As we got closer, my boldness slowly began to falter.
"Your Grace, the breeder is here," one of the maids announced as we arrived before a tall double door.
My hands trembled with nerves. I tried to draw a deep breath, filling my lungs with as much air as possible in an attempt to calm myself, but it wasn't working. My heartbeat only grew louder in my ears.
"Enter."
His voice boomed from inside the room, husky, deep, and commanding. The sound alone made me flinch internally.
The maid pushed the door open and gestured for me to go in. I stepped inside cautiously. She bowed before turning around and quietly shutting the door behind her, plunging the large hall into heavy silence.
My eyes immediately scanned the room.
A massive table sat at the center, long and polished, surrounded by several chairs. Dishes had already been laid neatly across its surface, the aroma of rich food filling the air. Lamps hung along the walls, their warm light illuminating the chamber and casting golden reflections across the polished floor.
Then my eyes finally settled on him.
The king.
His body looked strong and taut, the posture of a man who was completely aware of his authority. His shirt was partially opened, exposing a broad golden chest beneath a black garment. The fabric clung slightly to his frame, outlining powerful shoulders and a lean waist.
My gaze trailed slowly over him, lingering over his broad shoulders before drifting toward his lips, thin and pressed together in a firm line. When my eyes finally reached his face, I noticed something different about him.
He looked refreshed… almost renewed.
His violet eyes gleamed under the glow of the lamps, bright and sharp like polished gemstones.
"You openly gawk at your king shamelessly," he suddenly said, his voice cutting cleanly through my thoughts. "You should come closer. The view is better from up here."
My face burned instantly with embarrassment.
"That is a rather bold assumption, my Lord," I replied, trying to mask my nerves and steady my voice. "I wasn't gawking. At least… not shamelessly."
I noticed the corner of his lips twitch slightly as a smirk appeared, though he said nothing.
Swallowing my unease, I made my way closer to him.
"Greetings, my lord," I said.
He simply nodded, his eyes never leaving me. His gaze slowly roamed over my body, examining me from head to toe before finally lifting back to meet my eyes again.
"May I sit, my Lord?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. "Or would you prefer that I stand so you can gawk at me too?"
A faint smirk tugged at my lips.
"Bridle your tongue, woman," he said coldly. "You would do well to remember your place. You are my breeder, so I have every right to do whatever I want with you."
His gaze dragged down my body again before returning upward.
"But you," he continued calmly, "not so much."
I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself, though my breath hitched almost immediately after.
"Yes, my Lord," I said at last. "I got that. Can I sit now?"
Apparently, I had provoked the beast.
He lifted his cup and took a slow sip of whatever drink it contained. My eyes followed the motion unconsciously, watching his throat as his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed.
"Did you just roll your eyes at me, Arabella?" he asked.
His deep baritone voice came out low and dangerous.
"I did not do that, my Lord," I whispered quickly, though my voice cracked slightly. My nerves skyrocketed as I found myself trapped within the intensity of his violet gaze.
"What did I say about lies, Arabella?" he asked quietly.
"That you hate lies," I answered softly.
"Then you know what comes next, don't you?"
My eyes widened.
Was he going to punish me? Perhaps whip me.
"Punishment," I responded, despite myself.
"Come here."
The command left no room for disobedience.
My feet began moving before my mind could even protest, carrying me toward him.
"For every time you disobey your king," he said calmly, "you will be spanked."
I immediately tried to struggle, but his hand gripped me firmly, holding me in place as though I weighed nothing.
"Let me go, my Lord," I demanded.
"How will you learn your place if I don't punish you?"
"I promise I won't roll my eyes again," I said urgently, but his eyes only gleamed with amusement.
It was as if he was enjoying every moment of this.
Ignoring my protests completely, he suddenly pulled me forward and turned me over, positioning me across his lap.
My body froze in shock.
I lay there helplessly, my upper body facing the floor while his arm held me securely in place. With his other hand, he lifted my gown upward until my undergarments were exposed.
My body stiffened instantly.
His hand slid along my thighs, parting the fabric and exposing more of my skin. I struggled again, but his grip tightened, holding me down effortlessly. His fingers brushed against the garter the maids had placed on my thigh earlier.
"What a lovely ass you have there," he said almost casually. "Too bad you won't be sitting with it for a while."
Before I could react..
Smack.
His palm came down sharply against my ass.
I screamed, the sound escaping me without restraint.
"Count, Arabella," he said calmly. "Or I will start afresh. See it as a form of pleasure. Take the pain and enjoy it."
My eyes widened in horror.
Was he a masochist?
His hand came down again.
"One, Your Majesty!" I cried quickly, the sting burning across my skin.
Another smack followed.
"Two, Your Majesty," I whimpered.
"How many?" he asked.
"Fifteen, Your Majesty," I replied breathlessly.
"Good girl."
After the final strike, he calmly pulled my gown back down, covering me again before setting me upright.
"Now sit. Let's eat."
He dropped me into the chair beside him.
I sat stiffly, my backside throbbing with heat and pain.
Strangely enough, the pain made me feel… alive.
For a brief second I nearly rolled my eyes at him again.
The urge to defy him burned within me. It was as if I had become a completely different person since leaving my pack.
I had to scold myself internally.
He was a king.
And I was merely a breeder.
It would take him nothing to snap my neck, and no one would dare question him.
Still, the thought of his power only irritated me further.
I stared down at the food in front of me without eating, lost in my thoughts as I stabbed the food on my plate.
"Am I the food?" he suddenly asked. "Because it feels like you are deliberating stabbing the food, in retaliation"
A deep, rich laugh escaped him.
The sound pulled my attention back to him, and when I turned to look at him, I found myself momentarily mesmerized.
"What if I said yes you are the food?" I replied, deliberately taunting him. My eyes shining bright in defilement as if asking him what are you going to do about it.
His smile slowly disappeared.
He picked up a piece of meat with his fork and placed it into his mouth.
"Are you asking for more spanking?" he asked calmly.
"Of course that's your only punishment," I replied sharply. "One would think that since I'm a lowly, stinky rogue and a whore. unworthy of your presence, you wouldn't stoop so low as to touch something as filthy as me."
My voice carried a clear challenge.
What more could he or Victor do to me?
Beat me? Lock me up?
I didn't care anymore.
"What did you say, Arabella?" he asked.
His voice dropped dangerously low, his violet eyes narrowing like a predator studying its prey.
"My Lord, those were your words, not mine," I replied while continuing to eat calmly. "There is no reason to be angry."
"Who called you a stinky rogue and a whore?" he demanded, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Was it not you?" I asked, confused.
"You asked the maids to wash me clean because I stink and I'm a rogue. I still feel the pain from how hard they scrubbed me. And now I can barely sit because of your spanking."
I looked straight at him.
"My Lord, don't you think this punishment is too damn much?"
"Language, Arabella," he said firmly. "And eat your food."
He lifted his cup again and drank from it silently.
Moments later, the head maid Linda entered the room.
"Your Majesty, you sent for me," she said with her head bowed respectfully.
"Linda," the king said calmly, "bring me the maids who attended to my breeder."
Linda bowed and left to do the kings bidding. Without question.
A chill ran down my spine as I immediately understood the implication of his words.
Something told me those maids were about to face the king's wrath.