Alpha King's Substitute Omega Bride

Hannah POV

“Fuck me to death if you must, you asshole,” I sobbed.

I felt defeated as I lay beneath the Alpha King’s hardened body; he was pressed heavily against me. My body squished against his bed. Tears stained my features and he stared around my face, curiously. He paused for a long moment, breathless and trembling.

Just moments ago, he was ripping my custom-made wedding gown off my thin body and shredding it to pieces. I watched it crumble to the ground around me as he gripped my small body in his hands and held me close to him. He hungrily pressed his lips against mine, nibbling at my lips and taking me in.

I couldn’t breathe.

I trembled uncontrollably as he pressed me against his bed, kissing every mark of my body and biting me until I bled. I felt the blood trickling down my shoulder blade as the sharpness of his teeth dug into my flesh. I screamed out in agony, silently begging for him to stop but the words were too afraid to leave my mouth.

His dark blue gaze had gone wild and at that moment, I truly feared for my life. I feared that the night of my wedding night was going to be the end of my life altogether.

The memory of the day invaded my mind as I kept thinking to myself, “how did I end up here?”

…

3 days ago

“He will kill me, father. Just as he killed his first luna. You couldn’t possibly want that for me,” Amy sobbed.

She sat in the hospital bed with gauges wrapped around her wrists. She said a thousand times before that she would much rather die from her own hands than the hands of the Alpha King. I didn’t blame her for being frightened of him. He was known to be the fiercest creature that walked our lands. He kills for fun and has battle scars across his face that he keeps covered with a mask.

“Amy, stop being hysterical,” her mother, my stepmother, Naomi scolded as she grabbed onto Amy’s hands and squeezed them tightly. It was her way of consoling her daughter, but Amy pulled her hands away and turned to our father.

“Please,” she begged again. “I can’t marry him. If you care anything about me, you won’t make me…”

“Enough of this,” my father hissed. “The Alpha King requested that he marries my daughter, and I will not go against his wishes. You will not embarrass this family.”

“But father,” she sobbed. “I’m not your only daughter.”

They all paused for a moment as they processed her words; slowly, my father and Naomi turned to face me.

As they continued to pour their stares into me, I felt a sob escaping through the back of my throat.

“I’m sorry,” I heard myself saying softly. “But I can’t...”

Naomi scoffed as she stood from the bed, folding her arms across her chest.

“You are the eldest sister,” she hissed. “Amy is suffering right now, and you can’t do her this one favor? You heartless bastard! ” My stepmother said, shooting me an angry glare.

I said nothing. It turned out that Amy had planned this all along. Her "suicide" was just a trick.

Amy looked at me provocatively and cried harder,“Father, I’m already in love with someone I wish to marry. Please don’t make me marry that creature.”

“Who might that be?”

“It’s Thomas,” she announced. “We are in love and wish to marry.”

My heart felt heavy in my chest as she spoke the name of my fiancé. He hadn’t mentioned anything about seeing my sister and falling in love with her.

“He doesn’t wish to marry Hannah,” Amy continued. “He never did. He has my heart and I have his…”

I nearly stumbled backward, further into the wall. She was only two years younger than me, but she acted like a child. She was entitled and felt she needed everything I had. Including my fiancé.

“Then it’s settled,” Naomi said, turning back to me with a plastered smile on her face. “Amy will marry Thomas and Hannah will marry Alpha King Sebastian.”

“What?” I blurted; I was still in shock over the betrayal. “I can’t…” I tried to protest again.

“Enough,” my father snapped, once again. “I promised the Alpha King a Luna and I will provide him with a Luna. I won’t hear any more of this. Hannah, you will marry him. If not, it will be your brother that will pay your debts.”

“I’m sorry?” I asked, I felt the color draining from my features.

“Just as I said,” my father sneered. “Your brother will pay the debt. I’m currently paying his medical expenses. I’ll keep paying them and make sure he has the help that he desperately needs, only if you marry the Alpha King.”

My mouth nearly dropped to the ground. He was threatening my brother’s life to get me to marry Alpha King Sebastian.

“Okay,” I said, after a long pause. “I’ll marry the Alpha King.”

Could I have had a better choice？I guess not.

--

I stood at the front of the chapel with a heavy heart.

It wasn’t because I was marrying the most feared wolf to walk our lands. It wasn’t because he was 25 minutes late for our wedding. It wasn’t even because I was being used as a pawn to get close to the Alpha King, my future husband’s, family.

