Chapter 3: Rosie’s Gambit

Conan let go of Hazel’s hand the moment the three vehicles they had arrived in, were in their sights.

Hazel, who was still in shock from how quickly she had gone from servant omega to wife of the literal King of Lycans, stared at the vehicles incredulously. They were all black in colour, their polished shine reflecting the bright glow of the moon.

Where were the horses? The carriages? Why did they look so....sleek?

"You’ve never seen a car before?" Conan’s voice broke her train of thoughts, and she jolted, shocked to find him staring at her.

What is he staring at? Why me? Oh Goddess, what am I supposed to do?

"No....I...." She stammered, feeling her face heat more if that was even possible. "I....no sir, no my king. I have never seen one before."

The Scorpio Alpha stared for a moment too long, much to her discomfort, before looking at the orange-haired man, his Beta. Wordless information passed between them in their eyes, and the man walked to one of the vehicles, opened it, and emerged afterwards with two bottles of water and two small and fluffy white towels.

He handed one to Hazel immediately.

"Here,"

Hmm, his voice is a bit lighter than King Conan’s, Hazel observed, lowering her head slightly as she received the bottle.

Before she could uncap it, Xavier turned to Conan, pulling out the second bottle of water. He held it out to the King.

"Your hand, my King."

Conan glanced down at his bloodied fist, still caked with Lucian’s drying blood. He grunted, taking the bottle and pouring it over his hand. The water ran red, splattering onto the stone floor in dark droplets. Conan flexed his fingers, watching the crimson liquid drip away, before Xavier wordlessly handed him a second towel.

Conan wiped his hand clean, taking his precious time. When he was done, he tossed the bloodied towel back to Xavier without a word.

Hazel watched the entire exchange, her stomach churning. That was her father’s blood. The same father who had whipped her, tormented her, and sold her like cattle. And yet, watching King Conan wash it away so easily made her feel... something. She didn’t know what.

She quickly looked away, uncapping her own bottle and pouring a little amount over a part of her towel. She wiped her face clean of the drops of blood that had dried up, scrunching her face in disgust upon seeing the dirtiness of the towel when she was done.

At least she was a little clean now.

"I knew the Gemini Celestial line liked to maintain old pack policies," Conan started, his eyes still fixed on hers. "But I didn’t know it was so bad that you had zero idea of just how modern the world around you has become."

Hazel didn’t know how to respond to his words, so she just played with her fingers.

"Anyways, we’ll sort that out when we get to Wexley. You’ll go with my Beta, Xavier. I have some business to attend to, so I should be with you in a day or two." Conan turned to Xavier, the Beta with electric blue eyes, and a neutral expression. "Take care of her, and answer any questions she may have."

"Yes, my King." Xavier nodded, stepping forward to open the door of the nearest vehicle. He held it wide, gesturing for her to enter.

Hazel stared at the dark interior of the car. The seats looked plush, covered in some kind of soft leather she had never seen before. Everything smelled clean and royal. Nothing like the damp, moldy room she had called home.

She hesitated, her feet rooted to the ground.

Slowly, she turned around, looking at Tideclaw in the distance.

Conan cocked a brow. "Would you rather return? Or do you have any belongings you wish to retrieve?"

Return? Do I want to return?

Hazel looked at him. Then looked down at her bare feet, at the tattered dress she wore, at her bloodstained hands.

Do I want to go back to a life of unprovoked punishments, and treading upon eggshells?

No. Absolutely not.

"No, my king," she whispered.

"Then get in."

Hazel swallowed hard and turned back to the vehicle. She placed one foot on the step, gripping the door frame for support, and tried to lift herself inside.

But the moment she moved, a sharp pain shot through her back. She couldn’t stop the wince that escaped her lips, or the hiss of air that left her teeth. Her body locked up, her shoulders bunching instinctively, and she gripped the door tightly.

Damn it, the pain from the lashes earlier.

"You’re in pain."

Conan’s voice came from directly behind her, and she flinched, almost stumbling.

"I...." Her throat constricted, and her heart pounded in her ears. Best to not lie. "Yes, my king."

"Stop calling me that."

Before she could process his words, Conan’s hand gripped her shoulder and turned her around. She gasped, her heart trembling from the contact. He was staring at her back, his nose flaring as he took a deep inhale.

Then, without warning, he pulled the back of her dress down just enough to reveal the mess of raw, torn skin beneath.

A growl rumbled from his chest, and his eyes blazed red.

"Who did this to you? Lucian?"

Hazel’s lips parted, but no sound came out.

Conan felt his jaw clench. That bastard of an Alpha bad deceived him, touched his bride in his presence, and WHIPPED her before his arrival.

He shoved her dress back in place and turned to Xavier.

"Take her. Now."

Xavier’s eyes flickered between them, his neutral expression cracking with confusion. "What of you, my King?"

Conan looked back toward the castle of Tideclaw, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Like I said, I have some business to attend to."

Xavier who had spent years with Conan, knew better than to argue when the King of Lycans was upset. He gently guided Hazel into the car, this time supporting her weight so her back wouldn’t strain. She sank into the soft leather seat, her entire body trembling as she sat opposite Xavier.

He settled into his seat, closed the door, and the car hummed to life.

~

"The fuck do you mean he’s coming with his new bride?"

Rosie, a gorgeous black-haired woman with white highlights and a pair of sapphire purple eyes, unintentionally crushed the tea cup in her hand, the sharp shards piercing her.

Disgust crawled up her throat, an image of Conan with a strange backwater Bambi from Tideclaw, a pack stuck in times past, flashing in her mind.

Her wounds had began to heal up, and she shot to her feet immediately, trying hard to not crush her phone from her increasing indignation.

"He actually went to Tideclaw?!" Rosie roared.

The person on the other end of the phone, Silas, exhaled loudly. "Yeah, he did. What are you going to do now?"

Rosie clamped her teeth on her thumb nail, chewing on it, a bad habit not so easily lost.

Rosie Bennet and Silas Graham were both members of the Scorpio pack that inhabited the greater parts of Wexley and Marovia, the leading Lycan pack in the entire world.

Rosie in particular was the daughter of the previous Lycan king’s Beta, Jasper Bennet, and had always deluded herself into believing Conan would make her his wife and queen some day. All so that she could get the Luna mark on the inner of her right hand.

"What else am I supposed to? If he’s bringing her already, I can’t do anything about it," She snarled, a headache forming slowly as she felt her lycan become more and more aggravated.

"There is something you can do, infact," Silas said, and Rosie caught a whiff of a plan from his tone. A sly smile curved her lips.

"What do you have in mind?"