Canvas Art

*Chapter 15*
"Regy! Dear husband!" I exclaimed, feigning surprise. I even shrieked mockingly but then I smirked afterward. "I didn't know you would catch us so early." I scoffed and was about to get off from Frederick but he held my waist tightly. I glared at him. "Dare to defy me again and I swear, you will hear the words that will kill you," I remarked menacingly, indicating that I would reject him.
Frederick glared back at me but after a moment, he released his hold from me and allowed me to get off his lap. I glared at him one more time before I decided to get down from the mounting steps with my unruly top.
Reginald hissed and stepped back when my male servants suddenly approached me to fix my dress and tie the knot from the back of my dress. One of them was fixing my hair.
"I will have my male servants to purify your carriage, Reginald." I sounded my tone like this matter wasn't trivial because that was what I always did whenever I used his carriage for one of my erotic moments with my slaves.
Reginald looked like he was about to explode from anger and wanted to express his dominance as an Alpha but he didn't say anything. He inhaled and exhaled before he turned his back on me.
"If my carriage isn't properly cleaned and I could smell the stench smell of you and your slave's scents there, you will pay for it, Novalie," he threatened and glanced over his shoulder to send me a warning.
I fluttered my eyes and clasped my hands, looking at him innocently. "Yes, yes, dear husband," I uttered, waving my hand at him while smiling from ear to ear. "Stupid brute," I uttered when he was out of my sight. Then I turned around to see Frederick who was silently watching me. "Boys, notify the pack guards to bestow that slave some lashes. Make it twenty this time," I ordered coldly.
Frederick didn't fight back when my male servants handled him. His expression remained stoic just as I had on me right now.
"Lock him up in his quarters and do not return him to the cabin until his lessons are finished," I added before I left them so I could retire.
Once I was at my chamber, I undressed and stared at myself in front of the full-body mirror. I gritted my teeth when I stroked my hand to the part where Frederick grazed his canine to my skin.
That bloody asshole...
He almost sunk his canine to my skin so he could mark me as his mate...
I clenched my hand while I was feeling upset at Frederick's action. I never thought he would desperately do that just because he didn't receive any answer from me if I had plans to reject him or not.
To answer that question from him, I still have no idea what I must do from our mate bond. Perhaps, Frederick was right that I was denying our mate bond when it was obvious how we both ignited like fuel and fire whenever our skin caressed each other.
Even our wolves were getting restless from this mate bond because one, I was the one prolonging having Frederick. Two, what we both did was only foreplay and we didn't go further for mate ritual as I could remember when two mates were in need to mark each other.
*"I am your mate, Novalie."*
*"Do you have any plans to reject us?"*
I breathed in and out, castigating myself as to why I must keep recalling Frederick's words when he wasn't worth paying attention to him.
He defied me so many times.
And here I was that I told myself not to tolerate any slave of having that kind of behavior but I wasn't truthful to my words. My words must be absolute but this man named Frederick was making me bend my own rules.
*"Whenever I behaved just as you want, you would just ignore me and leave me there. If I misbehave, you always have your eyes on me."*
"Damn it..." I cussed and grabbed the wine glass that was settled near to my tub. I was planning to take the wine glass but I decided to drink from the bottle itself.
I do not know why I was feeling pissed off right now. Why do I have to keep recalling those words? And why did it somehow make me feel frisky?
I closed my eyes so tight and soaked all of my body and even my head under the water so I could distract myself. But it didn't help me because the image of Frederick's pleading expression gleamed inside my head.
I was panting when I got my head out of the water. I hissed and chastised myself.
Why couldn't I get that man's face off my head?!
This was so annoying! It's not cute anymore!
"Holland," I called as soon as I got out of the lavatory after Dorian and Arthur covered my body with the robe.
"Yes, my muse?" He bowed before me after he showed me the house dress.
"I want my nightgown. I am not going to wear heavy dresses," I ordered firmly.
Holland had a look of surprise but then he nodded. "As you wish, my muse." He went back to the walk-in closet and picked a burgundy satin nightgown. The hem of the dress reached the middle of my thighs. I smirked upon seeing it.
