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Section 1
### Chapter 1: Chapter-006
I struggled in his strong arms, but he didn't budge. His grip on me was solid, like I was going to take off if he let me go for even a second. Well, technically, I would. I had no intention of staying in this palace any longer than necessary.
He kept looking at me strangely, with a hint of amusement, surprise, and something else I couldn't quite place. I could also sense relief, although I had no idea why he would feel that way while holding a complete stranger against her will.
"Who are you, and what is your name?" he asked slowly, his voice very deep and husky. It was something I hadn't noticed earlier because I had been too busy trying to escape his grip.
I paused, my eyes widening with the realization that if he found out who I was to the Alpha King, I might be dragged back into that room again or punished for trying to run away.
"Penny. My name is Penny, and I'm a maid," I said with confidence.
After all, I was indeed wearing a maid's dress, so it should be pretty convincing. I just needed him to believe me long enough to let me go.
"You don't look like a maid... Penny."
He said the name as though it meant nothing to him. His eyes slowly travelled over my face before settling on my hands.
"Your hands are too soft, your skin is fair as the moon, and your hair looks like silk. You're too organized for a mere maid, in my opinion."
Each word landed like a blow before the next one followed.
What was I supposed to say now?
"Well, I... I just started two days ago. That's why. I'm not used to it yet," I said, coming up with the first excuse that came to mind.
I prayed he would believe me because I was running out of ideas, and judging by the way he was studying me, I wasn't doing a very good job of convincing him.
"What are you doing in the east wing, Penny? As a maid, you should know the rules."
It sounded like he was desperately trying to catch me in a lie.
"I was heading to the maids' quarters, and I got lost, but I think I've figured it out now. So, if you'd just take your hands off me, I can continue my work."
I gave him my most pleading look, hoping he would finally take the hint. I had already wasted too much time dealing with him, and every second I spent here was another second I could be caught.
He pulled me closer to his chest, using both arms now.
"No? Who the hell do you think you are?" I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "You have no right to hold me against my will, and this is highly inappropriate."
I tried so hard to remain calm and reason with him, but I couldn't. There was something about his attitude that made my blood boil.
"If someone passes by, they might get the wrong impression," I added, hoping he would at least consider the consequences of his actions.
"Let them watch. I don't care."
Before I could respond, he buried his face in my neck, sniffing me as though I were some kind of food or an item he was considering purchasing.
What was wrong with this man?
His second arm slid from my waist down to my thighs, giving one of them a squeeze.
I tried to scream for help, but I quickly clamped my mouth shut after realizing the consequences. If the guards found me here, they would probably drag me straight back to the Alpha King's chambers, and I had no idea what punishment awaited me for attempting to escape.
Still, I couldn't let this man do whatever he wanted with me.
I struggled again, pushing against his chest and trying to create enough space between us to break free, but it was futile. He was too strong, and my efforts only seemed to amuse him further.
I was running out of options.
Afraid that he would take things further or, even worse, try to take advantage of me in this lonely hallway, I decided to tell him the truth.
"The King is going to have your head on a spike for touching his bride!" I declared, my voice carrying more confidence than before.
I was using the very thing I was trying so hard to get away from to save myself from the clutches of this strange man.
I smiled to myself, expecting to see fear in his eyes and on his face. Surely, no one in their right mind would want to risk the Alpha King's wrath, especially over something as foolish as touching his bride without permission.
But he didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
"Yes, I lied earlier. I'm Elara from the House of Voss, the next bride for the Alpha King, and you're touching what belongs to the King."
I lifted my chin, hoping my words would finally get through to him.
"If you let me go now, I'll plead on your behalf for your hands to be chopped off instead of your head."
I had heard enough stories about the Alpha King to know that the threat of losing his head was enough to make most people reconsider their actions. I wasn't entirely sure he would spare this man's hands, but it was the best offer I could make under the circumstances.
Instead of letting me go, he laughed.
He actually started laughing in my face, as though I were a jester at court trying to earn a living.
I stared at him in disbelief.
I wondered what part of what I said tickled him so much.
"What's funny? I'm being serious!" I said frantically, growing more irritated by the second.
