Chapter 1: The Replacement's Luna
“Madam Goldlane.” A brown-haired man knocked on the double door of a room. “It's time for you to go up to the tower now.”
A young woman in a white dress, sitting in front of the dressing table, nodded. She had just finished styling her pale lavender hair into a neat bun on the back of her head. The woman stood up and walked away from the room with a gentle bland smile, following the brown-haired man's footsteps.
In the long corridor they passed, there was a row of castle windows. They provided a beautiful view of the full moon sky. The woman quietly followed her escort into another passage that connected the castle to a tall tower.
The long eyelashes on the woman's sharp, shaded eyelids quivered as she entered the dark passage. At the end of that passage, a door opened and the stairs behind it were visible.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Secretary Daniel,” said the young woman as the brown-haired man stopped at the door.
The brown-haired man smiled and bowed with his right hand pressed on his chest.
“It's my pleasure, Luna,” said Daniel with a serious facial expression.
Young Marchioness Harriet Goldlane was momentarily surprised to hear the title the man used to address her.
Luna.
However, the surprise didn't last long. A sad look appeared on her pair of clear lavender irises.
Harriet began climbing the spiral staircase lit by the torches. She had only made it halfway up the tower when she stared out the window next to the stairs. The cold night wind brushed against her body, but she got goosebumps at how high she stood now.
Harriet had always hated high places. Normally, she would not approach towers or places like this.
However, that man lived in the tallest tower of the Almandine Duchy castle. Tonight would be the first time Harriet see the man, her husband.
Liam Almandine.
Arriving at the top of the stairs, Harriet faced the door. She took a deep breath before slowly opening the door to the room at the top of the tower.
SWOOOSH!
The wind brushed against Harriet's face and white dress, making it flutter gently. The moonlight flooded the high-ceilinged glass room, allowing one to see the star-studded sky from within. Every window was open. It was so cold that night. However, Harriet's attention was fixed on a young man sitting against the window grille.
His pale skin that looked a bit wet reflected a blue glow under the night light. His tall, sturdy body leaned casually behind the transparent window curtain, while his hand clutched an open letter.
Harriet could see his long straight blonde hair waving in the wind. The man's eyes closed. For a moment, Harriet stared in awe at his face.
This man had a sharp angular jaw and curved dark blond eyebrows that looked like a pair of sword blades. A faint smile that didn't really look like a smile lazily etched on his face.
At that moment, the man's sharp nose seemed to smell a new scent, and his brows furrowed.
“Lavender...” he whispered in a slightly hoarse voice.
He then opened his eyes. The man pushed aside the transparent curtain that blocked his eyes from looking at Harriet. As soon as the two exchanged glances, Harriet realized that all of the young man's handsome features were instantly complemented by the charm of the man's pair of golden eyes.
Harriet realized something else too. Her eyes widened as she realized that this was not the first time she had seen the young man with long straight blonde hair. How could she not know him?
He was the man at the waterfall...
“Marchioness Goldlane?” the corner of the blond man's lips rose slightly, forming a faint smile.
The sound of the wind enveloped the silence between the two.
“…Young Lord Almandine,” Harriet came to her senses and bowed her body in a smooth and flawless motion, revealing the posture of a trained noble.
When Harriet looked up, she could see the man bowing in return as well, with his right hand on his chest. His golden eyes opened, staring straight at Harriet's slowly heating up face.
Both of them straightened their bodies. Liam smiled and walked over to her.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
Harriet secretly clenched her fists nervously. Luckily the nervousness didn't show on her face.
When the man handed Harriet a letter that was already opened in his hand, the young woman just looked at him in bewilderment and accepted it.
As Harriet glanced at the contents of the letter that was held out to her, the man said, “My grandfather sent the letter to me from the West Fort, and I just read it.”
[...make sure you process my Alpha great-grandson with my granddaughter-in-law, Harriet Goldlane, on the first full moon night she comes to your tower...]
The contents of the letter immediately made Harriet blush badly. The calm countenance and graceful expression that the young woman had always worn and practised for so many years was gone, replaced by a look of confusion and embarrassment.
“Ahem,” the man with long blonde hair cleared his throat awkwardly and took back the letter in Harriet's hand.
Harriet couldn't look into the man's golden eyes, so she looked down at his lips which smiled awkwardly. The man let out a small sigh.
“You arrived here, so you must have known I only woke up on full moon nights. Did my grandfather force you to do all this?” asked the man in a soft voice.
