A/N

Many of you had a mini heart attack in the last chapter.
And so, I decided to update again.

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I ran away.

Apollo pushed Illaria off of him with a pained expression, not sparing her even just a single glance before he left.

I no longer cared if it was him or her who initiated it. I just knew that if I stayed, I'd eventually meet the scythe of death.

Saving myself from the blazing bond, I ran away as fast as I could, urging the beast in me to take over. Leaving a trail of tears in my wake, my body went into a full shift, awakening the beast who had been waiting for this for a very long time.

She was silent yet vicious. Her ever present ferocity drowned my sorrow-drunken mind with an anger so strong she could kill anyone who would come in her way.

I wanted to attack them, but her mind worked differently. She was an alpha who knew her place. She wasn't one who would stoop down to their level in order to obtain sweet revenge.

She moved so swiftly that I wasn't sure if she made a few rustling sounds on our way back to the entrance. She didn't have to follow the petals I left, for she relied on her strong senses which was beyond ordinary even in my old realm.

Somehow, as I hid inside the recesses of our mind, I felt as though the beast was protecting me from the atrocities of a broken bond. She wanted me to feel that I had her as my shield and weapon at the same time.

She cared about me and it was all that I needed at the moment.

My beast and I considered the possibility of the Duke and the Countess hearing our escape. Therefore, I allowed my spirit animal to take us to where she knew I would be 'safe.'

She felt the Duke's presence near the path we were taking, and so she took the opposite direction and discovered another way out.

She had nowhere to go but to the Queen of Sidus. It was only with Queen Robin to whom she felt recognized as an alpha, even without her own people and land.

Time stood still as I entered the Castle of Therion in beast form, enticing fear from the servants and wariness from the sentinels I passed by. They bowed to my beast, doing it out of instinct. She held the presence of an alpha, and knowing this, she cocked her head and matched it with a commanding look.

Heading towards the Throne Room, she magnified her sense of smell, tracking the scent of the Queen but there was none. As soon as the beast entered the important chamber, her paws followed the long red carpet towards the throne.

She eyed it as usual, like a prize meant for her since birth. There were guards around us and a few servants who were witnesses to her proud display of authority. In between the King and Queen's throne, she tucked her legs and lay her body on the platform.

Like a spell, the action instantly made me feel drowsy. Grief bade me goodbye for a time, and I prayed to whomever god was listening to restrain it from ever visiting me again.

My heart was weary and my mind was tired, yearning for redemption.

Lykos...

"Milady, 'tis too early. Perhaps we should wait for the Duke of Therion a bit longer. I wish not to displease my lord."

The arrows glided against my palms. The smoothness of the wooden bow sent a wave of thrill all over my body. The beast's power was tempting and she was showing me what she can do to lift us from the dirt our mate threw us in.

"Are you afraid of the Duke, Alpha?" I glanced at the Viscount of Orion briefly with a nonchalant look.

I felt confident and uncaring of whatever first impression Lord Ulrich Nornwood would see in me during this session of archery I gladly still had the courage to participate in.

There was power and might that seemingly returned to me after my short nap in beast form. It felt more than just a renewal. It was my redemption.

All I ever felt was the strength and aura of an alpha back in my body when I woke up. The thing I thought was taken away from me all along. It was here, deep inside of me. It never left... but it was perhaps blocked by fear.

I wasn't empty or void of emotions. Angry would probably best describe how I felt after the rush of emotions in the maze. I had been fighting this bond for so long and it definitely impeded my strength of mind and body.

I was at my weakest moments ago. I thought I was going to be consumed but the beast did not take advantage of me.

If anything, she was determined to win against the Duke and take revenge, but she surprisingly returned inside my head in silence, giving me back my mortal body instead of overpowering my mind and ruling it.

“’Tis nothing like that, milady.” The Viscount sighed. I knew Lord Ulrich was taken aback by how I used his title against him.

He was an alpha for god’s sake. He welcomed me with the confidence and power of one radiating around him, but the mere mention of the Duke getting upset by an early start was making him cower?

I bit back an impending insult and stared at the bronze-skinned alpha. Lord Ulrich Nornwood looked every bit of a valiant knight, obviously loyal to the kingdom and Apollo. His body was taut and his face almost perfect.

I learned the rumours were true that he was good-looking with a glorious face and physique like that. He was a tyrant in battle or so I thought. Though he had that small imperfection on his right brow in the form of long scar which could have blinded him. He must have been lucky enough that whatever blade cut through his skin did not reach his captivating light brown eyes.

He was admirable on the outside, and his player ways were not in show contrary to what I was expecting because of Dilly and the Hortons. In fact, I was beginning to think he was only capable of bedding innocent women who were weaker than him. He couldn’t even handle me and my calculating stare. He tore his glance away from mine as if I defeated him in a staring contest.