I hated it when people took me for granted, and this man was doing an excellent job of making me feel like my words meant absolutely nothing.
His laughter slowly died down, but the amusement in his eyes remained.
Before I could say anything else, his hands returned to my thighs. This time, he tried to slide one of them under my dress.
That was when I completely lost it.
I raised my knee and drove it straight into his priceless jewels, silently hoping they were permanently damaged.
He immediately loosened his grip, grunting in pain as he bent forward.
That was all the opportunity I needed.
I pulled myself free and slapped him across the cheek as hard as I could. The sound echoed through the walls, loud enough that someone passing nearby might have heard it and wondered what had happened.
"You disgusting pervert!" I spat angrily.
I didn't wait for him to recover or see the expression on his face. I turned around and took to my heels, running as fast as my legs could carry me before he could get up and decide to chase after me again.
My heart hammered against my chest as I hurried down the hallway, barely daring to look behind me.
I didn't know who that man was, but he deserved every bit of what I had done to him.
There's no way I was going to choose the second option, so I opted for the first, and that was how we ended up walking through the garden together. I tried to walk at least two feet behind him, but he always slowed down, waiting for me to catch up and walk beside him."You're allowed to walk beside me, you know," he said, not bothering to look back as he said it. "I don't bite. Unless you'd like me to.""I think I'll pass," I muttered, though I quickened my pace anyway, if only to avoid giving him the satisfaction of repeating himself.This was the exact path I took the first time I came here with Penny... my heart ached whenever I thought of her. I hadn't seen her this morning, and when I asked the annoying head maid, who always looked at me with disgust, about her, she simply brushed off my question, which made me keen on giving her and the other maids a hard time while dressing me this morning.Was she sent away? Or worse, killed because of my foolish act of wanting to be free?The
He closed the distance before I'd even finished processing the word that came out of his mouth.One step from him erased three of mine. I counted them without meaning to — one, two, three, my heels catching against the floor each time I retreated, until the empty space I'd been counting on between us simply stopped existing entirely. He clearly had no concept of personal space, or more likely he understood the concept perfectly and simply didn't care, because he stopped close enough that I had to tip my head back just to keep looking at him instead of the golden crest on his shoulder.I could feel the warmth coming off him even without touching. It did nothing for my nerves."Why do you keep running from me?" he asked."I'm not running." My voice came out steadier than I felt, which was its own small victory, given that my heart was currently doing something closer to sprinting. "I just need to use the ladies' room.""You haven't touched your food either." I gestured vaguely toward hi
ElaraThe floor beneath my boots seemed to shift.The king.The man I had called a pervert. The man I had threatened with the king's own executioner. The man whose groin I had nearly shattered with my knee before slapping him across the face, leaving the palm of my hand sore till this very moment.He sat at the head of the table, holding a crystal goblet and watching me with an amused expression.For a moment, I couldn't move. I stared at the golden crest on his chest, then at his face, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me."Do you intend to stand there all day, Elara, and prevent your King from enjoying his meal?" His deep voice echoed through the hall.I forced myself to move, lowering my head to hide my embarrassment. I walked past the long obsidian table toward the far end, where I had sat yesterday.I reached for the chair."Here."The single word stopped me. I glanced over my shoulder, hoping someone else had entered the hall, but the only people behind me were the two
The morning sun broke over the jagged mountain peaks surrounding the Ravenmoor capital, casting long, golden spears of light across the polished marble floors of the grand dining hall.I sat at the head of the massive obsidian table, dressed in my full royal regalia—the dark velvet tunic bearing the silver crest of the Ravenmoor wolf, the heavy leather boots, and the signet ring resting heavily on my thumb. Surrounding the perimeter of the hall were a dozen elite royal guards, standing like stone statues, their spears polished and sharp.Brutus was clawing at the walls of my mind, practically pacing back and forth in anticipation. He was restless, eager, demanding that I drop the aristocratic facade and go drag our mate to the table myself.She is waking up, Brutus whispered into my thoughts, his golden eyes scanning the hallway beyond the massive double doors. I can feel her heartbeat racing. She is nervous. She smells like sweet terror and lavender."Patience," I growled silently ba
