Chapter 8
DPOV
I walked into the small but decadent office of Madame Kirova. The colors in here were vibrant, the silk expensive. Everything screamed pleasure. The silk meant to caress, the velvet to warm.
But these chairs were too damn small, meant for a woman's frame. Yet, she received mostly men here. Clients for her girls. The message was clear. She can bring you great pleasure, but on her terms. It was a quiet power she held. And from one slave to another I could appreciate what she had done within that limit.
Knowing I would never be able to comfortably sit, I chose to stand.
"General, I don't think I have ever seen you here." her nose was scharp, her voice even sharper. She had once been a concubine herself. All I could think of was that she must have a great amount of skill, because it wasn't her looks that had earned her a spot amongst the most coveted of women.
And she was right. I haven't been here before. Because I never requested a girl myself. Only my men.
"How was Rose? I know she is a little green, but I was glad when it was you who she had been requested for. I know you wouldn't break her."
Cold, calculating eyes. Her words would hint at sympathy for Rose and maybe there was, but that was not the purpose of her words. She hadn't survived so long as a concubine, climbed as high, would she not know how to play the game.
"That is why I wanted to talk to you. I will have need for her soon. Give her a couple of days rest and then send her back to me."
The shock on her face was almost comical. I took a great amount of pleasure in surprising her. For the first time she didn't seem to know what to say.
"But… But she has already been requested by others."
Damn. I hoped to avoid this. But no other man would touch Rose. I would make sure of it. For her sake and for theirs.
"Then I claim exclusivity."
If she had been shocked before, her eyes were bugging out of her head now. I had never shown any interest in her girls. She had tried. Because she wanted to have influence over the General, just like everyone else.
"You have never claimed exclusivity before."
I didn't actually know if I could. The lines of what a slave General could and could not have were drawn again and again depending on others mood. If they knew I wanted it bad enough it would be denied. But Kirova was a slave like me, no matter how much influence she had, that would always be true.
"Are you denying it to me now?" I Iaced the words with a push of my alpha power. Kirova was cunning, but in the grand scheme of things she was weak. Her head bowed involuntarily.
"No, of course not. It is within your right. It just seems out of character. I know you have never slept with any of the girls that your men brought you, you also have never requested a girl yourself. Why her?"
I wasn't any of her business. But I knew she wouldn't let it go otherwise. Maybe to my face, but I didn't need her digging around.
"Rose transformed when she was with me. She is Beta. She needs time to adjust and control her wolf. I know what it is like to have a ranking wolf as a slave. I can help her. I didn't save her just to have her die now."
As close to the truth as I could get.
"I will have it arranged. But you do know the one exception to that rule, don't you?"
I growled and subconsciously let out more of my power. I saw Kirova practically fall on her desk due to the pressure of my presence. Sometimes I forget how fragile others were. I had been told I was nothing so many times, and by the only one who had been stronger than me, that I still believed it. I was reminded I wasn't weak anymore only when others bowed so easily.
I knew it wouldn't protect Rose from him. But right now, that wasn't something I could help. He had his favorites and he wasn't particularly into virgins. It would take time for his interest to shift to her. Although if I claimed exclusivity that timeline may be accelerated. But for now, she was safe.
After I left a shell-shocked Kirova to regain her composure, I moved towards the throne room. Because today the southern Alpha would be granted an audience with the King. The King had made sure to include me as well in the proceedings. One part was to act as security, as a display of power. And one part was to remind me that he was King and what he did with people that disobeyed him, or threatened him in any way. Even if they only existed.
I would stand beside him in a farce of loyalty. I never got this close to him and as I took my position on the wall next to him only a couple of minutes later, I had trouble stopping the trembling. Not in fear. I had lost that particular emotion towards him on a stormy night over a decade ago, but in quiet rage only he could bring out in me.
"You just watch Boy. I could have had him killed. It would have been easy, but I realized that humiliating him, making him kneel in front of his Beta's would be far more efficient."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I wondered if he really didn't remember this had been my idea because his mind wasn't all there anymore, or if he was openly humiliating me in the process. I just inclined my head, appearing grateful for the lesson.
By the time the Southern pack walked in the wall had been lined with all our highest ranking and strongest warriors. There were two more alpha's besides me and the King.
