Mate and His Lover

“AGH!” Roseanne groans in pain. Her hands and feet are tied tightly. She struggles to be free but it is almost impossible to move. Roseanne’s amber eyes are covered by a dark cloth and she can hear the gleeful voice of a man.

“This one’s a beauty!” one of the men is saying. “She’s gonna bring us a fortune!”

“Let me go!” she demands but someone slaps her across the face. The sound of the slap echoes throughout the dark room where she is kept. Her captor hit her with such force that she can feel drops of blood flowing down her cheek. 

Roseanne curses the Crown Prince. Ivan Vissarion is a vicious man who made Roseanne’s life miserable at the royal family. Cruel and sadistic, Roseanne is his favorite toy to torment. For the past eight years, he tried to harass her or worse but thanks to her abilities, she managed to find out about his evil plans.

But that night, she was drugged and sold off to these men who are going to put her up for a slave auction.

How did I not recognize the milk of poppy? She wonders. 

“She’s got bright golden hair too!” She hears one of the men exclaim. “And that body...ugh! I wanna have a taste of her myself.”

Roseanne is on the defensive. If her hands were not tied, she could have escaped using her powers. 

But she has hidden her powers from the Lycans. If they find out about her abilities, they will do everything they can to take over her powers. 

And she cannot let them succeed. 

“Don’t be silly, Pyodor!” the other man snaps. “She’s a virgin! Do you know how much a virgin human girl will sell? 

Pyodor? I know that name! She realizes. Pyodor Berezin is an infamous slave trader who has connections with the Vissarion royal family. He sells slaves and girls to the Emperor, adding more women to his harem of courtesans. Everyday, the human girls are tortured by the murderous Lycan and Roseanne has seen the horrors they go through.

Ivan now sold her to these people. No one can save her from their clutches and she cannot risk using her powers.

Moon Goddess, please! Help me! She begs. 

“Let’s prepare for the auction, Costa,” Pyodor says to his partner. “Tonight’s event is special. I hear that a VIP is coming!”

“VIP? Who is it?” the man named Costa asks. 

“I don’t know but I got a card from Sloria,” Pyodor revealed. “Looks like someone important is going to grace our event.”

“You don’t think it’s the Duke himself?”

Duke? The Slorian Duke?

Roseanne is now panicking. They say that the Duke of Sloria is a heartless monster who will not hesitate to kill anyone in his way.Unlike the kingdom of Ezealyra which is filled with green pastures and beautiful landscapes, Sloria is completely covered with snow. No one can enter it without the permission of the Duke and he will not let anyone enter it. 

The Duke of Sloria is the de facto leader of the land but no one has ever seen him nor the people of Sloria. In fact, the region is so secretive and dangerous to cross, people believe that it is a myth.

Is he going to come? She wonders. I must escape!

She hears the two men’s feet shuffling followed by the sound of the door shutting behind them. They are gone. 

Roseanne tries her best to free herself but the poppy concoction has weakened her. She can sense that she is alone in the room. Even without the blindfold, she knows that the room was dark. Her limbs are paralyzed and she is unable to be freed.

“Alexei…” she whispers in despair. Her heart is bleeding for her childhood friend. Many years have passed by but the pain of losing him is still fresh. He was her confidante, the only friend who understood her. He knew her secrets and she knew his. They were supposed to be together. It was a promise they had made.

“I will always protect you, Rosie!” he had told her. “We will be mates one day. You will see.”

“But the Moon Goddess chooses the mates!” Roseanne squeaked. “What if we are not mates, Prince Alexei?”