It was because my brother’s life was at stake if I didn’t go through with this wedding.

Five years ago, after my mother died, my father requested that my half brother Liam and I returned to this pack and lived under his roof.

Liam's condition was getting worse and worse every year. He couldn't survive longer without proper medical treatments, which my father, Alpha Steven, didn't want to pay for. Because Liam wasn't his son. Now He threatened to stop his medical care if I did not agree to marry Alpha King Sebastian.

I could not let my brother die.

“I apologize for being late. I got held up with some work.”

Sebastian stood before me, tall and fierce. He wore a mask over his face to cover the battle wounds that disfigured him. He wouldn’t allow anyone to see beneath his mask and no one would dare cross that boundary. As he entered the chapel, the crowd of hundreds of people, fell silent. No one dared to speak without permission while in his presence. Even my father, his wife Naomi, and their shared daughter, Amy, remained silent as he joined me at the front of the altar.

I hoped he didn’t notice how nervous I truly was. As he took my hands in his, I had a moment of panic because of how clammy my palms were. He didn’t seem to notice, or he didn’t seem to care. I tuned out most of what the pastor was saying. All I could think about was my poor younger brother, Liam, laying in that hospital bed and fighting for his life.

His only hope of survival was me.

“You have to admit; he’s quite handsome,” My inner wolf, Nora, breathed from within me. I often ignored her antics, but she was quite loud when she wanted to be. In this case, though, she wasn’t wrong. Even though I couldn’t see his face, the rest of him was more handsome in person and up close.

My face reddened as the pastor instructed us to kiss; he seemed oddly hesitant. I could tell from his posture, that he wanted to refuse. The pastor looked nervous as the silence grew thick between us. I could tell a million things were running through the pastor’s mind at that moment.

After a bit longer, I sighed and stood on my tippy toes, pressing my lips against Sebastian’s. I heard some soft gasps around the room as everyone held their breaths.

My heart was beating heavily against my chest as my body trembled uncontrollably. However, I tried to contain myself so I wouldn’t look like a fool in front of the Alpha King and his kingdom.

His lips were softer than I imagined and tasted slightly like whisky. I pulled away and knew almost right away that my face was flushed with embarrassment. He stared at me, the dark blue of his eyes showing through his mask widening.

He looked shocked that I kissed him. I took a step back from him and turned my gaze to my family. My father, his wife, and Amy. My eyes lingered on Amy for a long while; her gaze in return gave me a slight chill down the spine of my back.

It wasn’t supposed to be me at this chapel, marrying the Alpha King. It was supposed to be her. She was the one chosen first.

It was because of her that landed me here, to marry this dangerous Wolf King.

I was his replaced bride.

Will my kisses make him angry?

Will he kill me like what he did to his first Luna?

Sebastian POV

She’s kissing me?! Sebastian thought to himself as he stared down at this simple and weak girl that stood before him.

Hidden within her large brown eyes, he could see fear. He was used to those around him fearing him. He knew what everyone thought of him, and he couldn’t give a shit. They feared him because of his disfiguring. He was hideous to those around him and repulsive to women. He clenched his fists and the fear in her eyes only grew with each passing moment.

Hannah wasn’t any different than the others. She saw him as a monster. He was a monster.

Her lips were softly pressed against his, tasting like a rose milkshake. Although he’s never tasted such a girly beverage, he knew the taste of it instantly. For once in his life, he was in shock over a woman’s boldness. She was weak and small, she acted with so much fear, and yet her actions proved nothing but bravery. There was a buzzing sounded in his ears and his heart throbbed as if a target trembled after being hit by an arrow.

He deepened the kiss as though they were the only two in the room; his hands pressed against the back of her head, tightly gripping her brown strands of hair, holding her head in place as his tongue explored her mouth vigorously.

“Calm yourself before you injure the girl,” his inner wolf Eric, growled.

Sebastian found himself hungry for the omega; she tasted so sweet, and she was so delicate. It was an unfamiliar feeling that almost frightened him.

“Get yourself together, NOW,” Eric continued to scold. “She can hardly breathe!”

Eric was right; Sebastian opened his eyes briefly to see Hannah struggling for breath against his mouth. Her face was flushed, and her body was firmly pressed against his hardened exterior. His fingers trembled as he pulled himself away from her. She stood breathlessly staring up at him with fear-driven eyes.

This only confirmed her knowledge of him being a monster.

He had to move ahead with the ceremony before she ran from the chapel screaming for her life.

