A Tale of Two Lives (BurningWillows & Rskde)

Dominik nods. "Ah, twins, well I met your sister earlier, so I wasn't expecting someone who looked just like her to be sitting here." He says with a laugh. "You probably already know I'm Dominik, how're the other candidates treating you?" He asks, looking over his shoulder at Lukai.

"I guess I should be jealous of that one, you seem to like him." He says before looking back to Katerina. "I also noticed you were asking questions to judge intelligence, I can tell that a lot of the candidates here hope that good looks and status can get them what they're looking for.. I guess in a normal situation they're probably right, but this is an Alpha trial."

"So since you're judging for intelligence and I've hardly let you speak, do you have any questions for me?" He asks with his eyebrows raised. At this point he is trying to be as unlike able as possible, he is not meant to win and he knows that. He also knows that taking out Lukai would be his path to success.

He had guessed right, but the cocky air around him was new, she hadn't seen that in him earlier. It confused her, as she knew Katerina would hate any man that challenged her authority but Kayden found a thrill in it, like he knew what he wanted and who he was, and he had no qualms flaunting it.

"What literature do you enjoy?" she replied, smiling warmly at him.

Dominik raises his eyebrows, literature? As a mercenary he had read a few collections from the Old World. "I've read The Art of War but other than that books are hard to come by on the outside, I've never had much of an opportunity to sit down and read." He admits.

"How about you Katerina? What books do you read? I couldn't imagine the Alpha wolf sitting around and reading. He had got her there, he had learned an Alpha was always training, always hunting, looking after the pack.

She shrugged, "I read in my spare time. Alphas are also to be educated. Now what did you mean by "outside"? That hardly makes sense as our clan all lives in the outdoors and it is against clan rules to leave the territory without permission."

Dominik laughs. "Fair point, I haven't really been here before so I haven't an idea how everything works around here." He admits. "And by on the outside I mean out in the West, I doubt you've ever been there, there's no time for finding books or even sitting down and reading." He explains.

"Trust me, I'd love to, I can just never find the time.. How do you do it? And what books do you have?" He asks with his eyebrows raised, starting to grow genuinely interested in the conversation they had started.

His words felt off but she summed it up to nerves. She opened her mouth to reply when her father passed, giving her a stern look. She'd been speaking to him longer than the others and that didn't look good. She should be fair to all candidates through the process.

"I'm sorry," she said instead, "we must finish this conversation later. I have matters to attend to."

Rising from her throne chair she kept her chin up and back straight as she strolled from the room, intent on finding her brother or Ivory, or someone she could talk to with ease, without having her father watching her every move or her heart pound relentlessly.

Dominik nods when says she has to leave. "I look forward to the conversation later." He says before watching her leave. He flashes a smile at Isaac before walking back over to the food and drink area. He pours himself a glass of wine before consuming it, then he stops drinking, not wanting to make himself weak with the alcohol.


Christian finds Kayden in the crowd, he raises his eyebrows at her. "So, who do you have your eye on?" He asks, fully expecting her to have already chosen, hell, it seemed like the crowd has chosen the best so far.

Ivory was at Christians side like glue, the gorgeous wolf hanging off his arm, letting all know he was hers and she was his. As they found Katerina Christian asked a question and Kayden hustled them down the hall and into an open bedroom, currently unoccupied by it'd resident.

"This is madness," she spoke out, breaking character as the door closed. Kayden assumed Ivory knew, "Did you see those candidates. Most are barely fit to run a pack let alone the clan. And father is breathing down my neck to act just right and not mess anything up. I won't be surprised if he already has a candidate picked out too, and is just waiting for the perfect time to tell me."

"I thought you were excited for this Katerina. It's all you've been talking about for weeks."

"Kat..."Kaydens eyes widened as her mouth hug open, realizing Ivory was in the dark, "uh yeah...uh..."

"What's going on?" Ivory asked looking confused as ever, both of you have been acting strange since I arrived. What's happened?"

Christian smiles at Ivory, she's often very overprotective, and he loves the attention, she has basically claimed him, letting every female wolf around that this Alpha is hers and would always be hers.

He follows Kayden down the hall, Ivory stays close to them and then she breaks character, making Christian bite the bottom of his lip, he would have to tell Ivory now.

"Love, we can discuss it later, now isn't the time." He says to her quietly, not actually planning on telling her but wanting to stall in order to allow her time to forget what had happened.

"Father does not have any candidates picked out for you, Nina, he just wants to make sure you aren't showing favoritism when the trials haven't even started yet."