The man that walked in though, was a sight to behold. He held his head high. His eyes were coldly calculating. His skin was darker, reminding me of Rose a bit, his hair just as dark. He was tall, but not particularly muscular. His power didn't originate from brute strength. He was wearing a flashy suit. I wouldn't be caught dead in it, but somehow the vibrant colors suited him. It made a statement, caught people off guard, made him known.
The man next to him was a stark contrast, his clothing simple leathers like me. He didn't share his alpha's dark skin or flashy disposition. And I could tell, this one earned his power and muscled the hard way. A strong alpha, physically. Not stronger than me or the King, but that didn't make him any less strong.
The strange power distribution between the two intrigued me. Obviously the other Alpha was able to take the man in the middle. But somehow chose to look to him as master. It told me enough of the power of the Alpha in the middle. They were trailed by a few beta's. The King had summoned all the ranking wolves in the pack.
When the possy stopped in the middle of the throne room, the King stood.
"I welcome you Alpha Mazur. I have heard so much about your pack, I wanted to greet you and yours in person."
He walked towards the Southern pack, earning himself the name predator. I think today he might actually be sober. He still leaked power everywhere I could already tell some of the beta's in this room, both Mazur's and ours struggling to stay upright.
Ibrahim Mazur however showed no signs of kneeling.
"I thank you for the invitation." he inclined his head a little. The movement was supposed to show gratitude or respect but it held a silent defiance. He was mocking the King. "I was curious about the seat of power." He looked around the room as if he was sizing it up. I could practically see him measuring new drapes and a new throne for when he believed he would take over.
I had seen it all before. In the early days I might have hoped someone would actually do it. Anything was better than that…monster on the throne. But it always ended in bloodshed... theirs.
But for some reason, it didn't feel as blatantly foolish coming from him.
"So tell me, Zmey. How is the Southern border?"
'Zmey', the comment had been meant as an insult. Alpha Mazur had been called a snake long ago. He had taken the insult and made it his own. The word was only whispered in fear now. He had made it akin to the boogeyman.
"Warm." There was no fear in that dry statement. His oddly melodic voice held power and it would not yield so easily to the King.
The King was not pleased that this 'lesser' alpha wasn't showing him the respect he deserved. I could see the quiet rage building underneath. In a few more moments it wouldn't be so very quiet anymore. The King might have power, but he had no control.
Alpha Mazur on the other hand, was the opposite. He had control, made damn sure he had control over everything. His power was not innate, but acquired. In a battle of wills, of intelligence I knew who would win. But the throne had never been held by anyone just on wills. You needed actual power to back it up.
The Kings pushed his chest forwards, trying to seem taller, more threatening when his voice boomed through the great hall. "I called you here to claim your allegiance Zmey. You are strong and I could use people like you. After all, I can't be everywhere. I need a cat to hunt my mice."
The insult was clear. He would consider Mazur a pet, a single tool to hold his reign.
He pushed out his power now. Letting whatever dams he had built around it crumble. It sweaped across the hall like a tidal wave and everyone went down to their knees. I gritted my teeth.I bent slightly because I knew I had to, not because he made me. I knew the result would be the same if I unleashed my power, but the effect could not be denied. He was powerful.
The southern pack started to kneel one by one, and both Alpha's bowed their heads as they too fell to their knees.
But the way Mazur had gone down, the way his intelligent eyes had met mine the moment he did, told me the action had been voluntary. Mazur chose to go down. Chose to confront the King another day, on his own terms.
I had no illusion that the King could make him kneel. There was no denying his power. But I think he would need more of it to reach Mazur. Mazur made him believe he was weak. Placating his need to dominate while in truth Mazur held the control in that room.
"I am grateful to serve the throne." came Mazur's reply. The Kings had smiled, beaming in his hollow victory. But I had heard the omission in his words. Serving the King and serving the throne were not the same thing.
The King turned around to walk back to the empty throne Mazur had vowed to protect, When his back was turned Mazur stood up a fraction before everyone else did as he rained in his essence. Again I seemed to be the only one to notice. But as I saw those cunning and intelligent dark eyes linger on mine, that had been deliberate.
"I wonder if the King would permit me to stay in his capital. I have some business here before I go back towards the South."