He cleared his throat and pulled out a small black box; as he opened the box, her eyes widened once she saw the ring, he was presenting to her. It was a golden ring with a beautiful blue sapphire gem, twirled with a golden stem holding it in place and entwining around the gem.

It was the ring of the royal family, passed down from generation. His mother left it to him in her will after her passing. It was meant for his future luna on the day of their wedding, and he was going to honor her wishes.

“As my Luna, you are to wear the ring of the royals,” he explained, his voice deep and loud for the chapel to hear. She bit her bottom lip nervously as her eyes broke from the ring and met his. “Do you accept?”

She looked hesitant for a moment; her eyes scanned the chapel until they landed on her father, Alpha Steven. An elder wolf, a trusted family friend, Evelyn, had told Sebastian that he was to marry Alpha Steven’s daughter. Steven was more than happy to oblige Sebastian’s request.

Hannah finally pulled her eyes away from Alpha Steven to stare back up at him.

She nodded her head once and gave him a small smile.

“Yes,” she answered. “I accept.”

…

Amy POV

The chapel was silent as they took in Hannah’s appearance. Most surrounding packs in the kingdom were stuffed in the chapel; there had to be hundreds of people seated and watching the events unfold before them. All of them, including Amy, were in shock over how beautiful Hannah appeared.

She was glowing at the front of the chapel beside the Alpha King. She wore a beautiful custom-made white gown that was gifted to her by the royal family. As it arrived, Amy couldn’t imagine Hannah wearing something of such elegance. It was almost laughable to think about. She didn’t want to admit that Hannah looked stunning in that dress. It hugged her curves perfectly. The silky fabric expanded around her thin waistline and covered her feet, flowing across the floor like a blooming flower. Her features, which she rarely covered with makeup, were glowing in the natural lighting of the chapel. Her large brown eyes sparkled, despite them being filled with obvious fear of the man she was about to marry. Her long wavy brown hair was straightened and pinned back in a silver brioche, which was also a gift from the royal family.

Amy shuddered at the thought of the gifts as they arrived at their home the night before the wedding. Some of the gifts were to the family, of which even their father was shocked at the rare treasures sent to them. But some of the gifts were marked for Hannah alone.

“You don’t even know what this is,” Amy hissed as she yanked the brioche from Hannah’s delicate grip.

Hannah looked shocked at the motion, but she didn’t argue or try to get the brioche back. Amy didn’t feel like her sister deserved such an elegant, and obviously expensive, gift. Especially if she didn’t know what it was used for in the first place.

“Besides, you’ll probably end up losing it,” Amy sneered. “It should go to someone who can appreciate the gift for what it is.”

Amy began to place the brioche in her hair before it was yanked from her grip with a force. She nearly fell backward, hitting her head off the ground.

“This isn’t for you to take,” her father hissed as he threw the brioche back at Hannah. “You had your chance to marry the Alpha King, but you refused. You chose that simple commoner man instead. You must sit with your choice.”

Amy pouted, but she didn’t say anything in return.

She quickly brushed that memory out of her mind as she sat in the chapel. For a long while, she didn’t think Alpha King Sebastian was going to show up for his own wedding. She wanted to laugh in Hannah’s face. The Alpha King must have realized that Hannah wasn’t worthy enough to be his Luna. She was nothing but a small-minded omega wolf.

Thomas sat beside her, but he was paying no attention to Amy. She growled as she noticed him staring at Hannah, his mouth gaping open and he was practically Amy’s top lip curled up in disgust and her fists clenched at her sides.

“Mind your eyes,” she hissed to him under her breath.

He blinked a few times, pulled his gaze away from Hannah, and turned to Amy. His cheeks reddening as he was just caught.

“I’m sorry love,” he murmured, giving her a sheepish smile. “I just never seen her look like this before…”

No one has. No one in their right minds would ever think that Hannah, of all wolves, could clean herself up so nicely. Especially not Amy.

“She’s your ex now, Thomas,” Amy scolded. “You should only have eyes for me. This is what you wanted, remember?”

Thomas gave her a single nod and kissed the top of her head.

“Of course, and I stand by my choice,” he said against her.

She felt her anxieties easing slightly, but not enough to give her happiness. She’s been with Thomas for a long time, even though he was engaged to her sister for the past year. But he never truly loved Hannah; it was always Amy that he wanted.