For some reason, Harriet slowly managed to look up, looking back into the man's golden eyes at the sound of his soft voice.
“A month ago, during the full moon, didn't we already see each other?” asked Harriet, trying to remind the young man of the day they first met. “At that time, you stopped my brother...”
The young man raised one hand quickly, stopping Harriet's words. His eyes widened as he realized everything, and he slowly understood the situation. He read the letter once more and then nodded in understanding.
“So to save your brother, you made a deal with my grandfather to give birth to an Almandine heir from me?” the man asked.
Harriet was surprised that the man could understand everything so quickly with just a few small clues. As soon as he saw Harriet's amazed face, the man chuckled and shook his head.
“Are you sure you don't mind?” the man asked quietly, throwing the letter in his hand on the floor.
Liam Almandine stared at Harriet with his golden irises. There was something in his gaze that made Harriet freeze. It was like looking straight into the eyes of a beast.
The man approached. Liam's hands slowly reached down to the sides of Harriet's waist, gently feeling her up and down like a dragonfly touching the surface of still water, creating wide ripples of water.
The ripples were like electricity running through Harriet's tense body.
“You came here… You knew what is going to happen, right?” asked the man, whose eyes began to soften and his lips slowly curled into a mischievous smile. “Is Madam ready?”
Harriet had a hard time swallowing her saliva. But her two lavender eyes stared straight into Liam's golden eyes.
“Milord...” she whispered. “I... I beg you to get me pregnant.”
Silence.
“Cough...”
Liam's surprised face surprised Harriet too.
The man suddenly coughed as he stepped back with a wobbly body. His hand quickly covered his mouth.
“Milord!” Harriet tried to support Liam. She saw blood dripping from between Liam's fingers. Harriet's face turned pale.
She quickly helped the man sit on the bed.
“Are you okay? Should I call someone?” asked Harriet frantically.
“Pff...” Liam stifled a laugh but then failed. In the end, he burst out laughing. “Hahahahaha!”
Harriet narrowed her sharp eyes in confusion.
“Goodness, you surprised me, Madam,” Liam said, picking up a handkerchief on the side table. He wiped the blood he vomited and then said, “My Madam is a very candid type of person.”
Harriet furrowed her brows in a blush, tilting her face to the side, feeling slightly offended and annoyed.
“Madam,” Liam pulled Harriet's hand closer to make her sit on the side of the bed. Taking a deep look at the woman, Liam asked, “Again, are you ready to be my Luna?”
Luna.
This was the second time Harriet had heard the title mentioned to call her today.
However, Harriet was not Liam's Luna. Harriet wasn't Liam's destined mate. That was why, with a sad face, Harriet asked back.
“What about you, Milord? Is Milord willing to accept me as your Luna?”
Chapter 2: Liam Almandine
“Madam,” Liam pulled Harriet's hand closer to make her sit on the side of the bed. Taking a deep look at the woman, Liam asked, “Again, are you ready to be my Luna?”
After asking her a question, he could see the doubt in her eyes.
Of course, she would doubt it. The woman had just seen him vomit blood, and she had also seen his monster-like strength a month ago. He was a dangerous monster that was dying. No woman would–
“What about you, Milord? Is Milord willing to accept me as your Luna?”
The young woman asked back in a low voice. On her face was a look of sadness that Liam didn't know the reason for.
“I am a man who will die soon,” explained Liam. Even now, all Liam wanted was to continue his lineage. For his grandfather, for the Almandine Pack. Right now, a woman who was willing to accept him as he was was enough for Liam.
Hearing Liam's words, Harriet nodded in understanding. So to Liam, it didn't matter as long as she could give birth and be a mother to his son. There was no need for feelings to be involved.
“Then I am ready since I agreed to the deal offered by His Grace, Old Duke Almandine,” replied Harriet.
Liam raised his eyebrows. There was determination in Harriet's eyes as she spoke. Liam clearly remembered what happened at the waterfalls a month ago. Harriet calmly and resolutely chased after her brother, who had turned into a monster, worried about him and felt sad, constantly trying to wake him up.
She was doing this all for her brother's sake.
Both Liam and she agreed with this mutually beneficial situation, although they felt something was stuck in their hearts.
Liam reached out his hand, touching Harriet's chin with his thumb. The man leaned forward to share a kiss with the woman.
SLIP
Liam tugged at Harriet's bun, sending her pale lavender hair falling down gently.
“Mm…”
Harriet grabbed Liam's shoulder, and he pulled her effortlessly onto him, making their kiss break for a moment.
