Amarok’s Bride

Everett knelt on the cold stone floor before the throne of the Wolf King, her entire body trembling. Her breath was shallow, her hands clenched tightly in her lap as she waited—waited for the monster to speak, to judge her, to end her. Across the room, King Amarok sat with one leg resting over the other, his form half-shrouded in shadow, but his eyes… his eyes pierced through her like a dagger. “Is this the girl they promised me?” he said finally, his voice low and dripping with scorn. A half-laugh escaped him, more amused than surprised. “These people are delusional.” He rose then, a fluid movement far too graceful for something that was supposed to be a beast. As he descended the steps of his throne, Everett clenched her eyes shut and lowered her head even further, praying he wouldn’t come closer. She wanted to be home. Even if home had never been safe, never been kind. Back home, she had never known love. Though she was the princess of her clan, she had lived like a servant, treated with contempt by her stepmother, ignored by her father, and whispered about by the court. She was tolerated at best, scorned at worst—all because of this man now standing before her. Because of King Amarok. His name had haunted her since birth. She had been raised to fear him, trained to serve him. He was the monster in every bedtime story, the punishment in every threat. His face had never been seen by any who lived to tell it. All they knew was what remained when he passed—a trail of death, villages torn apart, families erased. The reasons behind his violence were never revealed. He gave no demands, made no claims—only bloodshed. But one thing was certain: he hated humans. He despised them. So why, then, had he requested a bride from among them? Even more baffling—why had he demanded one before she was even born? She flinched as his presence loomed just before her. She could feel the weight of his stare, the pull of something ancient and powerful surrounding her. “Lift your head,” he commanded, voice sharp. She hesitated, her body locked in place. She didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want to look into the face of the creature that had haunted her kingdom for centuries. The one who had slaughtered the strong and the weak alike. But slowly, with great effort, Everett raised her chin. When her eyes finally met his, the breath caught in her throat. This… this was the infamous King Amarok? She had expected something grotesque—an old, haggard beast with bloodstained claws and decaying flesh. Not this. He was tall, lean, and terrifyingly beautiful. There was a wildness to him, yes—but he looked nothing like the monster they had described. His hair was black as night, falling just past his eyes , and his face was chiseled like a statue carved by gods. Only his eyes betrayed his true nature—sharp, predatory, and impossibly golden. She blinked, unsure if he was real or if her fear was making her see things that weren’t there. “They bring me this?” he said again, as if still in disbelief. He chuckled darkly. “Emily… now she had fire.” The mention of another girl made Everett’s stomach twist. Who was Emily? One of the previous sacrifices, perhaps? One who hadn’t lasted long? A shiver ran down her spine. Now she was starting to fear him—truly fear him. But she didn’t want to die. She couldn’t. All her life, she had been trained for this moment. Raised to be the offering. Prepared to walk into the arms of death. Every century, her people sent one girl of royal blood to the Wolf King as his bride. None had ever returned. They were meant to appease him, to keep him from unleashing his fury on the world. A living sacrifice. And now it was her turn. But Everett had decided long ago: she would not go quietly. She had memorized what she needed to say, what she needed to do to survive—even if just for a little while longer. There had never been a time in her life when she felt human. Her father never looked at her with anything but cold duty. Her mother, a concubine, had died when Everett was just a child. The Queen had hated her presence, and the court whispered about her behind fans and painted smiles. She was not the first daughter of the king. She had older siblings, legitimate ones. But Everett had been the perfect sacrifice in the Queen’s eyes—royal enough to qualify, yet disposable. And now, here she stood. Before the beast. He was alone, she noticed. At least, that’s what she had assumed. When they brought her here, she had been blindfolded, and everything had been so quiet—no footsteps, no voices. She thought the Wolf King lived in isolation, like the feral creature they said he was. But then, something shifted. Amarok’s gaze changed, darkened. His fingers twitched slightly, and Everett watched in horror as his nails elongated—subtle, sharp, unnatural. She shut her eyes tightly. Her lips parted, and she forced herself to speak the one sentence she had been holding in the back of her mind. “I’m hungry,” she said. Silence. A long, heavy pause fell between them. When she slowly opened her eyes again, he was still watching her. His head tilted slightly, as if trying to make sense of her words. “You’re… hungry?” he repeated. She nodded, not daring to break eye contact. He seemed taken aback. A flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. Then, with a sharp snap of his fingers, two elderly women appeared from the shadows. Everett’s eyes widened. Where had they come from? She hadn’t heard them at all. The women moved quickly, bowing low before Amarok. He barely glanced at them as he gave his command. “Take her to my chambers. Feed her. Wash her. Prepare her for the wedding.” Everett stiffened. The wedding? So soon? So it was real, then. She was to marry the Wolf King—the one who had bled her kingdom dry. Just as her father had always said: she was the sacrifice for the good of others. She had never meant anything to anyone. Now, her fate was sealed. But deep inside her, something stirred. A whisper. A promise. She might be the offering. But she would not be a victim. She would find out why this beast hated her kind so much… but one thing was certain for her as she vowed to herself, she will not die but rather she will tame this beast.