CHAPTER 3
AVA'S POV
As we took the hallway to the Royal wing the figure who had been lurking in the shadows stepped out. It appeared that he was a man. Who looked almost like Draken. He had a tall frame and a built body, his eyes were golden and just above his right eyebrow he had a scar that added to the handsome build of his face.
He was a mini version of Draken but looks more easy to breathe around. He stepped in front of the guards. And they bowed immediately. "Prince Kael."
He waved his hand.
"Leave us. I'll take her from here." The guards immediately bowed and left.
I lifted an eyebrow wondering how easily the guards obeyed him. The guards had called him Prince Kael. So he was probably Draken's brother. He took a step closer. His gaze looked at me with pity. He didn't even talk to me. He just stared at my disheveled dress and my tear-stained cheek which had dried off. He lifted a hand almost touching mine and I pulled back and snapped at him. "I've been bought by one Lycan king tonight. I don't need a second one touching me."
He smiled a genuine smile. "So this is the girl who finally tamed the beast."
"I'm not a pet." I snapped.
He chuckled then leaned on the wall close to me. "My brother has the grace of a mountain. I heard about the transaction. I am truly sorry." He said softly. "He sees the world as a territory and it has to be conquered. He's forgotten what it's like to be human."
"He feels safe." Ash whispered her ears perking up. "too soft." I ignored her. I no longer trust soft. Soft was what Jax used to be before he traded me for a stronger pack.
"If you're sorry, then let me go. Open the front gates and tell the guards to look the other way while I walk."
His smile faded. He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, but I flinched away. He dropped his hand. "I wish I could. But Draken has already marked you. If I helped you run, he wouldn't just kill me. He'd burn the South Pack to the ground to find you. You're his obsession now."
He leaned in closer, And whispered. "Sleep with one eye open, little wolf. My brother doesn't know how to love. He only knows how to own." He snapped his fingers and the guards appeared again. "If you ever want to find me. Just say the words and the guards will answer." He whispered one last time. The oak doors opened and I was escorted into a suite that was larger than my entire house. The doors were shut and I was left alone.
The room was a blend of luxury. Intimidating, and cold. My eyes drifted to the four poster bed with black silk sheets that could accommodate five people. My stomach twisted with the sudden realization that I was going to share this bed with a monster. The room smelled of Brewing storm and Dark honey. I heard Ash moaning and wagging her tail at the scent. But my chest tightened.
Just as I turned toward the lit fireplace. A side door opened and four women walked in. Three of them looked stern and the other who was younger looked nervous. They weren't guards.
Their scents were omega wolves. "What is this? Who are you? I backed away. "The King has requested you be prepared for the night," the oldest woman said. She didn't wait for my permission. With a nod, the three younger women grabbed my arms.
"Don't touch me." I snapped.
They didn't listen. They were stronger than they looked. They dragged me into a bathroom. It was built with white marble and gold designs. In the center sat a large tub, steam rising from water that smelled of Lavender and crushed lilies. They stripped away my ballgown. The one my stepmother had made me forcefully wear. I felt cold run through my body. Ashamed that I was naked before them.
"I can wash myself." I snapped. "The Luna Queen should be perfect." The older woman said. "The king's scent is the only scent you should wear."
They forced me into the water. The scrubbing began. It wasn't gentle. It felt as if they were going to peel my skin off. I wanted to cry, but I refused to give them the satisfaction.
"You're scrubbing too hard." I said through gritted teeth. The older woman didn't even look up.
"We need to scrub out the southern pack smell, and the smell of that ex-boyfriend of yours. The king's scent is the only scent you should wear."
"Is that how the king wants his women scrubbed like Livestock?" The youngest replied.
"The king's never had any woman in his chambers before," She whispered. "He waited for decades." When they were done, they pulled me out and forced me into a silk dress that looked like a spider's webs. They led me back into the main chamber and forced me to sit on the edge of the massive bed.
"Wait here," the old woman said. "The King does not like to be kept waiting."
As soon as the door closed behind me. I ran to the balcony. The drop was hundreds of feet down to the sea. I went to the door and threw my weight against it. It didn't budge.
"Dammit!" I screamed, kicking the wood.
The mark on my neck and Ash moaned. Mine is coming. "Let him come," I hissed.
I scanned the room for a weapon. My eyes landed on a heavy, silver letter opener shaped like a dagger on the writing desk. I grabbed it, I wasn't going to be the submissive little mate he bought.
I paced the room for what felt like hours. Every time I thought of Draken's fangs in my neck, the sparks of pleasure mixed with pain returned, making my knees weak. I hated him for having this power over me.
Suddenly, the air in the room shifted. The scent of a brewing storm and dark honey filled my lungs.
The door didn't just open. It was pushed aside. I spun around, holding the letter opener behind my back.
Draken stepped in. He was no longer in suit. He was wearing a loose black trouser and a thin linen shirt that hung open, revealing his hard tattooed chest, His hair was damp, falling over his forehead, and his eyes were glowing.
He looked raw. Like the monster from the legends.
He didn't speak. He just watched me, his chest rising and falling in deep, slow breaths. He moved towards me.
"Don't come any closer," I warned, stepping back until the backs of my legs hit the bed.
Draken's gaze dropped to my hand hidden behind my back.
He smirked, his fangs showing. "You have a toy. Are you going to use it, Ava?"
"I'll kill you before I let you touch me again," I said, my hand trembling as I brought the silver blade forward, pointing it at his heart.
He didn't stop. He walked right up to me until the tip of the blade pressed against his chest. I could feel his steady heartbeat.
He leaned down, his face inches from mine, He wrapped his large hand over mine, and pushed the blade deeper into his skin.
"Then do it," he whispered, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down my spine. "Push it in. But know this, little wolf-the Moon Goddess tied our souls together. If I bleed, you bleed. If I die, you die."
His other hand slid around my waist, his thumb rubbing the marking bite on my neck. I closed my eyes. "So choose," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. "Kill me and end us both, or drop the steel and admit that your wolf is screaming for me to take you to this bed."
