The Werewolf Order (Erotica)

The shop owner almost goes bug eyed at the informality, “Lady Coral,” he corrects the man, “And her mate, Prince Quell and brother Prince Vadim. And Miss Lynette.”

As realization crosses the older man’s face, he bows, “Of course, please forgive me.”

Coral smiles, “Cecil-I didn’t realize that you were a jeweler?” She walks over to him, resting her hand on his arm.

He offers a hesitant smile, setting the box on the counter, “Yes well my experience as a smithy made me a prime candidate to learn this trade. When they offered me the option, I gladly took it-one is never too old to learn something new.”

Her eyes fall on the box; inside it, she sees two small silver bracelets. They are tubular and engraved intricately with designs as well as words that she thinks bare a resemblance to the old tongue the elixir recipe was written in. Confused, she glances to the shop owner, who defers her to Quell.

Smiling proudly at her, he says, “Healer of All, Emissary to Peace, Mate to Quell.” Then, she realizes they are for her; Quell walks towards her and unties the laces of her leather gauntlets to remove them. He picks up one of the bracelets and carefully bends it open, slipping it on her wrist before pressing it closed. He repeats it with the other one before turning to Cecil, “Will you please seal them?”

Cecil nods hesitantly at Quell before walking towards the back, “Please come with me, Lady Coral.”

She follows him through the store and out to the small covered forge in the back. Grabbing some leather, he slips it between her wrist and the opening on the bracelets, “I did not realize these were for you.” The tone of his voice is worried, his expression almost sick.

It takes a moment for her to discover his dislike of the situation, “Cecil-I was the one who chose Quell; I was not forced into it.”

He dawns a thick leather apron and gloves before picking up a strand of silver wire with a pair of pliers; he heats it in the fire until it begins to glow a soft orange. Holding onto the bracelet with one hand he pushes it closed, one side of the band sliding into the gap of the other side; then he threads the wire through the small hole that is lined up. Clipping off both ends of the wire, he uses a pair of delicate pliers to pinch the raw edges down and flatten them out, there by sealing the bracelet around her small wrist, making it impossible to remove. While he waits for it to cool, he slides another piece of leather between her skin and the metal on her opposite hand, “Are you sure, Coral? I can understand if you thought you had no choice in the matter.”

“I am sure. I love him,” she says earnestly, hoping that he can see past his prejudices towards the centaurs like she has.

When he hears her words, he looks up, searching her eyes to discern if they are the truth. Upon discovering that they are, he nods slowly, “All right. They are a curious sort of creature, I’ll give you that much. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be spending my golden years in their company but… well, they are quite a bit more civilized than I expected.”

“They truly are,” she says, watching him heat up another strand, “I feel more at home here than I ever did in our town.”

He repeats the process, “Well, you’re just as odd of a person yourself so it makes sense,” he gives her a genuine smile, “I am glad you have found some place to fit in.”

After the second bracelet cools, she reaches out and touches them; the metal is warm against her skin and the adornment is beautiful. Coral can’t help but smile.

“I’ve sealed a few on some other women since we arrived-though I will tell you that these are the first to actually be made of silver. Most are brass, a few from copper; seems fitting though, as I guess that makes you a Princess?”

She laughs and shakes her head, “No, I’m not a Princess. I’m the Prince’s mate.”

Quell is pleased with the appearance of her bracelets, sheepishly admitting that he feels a little relieved that everyone will now know she is his. She smiles at him, choosing not to take offense to his possession of her, or even of his prior worry.

They spend several hours wandering the town; both women are excited to see each of the shops and discover all of the wares for sale. Tillie greets them happily when they finally arrive at the bakery, offering them fresh pastries from the oven. Finally, they make it to the apothecary. Coral is eager to see the building; though it is smaller than most of the shops, it is still large enough to easily accommodate three centaurs in the common area. There is a wide counter that stretches almost the entire length and floor to ceiling narrow shelves that are accessed by a rolling ladder-Vadim tells her that it used to be a book shop. Behind the counter she discovers a small room tucked away from the main one, which offers some privacy. When she sees the narrow stairs behind one of the shelves in the front, she looks at Quell curiously, “Why would there be a second story that a centaur couldn’t access?”

“All of the buildings in town have two stories; most of the shop owners who are human occupy the space above and if it is centaur owned then they offer the living quarters to their human workers. As there is no reason for a centaur to enter a human’s dwelling, there is no reason for a ramp. If a mixed pair mates then they find a home elsewhere.”

Still surprised by the idea of it, Quell laughs, “Vadim, take your sister upstairs and show her.”

He smiles, sweeping his hand towards the stairs, “By all means, ladies first.”

The stairs are steeper than any she’s encountered before as the pitch is half as deep as it should be to save on space. When she reaches the top, she is surprised to find the living quarters are rather nice, though not as nice as the castle. Vadim walks behind her as she explores the floor plan; a wide living area already contains furnishings, a small kitchen with a stove, a wash basin, table and chairs and two bedrooms with beds.

As she turns to exit the second bedroom, she discovers Vadim is standing in the doorway, blocking her path. His eyes appraise her somewhat sadly, as if he were wondering what a life would be like living above the shop below.

She drops her gaze from his, staying out of his reach, “We should go, brother. They are waiting for us.”

“We haven’t had much of a chance to speak since…” His voice trails off. When she doesn’t respond, he sighs, “Lynette is a wonderful centaur. If you wish it of me, I will take her as my mate.”This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.

Surprised, Coral looks up at him, “That is not my decision to make, Vadim.”

“Your opinion is what matters the most to me,” he says, “and I trust your judgment.”

“She seems to adore you, Vadim. If you love her as well then you should take her as your own.”

He drops his gaze, “I’ve made it very clear to you, Coral. You will forever be my one and only love. I have a fondness for Lynette and with time I am sure I could love her-but it will never be the same as what I feel for you. I would wait for you for an eternity if you simply say the words.”

Coral’s heart aches; she is at a loss for words. Her love for Quell has done nothing but deepen over the past few days and she would never do anything to betray that but seeing the pain she causes Vadim makes her want to rush into his arms and comfort him. She stands her ground, her voice soft, “I am not worth you, Vadim. Take Lynette as your mate. Be earnest and faithful to her, try your hardest to love her and give her all that she wants.”

Painfully, longingly, he looks up into her eyes. All he offers is a nod before turning his back to her and walking away.

“Come on you two, we are famished,” Quell’s teasing voice floats up from down below.

…

Coral sits cross legged on the floor of their room, quill in one hand scratching against the parchment in front of her as she makes a list of things she will need for the apothecary. She glances up at Quell when he speaks to her.

“I spoke with six centaurs today, while you and Lynette were fawning over some of the shops,” his voice drifts over from the mound of pillows. He rests on his side, watching her. “I did not tell them much, just that I needed their mates to volunteer for a project; I told them to come see you tomorrow midmorning in the apothecary. I figured you could speak with them and see if they have any interest-if not, then I will find you some more.” In his hand is their last remaining bit of the elixir as they had used a majority of it their first night together. He looks at the bottle, holding it up to the firelight so that he can see into it, “It is amazing how such a small thing can elicit such a reaction in us.”

“You feel it too?” She asks, setting her quill down and putting the cap on the ink.

“Yes,” he shamefully admits, “I have never been so aroused before. And when I am finished, it is so moving that I feel as if all my energy is drained.”

Rising, she walks over to him in just her shift, “Now I know that is not true-if it were so, I might have gotten some sleep during our first night together.”

He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her down to the pillows beside him. Gently, he caresses her face, “How are you healing, my love?” His face is wrought with concern, still haunted by the previous night.