Harriet's blushing, confused, and blank face made Liam gulp. However, despite not knowing what to do, she looked Liam firmly in the eye.
“Milord…” Harriet's whisper called out something inside of Liam.
Something that had been asleep for too long.
“Hic...”
Harriet could feel Liam's sharp teeth piercing the skin on her neck. Liam was instinctively trying to imprint her. However, since Harriet wasn't Liam's mate, nothing would happen. No matter what Liam or Harriet did, Harriet couldn't be his real Luna.
Meanwhile, Liam saw Harriet, who turned her face the other way. Liam smiled, slowly pulled himself back, and then removed his white shirt.
Harriet could see the large cross scar on the man's chest and furrowed her brows.
“Ah, are you scared to see it?” Liam asked with a faint smile and mischievous eyes.
Harriet shook her head. Her hand slowly touched the scar on Liam's chest, centred in the middle. It didn't look like a claw or blade scar...
“Hmm,” Liam took Harriet's hand that was on his chest and kissed her on the chin and neckline, up to the side, towards her ear.
“I smell a strong lavender scent from you…” he whispered.
Harriet's eyelids trembled. “I… uh… they said… Milord likes… this scent…”
Liam's small, soft laugh sounded deep, it echoed behind Harriet's ears. His voice was like honey, so thick and opaque.
Liam was doing so many things at once that Harriet didn't know where to focus. The man's hands were running all over her body very gently as if he were touching a velvet cloth.
In one second, Harriet's top was off. In another, her shoulders and collarbones were exposed. Harriet didn't know where the man's two hands were exactly, for more extraordinary sensations kept distracting her. Liam's mouth kept kissing all over her cheeks, jaw, nape and other places, which gave off a strong scent.
But as soon as her breasts were exposed, the man's attention turned to them.
“Madam, how does your corset hide something like this?”
Harriet's face was flushed red. She had been determined to let her husband do whatever he wanted, but his words kept teasing her like there was no tomorrow.
CLICK CLICK CLICK
The man opened Harriet's corset hook down again, patiently, slowly, as if enjoying the process. Today Harriet was wearing a corset that was easier to take off, but Liam's relaxed attitude made her feel even more embarrassed.
That man was obviously very experienced at this–
CLICK!
The last button of the hook was undone. But Liam still didn't do anything to her but stare at her.
Those golden eyes seemed to make Harriet much more nervous than anything he had been doing before. If her heart was pounding hard before, now it felt erratic.
The man's gaze dropped to her thighs and was expressionless except for his pair of eyes that seemed to burn her skin.
“So you're wearing your garter belt under your panties?” Liam asked in a husky voice.
Harriet covered her face with both hands. She was really embarrassed. “S-s-so you don't have to take off the garter belt to take off my panties…”
Liam tried to look up to the sky and take a deep breath. The man's own ears were also so red at this time. He didn't know if Harriet was innocent or not. Her demeanor was as adorable as a virgin's, but she seemed to know quite a bit about these kinds of things.
“Tell me who taught you all this, Madam?” Liam asked, pulling Harriet's hands that were covering her face.
The woman's eyes watered like she was about to cry from embarrassment, but the woman answered bravely while looking into the Alpha's eyes. “I read a lot of books…”
Liam blinked. “For tonight’s event?”
Harriet nodded.
“Madam…” Liam growled and kissed her like he was pouncing on her.
Harriet opened her mouth awkwardly. But that only made Liam sink even more. His tongue took Harriet's tongue to taste each other's as he felt clear how stiff the woman's kiss was.
The woman didn't know what to do, but she tried to return the kiss–
Harriet's hand slowly rose, nestling on Liam's neck. Another hand stroked his head and rubbed through the man's long blonde hair.
Without needing to remove her garter belt, Liam pulled down Harriet's panties. At the same time, he kissed her left breast and took in a mouthful, causing Harriet, who was surprised, to reflexively raise her thigh up.
“Uhh…!” Liam's concentration was interrupted when Harriet's thigh accidentally pressed the man's crotch, causing Liam to growl softly.
“S…sorry…” Harriet blushed. She had been trying to prepare for this day, but it seemed that she kept making awkward and embarrassing mistakes. What's more, she had no idea what the man was thinking.
Liam's heavy breath tickled her plump chest. A tingling, sharp sensation snatched Harriet's consciousness from the tips of her breasts that had been toyed with.
