Taming the Rogue King

Books, the saviours

Ira

She accompanied Monike as they walked towards the dining hall exit and found Bella.

Bella's face looked crestfallen. Her otherwise gleaming, fiery eyes looked dull with a layer of tears. A frown stretched on her forehead. She sniffled a little and hugged Ira.

Bella discreetly shook her head to stop Ira from saying anything. Ira glanced at Monike who was still with them.

She quickly understood that Bella did not want to talk in front of Monike, so she extended her quiet support to her best friend.

“I heard everything, darl! I know the delegates are only here for the construction contract, the weapons and the hospital. There is nothing personal in this meeting” Bella whispered, barely controlling her breaking voice.

Ira nodded. She wanted to comfort her friend, but they had to get rid of Monike first.

“Oh puleasss.! Are you like a couple? Weren’t you on top of her, roaming around the entire rogue land yesterday? What's with the hug now?” Monike said to Ira.

Bella stepped back from Ira, and Monike continued in an angry tone. “Bella! What party did you want to plan right now? Didn’t you know I was in a high profile meeting?” she scoffed. Her pretty face distorted in an irritated frown.

Bella’s eyes glazed over. Ira knew she was communicating with someone through the mind link.

When Bella focused on them again, she looked at Ira sheepishly and replied to Monike. “Your engagement party. Liam says it will be scheduled in four weeks' time. He has asked you to start planning.”

A sharp pain wrung Ira’s chest as she looked at Monike who was staring at Bella with an open mouth. So it was a surprise for the b*tchy princess too!

Ira felt lightheaded with the pain. She did not want to make a scene here. The place was full of wolves.

She couldn’t breathe, did not want to breathe. This was embarrassing. Just this morning, Liam was in her room and she had allowed herself to be fondled!

Monike laughed. “You stupid mutt! You don’t spring something like this out of the blue!” She chided Bella, catching her breath and using her hand to fan herself as if trying to cool herself down. “This is huge! I have a lot of work to do! I will need to lie down! Take me to my chambers.” She ordered.

Bella looked at her with disdain. “Why do you need me to take you?”

“Shut up! I am going to be your Luna. Liam King’s Queen! Follow my orders.” She spat.

“I will follow your orders when you become Luna. Till then, only The Alpha or the Beta can give me an order!” Bella squared her shoulders and answered with her voice slightly raised.

A few of the wolves from the table closer to the entrance were now checking them out.

Ira couldn’t blame Bella for her reaction. The girl had just realised that her mate was in love with Jade. She must be feeling so bummed! And now she had to tolerate this bratty attitude from someone.

Ira herself did not know how to react to the news of the engagement. She had to leave this space. She needed to be with herself. What was she doing?

Liam’s morning visit was still fresh in her mind. Why had he done that? How had he known the dream? Why was Moon God paying with her emotions in such a cruel manner?

Monke’s high pitched voice brought her attention back to her friend.

“Oh! Is that so delta? I will go into that hall and let your Alpha know how disrespectful you are!” Monike shrieked.

Now more wolves had started looking at them.

Bella’s shoulders dropped. “I will do as you say. You don’t need to go to the Alpha for that,” she mumbled and started walking with Monike.

As if Monike realised suddenly that she had questions for Ira. She turned around and exclaimed, “So little stinky girl! We meet again!.”

Ira glanced around nervously. She was dealing with her own feelings right now and she had no interest in speaking to this snobbish woman.

“Tell me why you are here and what contract you have signed.”

Bella interjected. “It is confidential. Surely, being the Prime Minister's daughter, you would know that some things can be confidential. She will be killed if she tells you.”

Monike rolled her eyes. “It's good if she gets killed. I don’t like the way she looks at Liam. I will ask him about it. How can he keep things confidential from his queen?” She snorted and started walking towards her chambers.

Ira let out the breath she was holding as Bella walked away with Monke.

She looked around. Most wolves had gotten back to their food. One of the gammas was watching her. His handsome face broke into a smile when she looked at him. She had met him yesterday but couldn’t remember his name. She smiled back and with heavy steps, started walking towards her own room.

Once in the sanctuary of her room, she let her emotions take over.

She felt so cheap and filthy. Why had Liam visited her in the morning? Why did she allow him to touch her? Where was her self respect? Her self control? She wouldn't allow this to happen again.

The next time she heard incessant knocks on her door, she won't open it if it was Liam!

Since the start, she had known that Liam was betrothed. Yet time and again, she had allowed her urges to take over.

She took the library key card and entered into the place that managed to calm her, no matter what turmoil she was facing.

The books whispered helping her distance herself from the constant self chiding.

The three volumes on werewolf history called out to her. Opening the first volume of the book, she stared at the words, which danced and twirled.

She did not find that odd. She had always known that words were real, and they had a special existence of their own.

This book was ancient, so obviously, it would have some magic in it. She smiled as her pain slowly ebbed.

Trying to get lost in the world of books, she tried to read the dancing words. It was certainly a difficult task, but instead of slowing down her reading, it increased her speed.

She did not read words like normal humans. The meaning just came to her.

In her distress, and her quest to forget her present, she did not notice the gaping black hole opening up inside the book.

For her, it was her imagination playing tricks on her, and she enjoyed these tricks. They offered her escape and peace.

The hole grew in size like a black hole, creating a space for her to lose herself in.

She also did not detect the change in her body as her body became lighter and lighter, like a transparent ghost.

As she allowed the pain in her heart to take over, her body shivered with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She gave herself away to the black hole, and the darkness started engulfing her.

The last bits of pain dulled, and she embraced the painlessness of being with her books as the words continued to surround her, even in that gaping hole.

These books and their words had always been her saviours and even now, these books would save her.

The entire gamut of feelings changed as curiosity took over.

She was suddenly on an ancient looking ship. Was she dreaming??

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