Kayden took Christians lead, "yes but it is it not I who get to create he trials? To help test who I will like best. And yet I feel like I have no say in any of these matters."

"Okay I know somethings up," Ivory cut in, "Christian your thoughts are blocked from me. I don't like this. Tell me what's going on."

She sounded hurt, and rightly so. An Alphas orders getting between a mated couple was dangerous. It cut off thoughts between them, creating a rift in their bond. Mated couples had been broken from an Alphas orders, the cruelest of punishments someone could receive. It put a wolf in the impossible position: forced to choose between his soul mate and his Alphas word. Break either and it was heart shattering and mind numbing key painful for that wolf. And here their father had put Christian in such a position, warranting Kaydens worry. Seeds of doubt were already in Ivorys eyes, and Kayden could not let her father destroy the one good thing in her older brothers life.

"I'm not Katerina,"Kayden blurted out then fell with a scream to the floor, her body twisting and shaking with pain as she fought against Alpha orders, "I'm Kayden! Nina died. Father order meeee..."

Her pain grew worse, her body feeling like it was being slice a million time over as she spat the last of it out, "ordered us to secrecy! Christian couldn't tell you."

"Oh my god," Ivorys voice shook, "Christian help her. This could kill her if she doesn't stop. I'm not upset. Just control her seizures before someone comes. Kayden I know enough. Please say nothing more!"

Christian starts to feel conflicted, he wants to cry from the look in Ivory's eyes.. His father is ruining this pack and he knows it, he starts to hate his father, why would he force him into secrecy against his soul mate? He feels himself starting to break, the temptation to just tell her is there.

But Kayden steals the words from his mouth, and he is thankful that she does so, because the pain would be unbearable in his exposed state.

He stops her when she is done, clamping her mouth closed with his hand. "That's enough." He says to her, removing his hand when he feels that she is done, ready to put it back if needed.

He looks up at Ivory pleadingly. "Please forgive me love.. I don't want to lose you.." He says to her before standing, wrapping his arms around Ivory and pulling her close to him, his urge to cry is suppressed by his pride.

Kayden lays shaken and exhausted on he ground as Christian begs for forgiveness. And of course he gets it. Ivory loves him too much and is too devoted to hate him.

"Of course your forgiven," she whispers, kissing his cheek, "how could your father do this to you though. He knows the risks. Why divide us."

"To test Christians loyalty to the Alpha," Kayden gasped, "Fathers always worried we will betray him and he must have gotten to thinking Christians loyalty was majorly to you, not him."

" but to test it..." Ivory shook her head, "Sweet Kayden. You just saved us a lot of pain, at the expense of your own. Here let me help you up. We should get some food into you for strength. Your father need not know any of what happened here. Christian...please do not speak to him alone again without me present. We cannot be divided. I will not allow myself to lose you."

"Trust me, my full devotion lays with my pack in the East, and to Ivory.. The only reason Father keeps me around is because he knows that without support from the East the Northern Wolves would collapse, the West and South would attack and Father would need our warriors.." He says quietly.

"But.. He's not getting them." He says while running a hand through his hair. "My father has tried my patience, my full devotion lays with you, Ivory." He says. "In my Father's time of need, I will be sure to remind him what he has done today, saving his own fucking hide at the expense of my mate and maybe my life, I'm not taking it any more." He seems really pissed off now.

"Ivory, once the ceremony is over we leave, I'm no longer remaining here in my Father's council.. I will never look nor speak to him the same way.. And if I speak to him alone, you will come with me Ivory." He says with a nod.

He looks down to Kayden, kneeling beside her. "Now listen, when you find a mate, Isaac will no longer be Alpha.. You need to restore order, you need to lift the tyranny that is that cruel wolf, we're counting on you." He says to her. "I know it's a lot of stress told putting on your shoulders, but the fate of the clans depends on your actions in these trials."

Ivory nodded, listening and understanding, his thoughts echoing his words within her. She stepped out as he turned to Layden, giving them a few minutes alone.

"I never wanted this," Kaydens body still shook. She'd never been so brave before but it had just felt...right, "I never wanted to be Alpha. That was Katerina. And she's gone now. And no one is mourning her. No one knows, there is no respect for the dead here. Christian I'm impersonating my dead sister. Is that not cruel enough? Why must this all fall on me? I can't choose. I don't know the first thing about being a good alpha. What if I become like father? What if I expose everything and the clan goes to war?"