“…Ummh, Milord…”
Liam couldn't help but smile. Harriet didn't seem aware that the woman's thighs between his legs had been rubbing against his inner thighs all along. The woman's reactions to his touch were interesting to study, and the way she responded awkwardly was adorable and charming.
Too focused on the sensation Liam was giving to her breasts, Harriet was startled when something suddenly entered her. Down there, in a place she had never touched, something thick and long slipped in without warning.
“Eh...?”
Harriet's confused expression caught Liam's attention.
“Have you ever touched yourself, Madam?”
Harriet still looked confused and surprised as something inside of her stirred. Harriet tried to look down just to realize it was Liam's fingers that moved inside her. It felt so strange when something foreign moved within her.
Liam's hand was twice as big as Harriet's, and Harriet had never felt anything go into her down there before, so Harriet's confusion and embarrassment were mounting.
“Ah… my Madam never played here?” Liam asked, suddenly inserting another finger.
The man's two long, rough fingers gave Harriet a sensation that was clearer than ever.
“Ah...?” Harriet was very confused by the sensation she was feeling. Her eyes became blurry, and her mouth opened, trying to catch her breath.
Liam almost lost his mind as he hurriedly unbuttoned his pants. He was annoyed that he didn't open it earlier. The place where his finger lay was ready and wet. He didn't have to wait too long.
At the same time, Harriet saw something huge towering out of the man's pants. Liam smiled helplessly.
“Madam, did you know that this is what will enter you here?” showing his erect manhood, Liam stroked the spot inside Harriet's vagina with his two fingers at the same time.
Chapter 3: Making Love All Night Long
Liam smiled helplessly.
“Madam, did you know that this is what will enter you here?” showing his erect manhood, Liam stroked the spot inside Harriet's vagina with his two fingers at the same time.
Harriet gasped, she didn't answer. She didn't know where to look. The man's face looked like he was trying to hold back something. She couldn't bear to see it. Meanwhile, if she looked the other way, it felt like her eyes and heart would explode.
Harriet didn't realize how hot her body was, she didn't even feel the cold in this room anymore. But when the big object touched her entrance, she could feel that it was much hotter than her own body.
SLIP!
Liam exhaled softly, rubbing his cock against Harriet's clit.
“Hmh!” Harriet was taken aback by his teasing. She let out a soft moan.
Liam furrowed his trembling brows. He was surprised that his senses were still intact at this point. Ugh… the beast instinct within him wanted to devour Harriet right now, but he knew she would be in pain if he were to hurry.
Harriet digested Liam's words and body language.His huge towering manhood was about to enter her. Now she understood why the books she read all said that first experiences were painful. This made Harriet hesitate to look at the object that stood upright with protruding veins. She hoped it wouldn't hurt anymore once she got used to it...
But even if it hurt...
Somehow Harriet felt she could take it.
As she thought that, Harriet felt another finger enter her. The three fingers moved in a way that made Harriet quickly forget her fear, and came to a point that shocked her—
“Huh?” Harriet suddenly felt something strange develop within her. That something bloomed slowly and grew until it spread throughout her being. Then, as if struck by lightning, Harriet's body stiffened and shuddered.
“Ah! Nnh! Ah...—”
Harriet's body writhed and stiffened, then reached its climax.
Liam's eyes opened wide in surprise. Had he just found the woman's good spot with his fingers?
Liam's fingers were immediately flooded with a clear and thick liquid that was very slippery, with her inner walls clamping his three fingers tightly.
Harriet gasped for a moment.
“W… what did you do to me… Milord?” asked Harriet, limp and confused.
Liam swallowed his saliva. This time, his senses had completely disappeared.
As Liam's atmosphere changed, so did Harriet's view of her husband.
The man may appear mild and treat her like a gentleman, but he might actually not that kind of man at all. The man maintained eye contact as he unhesitatingly pushed himself inside Harriet.
The man didn't complain as Harriet buried her nails into his shoulders and arms. He also kept his eyes on Harriet as he united their two bodies together.
“Ugh-”
Harriet wanted to cry. Her brows furrowed deeply, and it was hard to breathe. But as if hypnotized, Harriet couldn't take her eyes off the man's golden eyes.
However, amid the pain that seemed to have no end, Harriet realized something. The man above her was not breathing. The man's entire body stiffened.
The tears that had welled up in Harriet's eyes fell, making the man suddenly gasp.
“Sssh, Madam, I'm sorry,” he whispered softly.
When she heard the man's soft voice, Harriet suddenly unable to hold back a sob.
