Beauty's Beast

Ten

Raina sat on top of the king sized bed. She stared out at the crackling fire with knees pulled up to her chest.

The room was quite. The only time she'd seen people was when the maids had come in to wash her. Even they hadn't said much. They efficiently undressed her and scrubbed the grim off her skin.

Once they dressed Raina they'd packed up their things and left.

Raina bit her lip. She said she'd try to get along with the people here but she felt like such an outsider among them. She'd tried to speak with the maids but their responses to her questions had been curt nods or head shakes.

Now she was alone once again. She wished that Azarath had stayed a little longer. Perhaps it was because he'd saved her but she found her self growing fond of the wolf. At least he'd spoken to her.

Raina buried her head into her arms. She thought of Cara and all her other friends back home. Would they miss her now that she was gone or would they go on about their lives and find new friends to fill the void.

Raina looked at the door. Her husband still had not returned. The talk with his father must have been a long one.

Raina was tried and her body ached for the relief of sleep but her mind was to nervous to sleep. When she was not thinking of home she was think of Zulo.

As much as she tried to stop it Raina couldn't keep the image of his naked form out of her head. She remembered how the water ran down his body as he stepped from the lake. She thought of the tattoos on his back and what it be like to see them up close.

Raina swallowed. Her hands fidgeted and she pulled her knees in closer. Besides what she'd heard from Cara she really didn't know much about sex.

Raina had a feeling that sex would not be the same with Zulo. What if she really did give birth to puppies? Could some one like her even bare children for someone like him?

If they found out that Raina was unable to birth an hire would the treaty be broken? The thought of her people at war again saddened Raina. She did not want to send more children to fight a battle that would only end with the tears of mothers.

Raina tried not to think about it. She could only pray that they were compatible. When the time came she would lay down and let him have his way with her.

The thought felt wrong as soon as it entered her head. She felt sick as she imagined her giving in and allowing her body to be used.

It wasn't the act of submitting that bothered her. Raina had had one or two fantasy of being tossed down on a bed and succumbing to the desires, but in her fantasies the act had been for passion and love.

To just lay down and treat her sex like a business transaction sickened her.

But maybe it wouldn't be like that with Zulo. She'd definitely felt desire when she was near him, although it was often sudden and unexplained. Something about him drew her in.

Raina just wished she knew more about him. Maybe in time if she knew more about him she might even learn to love her wolf prince.  She just wasn't ready for that now.

But there lay the problem with the whole situation. Raina was a royal and what she felt and wanted was secondary compared to the wants and desires of her people.

As princess she had a duty to the realm. As a wife she had a duty to her husband. If Zulo walked in and decided he wanted her he would have every right to take her.

Raina stood from the bed. Her nerves had twisted her stomach. She needed to move around.

Raina was pacing around her when she heard a shuffling. She turned around to look behind her. There was nothing there.

Raina heard the sound but this time from the other corner of the room. She picked up one of the heavy books Zulo kept on his dresser preparing to use it as a weapon.

She heard the noise again. This time it was behind the sofa near the fire place.  Raina walked over to it with her book held high ready to smash what ever it was.

Raina turned the corner of the sofa and saw the flash of white fur. She dropped the book down on it and leaped back. Her heart pounded in her chest

A high pitched cry rang out as Raina realized that the fury body was too big to be a mouse.

A small white wolf pup lay with its head buried in its paw. Raina realized what she had done and felt instantly guilty.

Raina bent down next to the pup. She reached out a hand but the pup saw it and quickly scurried back.

"I'm sorry." Raina said staring at the trembling wolf. "I didn't mean to hurt you.  I thought you were a mouse."

The pup was bigger than a mouse but still very young and very small. It's ice blue eyes stared fearfully at her.

"I'm sorry." Raina said again. "Come here, I will not hurt you." 

Raina tried to look as non threatening  as possible.

I-I'm s-sorry. I just wanted t-to see. Ama said papa brought a new lady home. s-she said y-you're my mother now. The wolf voice said inside of Raina's head.

It sounded like the voice of a little girl. The little trimmer in her voice had been a stab through the heart for Raina. She softened instantly to the girl wolf.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Come here so that I can look at you." Raina said holding out her hands.

The small wolf took slow steps closer. When she finally reached Raina she brushed her head against Raina's finger tips.

The wolfs white fur was one of the softest things Raina ever felt. As she petted the head of the small wolf she knew there was no way she could not love the little girl.

"Wait, you said mother does that mean Zulo is your father." Raina asked. Zulo had forgotten to mention any children on there way over here. She  angrily added that to the list of things her husband had forgotten to tell her. Supernatural cray ex, a kingdom of wolves, and now a child.

Raina didn't mind the child one as much. She wanted to be a mother some day, but she would have liked to have known before she hit the child with a heavy book.

Zulo is papa now.  The bad man beyond the trees killed papa. They shot him with arrows and eated him. That's why Ama says never go beyond the forest. They chase you for fun and cut you up and put your head on walls.

That's what happened to papa, so now uncle Zulo is papa now.

Raina listened to the wolf child's story and realized with horror that it was her people the child spoke of. Soni was the kingdom beyond the mountains. They'd killed her father.

The wolf walked over to Raina's lap. She stared up at her.

I miss papa but I like papa Zulo too. Are you going to be my new mommy? The wolf asked tilting her head to the side.

"I guess so." Raina said. It wasn't exactly how she saw herself being introduced to motherhood, but as she looked down into the pups blue eyes she felt her heart instantly soften.

"What's your name?" Raina asked realizing that if she was to be a mother she would first have to know the child's name.

Nala. The wolf answered.

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Author's Note: Nala is so cute but a bit of a surprise. Maybe there are a few things Zulo should have mentioned on the way there but you know how man are. Smh jk.

Please tell me what you think and leave a comment. Look forward to learning more about Zulo's world and the people in it.