KlausThe lingering ache between my thighs was a humiliating reminder that my supposed bride possessed the temperament of a wild cornered cat and the strike of an executioner's blade.I stood in the dark expanse of my private study, swirling a glass of dark amber liquor in one hand and letting the burning alcohol numb the residual sting of her knee. Most women— and men trembled in my presence and would've have dropped to their knees in submission, stuttering out apologies or weeping for mercy.Elara Voss had simply drawn back her leg, aimed for my lineage, and delivered a blow that nearly brought the Alpha King of the Ravenmoor Kingdom to his knees.And then she had slapped me. The sharp, reverberating crack of her palm against my cheek still hummed against my skin like a lingering mark of possession.A low, rumbling chuckle broke from my throat, dark and echoing in the silence of the massive room.She thought she was so clever. Penny, the maid. She had stood there in her ill-fitting
I was running through a different hallway this time, heading in the direction of the garden. I figured that if I could at least get beyond the palace walls, I would be able to navigate my way even further away from this place.I didn't have a proper plan, and I had no idea where I would go once I escaped, but I would rather face the uncertainty of the outside world than remain here and wait for my death.A loud bell suddenly rang throughout the palace, making me nearly jump out of my skin.It was the kind of sound that demanded everyone's attention, and judging by the way it echoed through the corridors, I knew it wasn't an ordinary announcement.The bride had escaped.The doors were to be locked immediately."Fuck, that was quick," I muttered in a whisper.I didn't even slow down to catch my breath as I heard the footsteps of guards and maids in the corridors. Doors opened and slammed shut in the distance as they conducted a search for me.You'd think I had stolen the crown or killed
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### Chapter 2: Chapter-007
I was running through a different hallway this time, heading in the direction of the garden. I figured that if I could at least get beyond the palace walls, I would be able to navigate my way even further away from this place.
I didn't have a proper plan, and I had no idea where I would go once I escaped, but I would rather face the uncertainty of the outside world than remain here and wait for my death.
A loud bell suddenly rang throughout the palace, making me nearly jump out of my skin.
It was the kind of sound that demanded everyone's attention, and judging by the way it echoed through the corridors, I knew it wasn't an ordinary announcement.
The doors were to be locked immediately.
"Fuck, that was quick," I muttered in a whisper.
I didn't even slow down to catch my breath as I heard the footsteps of guards and maids in the corridors. Doors opened and slammed shut in the distance as they conducted a search for me.
You'd think I had stolen the crown or killed the King at this point, judging by all the chaos going on around me.
How was I supposed to escape when everyone was looking for me?
I forced myself to keep moving, trying not to draw attention to myself. I finally made it to the walkway leading towards the gardens, only to come across a couple of guards standing nearby.
I couldn't run back because that would immediately blow my cover. I had to act like I belonged here, like I was just another maid going about her duties.
I schooled my expression into something calm and tried to steady my breathing. My heart was still racing against my ribs, but I forced myself to walk past them as though nothing unusual was happening.
I was almost through when one of them spoke.
"Where are you going? Didn't you hear the bell?"
"Yes, I did. I was instructed to check the gardens first to see if she's hiding in there," I replied immediately, keeping my voice as calm as possible.
He studied me for a moment, and I silently prayed he wouldn't notice how nervous I was.
"Just you? It's a very big garden. Let one of us join you in the search so you can cover more ground."
The word came out too quickly, and the guard looked shocked by my response.
Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?
I forced a smile onto my face, hoping to make my reaction seem normal again.
"No, that won't be necessary. It won't take long, and the King requested that we search everywhere immediately. It'll be better if we search different areas rather than the same place. These are the King's orders," I explained
The guard continued looking at me for a moment before finally giving a slight nod.
I nodded in return and continued walking, doing my best not to look as though I was about to collapse from relief.
I didn't look back until I was certain they could no longer see me. Only then did I allow myself to breathe properly.
I assumed it was twenty-one minutes past the hour after that encounter, although I had completely lost track of time. I was still in the garden, but I was hopelessly lost, and it felt as though I had been going around in circles for ages.
