CHAPTER 7 – Anna

“My son tells me that you are ready to be free,” Margaret lifted her nose at me to indicate she didn’t feel that I was ready. I learned that Roman’s mother was named Margaret and she was the oldest member of the pack.

Also that she had one child, Roman, and no others. Roman wasn’t forthcoming with the facts of who his father was, but I got the impression that it wasn’t talked about.

I had been locked in this room for nearly a month. I was itching to go out for a run as well. I learned that we don’t have to transition to the hairy wolflike form. With practice that piece could controlled.

They still have me on bagged blood there was something about my virginity that Roman refused to discuss. I don’t hate him as much as I had once thought. There were moments of my captivity where he was almost kind to me. But my mind always referred back to Heather and Patricia. I couldn’t wrap my head around whatever he might or might not be doing with them.

“You are an anomaly to the Lycan. Your power is strong despite the unusual way you came to us, and it is because of your worth to the pack that I have allowed you to Live.”

As far as welcome home speeches go, it wasn’t the warmest.

“What value?” I asked.

Her eyes narrowed, “It is unheard of for a Lycan to reach their age of majority without losing their innocence. You will be regarded as quite a prize.”

I blanched, “You are going to sell my virginity?”

I knew she was evil, but this was too much.

Margaret rolled her eyes, and it was eerily similar to her son.

“No, I am going to have you go about court. You and Roman will be leaving immediately for Sighisoara, Romania. It is in the heart of Transylvania.”

“Are you serious?” I gasped, “I can’t go to Transylvania, I don’t even have a passport!”

Margaret looked like she was itching to slap me again, “You are a Lycan! We have no use for passports and local laws, that is a thing of the past. Now, you will go, and you and will help my son bring me the heart of the Lycan king. And if you do this, I will allow you to Live.”

My stomach dropped, “Excuse me?”

Roman stepped forward so that he was in between his mother and me. “It will be as you say, My Queen.”

Margaret turned a rare cold smile on her son.

“They will all wish to fuck her, with her beauty and the smell of innocence that she exudes. Use that to your advantage. Seduce the ladies and gentlemen of court until they trust you, it is only then that you will strike. Can I trust you to do this?”

Roman nodded, but I had a feeling that the question was aimed at me and not at him.

“Yes,” I whispered the word knowing that there was no possible way I could kill someone. I had no idea why she wanted the Lycan king dead. But this seemed to placate her because Margaret moved to the door and opened it.

“Oh, and see that she has a bath, she stinks.”

With that, the Queen of Doom departed.

I sighed heavily, “I can’t stink that bad.”

Roman made a fLuke, “you don’t smell that good.”

“First off, I know that is a lie because you mom just said that everyone will want to fuck me. Which by the way, that is creepy in the extreme. And second, I smell because you locked me in a room for a month. So, clearly, this is on you.”

Roman rolled his eyes and walked away. I figured he meant for me to follow and so I did. We made our way through the gorgeous hallways. Everything was rich and decadent. It was hard for me to imagine that Roman grew up in such a plLuke. What struck me the hardest was how cold everything was, and I didn’t mean the temperature.

**

“Are you packed?” Luke rLuked up to me as I walked into the entryway the next morning in a sensible dress and heels.

Luke was spiffed up in a suit of his own, but that didn’t stop him from picking up twirling me in the air before setting me back down.

I laughed and was thankful that he had forgiven me for the bite I had given him. It was good to be friends again. And good that I didn’t want to eat my friends.

As long as my eating schedule went well, I didn’t have the horrible urges to rip into anyone. I can’t tell you how happy I was that I was past that point.

“A whole new wardrobe was provided for me,” I turned and did a little catwalk.

Luke whistled, “That dress is hot.”

Roman came in and set his overnight bag down.

“The plane is ready, are you two?”

I nodded like the good little virgin Lycan that I was.

And Luke grinned, “Hell yeah, let’s go do this.”

“And why are we killing him again?” I asked for what felt like the millionth time since I learned of our mission.

“So that you are able to join the pack,” Luke said with a flourish as he opened the door. “And because he is a prick.”

“I am not sure that is a reason to kill someone,” I still wasn’t on board with the whole removing someone’s heart.

“It’s him or you,” Roman said flatly.

Instead of answering, I moved to the long town car that would be taking us to the plane. The door was opened, and I slid my way inside.

I looked back at the door and saw that both boys had their eyes glued on me, or actually my legs where my dress had ridden up.

I blushed and readjusted my skirt, “Sorry.”

They grunted and joined me inside of the fancy car.

Luke told me silly stories about members of the pack as we drove and soon my nerves started to settle. Roman was surprisingly quiet even when Luke teased him. He obviously wasn’t excited about the trip.

The private plane was something off of a movie. I oohed and awed over everything as Luke showed me where we would be spending the next several hours. Soon the plane was in the air, and we were off on our new mission.

Luke fell into a light sleep, and I looked over at Roman.

“What happens if we fail?” I asked quietly not wanting to wake Luke.

His hands tightened on the armrests of his seat.

“We won’t fail,” Roman said at last, “it isn’t an option.”

“But,” I tried to argue.

Roman looked at me; his dark eyes were cold as he put me in my plLuke.

“My mother will not rest until this is done. If we fail, more hunters will be sent in our plLuke. Never underestimate your plLuke in this world, Anna. There is no happily ever after in your future. You now serve your pack and your queen. This is the way of our world.”

I swallowed hard.

No happily ever after? Was he saying that I couldn’t take his world? Because I could, I could do anything that rich bastard did and probably do it better.

Bring it on.