CHAPTER 2: THE JOURNEY TO THE MANOR
1729 Words
The sound grew louder as Rosemarie's heartbeat increased in panic.
All of a sudden, there was an ominous silence as the sound of mysterious footsteps intensified.
“Who's there?”
She yelled.
The tension in the air increased as the footsteps stopped.
Rosemarie busts down the door of the carriage in hopes of quickly escaping.
In the blink of an eye, she was shoved back into the carriage with overwhelming strength.
Tilting the carriage sideways, then tumbling into a ditch by the roadside.
“Oh my, I'm surrounded by idiots.”
“ Quit acting like byatch, You tryna kill the package ya fool?”
He walks towards him and sticks his claws into the shoulders of his beta.
“She's ain't no value to me if she's dead, do ya understand me?”
“Now go down there and fetch her and, if she's dead, you're dead too ya heard.
The alpha of the Werewolves eyes sparked with rage over the actions of his beta and sends him to recover Rosemarie from the ditch.
“Hello there lil lady. You're not dead, are you?
The beta of the werewolves crept slowly to the sight of the wrecked carriage.
Her heart pounded in her chest as heard the werewolf bandits.
“ I'm a Huntress aren't I, Rosemarie Silver you have to be brave, to protect yourself and the escorts.”
She breathes heavily as her hands start to tremble.
“Who am I kidding, one unarmed huntress, and a pack of vicious werewolves.”
“I have to be realistic, the odds aren't in my favor.”
She grinded her teeth in pain and anger, the thought of being defeated infuriated her, as she clenched her bleeding fist in snow.
“I'll have to admit, your pack is a very lucky bunch.”
“If it were any other day, I guarantee your head would have spun to the ground.”
“Oh good you're alive, ain't that a miracle.
“I guess my head remains on my neck today.
“Get your hands off me, you repugnant mutt.”
Rosemarie struggles to break free of the werewolf's grip, kicking vigorously in an attempt to free herself.
“Hmm, what do we have here? Oh, a redhead?”
“Wow, I have never seen one in person.”
The alpha werewolf of the bandits grabs Rosemarie's hair and sniffs it with a despicable grin on his face.
“Even better, she's a human associated with a wealthy werewolf. Well, that explains the fancy carriage.
“Darling, your ransom price just went sky-high.”
“Tie her up.”
The werewolf bandits were alarmed by the sound of heavy hooves thumping the ground in unison.
The alpha of the pack growls.
“Darn it, it's the Northern guards.”
Far off, they spotted the Northern Guard law enforcers of North-rezora advancing on horseback.
“I don't plan on losing my prize.”
The alpha of the werewolf bandits proceeds to take Rosemarie as a hostage and flee.
“They're gaining ground on us, throw her away!”
The alpha of the werewolf bandits yelled, as his beta tossed Rosemarie down, in a desperate attempt to escape.
Rosemarie, tumbling in the snow, managed to trip one of the best of the pack with the loose ends of her rope.
“Restrain him now!”
The captain of the guard ordered, as the guard split into two groups. One to continue the pursuit and the other to capture the fallen criminal.
“Who are you, and do you mind getting this off me?”
Rosemarie gazes at him as he alights from his horse.
“Hold…still.”
He said serenely, as he slashed the rope that bound her with his claws.
“ I'm Zev, captain of the Northern guards.”
“I'm Rosemarie Silver of South Rezora.”
A sudden silence struck as the two stared at each other looking puzzled.
“What is a lady from South Rezora doing here?”
“State your purpose for being here, lady Rosemarie.”
“I arrived at North Rezora based on agreements made by the Elders of South Rezora and the Rikiwulf Pack of North Rezora to meet with my arranged suitor.”
She dusted the snow off her thorn dress as she replied to Zev.
“The Rikiwulf Pack… huh?”
“I require your evidence, just to be assured.”
Rosemarie raises her dress as she reaches for the envelope between her thighs.
“Ohh OK… let me just.
“Lady Rosemarie, do you mind?”
“What!.. I'm trying to give you your proof, aren't I?”
Her face ignited with a crimson hue, spreading like wildfire underwater as she noticed her underwear was exposed in front of him.
She shook uncontrollably as a shiver ran down her spine.
Her hands quickly flew over to cover her exposed thigh.
“Well, I expected nothing less than the perverted mutts, you all are.”
Her voice barely whispers.
“What!…did you just say to me?”