“Madam… do you regret it now?” Liam asked in a low, soft voice. The man's face was expressionless.
Harriet shook her head. She didn't want to make the man worry, but she finally decided to complain softly, “It hurts...”
“It will pass. I promise,” the man stroked Harriet's hair and kissed her eyelids and the tear marks on the side of her face.
Harriet nodded and muttered under her breath in agreement.
Liam exhaled slowly. He almost lost control when he saw the woman crying beneath him. Harriet's face in pain was caused by him. He felt guilty and aroused at the same time. He was completely confused by it.
Liam wanted to thrust his full manhood all the way inside, but this woman was already crying, and he didn't want his wife to regret marrying him. Liam couldn't even breathe properly because Harriet wrapped him tightly under there. He felt lucky that she was wet enough to accept him.
Liam's slow movements slowly rose to a faster tempo. Little by little, his manhood pushed in until it finally fit into Harriet's wet hole completely. The pain still hadn't gone away, and Harriet felt Liam starting to pump in a wild way.
“I can't take it anymore… Madam…”
Liam's brows knitted together, and he stared at Harriet like a beast staring at its prey. Liam slowly sank into his instincts.
As Liam began to carry himself deep into Harriet's core, she felt more and more clearly the part of Liam's body within her. It felt like something foreign but it didn't bother her anymore. That something messed with her but she wanted more and more. The sturdy body of the man she had only seen twice was glaringly clear, moving above her, claiming every inch of her body.
“Milord–mmmh–” Harriet moaned as Liam reached her deepest point, and a different sensation emerged.
However, Liam suddenly stopped his movements.
“Huh?” Harriet was confused and suddenly lost.
Why did he stop? Was something wrong?
Liam took a deep breath and looked at his wife with a glint in his eyes.
“Does Madam like it here?” the man nudged the same spot again with his cock, and Harriet's body responded with a soft shiver.
“W-what do you…?”
Harriet hadn't quite figured out what had happened to her or what he meant yet when she felt Liam rush himself to the same spot.
“Oh…! Oh– ahh… ahh…! Milord wait–”
Liam smiled seductively with a pair of mischievous eyes. The man's expression made Harriet feel like she was being bullied, but her mind didn't have time to think about it any further because then Harriet felt it again. The bubbling sensation that attacked her mind was like a huge wave. Pleasure wave.
“…Milord…”
The hoarse limp voice that Harriet whispered sounded like a drop of water shattering the serene peace of the lake. Liam's concentration was broken as Harriet suddenly let out a long moan along with her twitching body. The woman's unfocused lavender eyes and open mouth instantly invite Liam to kiss her.
“Harriet, get pregnant for me,” Liam whispered hoarsely.
Harriet lost consciousness in the white euphoria.
As soon as Harriet reached her peak, Liam thrust his manhood once more inside her, releasing the warm seed that filled Harriet's womb. The warm liquid continued to fill Harriet until she was full of him–
“Hm–” Liam growled deeply at the end of his climax.
A small relief rose within Harriet. She was glad he could be satisfied with her.
As Harriet was trying to catch her breath, she saw her husband take a deep breath. And it was the first time Harriet had seen the empty look in the man's golden eyes.
The man pulled himself out of Harriet as his eyes refocused. The man's long blond hair slid down his broad shoulders, and then he slid off Harriet's body.
COUGH
Liam grabbed another handkerchief on his side table and covered his mouth so he wouldn't spit out his blood near Harriet.
Harriet forced herself up and grabbed another handkerchief to help Liam.
“Milord, are you all right?” asked Harriet in a worried voice, yet she tried to sound calm. She couldn't panic.
“Normally, I don't vomit this much blood… it's because I'm too excited…” Liam turned to the woman, who quickly came to him with a cool head. Considering a few seconds ago, she was still so confused after entering the new world.
“I can feel how 'excited' you are,” said Harriet making Liam laugh. The man saw his seed still dripping out of his wife's pussy, but the woman looked at him seriously without a trace of embarrassment.
Liam's chest warmed. The man wiped his lips of blood and kissed Harriet's forehead.
“Is my Madam all right?” Liam asked.
Harriet actually felt something stinging in her chest as she watched the man vomit blood again. The large scar on the man's chest made her feel pain in her own chest.
“Milord...”
Liam saw the sadness in Harriet's eyes, but a gentle smile bloomed on her lips.
“You see me still awake, so I'm fine,” Harriet said sheepishly.
Liam's eyebrows rose slightly. The man then hugged Harriet in his lap.