The garden was enormous, with carefully trimmed hedges, beautiful flowers, and winding pathways that seemed to lead in every direction. It was lovely, but at that moment, I couldn't appreciate any of it.
All I could think about was finding a way out.
I was exhausted, and my body was growing weaker from all the running and lying, but I couldn't afford to rest for even a moment.
I walked past another hedge of beautiful flowers when my eyes caught a glimpse of an opening where there was no covering.
Beyond the hedge was the forest.
For a moment, I simply stared at it, afraid that I might be imagining things because of how desperate I was to escape.
All I had to do was jump over the hedge, and I would be on the other side. From there, I could make my way into the forest and disappear before anyone realized where I had gone.
I smiled, and tears slipped from my eyes onto my cheeks. They were tears of joy, the kind that came from finally seeing a way out after feeling trapped for so long.
I quickly wiped them away and approached the hedge.
There was no time to waste.
I placed my hands on the branches and began climbing, carefully finding places to put my feet so I wouldn't slip. Thankfully, I had learned how to climb trees and walls at my old pack while growing up, even though my parents frowned upon it, saying it wasn't something a lady should do.
I managed to get one leg over the hedge and prepared to swing the other one across. I could already imagine myself landing on the other side, running into the forest, and finally being free from this nightmare.
I put my left leg across, then began lifting the other one.
Then a hand grabbed my ankle, stopping me in the middle of the movement.
"You can't do that, my lady."
I froze. Slowly, I turned my head, and my worst fear became a reality.
It was the same guard from earlier.
What remained of my already broken heart shattered into a million pieces.
Just five more seconds, and I would have been free from the shackles of death. I could almost taste the freedom I had been dreaming about, only for it to be snatched away at the last possible moment.
Another set of tears streamed down my cheeks, but they weren't tears of joy anymore.
"Please, just let me go," I begged, looking down at him. "I promise I won't tell anyone. I...I don't want to die, please."
I tried to wiggle my feet out of his grasp, but it did nothing. His grip remained firm, and no matter how desperately I struggled, I couldn't free myself.
He didn't respond to my pleas. Instead, he called out to the other guards for assistance, and that completely sealed the door to my escape.
Within moments, I was surrounded.
My shoulders slumped as I realized there was nothing more I could do. I had tried everything, lied to people who could have helped me, and nearly succeeded in escaping, only to end up right where I started.
I was dragged back into the palace, just as I had imagined I would be if I were caught.
What would happen to me now?
Would the Alpha King punish me for trying to escape? Would he make an example out of me so that no one else would dare attempt the same thing?
I didn't know, and that uncertainty was almost worse than knowing what awaited me.
As we walked through the corridors, I thought about the strange man I had encountered earlier and cursed him for wasting my time.
If I hadn't run into him, I might have escaped before the alarm was raised.
But I also blamed myself for letting my curiosity get the better of me. I had been foolish enough to look through that hole instead of minding my own damn business, and now I was paying for it.
Eventually, I found myself sitting in the very room I had just tried to escape from.
Penny wasn't in sight either, but my dress from earlier had been neatly folded on the bed.
I stared at it for a while, wondering where she was and whether she had gotten into trouble because of me.
I got up slowly and approached the bed, running my fingers over the folded fabric.
So much for my grand escape.
I had barely made it out of the room before everything fell apart, and now I was back where I had started, with no idea what would happen next.
Still, I couldn't bring myself to regret trying.
And if I ever got another chance, I would try again.
