Chapter 9 Chapter Nine

Chapter 9 Chapter Nine


Jaslyn 

“So weak,” one of the ladies beside me said. Her words were accompanied by snickers from the others.

“So strong, yet your arm balance is so pathetic.” I retorted calmly. For the life of me, I couldn't engage in the swordfight they were currently practicing in. I learned my lesson after the first few trials when one of the women had nearly slashed down my shoulder. Yet I couldn't go back into the Fort.

Zeeland's instructions were clear. I had to practice ahead if I ever hoped to beat the Lunas from other packs. The ladies that were currently engaging in a duel were Armand and Benoit's toys, and they'd done nothing but try to get under my skin. 

“I heard you were a slave before Zeeland bought you off,” one of them, a blonde, said giggling and looking at me mockingly. I didn't respond.

“No wonder I've been perceiving an odd smell. I bet you can't wash off the smell of a slave no matter how hard you try.” Blondie continued, and my hands clenched. 

I let out a sigh. No, she wasn't worth it. 

“Armand told me that she's an Omega too,” another one put in. They all giggled, and made annoying sounds.

“You may think that you're one step away from being Luna, but you should know that Zeeland is powerless, and so are you. Ascending the position of Alpha wouldn't change a thing.” One of them, a tanned skin lady sneered with a wicked chuckle. The others nodded heartily.

“If I understand correctly, you're addressing your future Alpha as powerless?” I asked coldly.

Some of them paled before Blondie spoke up.

“Oh, please. Zeeland is a cripple and is powerless compared to Armand and Benoit. That's the harsh truth.” She smirked.

I faced Blondie. “So you're Benoit's toy then?” I asked with an innocent smile.

Her smirk cracked, and her face closed up. “How dare you?!” She rasped.

I waved my hand in the empty air. “Don’t mind me, you guys can go on.” 

I enjoyed the furious looks on their faces as they returned back to dueling. For a while, they didn't acknowledge or make mockery of me. I basked in the momentary bliss, before one of them challenged me to a game of archery with her. They all had sneers on their faces.

“Okay.” I nodded, and went over to take the bow and arrows lying neatly by the side. We moved into the archery range and the other ladies stood to the side. 

“I’ll go first,” Elena- the one who challenged me- said. I nodded and moved away a little. I didn't mind her going first. I didn't know a thing about archery, but I wasn't going to give them the pleasure of knowing that. 

Elena took a stance and focused on the target. 

“Wait-” I raised my hand.

She turned to me with a frown. “What is it?” She asked irritably.

“No rules?” I asked sweetly.

She was about to speak when I reached into her mind and put in some thoughts. Her eyes glazed over and she nodded slowly. 

“Yes, yes, we should make rules.” She said with a distant look.

“But Elena-” one of them began saying, just at the moment when my stomach chose to clench painfully. I winced and let my eyes roam over the ladies. They were eight in total, all of them exquisitely dressed in flowing gowns. Their bare arms were adorned with beautiful armlets and their hair were oiled up in the ancient Greek way. Leave it to the vain ladies to wear such uncomfortable clothes to duel.

Who the hell wore flowing gowns during swordplay?

They had all taken turns in trying to annoy me, and I was currently hungry. I wouldn't feel a pinch on my conscience if I fed on any of them. And that was what I did.

I concentrated on Blondie who was staring at me in a condescending manner. I reached into her mind, and put a thought there. But listening to her own thoughts almost made me strangle the daughterofabitch.

‘How I wish she'd just die. Ew, what did Zeeland see in her?’

‘So ugly.’ 

‘Zeeland should be mine, not hers.’

Her last thought made me blink. Zeeland was hers? 

Her face cleared up a bit, and she approached me. “Can we have a talk, somewhere private?” She asked.

I pretended to be astonished. “But I'm about to compete with Elena.” 

The others all looked surprised at Blondie's change in attitude. 

“We won't take long.” She promised.

Still pretending to be annoyed, I followed Blondie- whose name was Larissa- as she led the way to the forest. That was the only place I could think of, where I could quickly feed on her without prying eyes and still head back in time before others got suspicious.

“Stop here.” I ordered when we got under a huge tree with large extended branches that provided enough covering and shade. 

Larissa had a blank look on her face as she turned to me. 

