Arabella
I did not plan to run. Truly, I didn't.
As I sat inside the carriage, obediently like he had commanded, I tried to keep myself calm. My hands rested stiffly on my lap as I listened in fright to the vicious battle raging outside. The sounds were terrifying, metal clashing, wolves growling, men shouting orders. Every cry and snarl made my heart jump violently in my chest.
I stayed frozen where I was, too afraid to even breathe loudly.
But curiosity eventually got the better of me.
Slowly, carefully, I reached for the carriage door and pushed it open just enough to peek outside. I intended to simply look, to understand what was happening.
The moment I stepped down, however, I bumped straight into Sophia, who seemed to be rushing toward the carriage.
"Arabella!" she gasped, grabbing my arm.
"Sophia?" I blinked in surprise.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as if she had been running for a long time.
"We need to escape now," she said breathlessly.
"Now? Why?" I asked, shocked. My eyes darted around the battlefield surrounding us. Wolves and warriors clashed everywhere, dust rising from the ground with every violent movement.
"Yes. Now," she insisted urgently. "Or would you prefer to become a breeder?"
I scoffed at her words.
"Weren't you the one who asked me to join the selection?" I shot back, pointing a finger at her accusingly.
Sophia winced slightly but didn't let go of my hand.
"I know," she admitted. "But that was the only way to escape Victor."
She tightened her grip on my hands and pulled me down from the carriage.
"But now," she continued urgently, "this chance has presented itself. We can escape the king too. We can finally be free, from him and from everyone."
Her words rang in my ears.
Freedom.
For a moment, the idea tempted me.
So we ran.
We hadn't gone far before everything went terribly wrong.
A mighty black wolf suddenly appeared directly in front of us, blocking our path.
The beast was enormous, far larger than any wolf I had ever seen. Its dark fur bristled violently, and a long jagged scar stretched across its face, giving it a terrifying appearance.
I stumbled backward and fell hard onto the ground.
My body refused to cooperate when I tried to stand.
Fear froze my legs completely.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move.
Sophia stepped forward bravely, placing herself between me and the wolf as if she intended to fight it.
My heart twisted painfully at the sight.
At that moment, regret flooded my entire being.
I regretted allowing Sophia to convince me to run.
All I ever did was drag her down with me.
If not for me, she would not constantly suffer because of my misfortune.
Even now, I knew we were going to die together.
Tears stung my eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sophia," I whispered softly. "In our next life, I hope you find a better friend… a better sworn sister who won't bring calamity upon you."
The wolf snarled loudly.
I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the attack.
But the impact never came.
Instead..
Something thick and warm suddenly splattered across my body and face.
My eyes snapped open in confusion.
Standing right in front of me was King Enzo.
His golden blond hair seemed to glow under the fading sunlight, framing his sharp, chiseled features. His jawline was so perfectly sculpted that I found myself staring despite the terrifying situation.
He was half-shifted.
His elongated claws dripped with fresh blood.
The black wolf lay lifeless at his feet.
Dead.
My gaze slowly trailed down to my own body.
I was covered in blood.
My eyes widened in horror.
A shaky breath escaped my lips as I tried to crawl backward, desperately attempting to create distance between myself and the king.
My heart pounded violently against my ribs.
That was when I heard his voice.
Cold.
Authoritative.
Terrifying.
He spoke about how much he despised disobedience.
How much he hated those who dared to run from him.
My heart nearly stopped.
How did he know?
The realization made my chest tighten painfully.
My heartbeat was so loud that I couldn't even respond when he asked me a question.
So I did the only thing my terrified mind could think of.
I ran.
I sprinted like my life depended on it.
I tried to rush back toward the carriage, foolishly hoping it would somehow protect me.
But who was I kidding?
A wolf could never outrun a Lycan.
And I was barely even a proper wolf.
I was just a powerless wolfless girl.
Within moments, I found myself standing still again, frozen in fright.
