Valkyrie's blood drained from her face as she spotted King Duncan behind her. Her body went rigid, her throat suddenly dry as she found herself at a loss for words.
With one glance from the King, the guards immediately bowed and released Arianna.
"Darling..." Valkyrie exclaimed softly, attempting to step closer, but Duncan's glare froze her in place.
Dread pooled in her stomach. If she hadn't gone to the restroom before coming here, she might have embarrassed herself.
Still, she tried to explain. "Your Grace, this slave dared to—"
"Did I ask for your explanation?" Duncan's sharp tone cut her off, making her swallow hard.
"N-no... no, Your Grace..." she stammered, her face flushing with humiliation as her mouth snapped shut.
Duncan's gaze shifted to Arianna, who stood silently with her head lowered.
"Did I not give you an order, slave?" he questioned in an icy tone that made Arianna shiver where she stood.
"You did, Your Grace," she replied softly.
"And what are you still doing here?"
"My apologies, Your Grace." Arianna bowed lightly, her fists clenched at her sides as she held her composure.
Valkyrie, however, felt her sense of authority return as she watched Arianna leave. For a fleeting moment, she had thought the King might defend Arianna and toss her aside. But she was wrong.
Arianna was just a slave to him. Valkyrie couldn't understand why the King had chosen her in particular, but a slave was still a slave—without rights, without value.
A mere speck of dust against regal splendor.
A property to be discarded once used and deemed worthless.
How could she have thought, even for a moment, that Arianna might hold more value in the King's eyes than she, his betrothed, the true Luna of the Citadel?
How could she compare herself to such a repugnant creature?
Arianna was certainly clever to have made her feel such doubt, even if only for a moment.
"Your Grace," Valkyrie called lightly, bowing with a radiant smile.
King Duncan scrutinized her for what felt like an eternity. His piercing gaze remained unreadable.
Valkyrie had tried countless times to read him during their meetings, but the King was a closed book.
"Are you that desperate to be my Luna?" he finally asked, his voice devoid of warmth.
The question caught her off guard, but she knew better than to keep him waiting.
Not understanding the underlying meaning behind his words, she replied, "As your betrothed, I will do everything in my power to rule by your side, Your Grace. It is my duty to serve the realm as your Luna, no matter what."
"Is that so?" Duncan's eyes seemed to darken, his lips tugging slightly. Or perhaps she had imagined it.
"Yes, Your Grace," she replied, her tone as sweet as she could manage.
"Fine, Valkyrie," the King said, his tone unwavering. "At the Grand Festival, where Alphas from every corner of the kingdom gather at the Lunaris Citadel, I will announce your position before the Grand Court. Every eye shall witness your ascension."
Valkyrie's heart leapt with excitement, nearly bursting from her chest.
Finally!
Finally, the King had decided when to enthrone her.
"Thank you, Your—"
Before she could finish, Duncan turned and strode away, his cold, domineering aura leaving her in his wake.
"Did you hear that?" Valkyrie asked the soldiers once the King was out of sight, her face beaming with joy as she twirled once and gazed up at the sky. "At the Grand Festival, I'll be enthroned!"
A soft, triumphant laugh escaped her lips.
******
Later
Lucas moved through the vast corridor with a purposeful stride and regal bearing.
Reaching the yard, Lucas spotted a figure.
King Duncan stood with his arms crossed. He was dressed in a simple tunic and breeches, his gaze piercing and serious as he watched soldiers training under the scorching sun.
Lucas stopped a few paces away. "Your Grace," he greeted with a small bow. "It's been a while since you've visited the training grounds."
Without tearing his gaze away from the soldiers, Duncan replied, "I'm very much occupied, you know that."
Lucas nodded.
"Are they ready?" King Duncan asked.
Lucas glanced at the soldiers, doing their best to train.
"Barely. They're trying their best, Your Grace. Though..." He paused, sighed, and almost whispered, "It's not enough."
Silence settled between them for a while, with King Duncan lost in his thoughts.
Lucas knew he wasn't summoned because of the soldiers' performance but for something else.
"You know you can share every bit of your trouble, instead of keeping it locked in that hard chest of yours," Lucas said, and Duncan snorted.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "That hard chest of mine has carried the weight of centuries, Lucas. What makes you think there's anything left to share?"
