Poison Rose(Roses & Kings #1)

Plane Of Dakhur, King Castle.

Casvan lean against the wall a little distance away, watching Reyna as she sat there on the couch near the huge fireplace with the women and children surrounding her. His Kitten was pretending he didn't exist while she talks with the other women and listened to the children.

His heart aches for hurting her, for being the reason she is sad and angry. Watching her cry and feeling her pain and despair is breaking his heart. It's been five days since he and his sentinel had brought the women to Dakhur, three since she wakes up fell unconscious and woke up again.

Though he'd explain why he did what he did. Attacking Marl and stealing the women and children, his mate felt betrayed by his actions but he knows that wasn't all. Her anger towards him also stems from not hearing anything about both her mother and her Nana and he suspects there's more to her pain. Casvan had already dispatched some of his most capable warriors to find both women and anyone they might have found.

Any day now his men would be back with the news. Hopefully they are both okay,if his men didn't find her family he would go back to Marl or what remains of it and look for her mother and Nana himself. His mouth suddenly twitched, when he remembered how after she'd woken up and he'd explain everything to her—she had attacked him, slapped his face again and insisted he take her to where he kept the women.

Fierce little Kitten, even in her despair she was more worried about her people than her own pain. She didn't talk to him until she saw the women, Casvan might not have known Reyna for long but he knows the kind of person she is. Fierce, Loving, protective and always giving.

He'd miss her, miss her smile, miss how she would look at him and talk to him. He missed holding and touching her, he was literally burning with the urge to mate her and make her his permanently. His mate and queen. He doubts though that she would be receptive to his touch.

He'd notice the approval on her face when she saw the women, though she acted angry when he asked if she's satisfied now that she has seen her people. Casvan had tasked his brother with preparing accommodation for when they brought the women to Dakhur way before they attacked.

It was a black stone mansion like the one he'd first bought in this world before the war started, it has several rooms and everything the women would need. There was enough food, drinks and clothes for everyone. Whatever else they would need he would provide, they're Reyna's people as such they are now his people and his responsibility.

As he walked Reyna through the mansion earlier, he could see the surprise on her face, so far she'd only seen a part of Dakhur, the castle, the waterfalls and this mansion. Casvan could feel that she liked everything she saw, she was also very when she saw the women.

When they walked in, the place was lively, women and children eating, drinking and talking to each other excitedly, some of the children were sleeping, others playing without any worries. Except for the few women who were separated with their families like Reyna, who had sat separately from the others.

Casvan has every intention of reuniting those who lost their family with their families. The people were all happy to see their princess, they greeted her with love and respect,speaking loudly to her, the children talking to her animatedly.

Casvan watches her with the adoration he feels for her, imagining how she would look in a few years with their younglings all over clamoring for her attention just like this children. That's if she allowed him anywhere near her in this century.

He smirks, he could be very convincing when he puts his mind to it. She's his mate, he would do anything for her, his Kitten. The better half of his soul. It gave him satisfaction to see her wearing the clothes he'd choose for her, only the best for his Reyna, though she'd refuse to wear the jewelry he'd given her now, he would really love it when she finally put them on.

Reyna was aware of every glance of Casvan eyes her way, she was so attuned to him on a visceral level, that she could hear his heartbeat which rhyme with her own, that part of her that was new kept urging her to go to him that her anger is hurting him. In truth her anger towards him has abated the instant she saw the women. She's just sad now, something tells her that her mother has been dead even before Marlenia was attacked.

Her mother might be strict with her and had never shown her affection but Reyna knows Cassandra wouldn't have allowed Elizabeth to torture and conduct experiments on her while she was alive. She just prays that her mother finds peace wherever she is and hopes her Nana, if she's alive, is okay and found.

Reyna was happy to find the women weren't mistreated in any way, and was surprised that they weren't angry or sad.

The children were excited about the unexpected move and kept chattering, some of the women also joined in retelling of their experiences when they were first brought here.

She'd always thought that the people in Marlenia were content just living there with no dreams or ambition to change their lives, but the way these women lights up when speaking about Dakhur and the endless possibilities they could envision and what they'd already seen of their new home, she understands they were forced into accepting their reality not because they wanted to but because they had no better alternatives.

She didn't blame them for being happy here, she supposed as people who have lived in hunger and seclusion all their lives with very little to their name, it's understandable for them to be curious and excited when they're in a different world than they knew. A world that promises everything they ever needed. Reyna is also happy that the little boys are finally free and with the girls.

She had never understood the reason why boys and men have to be segregated from the girls, though Cassandra and doctor Elizabeth's had always tried to make it seem as though it were to protect both genders. It just didn't make sense to Reyna, why seclude the boys from their families at such a tender age when they needed them the most.

What use was the vaccine they were given every few months if it couldn't protect them against the blue mist. There are lots of things that didn't add up to her,but she knows her Nana would help answer some of her questions.

