A Trade, a Barter, or Coercion

Zavi looked at her, then gestured towards a servant girl
" Show them a room, and get them ready for dinner" he ordered, then he left the room his guards and a few others ailing behind him.
Aspen looked at her and shook her head slowly,
" I will show you to your room ma'am" the girl murmured coming to stand in front of them,
"Thank you, call me Emily " she muttered and the girl gave her a slight smile.
They followed her behind her, Emily wondering if this was how it all worked and if she wanted to be a part of this. Their escort was a small girl, her eyes were a sharp gray, and she looked at them as if she were taking their stock, with a short nod she led them down a sparsely lit hall
" What's your name," Emily asked
" Mira, ma'am" she replied.
" But you shouldn't call me by my name. Alpha will be angry"
She blinked in surprise causing Aspen to shake her head as she gripped her hand.
"You are officially in Dark Moon territory, not all alpha treat their pack like family " she whispered frowning her irritation
" I'd rather not be reminded of that " she grumbled
" How long have you lived here " she asked Mira
" My family has been here for generations, and the Alpha has been kind to his pack"
" Who is the woman, we saw at the dinner " Aspen asked her voice cutting the silence
" She is Jira Dosty she came to Alpha's house after the passing of his mate and never left" Mira muttered her tone filled with mild disgust.
" I see, " Mira led them to a hall, she hadn't paid much attention but she was certain Aspen had done that and more
" There are four rooms here, they are not well tidied but we will rectify it when you go to dinner", she said
" We'll use only one of them " Aspen answered looking away from them
" After you're done cleaning, we want the room keys," she said and Mira sighed
" I can't do that, the Alpha" she mumbled and Aspen sighed
" One of the keys then" she asked, the girl looked haunted and worried
" But we will need to clean" she argued
" I will be here when you need to do that" Emily offered, and her tone seemed to put the maid at ease
" Very well ma'am, someone will come to set the heat and bring you a bath, dinner will be served soon " she curtsied and left them alone,
" Let's clean up and get ready, the faster we have Zavi approval to look around the faster we leave" she urged.
" What do we do about Logan and Bruce, she asked and Aspen sighed looking around the room and scanning her surroundings she closed the curtains and sat away from them
" We'll find a way to get him on board with this" she mumbled patting her back before she went to the other side of the room
" Let's get ready, for dinner. I have a feeling the politics here will take some getting used to and I hate politics"
" I kind of hate alpha Zavi" she mumbled into the bedding
" Yeah, I get that", she said sitting by her side of the bed and pulling out clothes
" the man is an asshole, you should know he was my father " She trailed, off huffing before she turned around facing Emily. Emily sat there stunned and she smiled
" Seriously" she asked and got a serious nod in return
" Yes I had hoped he would be different" she answered
" I wished for a father for so long " she whispered,
" But sometimes wishes don't come true, " she muttered
" I'm sorry", Emily said softly
" It's fine we'll give him a chance and see where it goes." Aspen scoffed
There was a sharp knock on the door and then a large bath was drawn in by some girl with Mira following close behind
" A bath ma'am, and new clothes " one of them offered Emily sighed. It was time to face the music.
Emily regretted telling Aspen to give him a chance. If the alpha thought any more of himself break his neck, they had arrived at dinner maybe thirty minutes ago, and there had been courses, so many she wondered if there was food left for those in the cities. And in that thirty minutes the man had cut off everyone attempting to speak at every turn of questions only answering benign topics from his beta, the good thing was he seemed to be rude to everyone else including the mistress.
She glanced at the rest of the guests it was a small gathering of a pompous beta – whose name they'd discovered was John – he seemed a bit sour but otherwise kept steady comments to the king.
His wife, from another pack in the east side, seemed content to ignore the mistress in favor of the king and Emily whom she'd drawn to conversation more than once, which seemed to annoy her even more.
There was a taller stouter man seated he was quiet and seemed more intent on watching than commenting,
" That one's a soldier" Aspen nodded stabbing her fork into the fish in front of her.
" How did he get invited to the table " she asked
" I know right "
" I feel like aiming my knife at him" Emily growled
" The soldier", Aspen asked and she sighed
" No! your father"
" Dearie we're here for his help, we don't want to get locked up for treason" she soothed, and Emily sighed
" Emily I've not introduced you properly to my beta John and his beautiful mate Christa, " Zavi boomed then offered a bright smile
" I don't believe so it's a pleasure to meet you, John, your wife has been a delightful companion" She smiled and Aspen chuckled
" Don't worry too much John, I'm sure they both found you entertaining too, " Zavi answered a soft smile on his face that was far too mocking.