I scoffed internally. The beast in me must have been intimidating his wolf.

The east wing of the castle seemed to be the last to be entirely governed by the harsh winter. A large canopy shielded us from the snowfall, leaving the vines around the concrete columns as green as usual. It was the training ground of Therion’s archery troupe.

The lancet arches enclosed the grassy rectangular space and to its north were the boss or the straw targets and the wooden arrow targets in different heights and positions. A long wooden table beside me contained different types of bows and a number of packed arrow quivers.

There were crossbows, arbalests, decurve bows, and composite bows, but I chose a long wooden bow or a welsh because it seemed to be a good weapon to practice the actual strength I needed to use in drawing the bowstring to release an arrow towards a specific target.

The bowyer beside us gave me the best longbow he crafted, and at the same time, his partner craftsman, the fletcher, gave me two types of arrows: flu-flu arrows for short range shots and footed arrows for long-range.

“At least wear proper gears, milady.” Lord Ulrich asked, scratching the back of his neck.

I was not in my skirts thankfully, and Catherine prepared equestrian attire for me which was more flexible. One of the bowmen handed Lord Ulrich a safety sheath.

“This is a bracer.”

The alpha did not even ask for my permission and put the guard on my forearm in place. He was as tall as the Duke but larger in frame. His shadow engulfed mine as he tightened the strap.

“It must have been challenging for my lord to be fated to a strong born alpha like you.” He murmured heavily, gaining a smile from me.

What a natural flirt. He was now shedding his skin.

“Shooting gloves.” His voice boomed, and a sentinel instantly came running towards him. What a low gravelly voice he had and I didn’t miss that thick accent.

“These ones are obviously used to protect your long pretty fingers, milady.” He helped me wear the gloves, tabs, and a thumb ring. I could already feel a certain redhead earl shooting glares at us from behind him.

Lord Dilmond and the young Hortons had just arrived, and I knew that the Duke of Therion was right on their tail, nearing the competition ground. I did not want to wait for him before beginning.

My anger had been drawn so fast that I grabbed the bow and an arrow from the table. Stepping away from the bowsmen and the alpha of Orion, I steadied my body and fixed my stance.

Keeping an eye on the target, I positioned the arrow and drew the bowstring with ease. Taking a deep breath just as I felt the potent aura of the Duke, I released. The following second seemed to have gone in slow motion as the arrow cut through the thick winter breeze.

Silence took over the moment as the arrow hit the red center mark.

“Bull’s-eye!”

Lord Dilmond’s roar from behind became an echo of claps and whistling from the audience. Lady Claudia cheered as I turned around and met her gaze while Lord Gregory released a wolf whistle as I smirked at him.

All along they must have thought I had no knowledge in archery, hence, their palpable astonishment. Little did they know I’d been in love with it long before I met them.

I remembered my training with Hal when I was younger. We were inseparable kids who shared our love for archery. His father introduced us to the ‘sport’ in which we eventually mastered and won competitions within the pack at the tender age of twelve and thirteen. In our world, it was only used for expeditions or forms of amusement; unlike here in Sidus where it seemed to be the silent deadly weapon during wars.

“That was impressive.” Lord Ulrich praised me and I smiled in return.

I’d never felt so alive until that moment. Maybe because I was doing something I loved instead of sulking because of the broken bond or practicing to use another weapon I’d never used before. But as they say, happiness is short-lived. My smile faded as the Duke of Therion clapped beside his cousins.

“Looks like we’re in for an exciting competition this afternoon, Your Grace.” Lord Dilmond chimed, giving Apollo a knowing look.

“I hope Freya wins!” Lady Claudia declared, clapping giddily in her place.

“Are you insinuating we bet on who’s going to win?” Lord Gregory chuckled but he seemed to be considering the idea too. His sister flashed a toothy grin and nodded.

“Then my good luck goes to the Duke of Therion.” The Earl of Centauris said, mouthing an inaudible apology to me.

“Aye. That is brilliant. It sounds fun. But what will the winners receive by the end of it?” Dilly mused, scratching his growing ginger stubble.

“Well, they can impose one dare to the losers and I think…”

Lady Claudia’s voice suddenly became distant. As if clouding my senses, the Duke of Therion succeeded in catching my attention as he strode towards me, but before reaching me, he stopped beside Lord Ulrich and whispered something to the viscount who visibly nodded at his command.

My grip on the bow tightened, and before Apollo could even invade my personal space, I tore my eyes away from him and proceeded to the table of equipment. My fingers reached for a quiver of footed arrows and my breath suddenly hitched as his hand brushed against mine.

“I see that you know the basics. We can proceed to the competition then.” The Duke uttered.

He was right behind me, his chest touching my back in the process of reaching for another long bow in front of me. Mortified, I gripped the quiver and closed my eyes for a second to gather myself again. And as if the beast was boosting my resolve, I quickly lifted the item and moved away from the Duke.

