Free Web NovelChapter 10: His Bethroted
Rebecca’s POV
"She is not waking up. Listen to her breathing; it’s too shallow."
"Don’t you think we should inform the Alpha King?" I heard a female voice whisper anxiously in the background.
"Gosh, you worry so much; she will be fine," another familiar, harsh voice grunted. "She’s a murderer. Why do you care if she wakes up or not?"
The constant, hushed murmuring in the background hammered against my skull, causing such a severe headache that I had to sigh in pain. Fighting the heavy exhaustion weighing down my eyelids, I forcefully opened my eyes.
"She is awake. Are you okay?" a maid asked, leaning over me with a genuinely worried tone.
I heaved a soft, ragged sigh and slowly pushed myself up to sit on the bed. The sharp, tearing ache between my thighs made me wince, and my snapped ribs throbbed instantly. I stared around the room, expecting to see the moldy stone walls of the dungeon, but I noticed I wasn’t back in the cells. Instead, I was in a small, bare room that looked like it belonged in the servants’ quarters.
I moved my gaze down to my body and realized someone had stripped me of the silk robe and covered me in a plain, oversized blue dress.
"Are you okay?" the first maid inquired again, a deep look of concern on her young face. It was strange. After days of being spat on and hated, having someone look at me with actual worry felt entirely foreign.
"Of course, can’t you see she is fine?" the second maid grumbled. She stepped forward, standing right before me with a devilish, satisfied smile. It was the same maid from the Queen’s chamber who had wished for my death. "You are lucky you survived last night, but don’t be too happy; there is more to come. The King isn’t done breaking you."
She mocked me with a cruel laugh and walked out, slamming the door behind her and leaving me alone with the kind maid.
The room fell into a heavy silence for a while before the girl spoke up again.
"Do you feel pain anywhere?" she asked softly.
"Yeah," I murmured, my voice cracking. I quickly bit my lower lip, drawing back the hot tears that were threatening to fall down my cheeks. I refused to break down in front of a stranger.
"Here." She handed a glass of water to me.
I took it with quivering hands, the glass clinking against my teeth as I put it to my mouth and drank greedily. The cool liquid soothed my burning throat.
"Thanks," I breathed, setting the glass down on a small wooden crate beside the bed. I stared around the sparse room again. "How did I get here?"
"I found you at the King’s door," she replied quietly, lowering her eyes. "You were naked and unconscious on the floor. The guards were just going to leave you there, so I... I helped bring you down here."
I just nodded my head numbly, the horrific memories of last night crashing back into my mind. The blindfold. The cold mahogany desk. The punishing, brutal way Kaden had taken my virginity to claim his twisted revenge. A cold shudder ran through my entire body, and I quickly lay back down on the hard wooden bed, turning away from her.
"You must be hungry," she said, her voice gentle. "I will be back soon with some food and some painkillers for your wounds."
I nodded into the pillow. "Thank you... what is your name?"
"Stephanie," she said with a small, sad smile.
"Thank you, Stephanie."
She quietly left the room, locking the door from the outside for my own safety. The moment the latch clicked, I closed my eyes and let the tears rush out. I wept silently, the heavy sobs shaking my chest. My entire body felt weak and completely broken. Not only was I broken physically, but emotionally, something inside me had shattered. My first time had been stolen by a grieving monster who viewed me as filth.
Just then, the door clicked open again.
I quickly wiped my eyes, thinking it was Stephanie. Maybe she forgot something?
But when I opened my eyes and looked up, my breath caught in my throat. Standing in the doorway wasn’t Stephanie. It was a beautiful young lady who looked to be in her late twenties. She was dressed in an incredibly expensive, tight designer bodycon dress that accentuated her perfect curves. Her long, dark hair was perfectly styled, and she wore elegant jewelry that practically screamed royalty.
I furrowed my brow, a deep frown settling on my face as I wondered who she was.
"So, you are the bitch!" she sneered, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.
I didn’t answer her. I didn’t have the energy to argue. Instead, I just sat up on the bed, holding my aching ribs, feeling far too weak to defend myself.
My silence only seemed to infuriate her. She marched over to the bed with clicking heels, reached down, and violently grabbed my jaw in a tight, bruising grip. Her sharp, manicured nails dug deep into my skin. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Who the fuck are you, bitch?" she hissed, her face twisting with pure jealousy and rage. "Helen was a problem, but now she is finally out of the way. And now you pop up?"
I was completely confused. Who was this woman, and what was she talking about? Gathering every little ounce of strength left in my battered body, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her grip away from my jaw, shoving her hand back.
"Who the fuck are you?" I snapped back, my own voice rising despite my pain.
Slap!
The force of her hand striking my cheek was so loud it echoed in the small room. My head snapped to the side, a sharp burning sensation exploding across my skin.
"I am Kaden’s betrothed!" she screamed, her chest heaving as she glared down at mine.
My eyes widened in pure shock. Betrothed?
She spat on the floor near my feet, her eyes flashing with rage. "We have been betrothed since we were children! We were supposed to get married, to rule this pack together, before that fucking weak human showed up and turned out to be his fated mate! Kaden completely rejected me for her. He refused to marry me; he married her instead, and now she is finally dead."
She leaned down, her face inches from mine, her voice dropping into an angry whisper. "You killed her—or so I heard. Why couldn’t you just let them stone you to death? Why do you have to be his fucking breeder? I can be his breeder! I am a high-ranking she-wolf! I can bear him strong pups, as many as he wants! You are nothing but a filthy criminal taking what belongs to me!"
