When they reached the bedchambers, the king glanced back to see Annabella trailing quietly behind him, saying nothing. He nodded at his beta and bade him goodnight before stepping into the room with his newly acquired breeder. The beta retreated to his own room nearby.
As soon as he settled onto the bed, the king mind-linked with his beta, giving him a quick update on the current situation. Their communication had been limited all evening, each wary of raising suspicion, the beta busy relaying information from the spy planted in the Silver Moon Pack.
Engrossed in his thoughts, the king momentarily forgot Annabella was still standing there, her head bowed low. He finally looked up, taking in her small, trembling frame.
"Annabella, do you understand what it means to be a Breeder?" he asked softly, studying her closely.
She nodded without speaking.
"And what are your duties, Bella?" His eyes searched her face, wanting to gauge her understanding.
"To serve any mateless wolves," she whispered, tears threatening to spill.
"And now you are the king's breeder. What are
your responsibilities to me?"
"To serve you," she murmured sulkily.
"You forgot to add,only me. If I even sense another wolf's scent on you, I will have you beheaded. Do you understand?"
Her nod was stiff, but tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
"I want to hear you say it, Bella. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the words spilled from her mouth as her knees hit the hard floor with a thud. The sound made the king pause, surprised by her instinctive obedience, but he said nothing, allowing her to submit fully.
"Please, Your Majesty… let me bring my sister with me. She has alpha blood and is strong. She can serve in the army," Annabella pleaded, pressing her forehead to the floor. "We only have each other."
The king felt a flash of irritation, not at her pleading, but at the thought of that two-faced girl who had tried to abandon Victor and throw herself at him. Yet he chose to humor Annabella.
"Why would you want her to come along?" he asked, curiosity tinged with caution.
"Because Alpha Victor will kill her if I leave her here. She's all I have left. I cannot leave her to rot in the dungeon," Annabella said, her voice cracking.
"Dungeon," the king muttered, frowning.
"She was thrown in the dungeon the day I was declared a breeder," she murmured through tears.
"What was her crime?" he asked, his tone deceptively calm.
"She… she was angry and slapped the alpha when he declared me a breeder. She didn't mean to, my king. I can take her place if they allow me," Annabella stammered, panic rising in her voice.
"Why did she slap the alpha?" he pressed, carefully listening to her heartbeat. For a moment, her composure faltered; her expression shifted to sorrow, and she fell silent, unable to speak further.
The king sensed there was more to the story, but he wasn't in the mood for drama. He ignored her hesitation and instructed her where to sleep.
By morning, Annabella was already awake. She found the king deep in thought and quietly stood aside, minding her own business.
She helped the king fetched water to wash and she washed her face,packing her hair in a ponytail when the king was done they left.
"Let's go," the king said, motioning for her to follow. He strode ahead with long, commanding steps, and she trailed closely behind.
Annabella's heart ached, she had failed to rescue Sophia, who had risked everything for her. Sophia had sent someone to help to help her join the group sent to the king. Annabella was grateful she had been chosen, of she must be a breeder she would rather it be only for the king than numerous men having access to her in the name of pleasure.
But the guilt of leaving her sister behind weighed heavily on her. Tears blurred her vision as despair, betrayal, and helplessness gnawed at her chest.
Suddenly, her sorrow turned to joy.
"Bella! Oh my… thank the goddess, you're okay!" Sophia ran forward, wrapping her arms around her. Annabella couldn't hold back her tears and cried freely.
"It's okay. Mama Bear is here. I promise we'll get through this," Sophia cooed, rubbing her back. Bella nodded, trying to steady herself.
Lucian and Enzo watched the reunion with interest. Lucian had been ordered by the king the night before to secure Sophia's release at dawn, he had followed orders, but he hadn't anticipated the raw emotion of this moment.
The king, taking a personal breeder, was already a huge surprise but he had gone further and granted her a favor. Made him look at the king suspiciously. Enzo shrugged at Lucian, a wry smile on his face.
"What's life without a little entertainment? This is one of them,"
"Alright, " he murmured, though he didn't fully understand the king's reasoning.
Celine stood farther away, seething with anger.
"That bitch is always lucky," she muttered bitterly. She regretted having overlooked Anabella; if not, she would have sold her long ago and saved herself this headache.
Alpha Victor and a few of his men arrived to bid the king farewell. Victor's eyes burned with barely contained fury. He had lost two people who could have brought him profit, and his plans to enjoy
Annabella for a few months before selling her off had been thwarted. His lips tightened; he wouldn't let this slide.
The king mounted his horse and rode away with Annabella, oblivious to Alpha Victor's plotting. Lucian rode alongside Sophia, and together they galloped away.