“Okay. I can't embarrass myself by constantly vomiting blood. I also can't make my Madam think I can only do it one round, can I?” Liam whispered in a lewd voice.
The man's words irritated Harriet for some reason. But when something hard and long had pressed against her lower abdomen, Harriet's face started to flush red.
Well, she had to get pregnant sooner or later. They better do their best while Liam was still awake. Therefore, Harriet just nodded with a blushed face.
Liam chuckled seeing his bride looking so adorable.
The man's laughter tickled the corners of Harriet's heart. She laughed too.
And that night, Liam managed to prove his word. They made love all through the night, round after round.
Chapter 4: Harriet’s Agreement With The Old Duke
<TWO WEEKS AGO>
Red twilight rose over the western horizon as the sun slowly disappeared from the darkening sky.
The West Fort was going through a big rush. An army of wolves numbering a thousand arrived at the castle of the West Fort. When the troops arrived, the residents of a small nearby town were frightened and hid in their homes. Even a few were already preparing to leave there for fear of the chaos that might occur soon.
This was the beginning of the war.
Amid the bustling Almandine Duchy Pack members preparing their tents, a young woman walked up the stairs of the fort. Her steps did not waver in the slightest, and her body was firm. But on that tough figure, there was a glimpse of a sad look in her clear, with no ripples, pair of eyes.
Arriving at the top of the fort, the woman saw an old man standing tall. The man's head was covered with grey hair, and wrinkles settled on his face. He was the leader of the entire army of wolves that had arrived at this West Fort. The Alpha, Old Duke Almandine, slowly turned to the young woman.
The sound of the wind and the bustling sounds of the Fortress Castle could be heard in the background, but between the young lady who was walking closer and the silent Old Duke, there seemed to be only serenity.
When the woman arrived and bowed respectfully, the Old Duke simply nodded. The Old Duke and the woman were not in a hurry to start a conversation.
“How old are you, Marchioness?” The Old Duke opened the conversation with a strange question, but the old man sounded so gentle and calm.
Young Marchioness Harriet Goldlane furrowed her brows, but she simply answered.
“Two months ago, I turned 25, Your Grace,” replied the young woman.
Old Duke Almandine nodded. His eyes stared straight at the west, where the sun and the boundary between sky and land met.
“Marchioness, let's make a deal,” said the Old Duke, suddenly.
Harriet lifted her face with a frantic expression.
“You want to save your brother, right?” asked the old man.
Harriet widened her eyes and nodded.
“I swear to find your brother's mate and help your brother make a full recovery.”
The Old Duke's words made Harriet's face slowly return to being filled with hope. Her lavender eyes gleamed, and tears began to well up in her eyes.
“But in exchange, Marchioness, I want you to devote your life to our Almandine family and Lycan Pack for as long as you live,” The Old Duke spoke. His voice was no longer in a gentle and soothing tone. He spoke in a flat, firm tone, distressing Harriet.
The bad news kept coming like waves of the ocean eroding the rocks... all of it destroyed Harriet bit by bit in no time.
Harriet clasped her trembling hands together, as if in a pleading posture.
“Your Grace...” Harriet knelt. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I beg of you to protect my brother and me. I beg you to save us. I will give you everything, and I am willing to do anything... Your Grace...”
Harriet was just an ordinary woman. When the woman looked up, she saw the Old Duke's wrinkled face in the afternoon sun. There was a sad smile on his face.
“Child, I'm sorry I have to force you to do all this,” he said softly.
Harriet looked at him confusedly with a face full of tears. She noticed the change in the way the old man addressed her. He no longer addressed her by her noble title.
“But I am an Alpha. I am responsible to protect my family,” the Old Duke continued and gently helped Harriet off the floor.
“And meeting you had given me new hope to save everything I've been fighting for,” the man said, looking straight into Harriet's eyes, who looked up at him. He said sincerely, “Be the daughter-in-law of Almandine Duchy Pack.”
Harriet's eyes widened once more. This time she gasped.
There was a reason why Old Duke Armandine had been the Pack's Alpha for 200 years. Not because the man was so strong and irreplaceable… but because the old man had no heir.
“Give birth to a new Alpha from my grandson. That way, we will be bound by blood, and I can help your brother overcome his rampage period and find his mate,” said the Old Duke.
In that second, Harriet sold her soul to the Monster.
Harriet woke up feeling achy.