" How long have you known the alpha as your father" the beta asked instead of being called out. Aspen stiffened not saying a word in return and he continued
" Very recently, I went into the attics where I found a few family albums and in each of them a striking resemblance ."
Everyone seemed surprised but the Alpha didn't, no one had asked who her mother was, did they know or Alpha Zavi was such a womanizer that it was impossible to know.?" I'm not sure what you mean", Aspen said softly and he laughed.
" Of course you do"
"If she says she doesn't then she doesn't " Zavi boomed, the room seemed to freeze and for the first time the soldier seemed to look up at them his eyes boring deeply into them Emily's fork clattered to the table she pushed away from the table standing in a rush the blue flowy dress she had on fluttered behind her
" I have sat through your discussion, and the stupid idle nonsense " she murmured her voice thinning like glass her hand squeezed into a fist
" I have stayed silent smiling but if you think you can ridiculing me and my friends is the best you can do then I assure you alpha Zavi that I will leave the same way I came and I will take my friends with me even if we have to kill you all off " she roared Aspen and the soldier at the table stood in tandem,
" Easy", Aspen said glancing down at the table
" So it would seem that my conversation is not well received" Zavi replied flatly, rising from his seat
" Come Emily, let us talk", he said offering his arm. Emily looked at him her eyes bright with rage still
" Go I'll stay behind you", Aspen said softly, she nodded and accepted the king's arm, as he led her out of the dining room
Emily tried to calm herself being angry wouldn't do much for her right now and it wouldn't do much for Bruce or Logan. Alpha Zavi led her out a side door and over a mall bridge that seemed to lead to a garden of some sort
" You seem to have cursed us with snow " he grunted
" I won't apologize for that especially since it is not in my power to affect the weather", she said morosely, he huffed
" Rulers don't apologize, we learn from our mistakes and do the best by our people"
" And is the best by your people whatever this is. We are not a threat to you " she asked, he let his hand fall and leaned against the stone arch of the bridge and she looked at the pond that had thin flakes of snow falling in it.
" I like you, Emily, you are my ideal type of woman, he said and she laughed
" Is that what this is about, you want me to sleep with you"? she asked and he smiled
" That would be delicious would you consent–"
" God no,you are Aspen's–" she groused then paused halfway
" And if I was not," he asked
" But you are, she said softly
" I see, very loyal "
They stood in silence
" How is Aspen's mother," he asked and
" She's been gone for a while, I don't know much but Aspen hasn't seen her in a year" she replied
" You broke her when you betrayed her" she added
" I never betrayed her," he said and she scoffed
"That's not what Aspen said, her mother was promised love, she was left with the child, and a mate sleeping with anything that moved "
" She could have gone back home Emily, she knew what I was like. I never lied to her " he offered and she sighed. He did see it that way, there was no talking to him
" What do you want" he asked
" Access to the library. Me and my friends, all of them " she mumbled
" I don't like the Alpha boy" he groused and she arched a brow at him,
" Oh fine, "
" And what will I get in return" he asked
" I don't know what to say. What can I give a man with everything" she asked and he smiled
" That's a very diplomatic answer" he mumbled and she shrugged
" I'm very diplomatic" she whispered and he nodded "
" Let's do this, share whatever you find that relates to a priestess called Sera," he said softly and she nodded
" Who is she," she asked and he shrugged
" We will all find out, lastly, I need you gone from my territory in two days" he mumbled and she nodded
" Very well, we will leave for the border town as soon as our time is up," she said and he nodded
" Thank you,"
" Your friends keep them in check. I may seem nice but I can assure you my people are not " he mumbled his gaze trained on a distance and she squinted looking to where he was, to where Aspen stood with the soldier
" I will make sure they behave " she replied, he clicked his teeth
" Very well" he pressed a kiss to her cheek
" Goodnight Emily " he whispered, lingering for a bit longer than she would have liked
" Goodnight Alpha Zavi " he nodded and she bowed slightly his way as he strode away while Aspen came hurtling to her
" Are you okay?" she asked pulling her to the side and whispering
" I'm fine, the Alpha has agreed to help," she said resting her hand on the railing and leaning against it
" Logan and Bruce," she asked and Emily shrugged
" We'll get them out but on two conditions. We leave in two days " Aspen straightened
" That's doable" she mumbled and Emily sighed
" That's not the hard part " she muttered and Aspen groaned
" What now"
" We have to find a priestess for him. A woman named Sera. "