"Are you not planning to have supper with Alpha, my muse?" Arthur asked after I was dressed up.
"I do not wish to dine with that bastard." I scoffed. "I'll dine alone here. Bring my supper to the balcony."
"Of course, my muse."
The night was young as I quietly ate my evening meal alone while looking up in the starry sky. I could hear the soft hoot of the owl nearby and the chirps of the crickets in my surroundings. Sniffing, I could smell up from here of my favorite flower, peony.
I shivered when I felt the cold breeze brush my skin but I didn't dare to get a robe to wrap myself. I just let my hair stand up down my spine, enjoying watching the night.
I even had some tea while ignoring all the thoughts that kept playing in my mind. I ignored Frederick while I was sipping on my chamomile tea.
One of the watchers who was promoted from being my male servant and tackled down Frederick when he tried to escape had come forth to kneel in one knee before me.
"I, Oaklee, have come forth to greet my siren. Greetings," he uttered as he placed his hand on the top of his chest, bowing his head a little.
I nodded my head. "Stand up," I commanded, which he gladly obliged. "Have you done your chores?" I asked nonchalantly as I sipped on my tea.
Oaklee nodded. "Yes, my siren. I have retrieved and duplicated the guest's list who will attend Duke Rosenfield's party." He showed me a scroll.
"Tell me the details." I took it but did not dare to open it.
"I have rechecked and reassured that the youngest lycan prince is not coming to Duke Rosenfield's party."
"No royal lycan family is going to attend?" I asked, tempted to see what was inside the scroll but I was too lazy to do that.
"There is one, my siren. It is the Crown Prince who will attend the party on behalf of his older brother, Alpha King Azarius."
I nodded and gestured my hand to let him kneel before me. I reached for his head and caressed it. "Good work. Here is your reward for being such a good boy." I bestowed him two gold coins. "Go back and rest."
Oaklee nodded, smiling a little. "Yes, my siren." He took two gold coins from my hand.
When he was out of my sight, I opened the scroll to read the guest's list for Duke Rosenfield's party this coming weekend. I just needed to confirm if there was a leech coming to this party to avoid any casualties. Even though that person hasn't shown up to any parties I attended.
If I happened to know that person would attend, I could have sworn I would commit treason against the Sowinski Kingdom. I wouldn't let it slide and would take it as an opportunity to pay back what that person did to me when I was young...
It was the humiliation I received from the noble society which fueled my anger every time I would hear that name.
Sighing, I went inside to burn that list after memorizing who would attend that party. I brought it to the furnace and set it on fire. I watched it burn before my eyes with so much abomination remembering why I was here having this kind of life I was living in.
With that, to vent out my anger, I returned to continue painting my canvas, thinking of admirable and wonderful scenery. The way my brush stroke the canvas seemed like a mother who was caressing the cheeks of her pup. I glided it with care, unbeknownst of what I was painting.
I just let my brush guide me as to what I must do.
I used oil painting for my canvas art. Using it was a perfect paint recipe because of its thick, gluey consistency.
I only touched this canvas whenever I was feeling irritated or I remembered something unpleasant.
It was why the more I felt irritated, the more I felt inspired to have this finished until my anger dissipated.
I didn't know how long I was sitting there as I felt my bottom hurt already but I didn't stop painting. I continued until I could feel the numbness of my legs.
I halted when I finished it.
I smiled to my satisfaction, feeling pleased, too upon finishing a new canvas. But my smile gradually melted away when I realized what I just painted.
I knew it was an erotic painting that I always painted but... Why?
"What the hell is wrong with you, Novalie?" I murmured as my eyes widened upon realization.
Why did I paint Frederick and me being in each other's arms?
Then I felt my vision get blurry. Only then did I realize that I was shedding tears with my wolf who was feeling blithe and delighted with the new canvas I made.
Why the hell did I even feel nostalgic and feeling safe in that man's arms?
My expression... I felt horrified when I saw my expression in that painting having contentment on my face while Frederick was having a gentle expression looking down at me.
More tears cascaded down my cheeks.
Somehow, I was feeling melancholy seeing that painting.