Zev stared at her face as she averts her gaze, unable to make eye contact.
Extending her hands in a gesture of offering him the envelope.
“Hmm… I see… sealed, signed and approved.”
“So you're the one. Huh?”
“Captain, regrettably, we were unsuccessful in apprehending them. Once they were, they immediately chose to leap off the cliff.”
“We will capture them next time, lieutenant.”
“First, I need you to clean up this mess and send her escorts to the infirmary.”
“Summon the criminal to the dungeon, contact Rikiwulf's personal doctor and ask her to come to the manor.”
“I will personally be escorting Lady Rosemarie to the Rikiwulf residence, where she will receive treatment.”
“Yes sir!”
The guards promptly did as Zev ordered, clearing the area.
“Can you get on the horse, Lady Rosemarie?”
“Yes, of course I can… captain zev.”
The wind howled like a wounded beast, its icy breath stinging her exposed skin. Zev slowed down then stopped riding the horse.
“Hey! Why did we stop?”
She asked, huddling deeper into her thorn dress as she shived.
“Here. Have my coat.”
Zev slams his thick coat onto Rosemarie's face, causing her to let out a scream.
“What is wrong with you? And eww! What's that musky… wet dog… stench?”
“Huh! How are you even able to smell that in this cold?”
“Well, it's that bad, Captain zev!”
“If you're going to ridicule me like that, I suggest you hand over my coat and enjoy freezing to death.”
“Well… Should your coat hinder your ability to ride properly, I suppose I can hold it for you for a moment.”
Wrapping his coat around her shoulders, he muzzled it.
“Don't twist my words, I never said that.”
“Can you please!... just ride captain zev”
He growls instinctively.
Let's go Greymare, giddy up!
He gently touches his horse while they proceed on their journey towards the manor.
A low, rumbling growl through the cold windy night, a subterranean tremor vibrated along the snowy pathways.
The gates, two behemoths of iron and steel, began to yield. Gradually, at first, then with an increasing speed, they swung outward.
The final slam echoed like a gunshot, followed by a lingering, metallic clang as the gates settled in an opening position.
“We have arrived.”
Zev dusts off the pile of snow on his shoulders as he jumps from his horse.
“Wow, so this is the Rikiwulf manor. It's definitely magnificent.”
She gazed in awe at the distant estate, its yellow lights from the windows a luminous expanse against the dark cold night.
“I never knew the Rikiwulf pack would be this wealthy.”
“What do you think they do to acquire such wealth? Mmmmm!”
Her expression morphs into a smirk of amusement as she gazes down at him.
“Get down, now.”
“Huh! Um OK, oh it seems I can't.”
“My legs are numb.”
“And that's my problem, how?”
“You can just carry me down. You're my escort, aren't you?”
“That doesn't explain what my problem is.”
Zev walks further away from her as she sits stagnant on the steed.
“You have no idea how to treat a lady.”
With a graceful dismount that swiftly turned into a graceless tumble, she found herself shockingly acquainted with the snowy ground.
Zev stops, and walks back to her, lifting her from the snow.
With a gentle strength, he scooped her up, carrying her protectively as if she was his cherished doll.
Her countenance resembles a ripened peach, displaying a delightful shade of pink as she blushes while gazing into his radiant hazel eyes.
“Apologies for my behavior towards you, Lady Rose.”
“I'm well aware of the appropriate way to treat a woman, but the thing is, a South Korean gold digger like you doesn't deserve any special treatment.
In an instant, he tossed Rosemarie down like a discarded ragdoll, with an irritated expression on his face.
“How dare you call me a gold digger? Who do you think you are?”
Her lips pressed in a thin line, her jaw clenched, and eyes held a hurricane of emotions as she took in a deep breath.
“You know you would be as good as ruined when my suitor finds out how badly you treated me!”
“Oh is that so,” he said with a sarcastic tone.
Why, of course, you still don't get it.
My name is Zev, … Zev Rikiwulf. The son of Lord Rikiwulf of the Rikiwulf pack, the northern Rezorian captain of the guards. You're your supposed suitor.
“WHAT!”
Rosemarie was utterly nonplussed by
What she had just heard.
“And about the way I treated you, it's only perfect for someone of your caliber.”
Zev replied, as the entry doors opened, a middle-aged man with gray hair stepped out.
“Why didn't you just tell me from the beginning?”
Her shrill cry echoed as her energy waned, causing her to faint.
- Writer