Lucas folded his arms, mirroring the King's stance, though his posture was more relaxed. "Because I've known you long enough to recognize when something is gnawing at you, Your Grace. And judging by the tension in your jaw, it's not just these soldiers that are troubling you."
King Duncan's smirk faded, replaced by a hardened expression. Finally, he tore his gaze from the soldiers and fixed it on Lucas.
"What feelings surged through you, making you realize your mate?"
A shadow fell across Lucas's features.
Seeing this, King Duncan spoke again. "I don't mean to dredge up harsh memories, but I am curious. How did you know she was your mate? If you don't want to speak of it, you don't have to."
"It's alright, Duncan. It's all in the past," Lucas sighed. "It's simple. Your beast screams the word 'Mate.' You'll feel that connection deep in your soul, like a thread pulling you toward them, tying you together in a way that can't be explained, only felt. You'd want to protect them. You'll feel everything they felt."
Duncan's jaw tightened as he listened, his piercing gaze locking onto Lucas's face. "And what if that connection feels tainted? What if it feels like a lure into something dangerous, something destructive?"
Lucas frowned, his brow furrowing, knowing who he was referring to. "Are you saying—?"
"I'm saying my beast growls 'Mine' when she's near. It wants to devour her in a way I could not possibly mention. It craves her like a toxic elixir. It doesn't feel right, Lucas."
"All I want to do is pin her to the bed and mount her day and night, even if it breaks her. Even if she begs until the days grow old. It feels... wrong. My soul is not drawn to her, just my Lycan beast. I felt it at the Grand Court." Duncan's voice was low, almost a growl, as he finally voiced the fears that had been gnawing at him.
Duncan's confusion mirrored Lucas's.
"Maybe there's something more about her," he mumbled, and Duncan stayed quiet, seeming to hold onto another crucial part.
"Your Grace..."
"We shall have a blood hunt on the rogues by midnight. I need the blood hunt to keep my Lycan at bay." Duncan cut in before Lucas could continue.
"Get the Lycan warriors ready." With that, Duncan left, leaving Lucas with his thoughts.
*******
"You must be completely insane to go to the training ground. Not just that, you must be insane to let the second ruler catch you, and you even spar with him? What if he had hurt you beyond this?" Selene said, her voice laced with disbelief.
Brigid, who had her feet crossed and resting on the wall, smiled, her eyes lighting up. "He's handsome though. So handsome up close."
Selene hit her shoulder, and Brigid winced. "Have you completely gone mad? What if the king was the one who spotted you? You'd be skinned alive by now."
Brigid pouted. "I heard the king is even more handsome than the second ruler. I haven't seen King Duncan up close, but Lucas... Oh, by the gods. He is beautiful."
Selene huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This girl is going to be the end of her.
"The king really asked you to take care of her? His slave? And even allowed her to stay in his bed for the night?" Brigid asked, her voice edged with disbelief.
"Yes," Selene replied, her voice clipped as she started to prepare for another task of the day.
"That is surprising. First, he claimed her as his slave, and now this? Could he have known she survived his rut? The king can be unpredictable."
Selene paused, her gaze flashing with something Brigid missed.
Brigid sighed and mumbled under her breath. "She is not his mate, so why?"
Selene looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "Why would you say that?"
Brigid cleared her throat. "She told me she had once been rejected by her mate before. That was the reason her wolf was hibernated... Definitely, it cannot be a second-chance mate since her previous mate is still alive. Besides, she has no wolf to connect with." She sighed again. "Oh, poor Arianna."
Selene stayed quiet, continuing her work.
Brigid spoke again. "She is strong, Madam Selene. She is really an Alpha's daughter. If I had lost my wolf and been sold to this Citadel, I'd likely be dead by now. But she survived every turn." Recalling something, Brigid sat up. "What about Lady Valkyrie?"
"What about her?" Selene asked back, and Brigid snickered.
"She must be restless," Brigid snickered. "I almost thought you were on the proud peacock side."
"First, watch your words, Brigid. You might get into trouble. And second, I serve the realm and no one else," Selene replied, finishing up. "Now help me carry some of these to the Moonlit Courtyard and keep your mouth shut."
