Mated to Vengeance

CHAPTER FOUR: Preparations

Brienne jumped out of bed as soon as the day broke, it’s the day of the mating ball, this is the first time in her life that she would be witnessing a ball and people from all over the kingdom are coming! She was so excited that she barely slept a wink last night.

Brienne hurriedly laced her shoes and ran down the stairs, her father watched her bundle down the stairs with mild amusement.

“Tell Uncle Will to meet me in my office and lace your shoes before runnin-“ Brienne was out the door before he could finish his sentence.

“Why is she so excited when she is isn’t even going to attend the ball,” Bernard said through a yawn as he walked out of his room.

“That’s probably because she doesn’t know she won’t be attending,” Monroe said.

Bernard paused in his steps, “Dad, you can’t possibly allow her to attend, you know how these things get and that’s not a scene for a little girl.”

“Of course, tell Ian to keep her occupied and get her to bed early tonight.”

The pack house was filled with activities, Brienne yelled good mornings and hellos to various people as she made her way through to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Maya!” she burst out enthusiastically.

“Someone is up early,” Maya looked up from the massive pot she was stirring. Maya is the pack cook and Brienne’s new favorite person after her father, Brienne had resisted when her father said she could assist in the kitchen to prepare for the mating ball, she wanted to go hunting in the forest with Ian and his friends instead but when her dad said he would get her, her very own bow and arrow if she agreed, it seemed like a fair deal and it turns out helping out in the kitchen is actually not so bad.

Maya and the other pack omegas were preparing breakfast for everyone that lived in the pack house. Some guest had arrived for the mating ball so the huge kitchen was even busier than usual, the air in the kitchen was thick with the different aromas and Brienne resisted to urge to cough so that she won’t be seen as a little girl.

“What can I do to help?” Brienne asked no one in particular. “Should I help you chop the onions?”

Maya laughed, “The alpha will have my head if I put a knife in your hands and you mistake you hand for an onion,”

“Maya,” Brienne whined.

“I told Chloe you can help her serve the meals of the guests on the top floor,”

“Yes!” Brienne pumped her fists in the air.

The Alpha king’s beta and the king’s brother arrived the night before and they were staying the uppermost floor the pack house, the floor was always reserved for the alpha’s family but her parents had wanted their own house. Brienne carried a bowl of fruits and followed after one of the pack omegas, Chloe.

“Ian said that the female fighters in the capital can take down up to three grown wolves at time, do you think that’s true?” Brienne said in a low voice that is too loud to be called a whisper.

“I don’t know about that but I certainly hope can find a mate tonight.” Chloe replied, saying the last part more to herself.

“Why?” Brienne whispered again but this time she scrunched her nose looking genuinely perplexed “You would you want a mate when you can become part of the king’s army?”

“No, I don’t like that sight of blood, I want to find a mate and fall in love instead.” She said, “And why are you whispering? Every wolf can hear you anyway.”

“Shh,” Chloe signaled at her to keep quiet as they stood in front of the first door on the top floor.

Chloe breathed in deeply and then knocked and they waited for an answer, Brienne sensed some movement on her left and she turned in time to see the door on the other end of the hall creak open. A little boy who looked around her age peeked through the opening and stared at them, he had a completely black hair white hair that was unlike anything she has ever seen before.

“Come in,” the sound of a thick voice coming from behind the door in front of them made her hands pause mid-air as she was about to wave at him.

“Come on,” Chloe uttered hurriedly as the nervously pushed the door open. They walked into the room and Brienne was astonished by how big it was, the single room was bigger than their own living room. There was a door at the other end of the room that most likely led to a walk-in wardrobe, sunlight came in through the huge windows beside the dresser and Brienne couldn’t hold in her gasp. You could see half of the forest from here, she thought.

She looked at the man that stood in the middle of the room, he was watching her.

“You are alpha Monroe’s daughter, right?” His voice was thicker than Uncle Will’s. Brienne nodded, she was surprised that her recognized her, he probably knew her mother and put two and two together. Brienne wondered whether he was a friend of her father.

She placed the fruit bowl bedside the tray Chloe had placed on the dresser and they both left the room.

Brienne looked at the door from earlier when they got back in the hallway but the door was closed and the little boy was no longer there.

“What are you looking for?” Chloe asked when she noticed her lingering.

Brienne glanced at the door one more time, “Nothing,” she said and followed her down the stairs.