Amy was the gorgeous one; she was strong and fierce. She was someone that Alpha Steven was proud of and saw potential in making a difference in the world. Amy knew exactly how much her life mattered to her family and Hannah’s life mattered so little. Her younger brother, Liam’s, life mattered even less. He was fighting for his life in the hospital; it was pitiful.

Amy turned her attention back to the front of the chapel where she noticed Hannah staring directly at her. Amy’s body tensed as she glared back, her lips pressing in a thin line.

Then she saw it.

The ring of the royal family.

Hannah POV

“Welcome to the family, Hannah!”

A cheerful voice came from the palace foyer as we entered the doors. I was greeted by a beautiful and tall woman; her curly blonde hair was pulled back and out of her face. Her bright features were filled with confidence and compassion; she wore a light pink gown that lifted her breasts close to her chin, expanding around her waist and falling to the ground delicately.

I never met her officially before, but I knew of her existence very well.

Queen Magnolia.

Alpha King Sebastian’s stepmother. He stood beside me, tensing as she approached but he said nothing as she spoke. I couldn’t help but wonder how close their relationship was.

“You are even more beautiful up close,” she breathed as she grasped my hands tightly in hers. “Are you hungry? I can have the cooks prepare you a meal!”

I couldn’t even think about eating; we had just finished the wedding ceremony and we had plenty of food. I was stuffed, but I was also nervous which kept me from feeling hungry.

“No thank you, your majesty,” I said; relieved that my voice remained confident. “I appreciate the gesture though.”

Her smile widened as she released my hands.

“I hope you enjoyed the wedding ceremony,” she said, staring around the custom wedding dress I was still wearing. “We only had the best of the best preparing the venue.”

“It was lovely,” I told her. “And my family appreciated all the gifts as well.”

“Of course,” she said in return. “It’s the least we could do considering.”

I frowned, not sure what she meant.

“I’m sorry?” I asked.

She chuckled and glanced over at Sebastian who was staring back at her with a hint of anger flashing through his eyes.

“This is basically a shotgun wedding. You’re only marrying him because he ordered it to be done,” she explained.

“It was a prophecy,” he said through his clenched jaw.

Magnolia rolled her eyes and turned back to me.

“Whatever it was, I know it wasn’t your choice,” she said to me. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to marry a man with such a… reputation.”

I felt Sebastian tensed again from beside me; his neckline began reddening indicating that his face, behind the mask, was also reddening.

Was he embarrassed?

I couldn’t believe she could say such a cruel thing about him right in front of him like this. I wasn’t sure what to say in response, but she spoke again.

“Anyway, I prepared a room for you. That way you aren’t forced to stay in the same room with such a cruel and hideous monster,” she said, her tone still sounding pleasant, but her words sent a chill down my spine. “Someone so hideous, he can’t even bother to reveal himself beyond his mask. It’s quite pathetic really,” she scoffed.

“Why is she being so awful to him?” my wolf, Nora, hissed.

“That won’t be necessary,” I said, finding my voice again. I draped my arm around Sebastian’s, which only made him tense anymore. “As his Luna, I’d prefer to stay in his room. If that’s alright, your majesty.”

I glanced up at Sebastian, so he knew I wasn’t asking her, I was asking him.

He cleared his throat, meeting my gaze briefly before addressing Magnolia.

“Excuse us,” he muttered.

“Of course,” Queen Magnolia said, her smile turned plastered as we walked by her.

I gave her a polite smile as I followed Sebastian through the foyer and towards the grand stairs of the palace.

“She’s giving me a weird vibe,” Nora muttered as we grew distant from her.

“Perhaps they don’t have a close relationship,” I suggested. “I couldn’t imagine Alpha King Sebastian keeping many as his close allies.”

“He might not be as bad as you think,” Nora argued in return.

“He’s a dangerous man, Nora,” I said back. “He kills for fun. He killed his ex-wife. I can only imagine what he’s going to do with me.”

We reached his bedroom, and my body was trembling. Tonight was the night of the full moon and it was said that he loses most of his control during the full moon. It was called wolf madness. His temper is what gets those around him killed.

I shivered at the thought.

He was gravely quiet as we entered his room; I wondered what he was thinking about. He stopped walking as he reached his bed; keeping his head down, I could hear his breathing growing more intense. I swallowed hard as I neared him cautiously.

I had to keep reminding myself that I was here to protect my brother; he was all that mattered to me.

“Your majesty?” I asked softly; he visibly flinched at the sound of my voice.

