Archaic (Reverse Harem 2)

We walk in silence all the way up the road before taking a hard right. The snow is coming down heavier than ever, and I start shivering against Vlad. He wraps his arm around me, and I hate that his warmth is so comforting. I burrow into him as the street narrows until it turns into a staircase.

A staircase up to a decadent home.

“Let’s get you warmed up, shall we?” Vlad asks. “Sebastian, go find us all something to drink.”

I whip my head around as Sebastian stops, his nostrils flaring with anger. Vlad turns his head around and grins before pulling me closer to his body. This isn’t good. Leaving me alone with Vlad isn’t going to go over well. And Sebastian knows it. But it’s the only way we can get information out of him, so it’s our only choice.

“Be quick. Please.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“We have no choice. We can’t leave now. We’re so close, Sebastian.”

“I don’t take orders from him.”

“Go get us some drinks.”

Sebastian clenches his jaw before he turns his back on us. I can feel his anger. Smell his fury. He marches off in the opposite direction as Vlad continues leading me down the hallway, then we end up in a room. A beautiful room with nothing but pillows lining the outer rim and a massive four-poster bed against the wall.

“My quarters,” Vlad says. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” I say with a smile. “Thank you.”

“Not used to the cold?”

“Not this kind of cold.”

“Here. Take this.”

I watch Vlad shrug off his coat before he walks over to me. He wraps it around my shoulders, allowing his fingers to caress my cheek. He

smells putrid. Nothing like Sebastian. I choke down the bile rising up my throat as Vlad’s hands land on my shoulders, massaging my muscles as my body relaxes.

“What brings you to this part of the world?” he asks.

“Answers,” I say.

“What kind of answers do you seek?”

“What’s your father like?”

“Interested in the history of the Wolves?”

He takes a deep sniff of the air as his nostrils flare out with the scent.

“In a way. Tell me about him.”

“My father—Lord Wesley—is the oldest of the remaining Wolves. He established this town centuries ago as a safe haven for alphas and their mates. Our numbers are dwindling, and my father wanted to provide a safe place for alphas and their mates to, well, mate. Our dear city has three services. Food, shelter, and medical care.”

“All of which are needed to procreate,” I say.

“Exactly. Each room in every hotel and house in this city is decorated for romance. Set a mood. Spark a fire between a Wolf and his mate. Many children have been born inside the walls of this city, though most have been male.”

“Why the fighting when we first got here?”

“There’s a rumor that only the strongest of alphas have the highest chance of producing female children. If a suitable female comes with an alpha to the doors, her alpha and another alpha battle. And to the victor go the spoils of war.”

“What if a female comes alone?” I ask.