CLAIMED BY THE CURSED WOLF KING

Chapter 4: Execution

Chapter 4: Execution

FREYJA

Freyja stumbled forward, momentarily losing control of her body. Alpha Ferguson’s grip tightened around her wrist, pulling her before she could fall.

“You better get yourself together and not embarrass me today,” he whispered harshly, before urging her to walk.

She took a deep breath and put one foot forward, then another and another, each step demanding more concentration and energy than the last. Her vision was still hazy and her body seemed to be at its limit from going so many days without proper food. Throughout yesterday, she’d only eaten the roasted meat and veggies Gideon brought her.

They got closer to the door and her body grew heavier. She hadn’t dared to lift her eyes and look into the hall, but she could already feel heavy gazes of pity and fear.

“Lift that chin of yours,” her father barked, though his voice remained a whisper that only she could hear. “You’re a princess and you must carry yourself as one or he would suspect you’re not your sister.”

Of course. She had almost forgotten the royal treasure she was disguising. She wished they had at least given her the heads-up to practice and learn again how to be the daughter of the alpha. Although she didn’t think any amount of learning would put a slave on the same level as her master. Had they suddenly hit their heads somewhere and forgotten that she was a wolfless embarrassment while Nadia was an alpha?

“Bear in mind that you are going to the Blackfur clan to get me useful information,” Alpha Ferguson continued.

Freyja’s gaze snapped to him in shock. “What do you mean?” she whispered back.

“Once he takes you as his wife, you will seduce him. Get all the information you can. Find out how much of the rumors are true. If he’s truly dying and if not, find out his weaknesses. This is necessary to escape his grip before he turns us all into slaves.” His tone grew harsher as they paused mid-step. “You have three months, Freyja. If you are successful, you’ll be forgiven of your past sins and you would become a daughter of mine again.”

So he was really planning a betrayal? How did he manage to convince the wolf king otherwise and get him to agree to this wedding?

Freyja’s head began spinning again. She felt like she might finally pass out as her lungs burned. But Alpha Ferguson resumed walking, dragging her forward.

Was it not enough that they were sending her to her grave, and now they still required her to spy on the most dangerous man in the realm? Couldn’t they just allow her to die in peace?

For an alpha who always prided himself on being cunning and wise, her father had really become very stupid. With one gaze, the wolf king—whose dark, terrifying aura she could already feel from several feet away—would uncover their lies and have them all executed.

But wasn’t that the mercy she’d always sought after? She was close to having it now. And if by miracle she made it past today—which was very unlikely—and succeeded with this impossible mission of hers, she might finally earn her father’s love. Maybe not love, but respect. That was more than she’d ever hoped for.

That uncertainty was probably the only reason some packs, especially the Northern Alliance, hadn’t openly declared war against the king. But this… the whole plan was laughable.

Still, it wouldn’t be too bad for a lady to dream or try a little adventure on her last days, would it? Not at all. So she imagined she would be the one to kill the most dangerous man in the realm. Or at least provide the means for the capable men to do it.

Freyja lifted her chin, shoulders squared as she gained more confidence. She could feel Luna Morgana’s smile even without turning to look.

Her confidence almost crumpled back into ash once she took in the crowd packed in the hall. People who had probably come to witness the marriage between their Alpha’s beloved daughter and the terror that ruled eighty percent of the wolf kingdom. Except she wasn’t her father’s beloved. Except she wasn’t her father’s beloved. Though she was the daughter of his first wife, he wouldn’t choose her even as a last resort. Not unless it was absolutely necessary. Most of their heads were bowed and she couldn’t tell if it was to her father or the wolf king who was obviously at the raised platform at the end of the carpeted aisle, judging from the unmistakable aura coming from there.

Where did they all think she’d been? Did they ever ask questions about her disappearance? If they did, her father had probably cooked a heartfelt story and filled their dull heads with it.

They couldn't even provide music to make the wedding feel less like her funeral. Assholes.

In her desperation not to look at the platform or entertain any more pitiful glances from strangers who didn’t give two f***s whether she lived or died as long as they weren’t affected, Freyja quickly browsed through the endless playlists in her mind, searching the song that befits a princess marched like a lamb to the beast, until she clicked on Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)."