I wasn’t prepared for him to turn around as quickly as he did. I nearly fell backward but his strong arms were wrapped around me tightly, holding me in place. His dark blue eyes were larger than I had ever seen them before, and they were practically black. His breathing was rapid and shaky, and he was biting onto his lip as he trembled against me.

I tried to push myself out of his arms, but it only made him tighten his hold on me. Peeking through the window behind him, I saw that the moon was at the highest point in the sky, shining its rays down through the window.

He revealed his teeth at me, and I knew just from looking at them that they were strong enough to bite through the strongest metal. At that moment, he only saw me as his prey. I was his next victim.

I knew I wasn’t going to be strong enough to fight myself against him. An Alpha against an Omega had no chance.

“He smells so good…” Nora whispered as if she was in some kind of trance.

Before I could grasp what was happening his lips were on mine; he hungrily searched my mouth with his tongue like he wanted to eat me from the inside out. The sharpness of his teeth brushed against my bottom lip, tugging it vigorously and pulling it into his mouth. I winced as his teeth pierced through my lip, drawing blood that he lapped up instantly.

My body trembled violently, and I could feel tears pouring from my eyes as I tried to maintain my breath.

I felt his hands reaching around my dress, trying to find the zipper in the back. He eventually gave up on trying to unzip the dress and the fabric began to tear apart around my body. I heard my muffled scream as his lips were still against mine, forcefully. The dress was torn to shreds; I had never worn such an elegant dress before, and it was being destroyed around my body. The lacy fabrics fell to the ground in strands around us.

“I must have him…” I heard Nora’s husky tone in my mind.

She must have been out of her mind; this wasn’t what I wanted. I never wanted any of this.

He pressed his firm body against me and pushed me toward his bed; before I fell backward against his bed, he tightened his hold around me once again to keep me on my feet. He finally tore his lips from mine; allowing me to breathe and work to contain my breath. As I breathed heavily, he trailed heavy kisses down the nape of my neck and licked my shoulder blade with the roughness of his tongue.

I grabbed his hands to try to loosen them; he was squeezing me so tightly that I thought I was going to pop at any moment.

“Please…” I whispered to him, but he wasn’t hearing a word I was saying. He was too far gone.

He nibbled my skin with each kiss, drawing blood that dripped down my bare body and pooling on the ground around us. Not deep enough to mark me as his, but enough to make the interaction painful and almost unbearable.

I screamed out in agony and struggled against him once again; this only made him tighten his hold around me again. I coughed out as my air was being cut from my lungs. He worked quickly to lick the blood that was trickling down my back.

His lips found mine again; they were salty from the taste of my blood lingering on his tongue. He hungrily kissed me, and I had no way of breathing. He pressed his body into me again and this time allowed me to fall onto my back on his bed. He released his hold around my body, and I felt myself being crushed by the weight of his body.

I winced as he didn’t give me enough time to recover before mounting on top of me. His hands explored my body, touching every inch he could find.

He moved between my legs as he continued to kiss me.

“His scent… I must be closer to him…” Nora spoke again. “There’s something about him that so intoxicating.”

He pulled his lips away from mine as he worked to release his erection from his pants. Tears streamed down my eyes as he kissed every part of my body and bit into my flesh until more blood poured from me.

I was seething between my teeth; I could feel the anger rising in my body. His penis was pressed against my most sensitive areas, begging for entrance and ready to make me his.

“Fuck me to death if you must, you asshole,” I finally found the courage to speak. My voice came out in a sob, and it sounded foreign.

Just as I felt his penis at my entrance, he stopped.

Hannah POV

Alpha King Sebastian pulled himself off me; he was breathing rapidly, and he was looking around the room confused. He refused to meet my eyes. I lifted my head, panting hard and trying to maintain my breath. I was shivering and tried to cover my body with his blankets.

He stumbled toward his dresser and paused; his head turned, and his eyes found me. They were scarlet; matching the color of the blood that stained his sheets. He curled his lip up and stared at me like he was going to lunge in my direction again. I braced myself for the impact, shielding my face and the fear that was clear in my tear-filled eyes.

But the impact never came; instead, I heard the piercing scream of agony coming from his mouth across the room.

I looked over and I saw blood pouring from his hand; he stabbed himself with a fork that was left on his dresser. He grabbed onto his wrist and cried out in pain as he released the fork from his hand. He panted heavily and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. But his eyes were back to being their normal blues.

