4: The Chauvinistic Coven

SIERRA

“Axel’s beta is on his way. From what I’ve heard, he’s just as unpredictable as Axel. But he seems to have more self-control. Maybe he’s the better one to negotiate with. It’s a good thing Axel’s mate had his pups.”

My father, Adis, was talking to Kaven. I couldn’t help but cringe at his words. Pups? They were true mates, and in the wolf world, that was sacred. One day, he was going to say the wrong thing to the wrong person.

From the rumors, it seemed that Alpha Axel had found his true mate. That said a lot about him. Despite his reputation, he stayed with his mate who had just given birth. At least the lycans seemed to value their mates.

Even if he was a bit unhinged, he seemed like a better man than the ones I was used to.

“I don’t think his beta is someone we can easily manipulate. Regardless of his animalistic nature. They’ve been together for a long time. Beta Harper has helped him conquer territories, like the hospital in North territory before Axel killed Nate. Harper does his homework. Axel might be the one who talks the most, but I bet Harper has a lot of influence over his alpha. You don’t become a lycan beta to someone as feared as Axel by being weak,” Kaven said.

I knew Kaven was against collaborating with wolves, but he had yielded to my father. It was the smarter move. My father was wise to align with Axel over the River Territory. The alternative would lead to war.

I agreed with Kaven’s assessment of Harper. Lately, it seemed that Axel wasn’t as aggressive as before. But if you provoked him, like Nate did, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. I also agreed with Kaven’s comments about Harper.

The few times I’d seen Harper, there was something about him that intrigued me. He was usually quiet, observant, and quite attractive for a wolf. I found him quite charming.

“Sierra, the files!” My father’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I had been standing there with the files he wanted. It was a lose-lose situation with him. As a woman, I was expected to keep quiet, obey orders, and produce heirs when my father chose my mate.

I wished I could escape from him and this place. It wasn’t being a vampire that bothered me. It was being part of this coven and being treated like an object. I was from a powerful bloodline, gifted, but kept weak and submissive. I had learned the hard way to obey.

“Here you are,” I said softly, handing him the files without making eye contact. I had been waiting at the door for him to call me. I didn’t dare interrupt the men’s conversation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kaven watching me.

I knew he would be the one my father would choose for me during my next lust. He had already taken me once, and the thought of him touching me again made me shudder. But my father would command it, and I would have to be with Kaven.

Did I want that? No. Did I have a choice? No. How could I, a single woman, fight against a coven stuck in their archaic ways? They had killed women before for trying to escape or defy their men. It was less common now, but I knew my father wouldn’t kill me.

He would punish me, hurt me, but not kill me. I was his only heir. I was always under surveillance. I had tried to escape once when I was younger. The punishment I received still made me flinch.

“Is that what you’re wearing later?” Adis asked. I didn’t look down at my outfit. I just stood there, staring blankly. My copper hair was neatly twisted, my makeup was light and natural, and my clothes were perfect. The dark green dress hugged my body, accentuating my figure.

“Do you want me to wear something else? This was chosen for me for our meeting. I was told you approved of it,” I said. I hated that I needed approval for what I wore. It was suffocating. My father ruled this territory as if we were still in the stone age.

I envied those in freer territories who could do as they pleased. Being an animal seemed better than this.

“Change into the silver dress. The other serving girls will be wearing green. You shouldn’t look like them. The wolves should see how a proper woman dresses and behaves. You will serve us tonight and fetch anything we need. Jess will assist you if necessary,” Adis said.

I just nodded. Kaven was still watching me.

“Don’t you think the silver dress might be too much? Aren’t you worried the wolves might behave inappropriately if she looks too attractive?” Kaven asked.

I tried not to show my annoyance. It was as if I wasn’t even there. They treated me like an object, not a person. I wasn’t sure if my tears were from anger or despair.

“Let them stare at her. A distraction will work in our favor. Lustful animals won’t be as attentive. Speaking of, when is your lust? It must be soon,” my father asked, looking at me.

I quickly looked away. Why did they have to call it that? It was so degrading. As if women were the uncivilized ones. As if we were promiscuous during our most fertile times. Men were the ones who couldn’t control themselves. They were the problem, not women. But I would never say that out loud. That didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

“I’m not sure. It’s soon,” I replied. I was determined not to bond with anyone unless we conceived. I refused to bond with Kaven until it happened. For a female vampire, fertility occurred only once every seventy-two years. If you didn’t conceive during that time, you had to wait.