Reyna was talking to Jenna, when the large double front door of the main hall swung open the large man that stride in was familiar, Reyna knows he's Casvan brother. Kayak

He looks rattle which is kind of alarming for a dangerous creature like him to look that way something bad must have happened. Without leaving her place, seated right there with the kids, her ears twitch, her new ability bringing Casvan and Kayak voice to her as though she was by their sides. It still freaks her out and amazes her that she's a Lycans. A hybrid.

“Cas, we have a situation,” Kayak growls, striding towards Casvan.

“What's wrong?” Casvan growled, his face hard.

“We just found two sentinels dead,one of them was Vok.”

“Fuck,how?”

“It's the women, the two with the red dresses, they've escaped.” Kayak said with a scrunch face like he still didn't understand how that had happened. The women weren't locked up per say, Casvan orders were to keep them separated from the rest of the women due to the fact they were the only ones making trouble. He didn't want them to aggravate the others.

“They killed them? How?” Casvan asked, then glance at Reyna who was staring at him, he return his gaze to his brother. He find it hard to believe that strong, smart Vok had fallen because of these little women.

Vok is undoubtedly one of his strongest and smartest sentinels. It's not that the women weren't capable of killing his men because they were, but he'd expected Vok to be able to handle them without any violence to either party. Obviously he'd underestimated the women.

“I've never seen anything like it Cas, fuck, their bodies looks grotesque, it's like every bone in their bodies has broken. Fuck, you need to see this you'll understand only when you see them.”

“Take me there,” Casvan ordered, his face grim.

“I'm also coming,” Reyna said, catching up with both males,who turned to stare at her. Reyna glared at them both to show them she wasn't asking.

“I heard everything, the Roses are my people and I would like to know what happened.”

“Roses?” Kayak asked with a bewildered look on his face.

“Yes,now take me to them,” she ordered, Kayak brows slightly arched, staring at the little human who dared to order him. He glanced at his brother who nodded with a twitch of his lips. Reyna is a born queen through and through.

“Yes my queen, please follow me,” Kayak said grinning, he already knew he was going to like his new sister in law very much.

“Call me Reyna.”

“Yes,Reyna.” Kayak said with a chuckle as he led them out of the mansion to where the women had been kept in a separate house near the dark forest.

Five minutes later when they arrived at the large house, there were two beasts outside the room. The two roses were held, they greeted Casvan and Reyna then opened the door. Casvan went in first followed by Kayak then Reyna.

Casvan was surprised at the amount of blood he saw on the ground, which was undoubtedly Vok's and Drik but when he saw the dead bodies that were supposedly these men his surprise was eclipsed by pure shock and horror. Something tickled in his brain, some long forgotten memory trying to surface but he couldn't grasp a hold of it.

Reyna's eyes first took in the lavishly furnished room dispassionately then her eyes landed on a pair of red dresses, same as the one she had before it was destroyed. There was no doubt the Roses were here,she walked towards Casvan her first glance froze the breath in her chest.

Two huge beasts lay dead agony lined in their unrecognizable faces, their bodies contorted, bones broken out of shape, so much blood everywhere. Same as the man Olivia had slept with,same as ten years ago. Her face drained of all color, her stomach churned, bile rose up her throat, her legs almost gave out under her.

Casvan who was attuned to her and had noticed her she quickly paled when she saw his warriors, acted fast and held her upright. He was suddenly afraid her health would worsen again,he carried her to the chairs in front of the fireplace.

“Take it slow Kitten, breathe.” He ordered after he'd sat her down. Reyna was still in shock, but like how she was flush against Casvan, breathing his unique scent deeply inside her. He was so hard, strong and so warm,really the only reason she felt grounded. His large hand running through her hair, calming her nerves while the other holds her tight. Kayak yanks out the bed sheets and covers the bodies.

“Cas,I've seen this before. Back in Marlenia just before the attack and ten years ago,” Reyna whispered.

“I think they were poisoned,”

“That's also my thoughts,” he replied. “Reyna, we need to find these females. I need to know what type of poison it was.” she nodded, knowing it was the right thing to do. No one should suffer or die in this kind of agony.

“Are you going to kill them?” she asked, her voice filled with pain. Casvan kissed her head but didn't answer. Reyna understood what that meant, though she didn't condone what the Roses had done she also understood why they did it, she hadn't been trained as long as the other girls.

But knew the Roses were the highest defense of Marlenia. They were trained to protect their Queendom and people, by giving away their lives, a part of hope they'd escape another wanted them to be found, that made her feel like she'd betrayed them. She just prayed Casvan would show leniency towards them when they're found because she knew he would find them.

This is his world and he knows it best, he'd also told her no one goes out without his knowledge, though the gateway to the outside world is open to all, Casvan knows every time any one comes into his kingdom or goes out. She might be a Rose but she's also a Lycan, for better or worse Casvan is hers. She might be angry with him but she could never hate him.