The Rogue King’s Purchased Wife

CHAPTER 4: Heat

“Slave!”

”Coming, Head Maid!”

I ran downstairs, holding a basketfull of laundry from the pack house. In preparation for the Moon Festival, I was assigned to get the drapes cleaned and replace them with the new ones. I had also been keeping my work in the stables, and I was taught how to cook so I could help with the kitchen.

The looks and sniggers I always get whenever I didn’t know stuff like what a washing machine looked like, or how to use a stove was a constant reminder of how different my upbringing was compared to them.

But except for feeling shy and embarrassed about my naivety, I rather enjoyed learning a lot of things I only heard of.

I didn’t mind the mockery, I just found joy in experiencing the things I never thought I’d get to do.

I landed on the last flight of stairs and faced Lanie. Her brows were raised and that usual frown and distaste was on her face as she looked at me.

“What took you so long?“ She barked. But before I could answer, she waved a hand at me and continued. “Get that to the laundry room and go to the Mansion.”

”M-Mansion?” I asked.

The head maid raised her brow. “Yes, mansion,” she spat haughtily.

I swallowed. That’s where the wedding took place. Where Elijah lives. Where my fears come back.

It’s where I go home every night. But that place is the last place I wanted to go. I feel relieved whenever I get out of the same area with the rogue king.

He’s never talked to me since that day. And I prefer it that way.

“Now, go. The master is a busy man. No one ever lets him wait. Though, I don’t know what he wants to do with a stupid girl like you.” She just rolled her eyes at me and waved me off in dismissal. Lanie left and I had no choice but to start walking out.

I first went to the laundry room to put the basketful of curtains then took off. I stepped out and paused for a second, gathering whatever courage I could muster as I watched Elijah’s mansion.

In the middle of all the lands that the rogues have conquered, lies the mansion where no one could miss. It looks like what I imagined what a castle looked like, but just a tad smaller. And darker.

No princess. No prince charming. Just a villain. And a damsel in distress.

I started walking towards the dreaded place. I kept my head low, greeting people politely—as I’ve learned that some liked and some didn’t. It seemed like they all knew now where I came from. But I kept at it since Cain gave me a thumbs up when he saw me doing it the other day.

I stepped inside the mansion and the quiet place immediately filled my ears.

I miss my friend horse’s neighing. I named him George. He seemed to like it.

“Ella,”

”Cain.” I let out a breath of relief when his neat figure came into sight. He wore a light blue shirt and immediately smiled at me. My anxiety quickly subsided.

“Did you ask for me?” I asked, now much calmer. But he shook his head. “Elijah did.”

”O-Oh.” My heart leapt. “He wants a word with you. Come on.”

Cain immediately started walking towards Elijah’s study. A place that I have never been in and I never plan to be in. Except for the hall where the wedding took place and my room, I have never really walked around this mansion. Except for fearing bumping into him, it was also forbidden. I was commanded only to walk directly where my room was. Nowhere else. Elijah liked his privacy.

Cain opened a door to the second floor, left wing of the mansion. The carpeted hall immediately made me feel much more intimidated, spiking my anxiety again.

‘It’s alright. He’s only going to talk to you.’ I calmed myself down.

“He’s inside. I’ll see you later, Ella.” Cain only gave me a smile and quickly walked away. Apparently, he’s the only person that Elijah trusts enough to walk around his mansion unattended.

I did my best not to fidget on my fingers as I pushed the only door in the hall. Elijah’s large frame sitting in front of a huge table immediately welcomed me.

He looked up, our eyes meeting for the first time since that dreadful day.

“Y-You asked for me?” I did my best to keep eye contact, remembering how he didn’t like it when I didn’t look at him, and how he didn’t like it when I didn’t speak.

He sat straighter on his seat. I immediately noticed how the golden lights of his study made his hair darker and his brown eyes turn almost gold.

“The Moon Festival will allow matebonds to awaken. Both mated and unmated wolves will get into heat.”

My stomach immediately churned at his last statement; my mark burning.

Images of the last time I got into heat invaded my mind. I immediately shook the painful memory off my system, biting my lip.

“Y-Yes, but since I was 16, I never—“ he cut me off, his gazes intense.

“You will wait for me in your room.” That shut me up.

I looked down, unable to stop my fingers to fidget at the thought.

This was going to be the night he’d touch me and use me as his breeder.

“I-I was assigned to serve tables—“ I tried to reason, doing my best to delay this.

”You may go.” He cut me off once again. I looked up at him and he was already looking down at the papers on his table, completely dismissing me.

I looked down again and nodded. He told me already that he didn’t want any man to touch me. This must have been just a reminder despite the fact that I will never experience heating the same way again because of what Horace did.

I walked out of his study, glancing back at him for a second before closing the door. He didn’t look back, nor seemed to care. He was engrossed in his papers, deeming me unimportant. And I didn’t know what else to expect when I lingered for a while.

I sighed, walking out of the place and going back to my chores.

