Page 130 of Omega for the Pack

“Always.”

“Okay, let’s do this,” I said, allowing him to lead the way.

Six

LYRA

The mud squelched under my heels as we walked past the Wild Wolfmen in this little area of the island. I felt like I hadn’t woken up fully from my nap. Like I was stuck in a never-ending nightmare.

I had never been to this remote piece of land on Howl’s Edge.

It looked like the world’s end since the people lived right next to mountains and rocks. Observing this little village, I noticed little to no houses. The tiny houses were made of mud or bricks. Some people lived outside in massive tents, and some were literally sleeping under palm trees without any blankets. I saw straw and grass mats lying all over the ground.

I had never seen poverty like this, and my heart was saddened as I watched the little kids running around naked, also covered in fur.

“This is terrible,” I whispered to Luke.

He was also staring wide-eyed at everything, and I knew he was just as shocked as I was as we walked along the mountainside following Kodan. Behind us, the Wild Wolfmen carried my suitcases in a procession. They seemed to understand what Kodan was saying, but they couldn’t speak except for barks, growls, or whistles.

“There’s my home, just around the corner,” said Kodan, pointing to a large tower made of white stones. It was tall and spiraling with treacherous stairs around the building. As we walked towards it, I clasped Luke’s hand tightly. I didn’t even want to step foot in it, but I didn’t have a choice as I carefully climbed up the steps with Luke holding me from behind to ensure I didn’t fall to my death.

Kodan swung the front door open.

When we walked inside, I noticed that the stone tower wasn’t furnished at all. The first thing that caught my eye was the bare living room with three white pillows lying against the gray walls. The pillows were stained and worn to death. In the middle was a gray shag rug in front of a bare fireplace. The place was spacious but looked empty and unwelcoming.

“Is this where I’m supposed to live?” I asked.

“It’s not like your fancy palace,” said Voss. “But yes, this is where you’ll be living, Miss Princess.”

“I can’t live like this,” I said. Not allowing Voss to intimidate me. “I’m not living here. Can we stay at a hotel or something?”

“Lyra,” my bodyguard whispered to me harshly.

Nope. I wasn’t having it.

Kodan turned to me, his eyes on me. My body heated instantly under his gaze.

“This is where you’ll be living,” he said finally. I scowled. His eyes roamed my chest area, his eyes undressing me. “Let’s get that wedding dress off of you.”

I clenched my thighs together, fighting against the slick that threatened to drip from between my legs.

He grasped my left forearm. His touch was light and delicate but dangerously foreboding as he led me up a set of stairs. There were several rooms on the second floor, some of them with the doors open.

“That’s my room,” said Voss, pointing to a clean and neat room. The bed was carefully made without a speck in sight.

“It’s clean,” I said, stopping to look. He had a single bed in the corner with a large picture frame above it. It was a blown-up picture of him, holding a pen thoughtfully in his hand. He clearly loved himself. “Nice picture.”

Kodan let out a chuckle, and Luke grunted. Voss’s eyes lit up, and he smiled widely, believing my sarcastic comment to be genuine.

“Thank you,” he said.

“My room is down the hall, the last door on the left. Luke, you can pick any room,” said Kodan. He opened the door next to Voss’s room. It had an alpha-sized mattress on the ground. Cobwebs covered the windows, and the closet was empty. There weren’t any curtains, dressers, or mirrors that I had back in the palace. It was a stark contrast to my lavish life at the palace.

And I didn’t like it one bit.

A couple of Wild Wolfmen began stacking my suitcases into the room. I swallowed as I watched them. In hindsight, I should’ve brought a mirror or furniture of my own from the palace.

“We need to go into the city to buy a mirror,” I said when the Wild Wolfmen left. Kodan chuckled, ignoring me as he brushed the spiders off the bed.

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