The breeze from the open window, the sun almost reaching the peak of the horizon, and the messy bed greeted Harriet. She glared at the man fast asleep beside her. However, a second later, her face turned red. Memories of the long night they had filled her brain.
At this moment, seeing the figure of the man, who was sleeping soundly, made Harriet unable to compare him to the monster from last night. One could say she had already sold her soul to this monster.
The woman's face became irritated again and she flicked her finger against the man's forehead as if to pretend to punish him. Seeing no reaction at all, Harriet gave up and rest her head on the man's chest.
She debated with herself whether she should wake up or go back to sleep, but then she felt something odd. Liam's chest rose and fell, indicating he was breathing.
However…
Harriet couldn't hear a heartbeat.
Realizing that, Harriet rose and gasped. She tried to listen more carefully and closed her eyes to concentrate, but she still couldn't hear it, even after waiting a long time.
Harriet slowly sat up. Her eyes widened at the sight of the handsome man who didn't move an inch. She couldn't understand.
Harriet sprinted down the tower steps without caring about her aching body or her cold bare feet. At the bottom of the stairs, she collided with a man. Secretary Daniel furrowed his brows at the sight of Harriet. She was running like a madwoman down the tower, with a frightened face and gasping for breath.
“M-Madam?! What is—”
“Sir Daniel—”
Harriet clutched Daniel's sleeve with a worried face.
“Young Lord… I can't hear Young Lord's heartbeat,” Harriet didn't realize the tears had rolled down her cheeks.
Daniel was surprised to hear that.
“Shouldn't we seek help? We have to do something, right?” Harriet looked expectantly at Daniel, who furrowed his brows in concern.
“Madam, sorry for not telling you, and sorry to have to tell you this way...” Daniel looked sadly at Harriet. “Young Lord, he… the thing that made him dying today is because he lost his heart 70 years ago…”
Harriet's eyes stared at Daniel in confusion. Then her gaze turned to fear, sadness, and disbelief.
“How can one live without…”
Daniel slowly helped Harriet straighten up. The man took off his robe and draped it on Harriet, who was only wearing a nightgown.
“Young Lord is able to survive to this day because of how strong he is,” Daniel replied. The man then smiled sadly.
Daniel had thought this woman had run away from her husband after a rough night of sex. After all, she was a woman who married by agreement, not because of her feelings.
But apparently, the woman was frightened and worried about the fact that she could not hear her husband's heartbeat.
Last night, when Harriet saw the man awake, moving and talking, she could believe he was alive. His body was warm and he breathed, and every living person had a heartbeat, so Harriet was completely oblivious even though their bodies had been close all night.
However, seeing the man lying still and not responding to anything Harriet did to him made Harriet so scared. Yes, it was true that the man was still breathing, but…
Harriet slowly composed herself. Daniel saw Harriet's pale face and decided to walk her back to her room first. But Harriet shook her head.
“Thanks, but I'll go back myself,” Harriet straightened herself fully, and looked him straight in the eye. She told him, “Go back to work, Secretary Daniel.”
Daniel was surprised to see the woman had recovered from her shock in just a matter of minutes. He could still see how pale her face was, but her tough demeanor almost covered everything up.
The man bowed politely and watched as Harriet walked with a slight limp while holding on to the walls of the hallway, but with a straight back.
Daniel's brows furrowed, and his face turned red. He shook his head, erasing the memory of Harriet, who had red marks all over her neck and shoulders.
Young Lord was probably too brutal last night.
Chapter 5: Harriet’s New Life at The Almandine Castle
Harriet had finished cleaning herself and getting dressed as she thought about visiting her brother today. She walked with two maids along with Almandine Castle to where her brother was being cared for.
As she entered a room with double doors, she immediately saw her brother being guarded by two male servants who seemed to be Lycans. The two male servants stood up and bowed their bodies.
Harriet nodded her head politely and sat down on the side of the bed.
“My brother is very calm after taking his medicine, even on a full moon,” Harriet said quietly.
One of the two servants explained that the Lycan physician had prescribed several suppressants for Heath's rampage periods. Harriet nodded quietly at this. Her decision to bring Heath here to be treated by the experts was right.
Marchioness Harriet Goldlane had a younger brother who had military leadership talents named Heath Goldlane. However, one day, Heath Goldlane returned home from an expedition he led, riding on his black horse, unconscious and seriously injured, alone without the knights going with him.
Two days later, on a full moon night, Heath suddenly woke up and went berserk in an unconscious state. Not only that, he then turned into a giant wolf.