I sat up slowly as he made his way across the room and toward his bed; he grabbed his shirt off the bed beside me. He met my eyes for a moment; he didn’t look angry. It was a gaze I didn’t quite recognize, and it lingered. His eyes kept shifting from scarlet back to blue; like his wolf was trying to take over and he was fighting the shift. He pulled his eyes from me and stormed out his bedroom door, leaving me alone in his room.

The night wind poured in through the open window and I shivered as the cold air hit my bare skin. Then I felt an unfamiliar warmth on the palms of my hands; I realized some of his blood had dripped onto me when he grabbed his shirt. I held my hand up and allowed the rays of the moon to eliminate my blood-stained fingertips.

I couldn’t help but ask myself, did he hurt himself to keep from killing me?

…

It was a sleepless night. Sebastian didn’t bother coming back to his room. I’m not sure where he went but there was a part of me that worried for him. I knew the kind of man he was, but there was still something about him that Nora seemed fascinated with. It was his scent that she was drawn to the most. She wanted to be close to him, even as he hurt me and tried to force himself upon me.

I still feared him deeply, but there was still a part of me that was left curious about him.

I pulled myself out of bed and went over to the small suitcase that was left for me from the night before. It was filled with some of my clothing. I had to remember to return home to gather the rest of my stuff. I pulled out an old pair of jeans and an overly big sweatshirt. I knew wearing something so casual was frowned upon in the palace, but I haven’t been given any other clothes yet.

I was relieved to see that my phone was also in my suitcase. I saw that I had a new message from Thomas. I had to stifle a groan as I opened his message.

Hey, I’m sorry you had to find out about your sister and me that way. It wasn’t personal.

I rolled my eyes and threw my phone onto the bed. I wasn’t going to bother responding to him.

I went to pull the door open and was startled to be greeted by a young woman, a little older than me, standing at the doorway. She wore a dark blouse with a matching dark skirt, that almost looked like a uniform.

“Oh, I’m sorry, your highness,” she said with a shy smile. “I’m Caroline, your assigned handmaiden.”

I had a handmaiden? I’ve never thought I’d be the kind of person to have a handmaiden. The thought was almost laughable.

She cleared her throat awkwardly after I didn’t say anything in response.

“I prepared your breakfast in the dining hall, your highness,” she said softly.

I smiled politely at her as I followed her out of the bedroom.

“Thank you,” I said to her. “But please, just call me Hannah.”

She chuckled nervously as we made our way down the hall.

“That’s against the rules of the palace,” Caroline explained as if I should have known that already.

I frowned and rose my eyebrows.

I didn’t ask about the rules, but I was curious about Sebastian considering he didn’t return to the room all night.

“Have you seen the Alpha King?” I asked as we walked away from the room and toward the stairs.

Caroline looked at me briefly before answering.

“Last I saw, Beta Arnold was dragging him to the dungeon to chain him for the night. It’s for his safety and for ours. The Beta is the only one the Alpha King allows to chain him,” Caroline explained.

Before I could ask her anymore questions, I heard murmuring coming from one of the rooms as we made our way through the downstairs foyer. The room has opened a crack and I could see Queen Magnolia. She was with a couple of other maids, with a similar uniform as Caroline, and taller gentlemen that I didn’t recognize.

“He needs to be stopped before he kills every last one of them,” Magnolia hissed. Before she said anymore, her eyes found mine and she paused. She straightened her stance, made her way to the doorway, and shut the door, shielding my view from them.

I stood startled for a moment before Caroline’s soft tone cut through my train of thought.

“Your highness?” Caroline said as she realized I wasn’t walking with her anymore.

“What’s going on in there?” I asked, still staring at the door that Magnolia just shut.

“Another maid was found dead this morning,” Caroline explained, lowering her tone.

“Who was that man in there?” I asked, pulling my eyes from the door to look at Caroline.

She glanced at the door with a frown before looking back at me.

“Probably Prince Jack,” she answered. “The queen’s actual son.”

I wasn’t aware that Queen Magnolia had an actual son.

“Who do they think killed this maid?” I asked.

“Alpha King Sebastian, of course,” Caroline answered, narrowing her eyes at me. “This wasn’t the first time he’s killed a maid.” She shivered as those words left her mouth. She lowered her tone as she added the next part. “The full moon makes him crazy and ferocious. I think the queen is sick of having to clean up his mess.”

“But you said yourself that the Alpha King was chained in his dungeon last night,” I said as we continued walking.

She nodded once, but her face showed uncertainty.