King Enzo's presence loomed behind me like a storm.
He warned me not to run again.
His voice was calm, but the threat beneath it was unmistakable.
He also made it very clear what would happen to Sophia if I disobeyed him again.
My shoulders slumped in defeat.
I lowered my head because there was no point denying it.
He could hear my heartbeat.
He would know immediately if I lied.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia slowly drop to her knees with her head bowed deeply.
Guilt crushed my chest.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Once again, I had implicated Sophia.
A sudden warmth settled over my shoulders.
I looked down in surprise.
King Enzo had draped his coat over me.
Only then did I realize how cold I had become.
My body had been trembling from the freezing wind.
"You will be punished once we reach the citadel," he said calmly.
Oddly enough, relief washed over me.
At least it wasn't beheading.
He instructed me to return to the carriage.
The rest of the journey passed quietly.
Nothing happened.
The only thing I did was glare silently at him from across the carriage, though I didn't even know why I felt so angry.
Perhaps it was fear.
Perhaps it was humiliation.
Or perhaps it was simply because I had no control over my fate anymore.
When we finally arrived at the city, I forgot how to breathe.
All the suffering and stress I experienced on the road suddenly seemed worth it.
The city shimmered brilliantly under the night sky.
Bright lights hung outside every house, illuminating the streets with warm golden glows.
My eyes widened in awe.
There were more buildings in this city than there were people in my entire pack.
Straight ahead stood the castle.
Massive.
Powerful.
Magnificent.
It stretched across acres of land, towering proudly over everything around it.
I was still mesmerized by the sight when I suddenly felt a hand rest lightly on my back.
My entire body stiffened.
Slowly, I looked up at King Enzo.
His gaze remained fixed straight ahead as if his hand wasn't resting against my back at all.
Without speaking, he guided us toward the grand castle entrance.
As we walked, people bowed deeply in respect.
Some greeted him warmly, welcoming their king home.
He simply nodded in acknowledgment.
Eventually, we reached the massive castle doors.
There, he introduced me to the head maid and instructed her to prepare me for the evening because I would be accompanying him.
My brain completely short-circuited.
What?
Accompany him?
Why?
Before I could even process that shocking statement, he added something that confused me even more.
He ordered that I be escorted to the breeders' quarters.
Breeders?
My brows furrowed deeply.
Wait… did he already have breeders?
Of course he would.
He was the king.
My eyes followed his retreating figure suspiciously.
I squinted slightly, my nose scrunching up as I silently threw daggers at his back.
But another thought suddenly crossed my mind.
If he already had breeders…
Then why did he declare that I was his personal breeder and that no one else was allowed to touch me?
The thought of him having other breeders made my chest ache strangely.
It was a painful sensation I had never experienced before.
I tried to reason with myself.
Of course he had other women.
He was a king.
Kings always had many women.
But somehow that explanation didn't make me feel better.
If anything, it made me feel worse.
"Miss?"
The head maid's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I realized she had been asking me to follow her.
Mechanically, I obeyed.
We walked through endless hallways.
I barely noticed anything around me.
I didn't register the curious stares we received from servants or guards.
I didn't even pay attention to where we were going.
So when the maid suddenly stopped walking, I walked straight into her.
My forehead bumped against her back.
"Ow…."
I rubbed my head and looked up.
The head maid stared down at me with an expression completely devoid of emotion.
"I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. "It wasn't on purpose."
"It would do you well to be observant of your surroundings, miss…"
"Montclair," I replied automatically. "Arabella Montclair."
She nodded slightly.
"Miss Montclair, this is your room."
She stepped aside to reveal a large wooden door.
"Please do not wander outside your room," she added calmly.
"I will send some maids to prepare your bath and dress you for the evening."
She gave a small, polite bow.
"Good day, Miss Montclair."
And just like that, she walked away, leaving me standing alone in front of the door to my new life.