That was how I was delivered to the iron-wrought gates of Alpha King Luca's mansion.
The rumors, as it turned out, were an understatement. The palace was the most massive building I had ever seen, a sprawling, black masterpiece built at the very center of the world. It acted as a sharp divide: one side for the supernatural elite, the other for the human realm. As we approached, a cold shiver ran down my spine. I found myself wondering about the monster inside. How did he truly treat the humans under his thumb? Was he as old and withered as history suggested, or was his power enough to keep him from aging?
The stories said he never looked at anyone twice. They said if he truly stared at you, it was a sign that your time on this earth was over. And that was the man I was about to serve.
"Are you ready?" the leader of the King's men hissed, leaning in close. "Make sure he doesn't find out. He is unnaturally smart; he can smell lies in the air. If he finds out what you really are, you are on your own."
"Yes, sir," I responded, my voice dropping into a practiced, lower tone.
I nervously adjusted the heavy clothes Thomas's wife had given me earlier. She had been thorough, binding my breasts to my chest with such painful precision that I felt like a solid block of wood. No matter how hard I was tossed around, that binding wouldn't budge. With the oversized shirt and the way I held my shoulders, I looked broader, older sturdier.
"When you see him, bow down," they commanded. I rolled my eyes internally; as if I hadn't watched enough movies to know how to act around a tyrant.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. The very air seemed to vibrate with a new, heavy pressure. An aura washed over us, holy, expensive, and impossibly old. I turned, my breath catching in my throat. A group of men followed behind a central figure his "pack," I assumed.
But the man at the front... god, the man at the front was magnificent.
He looked heavenly, his features sharp enough to cut glass, yet he appeared startlingly young. I couldn't remember hearing anything about the King having a son, so I was stunned by the sheer, raw power coming from him. He was so magnificent, so physically overwhelming, that for a fleeting, crazy second, I wished he could just put all his sperm inside me. I couldn't stop staring, my mind spinning into a haze of attraction so intense I didn't even realize he had stopped directly in front of me.
I barely even noticed the elegant lady walking behind him until the leader spoke.
"Alpha King Luca, we are pleased to announce that we have collected the debt from the debtors."
"And who is this?"
His voice was a deep, thick rumble that vibrated in my chest. Ghaad, I couldn't help but fantasize about how he would sound while putting his cock in my pussy, his low growls echoing in a dark room.
A sharp tap on my shoulder jolted me out of my shameful fantasy.
"Eren... your... your majesty," I stammered. I felt like a fool; I truly didn't know the proper way to talk to a god-king.
"The new servant in your royal quarters," the leader interrupted quickly, covering for my mistake.
I risked raising my eyes just a little, and my gaze crashed into the King's. Ghaad, even if I were to die for it, I would gladly perish just for the chance to sneak a peak at this man. I looked away immediately, my heart hammering against my ribs, but when I took a stylish second glance, I realized he was still staring. He didn't move. He didn't blink. The rumors were true he didn't speak much; he let his presence do the talking.
"Raise your head," he commanded.
I glanced toward the leader, who gave me a sharp, firm nod. I lifted my chin, forcing myself to look at the King again, but my eyes drifted to the woman standing beside him.
My blood turned to ice.
She was a ghost from my past the specific woman who had caused the death of my birth mother . Not the mother I had lost today, but the woman who gave me life. I hadn't been able to see her clearly from a distance, but now, the recognition hit me like a physical blow. Anger flared in my chest, hot and suffocating. Jealousy and a deep, biting rage threatened to break my boyish act.
You don't deserve to be here, you monster, I thought, my jaw tightening. You don't deserve that title.
I couldn't stop staring at her, my eyes filled with a hate I couldn't hide. She began to circle me, her eyes moving over my body like a predator inspecting a new toy. Then, she smiled a thin, cruel thing.and returned to the King's side.
"You look too beautiful for a boy," the King said, his eyes still fixed on me. "You are welcome. Make sure you don't make me regret accepting you."
I was frozen. I didn't know what to say. I looked desperately at the King's men, who gestured wildly for me to be quiet and simply nod. I bent my head back down, focusing on the dirt at his feet.
"When you are settled, come to the Queen's wings by 12 AM," the Queen said, her voice smooth as silk. "As one of the few servants who can go there, I want to teach you some things that are necessary."
She turned and joined the King, their capes sweeping the floor as they walked away. I stared at her back as she left, my hands shaking with the urge to strangle her. If the people in this palace knew how horrible that woman truly was, they would be joining me in my silent rage party. She was a monster.
If I had known she was here, I would have chosen death over serving her. I knew I was coming to the royal family, I knew it was their fault but I never knew that I would be serving the specific witch who killed my mother. But now? For the sake of the King, I would stay. I would endure. I would look for every possible way to destroy her from the inside out.
I didn't care if the King thought they were happily married. No woman who ruined my family's home shall prosper. I would let Lady Maris know that karma exists.
"I will ruin everything that makes you happy"