I hadn’t conceived the last time, thank god. I didn’t know how lucky I would be this time. Since our species lived for so long, it was natural to have such long periods between times of fertility.

“Sierra, you need to get yourself checked out. If you need fertility drugs, I’ll make sure you get them. Our pack has access to a wide range of medical resources. I’ve heard they’re even in talks with the fae about setting up a facility to produce medicines,” Adis told me.

I stood there, stunned. Was he serious about fertility drugs? I started to think about all the ways I could prevent it from happening, all the drugs I could take to counteract it.

I won’t lie, I did want kids. But not here. Not with Kaven. So, no. I would do whatever it took to ensure it didn’t happen.

Sure, bonding increased the chances of conception, but I was determined to resist that. They couldn’t force me if I didn’t want to. It was a choice, and I wasn’t making it.

Besides, once you bonded, if your partner died, you became infertile. That’s why my father didn’t have any more kids after my mother and brother were killed. Bonding tied you to your partner; that’s just how it worked for us.

“Yes, Father,” I replied obediently.

“Good. Now go get changed. Be at the meeting point before anyone else. I want you to personally escort them to us. Understand?” Adis instructed.

I nodded, and he dismissed me with a wave of his hand. I turned and left the room, exhaling slowly once I was out in the hallway before heading down the corridor.

A few steps behind me was my guard, a quiet man who was swift and strong. He did his job well, protecting me and keeping me where I was supposed to be. He wasn’t cruel or mean, but he was loyal to my father.

We both knew the consequences of failure. I didn’t mind having Miguel as my guard. It could have been worse.

I knew he had a sister who had left our territory a while ago, though I heard she’d recently returned. He didn’t share personal details, so I wasn’t sure about the specifics, and I didn’t pry. I could have looked up his information, but I respected his privacy.

“Miguel, can you arrange for a car to take us to The Vault soon?” I asked, not turning to look at him.

“Of course,” he replied dutifully.

The Vault was my father’s favorite place for entertaining and holding meetings. It was a high-end cocktail lounge with a relaxed atmosphere, mostly catering to men, with women in tight outfits serving drinks. Women were welcome, but most were there with their partners for a night out.

There was also a restaurant and a hotel on the upper floors where we often accommodated important guests. The basement level offered more exotic entertainment. My father liked to provide a variety of amusements, all separate and soundproofed to maintain the ambiance.

I wasn’t in the best mood and wasn’t looking forward to the meeting. I was well aware of what was being asked and what was at stake. I wasn’t naive; my father had ensured I received a top-tier education.

He didn’t want a foolish child who would ruin everything he’d worked for. More likely, he didn’t want anyone thinking they could outsmart us. Being his daughter, I was a bigger target than most, for a variety of reasons.

But I wasn’t overly concerned about this meeting. What worried me was the possibility of my father or Kaven saying something foolish and causing trouble with the incoming lycans. Axel’s pack was well-known and respected; we couldn’t afford to offend them.

We needed this alliance, especially with the growing unrest in our own territory. Lower-class vampires were growing tired of the old ways. Balancing internal strife and potential territorial disputes was a precarious situation.

We were a volatile race, some of us with dangerous abilities and resistant to change. With a heavy sigh and a mind full of thoughts, I headed to my room to change my dress.

“Are you ready for the meeting?” Kaven asked as he appeared in the doorway.

“Almost,” I replied, glancing at him. “Just need to change.”

He nodded. “I hope Father doesn’t say anything to upset them.”

“Me too,” I said, pulling out a more formal dress from my closet. “We can’t afford any mistakes today.”

Kaven leaned against the doorframe. “Do you think they’ll agree to the alliance?”

“I hope so,” I said, slipping into the dress. “It’s our best chance at stability.”

“Let’s hope for the best,” he said, giving me a reassuring smile.

I returned the smile, though my mind was still clouded with worry. “We should head down. They’ll be here soon.”

Kaven straightened up. “Right. Let’s go.”

We walked together to the meeting room, both of us silently praying that everything would go smoothly.