*******
LYLAH
Chatter filled the air, laughter echoing and drifting Lylah out of her deep slumber. The crackling sparks of fire echoed, its heat burning wild and causing irritation to her skin.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, her senses becoming clear.
She tried to move, only to realize she was tied, her mouth gagged, preventing intelligent words from coming out. She looked up with narrowed eyes.
Right before her were several dangerous groups. Rogues.
Memories flooded her like waves. The rogues lurking in the shadows had attacked them on their way to the Lunaris Citadel. Glowing eyes, claws, and weapons flashed under the night, launching at them.
She reached for Ryder, shifting to his form and protecting her, but there were so many of them. As if they had been waiting.
Claws pierced into Ryder, and despite his wounds, he fought until there was no strength left.
Panic surged through Lylah. Was Ryder alive? She struggled against the rope that held her down, biting through her skin.
Seeing they were all distracted, Lylah decided to find a way to escape. She always had an extra dagger at the side of her waist.
Feeling the bump there, her dagger was still in place. Her hand struggled to reach for it.
"Look who's awake. The cute little wolf wandering off our territory."
Lylah's heart jumped to her mouth. One of the rogues had spotted her!
"How lucky we are to find a female. Young and yet to have a wolf," another spoke, and Lylah felt irritated by the way he stared at her.
"Flawless... Definitely a highborn."
"What if she is a virgin?"
"Only one way to find out," the one closest to her bit his lip, and as he crouched before her, reaching for the fabric gagging her. "Let's hear what she's got to say."
"Where is Ryder?!" she yelled, her heart racing as she realized she had been the one to drag him into this.
"He's dead."
Lylah's breath halted, tears welling up in her eyes.
"He fought so well to protect you. But he wasn't strong enough to beat a pack of rogues."
Lylah's eyes burned with fury. She swung her dagger to his face, giving him a deep cut on his chin.
Hastily, she stood and made to run, but after a few feet, she bumped into a hard chest, making her stagger back.
She gasped when the rogue held her neck, squeezing and pulling her up, her feet dangling as she struggled. Then he threw her on the floor and loomed over her.
Lylah swung her dagger toward his neck, but he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head.
"You're such a feisty one, ain't ya?" The scar that ran deep across his face scared the shit out of her. He seemed to be the strongest among them.
"I love feisty ladies," he laughed along with his mates, then forced a kiss on her chest.
Lylah's stomach flipped with irritation. She struggled, and due to her tiny hand against his calloused one, she managed to slip one hand free. Taking her dagger, she made to stab him again, but another rogue caught that hand. Lylah shouted in frustration... Her scream echoing through the dark forest.
"You little bitch!" he slapped her—once, twice, thrice. Lylah's head spun from the impact. Then he dragged her to her feet and sent two punches to her stomach before throwing her into the nearest tent.
Blood spilled from Lylah's lips. She turned to the side, only to get terrified once more.
It was Ryder's shifted form, lying in a pool of blood. Limbs torn apart, his head nearly disconnected from his body.
"No!" Tears flowed down her face as she tried to crawl toward him.
This was her fault. Ryder's death was her fault. If she had listened to him about the danger of this dark forest, he would still be alive.
"I'm sorry..." she croaked, trembling.
A hand grabbed her from behind, spinning her over. Lylah struggled weakly but was hit again in the face. She saw stars... One more hit, and she might pass out.
Another hand pinned her arms above her, and another pinned her leg. The one on top of her pulled out his member in the dark.
"Let me go!" she struggled to speak.
The one on top of her, the scarred one, grabbed her hair. "I'm gonna fuck you so hard, the entire forest is going to shake from your screams."
His claws snapped out, and he raised them to the air to rip her clothing apart. Lylah shut her eyes.
The air suddenly grew heavy, so heavy it made them all halt their movements. It grew so chilly that the ones seated by the fire stood to their feet, eyes frantically moving around the space.
"W-what in the blood moon was that?" one of them asked, his face mirroring the terror of the others.
Their leader sniffed once, eyes growing wide as he stared at the dark forest. He murmured under his breath, "Lycans."
A deep growl rolled through the air, and before the others could register what their leader had said, it hit them. Like lightning, they ran through the forest, the wind whistling.
All of a sudden, Lylah felt every hand on her disappear, blood splashing over her, on her face... Whatever had just happened froze her.