>>>

“Serve them!” I nodded at the head maid as she glared at me. A smile was quickly replaced in her face as soon as another guest from one of the surrounding packs came inside the hall, greeting them.

I finished my chores in the laundry, kitchen and even in the stables earlier this afternoon. I expected I’d be staying in my room the entire night, as per Elijah’s command. But Lanie had other plans.

My head was screamed off when she learned I had been laying inside my room. I tried telling her what Elijah told me but she wouldn’t listen.

So, now I’m trapped between my fear of Lanie and Elijah. Both having different commands for me tonight.

“Slave, stop slacking off and give the drinks.”

“S-sorry,” I murmured, flinching when Arman, one of the servers, smacked my leg. I quickly went to the staff area and took some trays with drinks.

I glanced at the moon outside the huge glass windows. As long as the moon hasn’t shown its full circle yet, I’d be safe to stay.

As long as Elijah doesn’t see me, I guess I’ll be okay.

“Greetings, ladies and gentlemen…” A host started speaking in front of the crowd, wearing the same formal tux every other man is wearing for the night.

I would lie if I said I wasn’t curious what the festival looked like. I’ve only heard of it. I wanted to know how they celebrated it. How different it was from the yearly experience I had with it.

All guests wore formal attires that screamed nothing like the things I imagined a rogue celebration would be. The same as the dirty and feral assumptions I had of their characters, I was proven wrong once again upon seeing how organized and elegant the entire place was.

Alphas from independent lands came—much to my surprise—and celebrated the festival in Elijah’s land. I didn’t know what to feel about learning about that. Elijah is feared, that much I know. But to have an alliance…

It makes me wonder what that real plan he had mentioned right after the wedding was.

I once again looked at the moon outside and saw it barely visible from the clouds. But I could see it’s almost at the very top of our heads and the skies starting to clear out, meaning that soon, matebonds would show and heating would start.

I looked toward the stage to distract myself from my own memories. I started looking around for Elijah.

”…. Master Elijah.”

I instinctively crouched down along with my tray in hand when he was suddenly called by the host on stage. I started backing out, looking around for Lanie to start planning my escape route.

“….in our celebration of the Moon Festival.” I barely heard his short opening remark as I continued trying to be inconspicuous. But then people started acting weird. The smell of the air starting to shift.

“S-sorry, I didn’t—“ I gasped, apologizing to the man whom I bumped with. But I froze.

“Little, Ella?” The large man with a balding head stared at me wide-eyed, as if as surprised as I was upon seeing him in this place.

A large grin started appearing on his chubby face.

“I never thought I’d see you again. You’re now free! And here! What a nice coincidence.” He grinned, chuckling. But I couldn’t move.

A flood of images drowned whatever capacity to command my brain to move and think of anything else came crushing down on me.

All I could remember was the last heating I went through where my entire back was covered with blood. That I had to endure and control myself to never get affected by any male’s scent. Every whiff of my scent would correspond to a lash that opened the skin on my back. I almost died. I was unconscious for a week. Horace almost threw me out, my wounds starting to stink.

We were conditioned to fear heating so we learned to control it. It worked. I feared it so much I voluntarily asked him to make me take the pill that made it stop. And Horace learned that torture method through this balding, chubby man who was looking at me with hungry eyes right now.

“You’ve grown. It’s been 4 years since then. And yet, you’re still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

My hands trembled when he touched my face. My entire body shut down, caging me back to my reality four years ago.

My entire body started going haywire. Sweats broke out on my forehead. My breathing ragged. My vision blurry.

“Hmm, you’ve learned to control your b***h instincts? Very good, girl.” He chuckled and caressed my cheek. His yellow teeth showed.

“I regretted not buying you that day. You have such a sweet face, and a goddamn sweet smell. If that bastard Horace just didn’t price you that high, I would have taken you for myself. But I guess I could just take you for free now, couldn’t I?”

The moment he touched my arm, that’s when my knees buckled, slowly giving up. I started shaking my head.

“N-No… please… I-I have a master.”

He just grinned, licking his lips, seemingly enjoying the fact that the terrifying memory of him scarred me for life.

“I will be your master tonight, sweet Ella. And you will enjoy it. I can awaken that b***h instinct again.” He closed the gap between us, burying his nose in my neck and inhaled deeply.

Terrified tears fell down my cheeks as I stood shaking in front of him. I was getting dizzy, my heart beating erratically. My vision was closing in on me, tears falling desperately.

But a sudden force suddenly made me fall on the ground. My head hit something soft, but my eyes were now fully blurry with tears and the impending unconsciousness that was taking over. I was full blown having a panic attack.

But I heard voices all around me, knowing for a fact that people have already gathered around us.

“Fuc—“ the man cursed.

The last thing I saw was his terrified face—paling impossibly fast, and how his large frame was snapped with the red-eyed man who now stood in front of me.

His presence was so threatening that it fully made me succumb to the abyss of unconsciousness.