Slave of the Wolf King

Collared

He dangled it between his fingers, letting it sway back and forth like a pendulum.

"This used to belong to your....predecessor" he said casually, brushing off a speck of dried blood. "She thought herself clever."

My heart pounded like war drums, I wanted to throw up.

He leaned forward, his silver eyes boring into mine. "But you're different from her. You have a unique genetic make-up, you have been mated to me too, and I honour the goddess's will."

Then, his grin widened. "Sometimes."

The moment the collar clicked around my neck, I felt like air had been sucked from my lungs. It wasn't tight, but it was humiliating.

I wasn't a queen anymore. I wasn't even a woman.

Just his....slave.

"Behave and maybe, just maybe you'll get tolerable treatment from me," he muttered, leaning back. "My name is Zamiel Thorne, in case your dear coward of a husband never told you."

He reached for the wine jug beside him and took a long drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Do you like wine?" he asked, voice a mockery of politeness.

I didn’t answer.

He chuckled. "Still got fire in you. That’s fine. I like my women wild before I tame them."

His eyes dropped to my stomach again, lingering.

"You're going to do great things for me, Olyria. Give me an heir, maybe heirs. Bridge two worlds. Break a few laws of nature, perhaps. But first....."

He tapped the side of the collar.

"Learn how to kneel."

___

After the hours I spent, silently cursing my fate and dreading the worst, the carriage slowed to a stop.

Finally, I was sure that we had been travelling for at least five to six hours.

His eyes brightened as he hit the carriage door with his fist. It opened, and while the door was held for him. He stepped down. Grabbing the chain connecting to my collar.

"Come." He commanded sharply, tugging on my chain.

The forceful movement pulled me from my seat and sent me tumbling down to the cold concrete ground.

"Stubborn and clumsy." He remarked.

I hit the ground with a thud, convinced that I had bruised a part of my skin. I felt a tug on the collar and I was forced to look up. Zamiel's eyes met mine in neutrality, but I cowered from his gaze, focusing instead on what was behind him.

The castle loomed like a fortress carved out of stone and bricks and high walls rimmed with black spires. Soldiers in armor lined the courtyard, their expressions void of emotion, their posture stiff at the sight of their king. Banners bearing the sigil of a bleeding wolf fluttered in the bitter wind.

As Zamiel dragged me forward by the chain, the heavy gates creaked open. Inside, the air smelled of ash, iron, and something faintly sweet, like rotting roses.

A wickedly gorgeous woman approached us, her hair falling in dark ringlets, and her lips painted red. She glanced at me and her eyes widened.

"Zamiel?, another one?" She questioned.

He smirked, leading me forward. His fingers caressed my chin and his nails dug painfully into my shoulders.

"This one is special, she is my mate."

The woman gasped. She came forward and sniffed me, her palm gliding across my belly.

"And...." She gulped, "will you take her in as a mate, or a slave?"

My heart hammered in my chest, I could already guess what he was taking me as.

"Both, I mean....she was compensation from Kubar afterall."

His words reminded me of the coward's betrayal. Trading his own queen out for mercy, he was pitiful and he disgusted me.

"Don't frown...." Zamiel murmured, placing a cold kiss to the back of my neck. "You'll have more honour being with me, than him."

I shook my head, I had a leash on my neck like a common pet. Even as he took the chain off, the bloodied leash was still heavy on my neck.

This wasn't honour.

"Go with her," he nudged me forward into the arms of the woman. I fell into her hold, like a weak little link, she held me firmly, exchanging a knowing glance with Zamiel.

"After I get her clean, what next?"

He smirked.

"Teach her the things i like."

I didn't understand what he meant, but apparently the tall woman did. She tugged on my collar and made me walk in front of her. Silently counting my steps to ease my nerves.

____

"Strip," came the command from her. I stood near the door, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Y-you want me to get naked?"

She rolled her eyes,

"No, I want you to wear three thousand dresses and enter the bath tub.” She massaged her temples. "I almost forgot just how much humans irritate me."

Looking at her, I could tell that she had strong wolf genes. She was taller than me, looked more agile, and I could tell that she would not hesitate to hurt me if I didn't comply.

And so, I took off my dress, fabric by fabric, till I was left only in my lady covers.

Her eyes scanned my body, a hint of self consciousness, obvious in her eyes.

"Take a good look at yourself in the mirror." She said, "because once the Alpha starts preparing you for his needs, your fragile body will break."

I shuddered, arms instinctively wrapping around myself again as I turned my gaze to the mirror behind her.

The girl staring back at me wasn’t the queen I used to know. In just a few hours of leaving Cresit, I was pale, smeared with dirt and dried sweat.

The woman turned her back, giving me a sliver of privacy as she walked towards the bath. It was massive, carved out of dark marble and filled with steaming water scented faintly with herbs.

"Get in," she said, flicking her fingers without looking back.

I hesitated. The water looked warm, almost inviting. My feet moved.

I took off my undies and placed them on the ground. Using my long hair to shield my mounds, I used my palms to cover my front and backside, even if my parts were still visible.

I slid into the water, biting back a gasp as the heat kissed my bruises. My eyes closed. And for a moment, I imagined I was somewhere else.

But then I heard her voice again.

"Zamiel likes his slaves spotless," she said, kneeling beside the tub with a bar of black soap in her hands. "And obedient."

She reached in and grabbed my arm before I could pull away, scrubbing hard. Too hard.

I winced.

"Painful?" she asked, not pausing her motion. "Good. Remember it."

I said nothing, my jaw clenched.

After what felt like forever, she stood and threw a towel at me. "Dry off. Then we'll start."

I blinked up at her. "Start what?"

She smirked. “Learning.”