30 Days with The Ruthless Alpha King

Private Promises

I stared as the guards dragged Zara into the great hall. Her clothes were dirty and torn. Bruises covered her face and arms. She looked thin and weak, but the moment her eyes found me, pure hatred burned in them.

Through the old mind link we shared from our years as best friends, her voice hissed inside my head.

“Look at you, Cressida. Walking beside Lady Elara like you belong here. Alpha Lucian gives you special treatment. He lets you stay in his fortress, buys you pretty dresses, give you freedom to walk the village, and now a seat at the feast. But always remember that you are no better than the rest of us slaves.”

I did not answer out loud. I just glared back at her and she smiled menacingly.

Anger rose hot in my chest and my wolf growled low inside me.

The guards dragged Zara to the center of the hall, right in front of the head table. She stumbled and almost fell, but the guards jerked her upright.

“Jealousy is an ugly thing,” Elara said loudly so the whole hall could hear. “This slave stole from my brother’s favorite. She insulted a guest of the king. Tonight, she will learn her place.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd. Some nobles clapped. A few of my old pack mates looked away, embarrassed, but no one dared speak up.

Elara raised her hand. The guards pushed Zara to her knees. They brought out a thin silver whip, not enough to kill, but enough to burn and scar a wolf’s skin.

The first lash landed across Zara’s back and she screamed in despair

The second and third came fast. Her screams grew louder, mixed with curses aimed at me.

Another lash and her body jerked. Blood soaked through her ragged dress.

People around me laughed and cheered. “That’s what happens when you forget your place!” someone shouted.

I felt sick watching it, but I could not look away. Zara had betrayed me. She had taken Kael, laughed at my pain, and bluffed about turning Lucian against me too. Still, seeing her broken like this made my stomach turn.

Zara lifted her head one last time, eyes locked on mine, full of venom. “You think you’ve won. Watch me destroy everything you think you have right before your own eyes”

The guard raised his hand again. The whip cracked one final time. Zara collapsed forward, sobbing and shaking.

“Enough,” Elara said calmly. “Take her away. Let her heal slowly. Maybe next time she will remember who her betters are.”

The guards dragged Zara’s limp body out through the side door. The hall erupted in applause and laughter, as if it had been greatly entertainment.

I sat frozen in my seat. My hands trembled under the table.

People laughed and cheered. “That’s what happens when you forget who your masters are!”

Many eyes turned to me. Some of my old pack members from Nightfall Pack watched with shame in their faces. Others looked at me with scorn and others with quiet hope, as if they wondered if I could help them one day.

I felt heat rise in my cheeks. Part of me wanted to hide, but another part felt strangely proud that Lucian had chosen to favor me and that Elara had chosen to protect me.

A young servant girl I had once shared bread with earlier in the week quietly touched my arm and whispered, “Thank you for being kind to us, my lady. Don’t mind Zara, she has always been fond of biting more than she can chew.”

Her words surprised me and gave me a small spark of warmth. And soon enough I got to know that her name was Elsie and she would be the key to saving my life and the kingdom.

Suddenly, Lucian’s deep voice cut through the noise. “Music.”

The musicians started a slow, rich song. Lucian stood and walked around the long table. He stopped right in front of me and held out his hand.

“Dance with me, Cressida.”

My heart jumped as I placed my hand in his. He pulled me gently to the center of the floor. We began to move together. His hand rested firmly on my waist. Our bodies pressed close with every step. I could feel the heat of him through the thin silver dress.

As we turned slowly, he leaned down and whispered against my ear, “You look beautiful tonight way better than the first day I saw you.” He cracked a small smile.

The words surprised me and sent warmth through my body. We kept dancing, and for those minutes, the rest of the hall seemed to fade away.

When the music ended and I made my way back to my seat, Elara leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Lucian has never danced with any of his kept women before. You are the first.”

Warmth spread through my chest.

Later that night after the feast was over and everyone returned to their respective abodes, Lucian took me back to his chambers. The moment the door closed behind us, he pulled me against him. His kiss was hungry and deep. He lifted me easily and carried me to the bed.

Our clothes came off fast. His hands moved over my body with rough need, but there was care in the way he touched me. He kissed my neck, my breasts, then lower until I was gasping and gripping his shoulders.

When he finally entered me, it was hard and passionate. I moaned loudly as pleasure built fast and strong. My wolf howled with joy inside me. We moved together like we could not get enough. He gripped my hips and drove deeper. I arched against him, lost in the feeling.

Wave after wave crashed over me until we both shattered at the same time, breathing hard and holding each other tight.

Afterward, I lay beside him, my body warm and satisfied. For the first time, I realized my wolf felt safer and more content with Lucian than she had ever felt with Kael. That truth both scared and comforted me.

The next morning, servants knocked softly and began carrying my things into Lucian’s chambers. My new dresses, the necklace, everything I owned.

I watched in shock then turned to Lucian. He stood by the window, already dressed.

“I don’t want to be set free when the thirty days end,” I said quietly. “I want to remain by your side.”

He turned slowly and looked at me. For a second, a glint of pain flashed in his dark eyes. It was quick, but I saw it clearly.

The old woman’s words came rushing back to me. The king carries a curse. Blackstone blood eats him from inside. Blood and shadow. If you stay near him, it will take you too.

I wondered if I should tell him what the old woman said. But I shook the thought away. I did not want to ruin this moment.

Lucian stepped closer and touched my cheek gently. “We will talk about it later.”

He turned and left the room without saying more.

I stood there alone, touching the spot where his fingers had been. My things were now moved into his chambers. It felt like the start of something real. Something beautiful.

But the memory of the old woman’s warning stayed with me like a dark shadow in the back of my mind.

What if staying with him meant walking straight into danger?

I pushed the thought down and looked at my necklace resting on the table. For now, I would hold on to this new warmth between us.

Whatever came next, I was no longer sure I wanted to run from it.