“Yes, but he wasn’t there all night,” she explained. “Beta Arnold found him wandering the palace before he brought him to the dungeon.

He was with me for most the night; did Sebastian really have the time to kill a maid before Beta Arnold found him? I didn’t say anything more about it to Caroline though.

My mind was clouded with the information I was just received. I knew he was a ferocious beast, and he could kill with the flick of his wrist. I had no doubt that he was the fiercest and strongest creature to walk our lands. I knew he killed his past wife, and it was rumored that he killed for fun.

But I couldn’t get the fact that he had harmed himself to stop himself from killing me out of my mind. That didn’t sound like someone who killed for fun. I certainly found it difficult to believe that he would go through that pain just to leave and kill someone else.

“He didn’t do it,” Nora mimicked my thoughts.

“I’m not very hungry,” I told Caroline softly as I stopped walking

She frowned and tilted her head to the side.

“Oh,” she breathed. “I hope I didn’t say something to upset you.”

“No,” I said quickly. “Not at all. Thank you for the information, Caroline.”

She still didn’t seem sure though, so I gave her a small smile.

“Honestly,” I assured her. “I’ll eat later.”

“Okay,” she said with a small curtsy. “I’ll put your food away for later then.”

Once she was out of sight, I looked around the empty foyer and walked toward the door. I pressed my ears against the door to try and hear what they were saying. Their words were muffled together and hard to understand, but I got some parts of the conversation.

“He doesn’t deserve to be the Alpha King. My son would make a better king than that vicious animal. Sebastian can’t contain his temper and it gets innocent maids killed.”

There was a pause before she continued.

“I just wish I could have been there to see the maid. I wasn’t anywhere near the room. Another maid found her the library. They are still trying to clean the blood mess out of the carpet.”

Caroline appeared in the foyer once again. She stared at me with wide and confused eyes. I pulled away from the door and shuffled towards her.

“Where’s the library?” I asked. She frowned and rose her eyebrows.

“The other side of the palace,” she answered. “Why?”

“Can you take me there?”

She looked hesitant for a moment, but then nodded slowly.

I followed Caroline through the palace; we walked quickly and silently until we reached a set of large doors at the end of a narrow hallway. She pushed the doors open and I made my way toward the giant red stain in the middle of the large library. Thankfully the library was completely empty; I scanned the area quickly, trying to gather everything I could. I wondered if Sebastian had come to the library last night after he hurt himself.

As I scanned the ground, around a nearby table, there were a couple of broken chairs that were scattered across the ground. There was definitely a struggle here; the maid was attacked and probably fought for her life. Obviously failing at saving herself.

I walked toward the table and stopped when a small silver earing caught my eye. It was caught under the leg of the chair. I frowned as I placed the earring in the palm of my hands, staring at it intently.

“Did this belong to the maid?” I asked Caroline who was staring at the blood stain in shock. She pulled her eyes away from the stain long enough to look at what I was holding.

She shook her head; I noticed her body was trembling.

She was frightened.

“It couldn’t have been,” Caroline said. “Servants aren’t allowed to have jewelry. Queen Magnolia said that jewelry is only for the rich and powerful.”

Then whose earring could this have been? I heard Queen Magnolia saying she wasn’t anywhere near the library and that another maid found the dead body.

“She must have been lying,” Nora hissed angrily. “She’s trying to frame Sebastian. Isn’t it obvious?”

Just as I was about to express my suspicions out loud, I heard the door opening and shutting of the library.

I turned in time to see Queen Magnolia standing before me.

Hannah’s POV

“She’s missing an earring.”

Nora was right; in one ear she had the same silver earring as the one I was holding. Her eyes found mine and held them for a long while as I shakily lifted my hand to reveal her missing earring.

“I found this,” I said in almost a whisper. “I heard you talking in the study. You said you weren’t anywhere near the library. So, why was your earring here?”

She stayed silent for a long while; I could feel Caroline tensing from beside me. We were both out of our element, but I couldn’t allow the queen to accuse Sebastian of something he didn’t do.

Without warning, she snatched the earring from my hand; her lips thinning as disapproval shot through her icy gaze.

“Alpha King Sebastian didn’t kill that maid,” I told her, keeping my tone low.

“You think you have things figured out here?” She asked, her voice darkening. “But you’re in for a rude awakening.”

She said nothing more as she turned and walked out of the library.

I was in for a rude awakening. What did that even mean?