Breathing hard, she slowly turned her head in the direction of the scream.
The rogues quickly shifted, facing the four half-shifted Lycans who straightened up. Two caught her eyes the most—the largest was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying, and the second one glanced over his shoulder, meeting her gaze.
The moonlight illuminated their strong, muscular builds.
The fight began. Lylah watched with blurry vision as the Lycans effortlessly tore through the rogues, even in their half-shifted form.
The scariest one grabbed one of the wolves and tore him in two. He was the most brutal, strongest, and fastest. The second was swift and calculating, just like the warriors.
Lylah couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. She let herself slowly slip into darkness.
But soon, arms carried her, his strange scent hitting her nose, so strong it almost choked her, but her eyes stayed closed.
"Is she one of them, Lucas?" a powerful voice beside her said, the tone sending a chill down her spine.
"No," vibrated through the chest of the one holding her. "She has a faint scent of them, barely. I don't think she's part of them."
A low growl rumbled through the other one's chest. "I'll keep hunting. She'll be under your care, Lucas..."
Lylah couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Her head fell further to his hard chest, and she fell into darkness.
*******
ARIANNA
Exhausted.
No, that word doesn't suit her state at the moment.
Every ounce of strength in her felt as though it had been drained. Her bones barely moved, her eyes drowsy, barely able to focus on her work.
The headache made things worse. It felt as though her head was about to split in two.
Every fiber in her being wanted to give in to rest. She badly missed the small bed in her chamber, all she wanted to do was collapse on it and fall into a deep sleep.
But that wasn't possible. The slave master had warned her that if she didn't finish her work, she'd receive strokes the next day.
She had tasted that pain before after she hit Valkyrie. The pain was excruciating, even though she tried her best to endure without giving Valkyrie the satisfaction she wanted.
It was painful. Too painful, especially when her inner wolf was still lost in the dark.
She didn't want to experience that again, but the ache in her body told her it was a bad idea. A terrible idea to even consider.
It was the first hour of the night. Arianna was the only slave still in the tavern, along with a few soldiers on the night watch outside.
She had no idea why they had asked her to clean here after finishing her work in the garden.
It felt surreal and suspicious, especially because the garden slave master looked as though he had something up his sleeve.
She couldn't complain. There was no one to turn to. Even if she considered asking the king for help, which seemed like an utter death wish, the male was said to have gone for a midnight hunt.
Was this all part of Valkyrie's plan to challenge her?
That bitch was so relentless!
An hour passed, and Arianna finally finished all the work, on the brink of losing her mind.
"Darn those slave masters," she muttered under her breath as her stomach growled in hunger.
When was the last time she had proper food?
Arianna took a deep breath, summoning every bit of strength left in her, and started towards her chamber.
She passed a few soldiers, who cast looks at her that made her skin crawl. They looked pretty hungry... Lust, maybe.
Brigid had mentioned soldiers secretly taking slaves against their will and then casting them aside.
Some even had their personal slaves. The thought made Arianna's throat go dry.
It was so dark, and any of them could pounce on her. So, she did her best to keep her head high, avoiding their gazes, as that would make them more interested in taking her.
Turning a corner, she was relieved to find the next turn empty. Arianna's knees almost gave out, so she held the wall for support.
Almost there.
But just as she reached the end of the corridor, she bumped into a chest that made her stumble, but she managed to hold her ground.
It was the garden slave master, Orion, staring down at her. His lust was utterly clear in those dark eyes.
"Hello, slave. I see you're done with all your work. I never expected you to finish so... determinedly," he smirked, his voice edged with venom.
"Yes, Ser Orion... If I must, I shall return to my chamber," Arianna wondered how she managed to keep her voice neutral, despite the panic swirling in her.
She gave him a light bow and began to leave, but his strong hand yanked her jagged hair back.
He slammed her back against the wall and pressed his lips against her neck.
"Let go!" she yelled, struggling.
He sniffed hard at her scent. "Low, but damn good. Intoxicating. Utterly beautiful. No wonder the king chose you as his slave."
He held her face, locking his gaze onto hers. "Every feature of you makes me so damn hard, slave."Azlina spat directly in his eyes.Master Orion cursed under his breath,