The Mesh Hall

Chapter dedicated to Labios2705

"Emotions are flames that flicker, and when fanned by passion, they can either warm the soul or consume it..."

Adrianna shook her head.

No, this man in front of her couldn't be her mate. She struggled against the ropes, as she raised her voice, "Help! Someone please help me!"

Wren charged forward, "This bitch-"

Ryker stretched his hand out, bringing Wren to a halt. "I'll handle her." Ryker announced, his voice heavy, like a looming storm.

Wren pulled his brows together, "Ryker?"

"Help! Help me-" Adrianna's cry was shortened when Ryker reached for the sides of her cheeks and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Scream as much as you want, but no one here is going to help you." He said, locking his irritated gaze to her fiery eyes.

Adrianna clenched her jaw, "You people attacked me, but you're busy playing hero to these innocent-"

Ryker snarled, "The Lycans attacked you, and one of my people saved you."

"Lies!" Adrianna hissed, struggling against his grip she spat out, "Eira would be with me now, had you lot not attacked us!"

Ryker narrowed his eyes.

Hers welled up with tears as Eira's face flashed before her mind. "You people are less than animals!"

Wren balled his fists. "He just told you we didn't attack you-"

Ryker cut him off. "Animals?" he chuckled dryly, "You sound sheltered." He tore the ropes apart and held her wrist. "Look at your hands, you've never had to work a day in your life, have you?"

Adrianna grunted, "Let go-"

"You're fattened up nicely, your skin's fair, your father must be wealthy." He sneered, "I wonder, how many lives your father trampled over to put food on your table?" His tone deepened, "How many were slain to fill your belly?" his grip on her wrist tighter.

Adrianna winced, "Stop-"

His eyes trailed from her pained face to her cleavage, he swallowed then quickly averted his gaze.

"Moonstone is just as horrible as the Lycans, and I'll be damned if I let a prissy bitch like you say otherwise." He clenched his fingers into a tight fist, his gaze pointed at the side of her neck.

Wren sharply looked away, bracing himself for the finishing blow.

Adrianna closed her eyes and covered her ears, her heart racing as Ryker brought his fist down with full force.

'Save me.' She winced, seconds before the attack landed on the wooden pole behind her, snapping it in two and causing the tent to nearly collapse.

"Ryker?" Wren looked behind him to see Adrianna, unconscious.

"Who brought her here?" Ryker asked, lifting her into a carry, Wren took a step forward but Ryker sent him a nasty glare.

Wren dry coughed, his eyes averted, "Jael found her by the river."

"Who was she with?" Wren watched intently as Ryker spoke, his gaze scrutinizing Adrianna. In his arms he carried her out of the tent, her body pressed to his chest.

"No one, she claimed she was separated from her sister." he replied, keeping a five foot distance.

Ryker's halted, "The one she called Eira?'

He nodded, "But, that could always just be a cover story, we should know better than anyone about keeping up appearances. It would be unwise of us to get swindled by the oldest trick in the book-"

"Call Jael. Tell him to come to my tent at once, and with all the woman had on her." Ryker ordered.

Wren nodded and turned to leave, only for Ryker's words to sink in, "You're taking her to your tent?!" his eyes went round as he watched Ryker charge for his tent, with the intruder in his arms.

Eira's jaw dropped when Lyra went into further details of what the mating ceremony entailed.

"In preparation for the ceremony, the alpha will live in the woods for the next three days, hunting what will be served on the night of the ceremony. It is believed that the more meat he brings back, the greater his intent to mate." She started off.

Eira rubbed her sides, fending off goosebumps.

"Once all the necessary rituals are completed, you and the Alpha will head to a mating cabin, where you will be bonded for the next three days-"

Eira cleared her throat, her brow raised into a questioning stare.

Lyra pulled her lips back, "Oh don't act coy, princess. Mating culture is something both our races share, and the Alpha is no different from any wolf man. If all goes well, we shall have pups running across the hallway in no time at all."

Eira narrowed her eyes. 'Why do I get the feeling there's something she's hiding?'

"For tonight, have dinner and get some rest, I'll be back with the rest of your retainers tomorrow to begin your mating education." Lyra announced, taking her leave.

After she left, Eira checked every corner of the room, unsure of what she was searching for, but too cautious to ignore her hunch.

As she reached for the lonesome painting in the room the scent of a slave interrupted her. She sharply turned her head, to see the same slave from earlier, who had escorted her to meet the alpha.

A wooden box held out she greeted, "Princess, it's dinner time. Please come with me to the mesh hall."

Eira shook her head, but the slave stepped inside regardless and held Adrianna by hand.

She bowed her head, "Forgive me princess, but dinner was prepared by Khthoní in your honor, you cannot refuse." She explained, then led Eira towards the mesh hall.

Eira furrowed her brows. Khthoní? What did that mean?

She stepped out of her room to see the hallway filled with women dressed in a variety of colors and fabrics, each one outdoing the last. Standing behind them were similarly dressed slaves in plain frocks, such as the one next to Eira, all carrying wooden boxes.

"Princess?" the slave called out.

Eira blinked herself into reality, only to see the woman had been tugging on her to move her feet. She complied, following the crowd from a safe distance until they reached the mesh hall.

The hall was a large room, enough to house a small pack, with over fifty beautifully crafted tables occupying the room.

On the tables, the identical symbols were crafted on the surface and each woman sat at the symbol she identified with.

"Here." The slave announced, leading Eira to a table with the same symbol on her door.

Eira felt the weight of the other women's stare as she took her seat. On cue, the slaves set the wooden box on the table and from it pulled out a set of cutlery.

Setting the cutlery before her, the slave could read the confusion inked on the princess' face.

She leaned in and whispered loudly, "A month ago, a member of the harem dropped dead during dinner."

Eira narrowed her eyes.

"Later it was discovered that the cup she drank out of was laced with poison. As a counter measure, everyone began to bring their own cutlery to dinner." She said, placing Eira's plate in front of her.

Eira's fingers glided across the plate, she frowned at it's slippery texture and white surface. The plate looked nothing like the wooden plates she was used to at Moonstone.

'The Lycans are skilled with their hands, much more than I imagined." Eira thought just before a hand slapped the plate off the table!