I shuddered at the thought and tried to brush it out of my mind as I stood in the quiet library, watching Magnolia storm away from me. I couldn’t believe she was trying to pin the murder of that maid on Sebastian. It seemed to be coming so easily to her as if she’s done that a hundred times in the past.

I shook my head with disbelief; I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a recurring act for her. Sebastian was known to be the most vicious and monstrous wolf that walked the lands, and yet, to me, Queen Magnolia seemed even worse.

I was nervous about going to his study and disturbing him. I wondered if he knew what Queen Magnolia had done; he was the king, after all, it would surprise me if he didn’t know.

Knocking on the door of his study, I could feel his presence lurking within the walls. There was a pause where my breathing got caught in my throat and my nerves began rising into my chest.

He growled for me to enter, and I opened the door slightly to see him at his desk, writing something down and looking hard at work.

Sebastian looked unbothered, but his expression was still hard to read because of the mask he insisted on wearing. It couldn’t have been comfortable being attached to his face all the time.

He glanced over at me; his eyes were no longer the scarlet color they were the night before. They were a deep blue, and his gaze made my heartbeat rapidly against my chest. His scent filled his office and for a moment, I thought my knees were going to weaken. But I managed to keep my stance; I would be blind if I didn’t find him attractive, despite the mask.

His dark eye scanned me over from my toes and back to my head; my face reddened as I remembered the casual and baggy clothing, I was wearing.

“What?” He asked after it was clear I wasn’t going to speak.

I snapped out of the trance and met his eyes.

“I just wanted to check on you,” I told him, keeping my tone low as I entered his office. He stared at me for a long while, trying to process what I was saying. “Because of the maid that died…” I clarified, trying to keep the nervousness out of my tone.

He looked back down at his desk and continued his work.

“Maids die here all the time. You get used to it,” he muttered; his tone was so harsh, and I shuddered.

“I see…” I said slowly. The silence between us grew thick before I got the courage to speak again. “I know it wasn’t you who killed her.”

He stopped writing to look at me; his eyes narrowing.

“Oh yeah?” He asked, his voice softening and sending a warm wave through my body as my face flushed.

I nodded once.

“Yes,” I told him.

I wasn’t going to clarify any more than that; I’m sure he understood his stepmother was trying to pin these murders on him. I felt a weird sensation tugging at my heart as I stared at him. I found myself wishing I knew what he was thinking and how he was feeling.

“I’m going to be returning to my father’s house this afternoon,” I told him. “I need to gather the rest of my belongings.”

“Take a guard with you,” he ordered, his tone was back to being harsh as he turned away to continue working.

“That’s not necessary,” I told him. “My father doesn’t live far from here. I won’t be long.”

He looked back over at me; for a second, I thought he was going to argue, and I braced myself for his temper. I worried he would lose control again like he did last night. I glanced down at his hand and saw it was bandaged from when he stabbed himself.

I pulled my eyes away from his hand and tried to smile politely at him before turning away. Before I could leave his study, I heard his voice from behind me.

“Will you be back this afternoon?” He asked; the harshness from his voice was gone completely and it was replaced with curiosity.

I turned back to him slightly and nodded once.

“Yes,” I answered. “Why do you ask?”

“The celebrity dinner party is tonight and as my luna, you need to attend,” he answered.

My eyes widened and I stared down at my clothing once again, feeling my face heating up with embarrassment.

“I don’t have the clothing to attend such an event,” I told him sheepishly.

“That’s why I need you back early this afternoon. I have a meeting before the party; on my way, I’ll drop you off at the boutique,” he told me.

I knew right away that I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I nodded once and turned towards the door once again.

My breathing grew heavy as I left his study; I tried hard to not hyperventilate right then and there. I was going to a celebrity dinner party. I was going to a celebrity dinner party with the wolf king.

Well fuck.

…

Sebastian’s POV

Sebastian stared after her; there was something about her he couldn’t shake. Of course, he heard the whispering and the murmurs of the servants around the palace. He knew of the maid that turned up dead in the library; he also knew he was nowhere near the library.

But he wondered how someone as simple-minded as Hannah would know such a thing as well. Surely, she didn’t go investigating this murder on her own.

“Her scent…” his wolf, Eric, breathed. “It still lingers.”

There was a deep longing that rose in him as he continued to take in her lingering scent.

“You want her, tonight, and you can’t wait,” Eric laughed. “You never wanted a woman so badly.”

Sebastian took a deep breath, trying to restrain the hot flow that surged through his abdomen.