Christian nods to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "There will be time to mourn when this is over, but for now we need to focus on what's important, Flynn will give you the skills to lead, if you ever have any questions ask me, I lead a pack too y'know." He says with a smile.

"Don't be afraid to seek help, that's why father keeps Gareth around, as an advisor." He explains to her, shaking her lightly. "Now keep your chin up, get some rest, I'll tell Father you weren't feeling well."

She nodded, listening numbly as her body healed from the pain. He escorted her back to her room, her own room before leaving her for the party. It would probably be the last night she could sleep in her own room, comforted by her own scents and things. Tomorrow she'd be living the life of Laterina, future Alpha and available princess, looking for her perfect mate.

Christian went back to his room with his mate, deciding it's much too late to go back to the party, he closes the door behind them and lays down on his bed with a sigh. "I told you that I hate to keep things from you, didn't I?" He asks.

Ivory nodded, "no mate wants to lie to thier other half. The amount of effort to keep your thoughts from me must be exhausting. Why did he do that? I understand a certain amount of secrecy to keep the clan at peace. I see his reasoning, even though I do not agree with throwing Kayden in the middle of all this. But why tell you and then order your secrecy from even me? Would it not be better to keep you in the dark?"

But she knew why and it frustrates her, "it feels like a desperate move Christian."

Christian bites the bottom of his lip, standing and pulling his gorgeous mate into a hug. "He is desperate, it was a last second move and he knows that if the other packs know then the North will be open for an attack, you know how the South and the West are always looking for a way into the North's Alpha group." He explains.

"That's why I'm sick of him, the only reason he keeps you and me at his side is because of our warriors, otherwise we'd be useless."

"The only reason he keeps you," she corrected giving him a tight annoyed smile, "Issac has never given me more than two minutes of his attention, and he obviously thinks our partnership was for gain only. We both know why he arranged you and I to mate. He must have not seen us falling so in love though. And he obviously sees you now as a pawn to keep our warriors in his hand. Does he not realize I am the full born Beta of the Eastern Pack, guardian of my eastern wolves."

She was proud of her status and proud to be Christians too. But over the last few years she had grown to secretly hate Issac, mostly due to Christians stories.

Christian laughs. "You're right, honestly anything my Father does is for personal gain, he doesn't care much for anybody else." He explains, stepping away from her and sitting on his bed. "One day someone is going to give him a lesson.. But as I said, none of our warriors will aid the North if needed." He says.

"Father or not, Isaac will learn the hard way not to mess with us or the East, that's why I'm hoping Kayden will make a better leader.." He admits.


Dominik moves away from the party, walking back to his own room before he senses a familiar body heat.. Kayden, the girl from before. He follows his sense to her room, he knocks on the door lightly. "Kayden, are you in there?" He asks through the door, wanting to talk to her again.

Ivory sat next to him, placing her hand on his knee, "I agree. Wholeheartedly. But it will do us no good to start a battle with The winter wolves. We will stay the week until all the festivities are done. I heard they will give Layden all the time she needs to pick, but the celebrations cuts off in just a weeks time. We can leave then, to return home. As for now, best to not stray from each other. Safer for the both of us."

She nuzzled his neck, kissing the soft skin, "shall we sleep my heart and soul? Tomorrow will be another long day."

They would of course share a room, as they were mates. Even if this had once been his childhood room, it was odd and unwolf like to sleep without ones partner unless they were not within the same facility. As they were it went without saying the she would sleep with him, eat with him, stay at his side unless needed elsewhere.

~

Kayden ears the knock and peeked out of her bathroom, having just finished a shower to remove all the oils and dressed in a small white gown that barely skimmed past her mid thigh that she wore for bed normally.

"Who is it?"she asked, vaguely recognizing the voice but not really wanting company. She just wanted to grief. Alone.

Christian smiles when she nuzzles against him, his eyes closing when her lips connect with his neck. "Is it even a question?" He asks before pulling her down on to the bed with him, his arms wrapping around her, he presses her body against his and nuzzles his head into her neck. "Goodnight love." He mutters.

He easily falls into sleep, this time a dreamless sleep that would not wake him during the night, so he would stay by her side all night as long as she did not move herself.

~

"It's Dominik." He says through the door, his head leaned against it so that only she would hear him. "I came looking for you after the festivities started to cool down.. Where were you? I couldn't find you any where.." He says quietly, but loudly enough so that she would still hear him.