I was almost tempted to release my control on her so she could see my fangs before I sank it into her neck, but I thought better of it. Doing that would only endanger me. 

“Well, I guess this would do,” I murmured, my hand going around her neck and pulling her close. “Payback time, bitch.” 

Larissa's blood tasted like her attitude, or maybe my sense of taste was also blinded by my hatred for her disgusting character. Whatever it was, her blood didn't taste nice.

I took care not to drink too much and when she weakly rested against me, I pulled away my fangs and began rearranging her thoughts. A sudden noise startled me and I looked around warily. For a moment, I hoped it was the stranger from that night. My heart thudded against my chest when the thought of someone else seeing me crossed my mind.

Say it was Zeeland's Beta? Or maybe those descendants of hell- Armand and Benoit? 

I continued rearranging Larissa's thoughts at a faster pace than before. The noise sounded again, this time louder than before.

I even thought I heard the footsteps of someone approaching.

“Fuck it,” I cursed beneath my breath, pulled Larissa and hid behind a tree. With a racing heart I listened and waited. When minutes passed without anyone coming out, I heaved a sigh of relief and pulled away my hand from Larissa’s.

I controlled her to leave while I waited behind. That way, no one would suspect a thing. And I was still paranoid about the fact that someone had seen me. I couldn't have imagined that curious noise.

When I thought it safe to leave, I slowly emerged from my hiding place and went to meet the other ladies.

“Where is Larissa?” I asked innocently.

“She had a sudden headache and left a while ago.” Elena said, looking me over.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Is the competition still on?”

Elena was about to speak, when Dmitri interrupted her. I hadn't even noticed his arrival. 

“The Alpha requests your presence.” He said, in that stiff voice of his.

I felt the ladies’ stares burn a hole through my back as I followed his lead towards the Fort. 

“What do you think he wants me for?” I volunteered to break the uncomfortable silence. He didn't respond.

I made a face and fell silent. 

Alpha Zeeland was in his room when he arrived at his door. I was sure he was, because I could clearly hear his voice and that of someone else. Dmitri raised his hand to knock, but I beat him to it.

“You don't have to.” I chuckled, but my throat tightened when I walked into the room.

There were many things I'd envisioned and could envision. Those things didn't include a strange elegant lady intimately kissing Zeeland. His eyes sparkled when she pulled away, and he laughed. Like, really laughed.

I hadn't even thought he had it in him. He had been all but nice to me ever since he bought me off from the slave traders. But with this lady, he was beaming with pleasure.

Lost in their world, they didn't even notice my presence. 

“I missed you, Zee.” The lady chuckled, an affectionate look- which I longed to wipe off- on her face. 

“I wasn't expecting you back soon.” Zeeland replied, his hand warmly caressing hers.

The back of my eyes burned with tears and jealousy, and I shook myself in consternation at the brewing feeling. I shouldn't be so worked up over the fact that he was looking at another woman in the way I wanted him to look at me.

Yet I was.

Unable to stomach it any longer, I cleared my throat. Both of them looked in my direction. A weird look crossed Zeeland's face before it wiped off.

“Alyse, this is Jaslyn.” He introduced, gesturing at me. 

“Oh, the fake mate?” Alyse asked, looking me over.

Facing me now, I could see her facial features clearly. She was pretty, with raven dark hair, and golden flecked eyes which hid a look of anger in them. Anger at me, of course.

I swallowed hard. 

“Yes, the fake mate.” Zeeland nodded. When he looked at me, I didn't spot any hint of warmth in his eyes. 

“Well, she'll do, for now. Anything for your position, my love.” She leaned down and kissed him again, this time winking at me as she pulled away.

“You sent for me,” I forced the words out. “Alpha.” I added as an afterthought.

“Yes, I wanted you to meet my woman.” He cast her an affectionate look, which made a bitter taste rise in my mouth. 

“Zeeland has told me all about you. You don't look anything like an ex-slave though. You can leave now, I want to

have some time with my Zeeland.” She turned back towards him.

I didn't move an inch as my legs remained glued to the ground. I was looking intently at Zeeland. 

“What are you still waiting for?” Alyse had a disgusted look when she glanced at me again. 

“Sorry.” I muttered softly, and moved out of the room.