The King waived his hand as if he didn't care what he did now that he believed the other alpha to be humiliated. A fatal mistake.
I was still debating whether or not I would point out the error in letting Zmey run around without supervision on the way back to my quarters.
RPOV
I spent a couple of days 'recovering'. People honestly believed I had lost my virginity and could use a couple of days to mend and heal. It gave me an insight to the state other girls had come back in from clients. If they believed Dimitri could do that to any girl, they really didn't know him. Although maybe it wasn't about cruelty. Maybe it was simply about getting used to the friction and movement down there. Lissa had lost her virginity to an idiot two years ago and she had said it was a bit sore down there for a couple of days.
The other girls had been curious when I came back. They wanted to know what he was like on the full moon. I really didn't know. I had been rather out of it. I remember him being warm and safe. But I never considered what it had been like for him. He was a strong Alpha, one of the strongest. I knew the full moon would have affected him. But he had laid there the entire night holding me. What had it cost him?
I was in the simple leathers Dimitri had given me on the side of the garden. I would put the thought of Dimitri out of my head for now. I needed to do something. I was going stir crazy in my room. We were allowed all sorts of entertainment: Books, art, lessons. But all those things didn't speak to the warrior in me. I had a hunger for movement and strife that couldn't be denied. And it had been bottled up long enough. It seemed to have amplified since releasing my wolf.
I found some swords in my apartment. They were slightly curved and light. They may be decorative but for training it would do. Somehow Kirova had pegged me as a warrior and had decorated my suite accordingly. Or maybe they were in all the girls rooms. I wouldn't know.
I had found a quiet place near the fence. It was mostly grass there, but it was private enough. I started with stretching my muscles. It had been a while since I did any kind of exercise. I didn't want to sprain anything. After stretches I started on slow movements. I tested the weight of the swords in my hand, I flipped one in my right hand and caught it a moment later. It felt natural holding them.
I remembered the movements the guards at Madame Petrov's had shown me. I had practiced them so many times, had them ingrained into me from so young they were second nature. I hadn't had much chance to practice during the time I spent in Sorokin's pack. But I made sure I would never forget, going through the motions in my room, practicing the moves in my head. I had made sure when the battle had finally come that I had been ready.
I went through them in a more of a dance form than combat moves, The kata was selfmade, but nonetheless effective. I felt a form of serenity while practicing the deadly moves. I would love a sparring partner but for now this would have to do.
"That is why he picked you isn't it?" I looked over to who had spoken. The girl Dimitri had 'taken' to his bed was sitting on the side watching me with quiet interest.
"Sorry?"
She pointed towards my swords. "Why General Dimitri requested exclusivity. Because you are like him, a warrior."
The words didn't make any sense.
"He never touched me or any of the girls sent to him by his men. It is a sort of quiet understanding between those of us that have been in his bed, that we keep his secret. But you are different. What was he like?"
She thought I slept with him? Why? Did she say exclusivity?
"I didn't sleep with him. I mean we were in the same bed, but I didn't have sex with him." I put down my weapons. "Why would you think I did?"
"Because he asked specifically for you. Because he requested exclusivity. You are for his bed only."
I was shocked. He said he would take care of Kirova, but I didn't think he would do this. A small smile pulled at my lips. He didn't want anyone else touching me huh? Interesting. Or maybe it was just to make it easy to teach me to control and hide my wolf. Maybe once he had done it he would release me as quickly as he requested me.
But something had changed. He could have asked for exclusivity when he first brought me in. Maybe giving his background that would be suspicious. But the fact he was willing to risk it now made my heart skip a beat.
"I didn't know he had, but it is complicated. I think it is his way of protecting me, but don't tell anyone I said that."
Her eyes were soft. This whole girl was soft. Too soft to be a concubine and come out of it with that sweet disposition intact.
"I won't tell anybody." She stood up and brushed off her silk dress. "I will leave you to it." She was about to walk away but she turned around. Her eyes became darker and some of her softness was replaced with a brutal reality. "Maybe you can teach me a few moves. We could all learn a few basic moves to defend ourselves if necessary."
I nodded. I would be more than happy too. But I didn't think it mattered, because the person they most needed protection against was someone they could never hope to take on.