I turned my back against the audience and slung the strap around my shoulder so that the quiver could rest on my back. Perhaps it was the Duke’s order to Lord Ulrich that the bowmen were now repositioning five wooden targets in a row and of equal height except for the third or center target which stood higher than the rest.

“May I ask my betrothed a favour?”

The Duke stood beside me at an ample distance, handing over a bracer. He wanted me to help him wear it. I glanced at him shortly and his face held no trace of guilt. So he didn’t notice my presence in the maze? I was quite relieved.

I was still angry at him though. I despised him for god’s sake, but I knew when to put my anger in place. I had no intention of ever mentioning to him what I heard and saw in the maze even if it almost tore our bond completely if not for my wolf who helped me escape.

He had rejected Illaria but was I sure his love for her would fade away in time? Lykos also told me we weren’t meant to be but he promised he would return…

How certain was I that the Duke of Therion would stay true to his words and never return to his lover?

I thought of these things as I granted Apollo’s request. Covering his forearm with the bracer, I contemplated on the possibilities. And as I fixed the strap, an annoying memory of him locked in a kiss with the Countess of Crux flashed in my head which made me abruptly tighten the strap in place.

The Duke didn’t seem to mind as he only chuckled. “You amuse me to no end, mi ducissa.”

“Thank you.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.

The bond was quiet but my cheeks flushed either in irritation or blushing. He thanked me?

The Duke was smiling more and was even laughing. This rarely happened for the time we’d been together in this kingdom. The anger was gently being consumed by soft flutters in my chest. Seeing him smile like that was sort of… enchanting.

“Play fair, Your Highness! Do not distract milady!” Lord Dilmond shouted from afar, contributing to the reddening of my cheeks.

“My favour’s with you, Lady White!” He added, waving a hand at me while Lady Claudia was cheering the same.

I could tell by the determined faces of Lord Ulrich and Lord Gregory that the four of them were participating in the bet. I turned my gaze back to the targets before me. One of the elderly bowmen approached us and told us the mechanics of the match.

“There are five targets you have to hit without a pause. All shots must be released consecutively, and whoever hits the target with great accuracy and precision will gain the greatest score.”

I nodded and watched as the sentinels finished preparing another set of targets on my right. I figured the Duke and I would be doing this at the same time.

“Do you think you’re going to win this?”

Apollo’s question surprisingly didn’t irk me. In fact, I smirked at him in return and eyed my first target with an indomitable look.

“I do.”

Both of us went to our positions while waiting for the starting signal from the Viscount of Orion.

“I hope you would say the same answer on our wedding.”

I did not miss the humour in his voice. Whatever he was implying, he was not going to drag me out of my concentration.

“Momma, you can do it!”

I heard a sweet cheer from behind and I just knew it was Galax. I looked back and glanced at him as he stood beside the Queen of Sidus. I kept the smile on my face as I stared at the target again, then I drew an arrow from the quiver, pulling the string of the bow with an exact aim.

“They are betting on us.” The Duke said from a distance.

“I think it would be nice to have a bet between the two of us too. What do you think?”

His proposition caught me off-guard.  I glanced at my right and our eyes met. There was that rare smile from him again. He was becoming more civil and less forbidding.

“And if I win, what will I get?” I dared to say with unmistakeable confidence.

“I will grant you one favour.”

I agreed with him and thought of one wish. “And if you win?” I asked though I knew I wasn’t going to leave him victorious.

The two of us returned our focus on the targets.

“At the count of three.” Lord Ulrich shouted, silencing the crowd.

“One.”

I drew the bowstring and paid no heed in my surroundings except for the circular boards.

“Two.”

I took a deep breath and waited for the last second.

“I will mark you again.” The Duke’s voice surfaced just at the same time as the third second came in.

“Three!”

I released the first arrow as my heart pounded against my chest.

He will what?

There was insufferable rush and a sudden arrow panic as I drew the second foot arrow from the quiver with my shaky hand.

Damn you, Apollo!

I ran quickly to the drawing mark of the third and highest target. With a deep inhale and exhale, I released an arrow pointed at a higher angle. Without further ado, I ran to the next two and finalized my shots.

With laden breath, I steadied my legs and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Within less than a minute, the competition was over and I glared at the Duke for his answer a while ago.

He definitely planned it! He tried to distract me and he succeeded. I was scared to even spare a look at my first two shots!

The small audience we had roared at the sight of the targets as Lord Ulrich took a closer look. What if Apollo was good at archery too? He seemed self-assured as his tongue darted to dampen his lower lip.

No, he wasn’t doing it on purpose. He had his eyes on the targets, I observed.

The devil played dirty so why was there a frown on his face?

