Free Web NovelChapter 11: A Quickie
REBECCA’S POV
The slap on my cheek burned, matching the sharp ache between my thighs. But the shock of her words made me forget the pain for a second.
"I don’t want anything that belongs to you," I whispered, pressing myself back against the wooden headboard. "I didn’t ask for this. If you want to have his babies so badly, go tell him. Leave me out of it."
"You think it’s that easy?" she mocked, her face twisting. She stepped closer, and her heavy vanilla perfume made the small room feel suffocating. "Kaden is blinded by his grief. He won’t even look at me! He buried his human, and instead of turning to a real she-wolf, he brings a murderer into his bed just for revenge!"
She raised her hand again, her claws coming out slightly, ready to cut my face.
"Lady Tanya!"
The door burst open, and Stephanie rushed inside, holding a food tray and a small bottle of medicine. Her face was pale as she jumped right between me and Tanya, shielding me with her own body.
"What are you doing here?" Tanya snapped, lowering her hand. "Get out of my way, servant."
"Please, Lady Tanya," Stephanie begged, bowing her head but staying right where she was. "The Alpha King ordered that no one touches the prisoner without his command. If he finds out you were down here..."
Tanya’s eyes narrowed. For a second, I thought she was going to hit Stephanie too. But hearing Kaden’s name made her stop. She lowered her hand completely and pulled her dress down with an angry jerk.
"You’re lucky, bitch," Tanya hissed, pointing her sharp nail at my face. "Enjoy his bed while you can. Because the moment you drop that pup, I will put your head on a spike at the border. Kaden will be mine."
Before she turned, she intentionally slammed the sharp heel of her shoe right onto my bare foot. I gasped, biting my tongue to keep from screaming as she marched out. Her high heels clicked loudly down the hall until the sound died away.
Stephanie let out a long breath and quickly set the tray on the wooden crate. Her hands shook so badly the soup sloshed over the side of the bowl. She handed me two pain pills and a glass of water.
"Are you okay?" she asked, looking at the red handprint on my cheek. "I’m so sorry. I should have been faster."
"It’s not your fault," I murmured, swallowing the pills. The cool water felt good against my throat. My whole body was trembling. "Is she really his betrothed?"
Stephanie nodded sadly as she sat on the edge of the mattress. "Yes. Lady Tanya is an Alpha’s daughter. Before the Queen came, everyone thought they would marry. She’s been furious ever since King Kaden chose a human instead of her."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper. "You need to be careful, Rebecca. Tanya has a lot of power here, and she isn’t the only one who wants you dead. I heard the elders held a meeting. They want to force the King to execute you the second the baby is born."
"Everyone wants me dead," I said bitterly, staring at the soup. "They think I’m a monster."
Stephanie hesitated, searching my face. "Did you... did you really do it? Did you kill Queen Helen?"
I looked up, locking my eyes with hers. "No. I didn’t. I was framed." freeweɓnøvel.com
Stephanie stared at me for a long time, looking for a lie. Finally, she gave a small nod. "Eat before it gets cold. You need your strength. The Beta said the King will call for you again tonight."
My stomach instantly tied into a hard knot, and my hunger vanished. Kaden was going to call for me again.
The pain from last night was still fresh. The violation burned deep inside me. I looked out the small window, watching the sun sink behind the trees. The terrifying dark was coming back, and the small room grew colder by the minute.
I picked up a piece of the dry bread, but I couldn’t even swallow it. My throat felt too tight. I had survived the stoning, the arrows, and my first night as his breeder. But as the shadows grew longer across the floor, I realized surviving Kaden’s hatred was going to be a daily battle.
When night finally fell, the lock on the door rattled. The heavy sound made my heart jump straight into my throat. Two huge guards pushed the door open, their faces cold.
"Come with us," one barked. "The Alpha King wants you."
My stomach churned with pure dread. On shaky legs, I got off the bed. Every muscle hurt, and the raw tear between my thighs burned with every step. I followed them into the dim hallway. Suddenly, the guard behind me shoved my shoulder hard, forcing me to stumble forward.
"Move faster, criminal," he growled.
I clutched the fabric of my oversized dress tightly in my fists, keeping my head down. I braced myself for the walk up the grand stairs to face Kaden. But we didn’t go toward the main mansion staircase. Instead, they yanked me by my arms, turning me down a narrow, empty hall deeper in the servants’ wing where the lightbulbs were flickering.
"Wait, this isn’t the way to the King’s room," I whispered, panic rising.
The guards didn’t answer. They just moved faster.
The front guard grabbed my shoulders and violently dragged me into a pitch-black supply room. The guard behind me slammed the wooden door shut, cutting off the light. I stumbled into the dark, my boots hitting some old cleaning bottles and sending them crashing to the floor.
A thick, rough hand clamped over my mouth, stopping my scream before it could even start.
I thrashed against them, panic exploding in my chest. Tears filled my eyes as I tried to pull away, but with the silver collar cutting off my wolf, my weak human strength was nothing against two full-grown warriors. They pinned me hard against the wall, the brick digging into my bad ribs.
"Stay still, you little murderer," the guard holding me whispered viciously in my ear. His hot, foul breath made my skin crawl.
The other guard stepped closer in the dark, a disgusting smile on his face as he looked down at my blue dress. He reached out, gripping my chin tightly and digging his fingers into the fresh bruise Tanya had left behind.
"Before you go up to the King, give us a quickie, bitch," he sneered, his hands tearing at the neckline of my dress. "Why should the Alpha King have all the fun with the woman who killed our Queen? You’re just a criminal breeder. You belong to the whole pack now."
