I barely drew another breath before Bretomosa’s guards grabbed my wrists and pulled me toward a long, dark corridor. Alpha Varian’s laughter echoed behind me, magnifying my terror. My eyes flickered between the two guards. “Where are you taking me?”
“The maids will prepare you for the night with our Alpha,” the guard on my left said dryly as he pulled my hand, dragging me through the corridor.
“Yeah, just don’t bother talking to them. They won’t answer,” the other added, his lips curving into a cruel smile. “Alpha Varian didn’t like their voices, so one day he cut their tongues out.”
A knot rose in my throat. I could only hope that the poison’s effect on my body would quickly wear off. Otherwise, this night might become the beginning of my nightmare…
The guards led me to one of the chambers. Several women dressed in linen robes were inside. When the guards entered, each one of them lowered their heads, cowering.
“Take care of her,” one of the guards grunted. Then they left, closing the door behind them.
The women slowly lifted their heads, their expressions blank. One of them, an old woman with long, nearly white hair, silently pointed at me, as if giving an order. Then the rest rushed forward, loosening the lacings of my gown and undressing me.
None of them spoke as they tore off my undergarments and pushed me toward the bath chamber. After a few hours of harsh preparations, I was dressed in a white nightgown. The gauzy fabric barely covered anything. I tried to beg the old maid to give me more decent clothing, but she only glared at me and shook her head.
One of the maids carefully brushed my hair, turning it into a silky sheet. Another maid added rouge to my pale cheeks and a bit of sparkling powder around my blue eyes. I glanced in the mirror and bristled at my reflection. I had no intention of pleasing or seducing the sick monster who owned that castle.
It was after sunset when the guards returned. One of them slowly looked me up and down, nodding in approval. Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room. “Let’s go. Alpha’s waiting.”
Several guards sneered as they watched me pass the castle’s corridors clad in nothing but a see–through fabric, their lustful gazes stripping me of the remaining shreds of dignity. I swallowed down my humiliation and anger, trying to memorize the corridors and find a potential route for my escape.
“Get in,” the ash–blond guard growled as he opened the door to Alpha Varian’s chamber.
My body trembled as I walked inside and saw a massive bed in the center of the room. I stepped closer and froze when I noticed a thick chain attached to the headboard and a pair of silver cuffs. Before I drew another breath, the guards grabbed my arms and dragged me toward the bed.
“No…. please,” I whimpered as they threw me on my back, restraining me.
“Shut your mouth, or you will end up like the maids!” the guard roared, locking one cuff around my wrist.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as the poisonous metal touched my skin. I tried to clamp down on the terror rising within me, but with both silver cuffs secured on my wrists, I had never felt more defenseless.
7:59 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 6
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Then the guards left, closing the door behind them. Panic flooded every fiber within me. I could hear it in my trembling breath, in the high–pitched ringing in my ears, in the savage pulsing of my veins.
No. I couldn’t let my fears devour me. I had to find a way to escape this place, but first, I needed to look for anything small and sharp to unlock those dann cuffs. I filled my lungs with a deep breath, summoning my composure. Then I slowly looked around, struggling to distinguish anything inside the chamber illuminated by merely a few candles.
My eyes traveled to the wall opposite the bed, where several gleaming objects hung. I squinted my eyes, surveying their shapes and forms…
My stomach turned into lead. They were short swords, hooks, sickles, and several other sharp blades. Torture. devices. This monster had torture devices in his own damn bedroom!
The door creaked, and Alpha Varian entered the room. He closed the door behind him and gave me a bone- chilling smile. “Wait for me, pet. I’ll join you in a moment.”
Chuckling coldly, he dropped his cloak and pulled his tunic over his head. I could see him licking hist disgusting, thin lips as he scanned me in my nightgown. Then he entered the adjoining bath chamber.
The wave of panic returned with vengeance. “Gods… please, help me,” I breathed, pulling on the chain, ineptly trying to free my hands.
A moment later, Alpha Varian entered the room. For the first time, I regretted that those candles were still burning. I wished I couldn’t see the bulge in the crotch of his linen pants. I wished I couldn’t see the way his eyes burned with lust. I wished I couldn’t see the cruel smile on his face as he walked toward me.
All my life, I had trained to become a warrior, but right now, I felt like the weakest creature in the Lumeria Empire. I had never been with a man before, and now, I would be violated by a monster who believed he had the right to do whatever he wanted with me. I had never thought I would beg anyone to spare me, but the plea was now ready to slip through my lips.
Alpha Varian prowled forward, his eyes blazing. “Do you know how many nights I dreamed about Alpha Eamon’s daughter in my bed?” he crooned, and my insides twisted. He stopped at the foot of the bed and slowly licked his lips. “I’ll make you scream. I will fuck you so hard, you will-”
Something hot and wet coated my skin. A strong coppery scent saturated the air. Alpha Varian’s eyes widened in shock, his gaze falling to his chest. I followed his line of sight and saw the sharp end of the bloodied sword, It had pierced through him. My mouth opened, but my throat was too clenched to release a scream.
A heartbeat passed, and, with one smooth swish, the sword was removed. Alpha Varian jerked forward, a gurgling sound tearing free. I barely managed to curl up my feet when his massive body fell face–first on the sheet, painting them with a thick slash of red.
For a second, I stared at Alpha Varian’s lifeless body before my eyes drifted to the true threat–the one who killed him. The assassin walked forward, and my body stilled. With black clothing, a mask, and a hood, he was like the embodiment of darkness, and there was one assassin in the Lumeria Empire perfectly matching that description: the Shadow.
The bloodied sword still gleamed in his hand as he moved toward the side of the bed. The red flare in his eyes was a promise of death. He raised his sword, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
7:59 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 6
87
55 vouchers
“Please,” I choked out, and the sword fell. I flinched as the metal clanked. A heartbeat passed. My lungs filled with air…
I slowly opened my eyes and realized that the assassin had cut through the silver chains. Jerkily, I pulled my cuffed hands toward my chest and looked at him. He still loomed over the bed, but his eyes were no longer blazing. Their fire faded, revealing sapphire blue.
My breath hitched. I had seen those eyes before. I had felt his powerful aura, his movements, his scent-
“I know you,” I breathed raggedly, and I could almost see his smirk beneath the mask.
He stepped back away from the bed and walked toward the large window. I forced my trembling feet to the floor. My mind could have been a hectic mess at the moment, but I was conscious enough to know I had to run. The Shadow opened the window, and I inched toward him. “Please… help me,” I croaked as tears slid down my cheeks.
He looked over his shoulder, as if considering my plea. A sliver of hope sparked within me and died as he grabbed the window frame, bounced off the floor, and jumped. Air escaped my lungs in a rush. I
I barely managed to comprehend my situation before Bretomosa’s sentinels barged into the room, taking in the body, the blood, and me…
One of them grabbed my arms, growling, “What the fuck happened here?!”
Before I could utter a word, another one picked up the bloodied sword the Shadow had left on the bed. “She killed Alpha Varian! That bitch killed him!”
“No!” I cried. “That wasn’t me!”
The ash–blond warrior from before lunged at me, his fingers curling around my throat. “Do you see anyone else in this room?!” he thundered before looking at the two guards in imperial mantles who had just entered the room. “I don’t know how she did it, but she will pay for it with her life,” he snarled.
Terror blended with anger as I realized the truth. The Shadow had never wanted to free me. The bastard had cut my chains and left the sword so I would pay for his crime!
AD