Kayden eyes widened, listening from the other side of the door. What was he doing?! She stepped forward and opened the door to look at him, blocking him from coming in. Her hair was wet and wild, her nightgown too short on her petite body. It sat nicely on her shoulders, and she had sewn the sleeves so they sat just above her elbows, the collar a wide sweep dipping near her breasts.

"You cannot do this," she raised an eyebrow at him, her breath catching still at how good he looked, but she kept her cool, "A candidate of the ceremonies should not be searching for another wolf. Your focus should be on my sister, Katerina."

And you should give her the attention she wants. Because she's me. I'm Katerina. And what have I done? He sees me as two girls.

"I left the party early. I got sick from something I ate. It's fine now, I just need sleep. My brother checked in on me. You should return to the party before anyone sees you speaking to someone outside the court."


She had been late to the party. Her brother, Daerk, had brought her as his guest and she had never been outside the pack's small territory within clan territory. Her father, the Beta of the fire wolves, had always kept her close, seeing her more of a dainty princess than a fighter. Due to that she had never strayed far from the pack, able to hunt but always needing to stay within distance of the pack should a problem arise. So was her father's orders. Until now, when Daerk had convinced their dear father to let him bring her along, so that she could see the rest of the territory, of the small patch of world they lived in.

And she had gotten so wrapped up in enjoying exploring, running through the cavern halls and outside in the snow that she had forgotten the time. Now she was rushing, having quickly piled her curly hair into a high bun and doned on the black dress her brother had left her, with a note scolding her for her tardiness. When she arrived in the mess hall she did not see Daerk but she saw many other wolves dining or drinking, talking amongst themselves. She had been told most of the festivities were held in the Throne room, and she could hear music distantly, which told her the real party had to be in one of the rooms down the hall.

Firstly though, I should eat something, she thought, stepping up to the buffet and filling a plate with raw elk, seared boar, heart of lamb, and fresh blueberries. Grinning wickedly to herself she even snuck a glass of wine, knowing Daerk would never allow it if he saw her. She was still seventeen for a fortnight, and both her father and brother were rather protective. Alcohol was not allowed for pups.

Turning quickly to find a seat she suddenly smashed into a hulking man that smelt of iron and blood, sloshing her wine over the front of his leather garbs. Her cheeks flushed red as she apologized profusely, putting her plate down and grabbing a few napkins to try and soak up the mess.

"I'm so so sorry," she blubbered, dabbing at the wine on his chest, yet to look up at his strong, masculine face, "I'm such a klutz. First royal party I've been to and I'm already throwing drinks on people. My father would be ecstatic."

She finished cleaning him up and then wiped off her hands, looking embarrassed as she finally looked up. He was handsome, with dark eyes and a thick jaw, his face clear of emotion. He had a unique hair style, the brown locks shaved off the sides so they only sat at the top of his head, and there were black tattoos etched on the skin where he shaved, adding to his good looks. He was bulky and tall, looming over her like many of the men in the Southern Pack did.

"I'm, uh, Hayley," she squeaked out, eyes wide and cheeks hot, "Daughter to Gernish, Beta of the Southern Pack, and sister to Daerk, candidate to the future Alpha of this great clan."

She'd practiced those lines for days and finally got to speak them, only to sound like a mouse, terrified she'd just spilt wine on the wrong person. If her father saw any of this, he'd be livid. Gernesh was also attending the ceremony as it was mandatory for all Betas, but so far she'd been able to stay clear of him, and she'd hoped he'd be knee deep in wine by now, too drunk to notice her absence.

Dominik bites the bottom of his lip. "I don't think Katerina likes me.. And I'm not really supposed to-." He catches himself. "She seems to like that candidate Lukai, and earlier all of these other wolves were staring at me, and they're all beautiful.. But I couldn't stop thinking about you, you showed me kindness and compassion and I don't forget.. I just wanted to talk to you again." He explains.

"The party is ending, if you don't want me to be seen you can just let me in so that nobody sees me.. I just want to talk to you again." He pleads. "Because tomorrow I could die, Lukai could kill me or even Stephen could if I'm not careful." He explains, though the chance of one of these wolves killing him is very low.

~

Flynn grunts in surprise when the little girl runs into him, she couldn't possibly be an adult. He watches her clean the wine off of him. "I don't think you're old enough to drink that.." He says, not expecting her to be royalty.

When he hears the rehearsed words he raises his eyebrows. "I'm Flynn, tutor of the Beta Female of the Northern Wolves.. Your candidate isn't doing so well." He says with a chuckle. "Trust me, I know Katerina."