At that moment, Harriet immediately realized that her brother had Lycanthropy. On a full moon night last month, Harriet chased her brother with her knights to a waterfall with a rushing river running through it.
Just as her brother was about to escape her chase by successfully jumping over the river, a man he had never seen before suddenly stopped him by jumping from above the waterfall.
Harriet still remembered clearly when she saw the man flicked his finger into her brother's snout, and her brother was thrown so far back that he passed out.
The man was the man who later became her husband, Liam Almandine.
“Thank you,” said Harriet, bowing to the servants who were guarding Heath.
The two Lycan servants knelt in surprise. “P-please don't bow to us, Madam!”
Harriet blinked, then chuckled awkwardly.
“Okay. Get up, don't kneel like that,” Harriet said calmly.
Harriet said goodbye to them after the two Lycan servants promised to take good care of her brother. Later, she was reunited with Secretary Daniel, who was done with his job of serving Liam in the tower.
The two of them talk about what Daniel usually did to help Liam in the mornings and evenings. Daniel explained that Liam needed moonlight, so the roof of the tower was made of glass so the man could absorb more moonlight. In the morning, usually, he would go up to the tower to cover the ceiling panels so that the sunlight did not sting Liam's body, who could sleep soundly.
He also often asked the maids to help him clean Liam's body once a day. When Daniel mentioned that, Harriet volunteered to do it every day.
“I am his wife now. It's the little thing I can do for him,” said Harriet.
Daniel smiled and nodded.
It had been almost a week since Harriet had arrived at Almandine castle. She usually spent her time studying how the Lycan worked and their organizational structure. After all, she was now the future Duchess Almandine.
Harriet asked Daniel if there was a letter from the Old Duke for her, but Daniel just shook his head.
While talking about the Old Duke, Harriet and Daniel smiled helplessly at each other as they were both worried about the old Alpha.
“Oh, that's right. Is there still a Lycan in the castle that I can ask to do something outside?” asked Harriet.
Daniel raised his eyebrows. Harriet was used to being a clan leader, she didn't hesitate to ask about their resources.
Daniel smiled happily and bowed his head. He asked politely, “We still have a few wolves left in the castle, Madam. Do you need anything, Madam?”
Harriet nodded.
“Even though I can do nothing but wait for the war in the West to end, I'm not at peace if I can't get the most up-to-date information. But let's be calm and not be rash,” said Harriet.
Daniel nodded in understanding. He agreed that they should try to find information on their own even though the Old Duke had not sent any letters to the North.
“Of course, I will prepare three people for you to guide, Madam,” said Daniel.
After that, Harriet wrote letters to some of her acquaintances, namely merchants, mercenaries and several nobles whom she trusted enough to exchange information with. This was something she was used to as a Marchioness.
It may be a tedious and unexciting job, but after doing the same thing for years, Harriet eventually used to take responsibility and lead effectively.
After tea time, Harriet went up to the tower with the maids to clean Liam's body. The maids who were used to this job taught Harriet how to wipe the unconscious Liam's body. When she was done, Harriet sat down in a chair by the side of the bed and stared absentmindedly at her husband's face.
The servants had withdrawn. And when the atmosphere became quiet, she realized the sun also began to set. Red light flooded the room, and Harriet rose from her seat to light the candles to help illuminate the room. She also opened the ceiling panels by pulling a rope that was in the corner of the room.
She could see that this room was specially made for the Young Lord. The ventilation was so good, and the furniture placement was so systematic. Since it was still cold in spring, she closed most of the windows and left one open.
After that, she sat back down on the side of the bed and brushed off a few strands of hair that covered Liam's forehead.
As long as she was in this room, her mind was blank. There was a depressing serenity hanging over the atmosphere of this room. Harriet didn't know how to think or feel.
Maybe she would spend her days until her death in this way?
Harriet was terrified at the thought. Everyone said her husband would die soon. The Old Duke was also so old already, although he was still healthy at the moment. Maybe before Harriet managed to raise a new Alpha, he would also go to the afterlife.
By then, Harriet would be alone, being the person in full charge of the Almandine Duchy.
The woman smiled faintly and blandly. On the bright side, she and her brother would always be protected by everything she had, but...
Harriet could already imagine how lonely it would be to live like that.
However, she had already accepted this agreement. She was ready to live alone. Harriet would still have her brother, of course, if they managed to save him…
The woman took a deep breath and then left the room for dinner. She glanced at the door leading to the stairs and smiled at Liam.
“Good night, Milord.”
To be Continued...