back of my hand to swipe a few droplets from my eyes, but I didn’t slow down or back down, not even for a second.
Vageir took a step back, trying to analyze my movements and fighting style, but I didn’t give him the time. Instead, I threw myself toward him, moving as swiftly as I could. I dipped low and burst up toward him, catching him off guard by my recklessly wild approach.
I slammed my shoulder into him and threw him to the side, making him lose balance and stumble to the ground. With a vicious snarl, I threw myself on top of him and slashed at him with the knife, catching his arm again as he moved to block me. I felt more of his blood paint my skin and I shrieked at my success.
Quickly though, I tossed the knife to my other hand. I moved so fast that he couldn’t keep up, and I caught him off guard when I brought my elbow down hard enough on his arm that I heard it crack. He growled through his pain, but I didn’t care.
My alpha wasn’t going to back down. My alpha was ready for a fight to the death.
Using my other hand, I twirled the knife in my palm and brought it down hard. I blocked his defensive maneuver with my other arm and attacked with everything I had. When the knife slid into the side of his skull, he stared at me with a blank surprise.
I used enough force that the blade sank all the way in till the hilt. At once, Vageir’s eyes glazed over and the king who once reigned over the kingdom of Valgertha was no more.
For several seconds, I just stared at those dead eyes. No longer were they full of rage at being denied what he wanted. Now there was nothing. I had won.
I wasn’t going to be forced to take anything tonight.
When I was ready, I stood up and gazed out at the crowd. I could feel the king’s blood drying on my naked form, stark against the paleness of my skin. I took a deep breath and peered out at the people I’d fought with all my life. I’d taken down their king. By rights, I was now their queen.
I met Bjorn’s eyes, the one man who had trained me to fight this way, a man who had been by my side ever since I’d first picked up a sword and shield. Bjorn was like a brother to me. He was a strong fighter. Although he was a beta, he had the build of an alpha and he fought like one. Many of the men and women looked up to him and when he rose to his feet and raised his tankard in a show of respect, the rest followed.
“Long live Queen Freya!” he shouted.
The rest of the crowd followed suit until the entire hall echoed with their howls of animalistic excitement of this unexpected turn of events.
This morning they had fought side by side with their king.
Tomorrow, they’d be fighting with me, not as another warrior, but as their queen.
Chapter Two
Aric
I stared at the engraved red-eyed wolf mask, tracing my fingers over the intricately carved wooden surface. It was painted with flecks of gray, black, and white, a design that was unique to my own mask. A circlet of grape leaves was carved and painstakingly hand painted at the top of it, a signature of those with status in the Brotherhood. It had taken me a long time to earn such an honor and I would never tire of admiring it every time I took it out of its wooden case. I curled my fingers around the edge and lifted it off the table. I took a deep breath before I pressed it against my face, hiding my identity from whoever would join our circle tonight.
I stretched the leather cord over the back of my skull, tying it snugly in place. Then I pulled up the hood of my black cape, covering my dark blond hair as I did so. With a sigh, I left the comfort of my room in the inn, keeping to the shadows and slipping out of the back of the tavern. It was late, so there wasn’t anyone awake and moving around. With purpose, I made my way out into the dark of the night. I peered around until I found a dimly lit opening in the trees. Glowing lanterns just barely cast out enough light to see the dirt path beneath my feet, forcing me to be cautious with every footstep. With a heavy swallow, I prepared myself for what the rest of the night would entail.
It had been a long time since the Alpha Brotherhood had called all of us together for a meeting like this. I had been told that all the members of the main branches would be here as well as all the sages who lead them, sages like me.
I had been appointed my status some time ago after proving my worth for a number of years. I killed for it and now I led an army of soldiers that carried out my orders. Sometimes, I would have them assassinate the Brotherhood’s enemies, protect certain figures of power that they were assigned to, or even defend our strongholds from our enemies. It didn’t end there, however. They would do whatever I told them, no matter what it was. No questions asked.
The chanting began, low and heavy. There was a heavy drum that beat at a steady pace as well, pairing alongside the deep voices in a haunting effect that always managed to make me shiver.
The meeting was about to begin.