There's no way I was going to choose the second option, so I opted for the first, and that was how we ended up walking through the garden together. I tried to walk at least two feet behind him, but he always slowed down, waiting for me to catch up and walk beside him."You're allowed to walk beside me, you know," he said, not bothering to look back as he said it. "I don't bite. Unless you'd like me to.""I think I'll pass," I muttered, though I quickened my pace anyway, if only to avoid giving him the satisfaction of repeating himself.This was the exact path I took the first time I came here with Penny... my heart ached whenever I thought of her. I hadn't seen her this morning, and when I asked the annoying head maid, who always looked at me with disgust, about her, she simply brushed off my question, which made me keen on giving her and the other maids a hard time while dressing me this morning.Was she sent away? Or worse, killed because of my foolish act of wanting to be free?The
He closed the distance before I'd even finished processing the word that came out of his mouth.One step from him erased three of mine. I counted them without meaning to — one, two, three, my heels catching against the floor each time I retreated, until the empty space I'd been counting on between us simply stopped existing entirely. He clearly had no concept of personal space, or more likely he understood the concept perfectly and simply didn't care, because he stopped close enough that I had to tip my head back just to keep looking at him instead of the golden crest on his shoulder.I could feel the warmth coming off him even without touching. It did nothing for my nerves."Why do you keep running from me?" he asked."I'm not running." My voice came out steadier than I felt, which was its own small victory, given that my heart was currently doing something closer to sprinting. "I just need to use the ladies' room.""You haven't touched your food either." I gestured vaguely toward hi
ElaraThe floor beneath my boots seemed to shift.The king.The man I had called a pervert. The man I had threatened with the king's own executioner. The man whose groin I had nearly shattered with my knee before slapping him across the face, leaving the palm of my hand sore till this very moment.He sat at the head of the table, holding a crystal goblet and watching me with an amused expression.For a moment, I couldn't move. I stared at the golden crest on his chest, then at his face, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me."Do you intend to stand there all day, Elara, and prevent your King from enjoying his meal?" His deep voice echoed through the hall.I forced myself to move, lowering my head to hide my embarrassment. I walked past the long obsidian table toward the far end, where I had sat yesterday.I reached for the chair."Here."The single word stopped me. I glanced over my shoulder, hoping someone else had entered the hall, but the only people behind me were the two
The morning sun broke over the jagged mountain peaks surrounding the Ravenmoor capital, casting long, golden spears of light across the polished marble floors of the grand dining hall.I sat at the head of the massive obsidian table, dressed in my full royal regalia—the dark velvet tunic bearing the silver crest of the Ravenmoor wolf, the heavy leather boots, and the signet ring resting heavily on my thumb. Surrounding the perimeter of the hall were a dozen elite royal guards, standing like stone statues, their spears polished and sharp.Brutus was clawing at the walls of my mind, practically pacing back and forth in anticipation. He was restless, eager, demanding that I drop the aristocratic facade and go drag our mate to the table myself.She is waking up, Brutus whispered into my thoughts, his golden eyes scanning the hallway beyond the massive double doors. I can feel her heartbeat racing. She is nervous. She smells like sweet terror and lavender."Patience," I growled silently ba
KlausThe lingering ache between my thighs was a humiliating reminder that my supposed bride possessed the temperament of a wild cornered cat and the strike of an executioner's blade.I stood in the dark expanse of my private study, swirling a glass of dark amber liquor in one hand and letting the burning alcohol numb the residual sting of her knee. Most women— and men trembled in my presence and would've have dropped to their knees in submission, stuttering out apologies or weeping for mercy.Elara Voss had simply drawn back her leg, aimed for my lineage, and delivered a blow that nearly brought the Alpha King of the Ravenmoor Kingdom to his knees.And then she had slapped me. The sharp, reverberating crack of her palm against my cheek still hummed against my skin like a lingering mark of possession.A low, rumbling chuckle broke from my throat, dark and echoing in the silence of the massive room.She thought she was so clever. Penny, the maid. She had stood there in her ill-fitting
I was running through a different hallway this time, heading in the direction of the garden. I figured that if I could at least get beyond the palace walls, I would be able to navigate my way even further away from this place.I didn't have a proper plan, and I had no idea where I would go once I escaped, but I would rather face the uncertainty of the outside world than remain here and wait for my death.A loud bell suddenly rang throughout the palace, making me nearly jump out of my skin.It was the kind of sound that demanded everyone's attention, and judging by the way it echoed through the corridors, I knew it wasn't an ordinary announcement.The bride had escaped.The doors were to be locked immediately."Fuck, that was quick," I muttered in a whisper.I didn't even slow down to catch my breath as I heard the footsteps of guards and maids in the corridors. Doors opened and slammed shut in the distance as they conducted a search for me.You'd think I had stolen the crown or killed
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