“I will mark you again.” He said that was what he would do if he emerged victorious against me.

Was it even necessary? If anything, I should be—

“We clearly know who the winner is!” Lord Ulrich’s voice boomed and the crowd’s cheer thundered.

I still had no confidence to stare at the targets and I waited for the inevitable to be announced. I just knew this frown wouldn’t leave my face for the rest of the day. Damn it!

“Five bull’s-eye in under a minute.” The Duke of Therion muttered as he walked towards me.

I hated him more. Was he mocking me? I clenched my fists and avoided his gaze. Somehow, as his presence grew closer, I felt the urge to glare at him instead and show him how maddened I was with what he’d just done.
 
 
“Congratulations.”
 
 
He towered over me and as I finally met his gaze, my frown softened at his words. He cupped my nape and he gently pulled me close before dipping his head. His soft lips touched my forehead. The bond emerged around us after being dormant for over an hour.

“As promised, I shall grant you one favour, My Duchess.”

I won?

When he pulled away, I started breathing again. There was something in me that was enthused and awakened. My beast took in more power and gloried in that great aplomb I showed in the middle of the bout a while ago.

Eye-to-eye, I knew what I wanted— what all of the persona in me deserved. My beast, the blue fire, and I… we wanted one thing from the Duke.
 
 
“I want your loyalty.”
 
  
It was a solemn moment in the midst of a loud crowd, celebrating my victory. They all drowned around me. There was only Apollo and I in that moment for me. His gaze told me I knocked him for a loop.

“You told me you would mark me again if you win but you lost.”

I clutched the lapel of his red doublet. I could only imagine it getting rosier with his blood… the blood of the Duke on my fangs and lips. The taste of it on my tongue…

“I have one wish, right?" I wasn't even asking.
 

"I want to mark you.”
 
 
The Duke visibly swallowed hard, and his eyes bore into mine as if asking if I was certain. He would see no trace of restraint in them, I thought. I was positive this was what I wanted.

“I told you my loyalty is now yours.” He managed to say, brushing away the little evidence of shock on his face.

He caressed my face with his calloused hand and I skimmed my hand gently from the lapel of his doublet down to his chest where I felt his heart beating.

His frown relaxed at the close proximity but I knew he was uneasy behind that strong facade. He was welcoming my beast’s dominance even if it meant his beast’s distress, and this made my wolf howl. She was enamoured by the Duke’s strength of mind, fighting his own wolf, giving mine his half-obedience.

But I had other ideas in mind. That would have to be my wish with finality but this was not the right moment.

“I will hold onto that promise, but I will not mark you now, Your Grace. Not today.”

I took a step back and smiled at him. Both of us were in daze due to the influence of the bond, but I knew that it wasn’t the bond alone working between us.

He was willing to be marked. That was all I needed to hear from him.

I bit my lower lip and walked away, accepting the audience’s sycophantic remarks. Sending them my gratitude, I felt stronger than before.

The alpha in me was surging, redeeming herself. I might have only defeated their ruler in a small bout but my spirit soared in ecstasy, knowing what I could do, and rediscovering one of my strong points.

The Queen congratulated me and the little boy beside her handed me a piece of envelope with the seal of Therion. I crouched down to meet Galax’ eyes… he reminded me now of the young Lykos.

“What is this my little Lykos?”

I couldn’t help but call him that name. I could tell he didn’t like me calling him that. He’d much rather prefer Theodore or Galax— his pout wouldn’t lie.

“Momma, I am Galax.” He insisted.

I laughed and took the letter from his hand. I stared up at him and passed a look to the Queen who simply smiled.

“Open it.” She said.

I did as was told and read the letter. There were greetings and the major details handwritten by the calligraphers regarding my ensuing union with the Duke of Therion before the heavens and the people.

My eyes gaped long enough at my name on the paper. I stood up on weak knees. Parting my lips in disbelief, I questioned the Queen.

“But this is not my name, Your Majesty.”

The Queen simply dismissed my confusion and all the while I taught it was only a mistake.

“You will be part of the royal family, Freya. You shall be given a rightful name as the Duchess of Therion, similar to what we had given Galax when we adopted him. Is it not to your taste?”

It wasn't that.

How innocent were her words and that explanation, but what a big coincidence it surely was.

My pulse spiked as the Duke of Therion’s aura reached me, and his deep voice uttered my name as he read.

“Freya Amaree Eugene White.”

A/N

I have received a lot of comments and messages lately that truly warmed my heart.

I would never get tired of sending you all my gratitude for still being here and showing your interest on my super weird and mind-boggling book.

I do hope you are liking the turn of events 😅 I know that sometimes, I write something that frustrates your heart too much.

So, what do you think about Freya winning. And dammmmn, that favor is big. Isn't she lovely?

And that coincidence in the end. Geez.

- Lady Therese