The Alpha King's Cursed Pacifier

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

ELARA

My screams tore through the king’s chambers, but the thick walls swallowed every sound. King Darius was like a wild beast that night. His ice-blue eyes glowed with madness as he took me again and again. I begged until my voice broke.

“Please… stop!” I cried, tears streaming down my face. “It hurts! You’re hurting me so much!”

He did not listen. His hands gripped me hard. “The moon demands this,” he growled low in my ear. “Take it. You were chosen.”

I sobbed louder. “I’m not ready! I’ve never done this before. Please, just let me go. I’ll do anything else!”

But my words meant nothing to him. Pain ripped through my body with every thrust. I felt like I was breaking apart. Blood stained the beautiful silk sheets beneath me. I cried until my throat burned and my eyes could make no more tears.

When it finally ended, the king collapsed beside me, breathing hard. His eyes slowly lost their wild glow. He fell into a deep, heavy sleep. I lay there for what felt like forever, shaking and bleeding. My body hurt everywhere. My heart felt shattered into a thousand pieces.

“I can’t stay here,” I whispered to myself. “I have to run.”

I waited until his breathing became slow and steady. Then I slipped out of the huge bed as quietly as I could. My legs were weak. Every step sent sharp pain through me. I found my torn dress on the floor and pulled it on somehow. Blood soaked the fabric.

The heavy doors were still locked from outside, but a small side door behind a curtain was open just a little. I pushed it and stepped into a dark corridor. My bare feet made no sound on the cold stone.

“Help…” I whispered. “Someone, please help me.”

A soft hand suddenly grabbed my arm. I almost screamed, but a gentle voice stopped me.

“Shh, Elara. It’s me, Mira. Don’t make a sound.”

Mira’s face was pale in the moonlight coming through a high window. Her eyes were full of pity and fear.

“Mira,” I sobbed quietly. “He… he hurt me so badly. I’m bleeding. I think I’m dying.”

“You’re not dying,” she whispered, “but we must move fast. Lady Isolde chose you on purpose. She wanted this to break you. Come with me. I know a way out.”

She put her arm around my waist to support me. We moved quickly through the dark servants’ passages. Every few steps I had to stop because of the pain.

“Why did she do this to me?” I asked, crying softly. “What did I ever do to her?”

Mira shook her head. “You’re too beautiful and too pure. She’s obsessed with the king. She swapped places with a pacifier maid years ago to get close to him. Now she controls who goes to his bed. She saw you and got jealous. She wants you destroyed so you never threaten her place.”

We reached a hidden door behind a storage room. Mira pushed a stone and it opened into a narrow tunnel.

“These tunnels lead outside the palace walls,” she explained. “I found them when I was young. No one else knows. Hurry.”

As we walked through the dark, damp tunnel, I kept whispering questions.

“Will the king come after me?” I asked.

“Not tonight,” Mira said. “The Lunar Fury drains him completely. He will sleep until morning. But tomorrow… someone will notice you’re gone.”

“What will happen to you if they find out you helped me?”

Mira smiled sadly. “I’ll be careful. I have my own secrets. Just focus on surviving, Elara.”

The tunnel ended at a small opening covered by thick bushes. Cool night air hit my face. We stepped into the forest. The full moon still hung high in the sky, lighting our path.

“You have to keep going,” Mira said, pressing a small bag into my hands. “There’s some food, water, and coins inside. Run as far as you can. Don’t trust anyone easily. And Elara… I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

Tears filled my eyes again. “Thank you, Mira. You’re the only friend I have. Will I ever see you again?”

“I hope so,” she whispered. “Now go. Before the guards start searching.”

She hugged me quickly, then turned and disappeared back into the tunnel. I was alone.

I walked for hours through the dark forest. My body screamed with pain at every step. Blood still trickled down my legs. I cried the whole time.

“Why did this happen to me?” I said out loud to the trees. “I was a good daughter. I never hurt anyone. Now my family is gone, my home is gone, and my innocence is gone too. What did I do to deserve this?”

Exhaustion finally forced me to stop under a big tree. I curled up on the ground and slept a little. When morning came, I kept walking. Days blurred together. I ate the little food Mira gave me and drank from streams. My belly started to feel strange, but I thought it was only from hunger and fear.

After many days of walking, I stumbled upon a hidden valley. Beautiful stone buildings stood among tall trees. Women in silver robes moved around quietly. One of them saw me and ran over.

“Child, what happened to you?” she asked kindly. Her voice was soft like a mother’s.

I fell to my knees. “Please… help me. I have nowhere to go. The king… he…”

Another older woman came. She had wise eyes and long white hair. “Bring her inside. She’s hurt badly.”

They carried me into a warm room and laid me on a soft bed. The priestesses cleaned my wounds gently and gave me healing tea. I cried while they worked.

“You’re safe now,” the older woman said. “I am High Priestess Lira. This is the Silver Veil Coven. No one will harm you here. Tell us your name.”

“Elara,” I whispered. “Elara Voss… or what is left of her.”

For the first weeks, they let me rest. They fed me good food and taught me simple breathing exercises to calm my mind. My body slowly healed, but my heart still felt broken.

One morning, about six weeks after I arrived, High Priestess Lira and two other priestesses came to my room. Their faces looked serious.

“Elara, we need to talk,” Lira said gently. “We have examined you with our magic. There is something important you must know.”

My hands started shaking. “What is it? Am I sick? Did the king give me some disease?”

Lira sat beside me and took my hand. “No, child. You are not sick. You are pregnant.”

I stared at her, not understanding at first. “Pregnant? Me? That can’t be true.”

One younger priestess nodded. “It is true. The child is growing strong inside you. We can feel its alpha energy already. It carries the king’s blood.”

Tears filled my eyes again. I covered my mouth with both hands. “No… no, no, no! This can’t be happening! I don’t want his child! He r***d me! He destroyed me that night and now I have to carry his baby?”

Lira squeezed my hand. “We know it is painful. The Moon Goddess sometimes brings life from darkness. This child is part of you now.”

I started crying loudly. “But how will I raise a child? I have nothing! No home, no money, no family. The king will kill me if he finds out. Lady Isolde will hunt me down. What kind of life can I give this baby?”

The younger priestess spoke softly. “You are not alone anymore, Elara. We will help you. Stay with us. We can train you in moon magic. Your bloodline is strong — we sensed ancient power in you the day you arrived. You can become powerful enough to protect yourself and your child.”

I shook my head, still sobbing. “I’m so scared. Every time I close my eyes I see the king’s glowing eyes and feel his hands on me. Now I will have a constant reminder growing inside me. How can I love this baby when it came from so much pain?”

High Priestess Lira wiped my tears. “Love can grow later. First, survive. Rest today. Tomorrow we will begin your healing lessons. You are stronger than you know, Elara. This child may be the key to your future, not just your pain.”

I lay back on the bed after they left, my hands gently touching my still-flat belly.

“You’re really in there,” I whispered to the baby. “Your father is the most ruthless man in the kingdom. He doesn’t even know you exist. What am I going to do with you?”

For the first time since the attack, I spoke to the Moon Goddess in the quiet room.

“Why did you let this happen to me?” I asked softly. “If you’re listening, please give me strength. I need to protect this child… even if I don’t know how to love it yet.”

The wind outside gently moved the curtains, as if answering me.

I closed my eyes and let sleep take me, my hand still resting on my belly where the king’s secret child was growing.