*"Please pay more attention to me... I am begging you..."*
I snapped back when Frederick's pleading words echoed in my mind. I angrily took the dagger that was on my bed stand. Then I approached the painting and was about to stab that new painting when my hand stopped in the midair.
"Huh?" My eyes widened when I saw my other hand stopping it. My chest rose up and down as to what was happening.
Then I realized what just happened.
My wolf was trying to cease my madness.
"Why?!" I asked angrily through gritted teeth.
My wolf inside me was also rebellious like me so she was trying to stop me not to ruin the masterpiece I just made.
"You called that masterpiece? That disgusting painting?!" I asked in disbelief from the words of my wolf that I shouldn't waste this painting because she called it the masterpiece I ever made.
I expressed how shameless and outrageous she was. I couldn't believe my wolf would be against me ever since we started to meet Frederick. Having the same beliefs started to crumble down because of that man who just showed himself and wanted to ruin everything I had worked for.
My wolf growled inside me. I tightened my hold on my dagger when she told me that it wouldn't change the fact that Frederick was still our mate.
The next word she said had made me feel sick all of a sudden.
*You want to see him. You badly want to see him and ask for comfort from him.* Those were my wolf's words if I tried to phrase what she told me.
"I'm sick of you!" I growled back at her.
That urged me to stab the painting already but my wolf was refusing my action so she controlled half of my body to halt my lunacy and foolishness.
In the end, she was able to drop my dagger—or more likely, I dropped it which led me to no choice right now.
I dropped to my knees, suddenly feeling lifeless. I questioned myself as to why I must feel this towards that man I just met who happened to become my mate.
Then I found myself storming out my chamber holding a medical kit in my hand. I already have no idea if this was my own action or my wolf's action.
All I knew was that I badly wanted to see Frederick right now to see his condition. I bestowed on him a punishment that others didn't manage to reach because they already obeyed me the moment they already experienced their first punishment.
However, what I bestowed to my male slaves before was a hundred lashes unlike Frederick that who received less than the number of lashes because... I was pardoning him?
That made me feel horrified when I realized that I was already treating Frederick differently. I told myself that not all my slaves were special. They were just some mere tools for my pleasure but with Frederick...
I was slowly breaking my own rule...
Damn it!
Gritting my teeth, I went to his quarters with my keys on the other hand of mine. I was feeling uneasy and agitated when I opened the doorknob of the door.
I was greeted by his spicy musky scent and the scent of fresh blood. If before, I found it alluring to my liking, right now, there was a feeling of concern which I wasn't supposed to feel.
You've got to be kidding me... We are not being yourself, Novalie. I chastised myself that I was being hilarious right now but I couldn't stop myself.
My heart dropped when I saw Frederick sitting on the floor while he was leaning his back against the window door. His head was lowered while he was supporting his elbow with his bent knee. His other leg was stretched on the cold wooden floor. Then I realized that he was half-naked right now.
I exhaled sharply and locked the door. I approached him cautiously. I even had my dagger in my thigh holster in case he would do something drastic.
I dropped the medical kit and knelt before him. "Frederick," I said in a firm tone, calling his name.
He didn't look at me. He was looking at the floor but it seemed like he didn't notice my presence. He was too preoccupied to even notice that I was already here having my presence in front of him.
Creasing my forehead, I forced him to look at me by gently grabbing his chin. What I saw right now in his eyes made my heart collapse.
He looked like he had lost hope.
It looked like someone had taken that away from him.
Must I feel guilty about it?
Must I?
"Darling." I snapped my fingers in front of him to wake him up. But he wouldn't budge. That irritated me. "I said, wake up, didn't I?!" I punched him so hard my knuckles hurt.
Frederick inhaled sharply and shot me a glare. But as soon as he saw me, his eyes widened. "Novalie? Is that you?"
I gritted my teeth upon hearing him calling me on my name again. This brute never learned, did he? "You piece of shit... You never learn when to address me—"
"Oh, Novalie, sweetheart! It is you!" I gasped when Frederick hugged me. He didn't let me finish my words as he distanced himself to cup my face. "This is such a good dream... Don't wake me up, please..."
With that, Frederick did something that earned me a gasp and made my eyes widen.
He suddenly kissed me!