At the same time, her eyes locked on the twins, Caspian and Roman. They showed no visible reaction, just as she remembered before she found home in prison. They only ever showed emotions when the situation involved the both of them. It was a relief from all the hypocritical stares.

But soon they walked past them and her eyes naturally found Gideon. His jaw was clenched and he looked like he was seconds away from exploding. He was definitely pissed that he was about to lose his personal pleasure toy. But wasn’t he being dramatic considering they’d all soon be slaughtered and reunited in the afterlife?

Their gazes lingered for a moment longer than necessary, before her father nudged her to keep moving.

Nadia was the only member of the family missing in the hall for obvious reasons.

Alpha Ferguson’s head dipped halfway down the hall as the aura coming from the platform grew more suffocating. Unable to control her curiosity anymore, Frejya's eyes finally went to the platform.

Instantly, the remnant of her breath which had been keeping her upright was knocked right out of her and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She couldn’t tell how she was still standing, but at least her legs caught the memo and refused to move any further. Having never seen the wolf king, and knowing only the rumors of the curse and the terror that defined his reign, Freyja had always imagined the man behind all that would look as ugly as his tales.

But lounging on the black seat that served as a throne, with his elbows supported on his knees as though he was seconds away from being killed by boredom, was a masterpiece of outward perfection. Her gaze swept over his razor-sharp jawline, high cheekbones, and full, cruel lips that she imagined only smiled when he was ripping out the hearts of his enemies. Perhaps today might be her lucky day to see how his smile would look when he finally ripped her father’s heart. Long, raven-black shoulder-length hair fell in slightly tangled strands around his face. He didn’t look like a dying man in any way. But she had long learned never to judge a book by its cover.

His molten amber eyes, shadowed by what looked like exhaustion, pinned Freyja to the spot. Intense, scrutinizing, and nearly causing her head to dip. Until she remembered her father’s warning. Today, she was a princess who had graced the presence of many alphas and high-ranking men. The wolf king, with all his might and reputation, would never want a wife who cowered from a simple stare.

If she must stand a chance at deceiving him and embarking on this last adventure of her life, she must pretend to possess Nadia’s confidence when she faced other alphas without the reputation of the wolf king.

But why did he have to look so beautiful? Wicked men used to look like their sins once. But these days, things seemed to be really changing.

Alpha Ferguson didn’t urge her to move this time because he could already see that his daughter had all of the King's attention.

Desperate to get it over with, he immediately introduced her. “My king, it is with honor and deep loyalty that I present to you Princess Nadezhda Winter. My beloved daughter who is to be your bride.”

Only then did Freyja’s head briefly dip in respect.

The wolf king rose and the two men beside him rose with him. One had dark hair and shared a small resemblance with the king while the other was blonde. They were equally imposing, but not compared to the man of the hour.

She immediately understood why people found King Ryker so intimidating. At a towering six feet six, he looked even more intimidating in his royal black regalia that hugged his broad shoulders before flowing down and ending with a contrasting red that was the same shade as her new hair. He indeed looked terrifying. Beautifully terrifying.

Freyja stopped breathing as he descended the platform, his regalia sweeping down the three stairs, until he closed the distance between them, his gaze still fastened on her. Then he leaned in closer… and smelled her.

Her pulse stumbled.

“Take off the veil,” he ordered almost immediately in a voice so deep it vibrated in her chest, his face devoid of emotion.

Bursts of gasps and whispers slid through the room.

This was it. She knew this plan was stupid from the moment she heard it. She could only hope he’d make her own death quick and painless. She’d already suffered enough.

“My—my king, the law forbids that a bride be unveiled until she has gotten to her husband’s chamber,” Alpha Ferguson protested, his heart in his throat.

King Ryker’s gaze snapped to Alpha Ferguson, and Freyja didn’t miss how the latter did his best to remain composed, probably unwilling to let his subjects see his fear. She could feel even the walls holding their breath, and if she wasn’t already in the firing line of whatever happened after now, she would’ve enjoyed watching him squirm.

“Alpha Ferguson, the law was made for wolves, not wolves for the law,” King Ryker said in a calmer voice that sounded almost as though he was simply educating the old man. “Now, off your daughter’s veil. I need to see what I’m taking back home.”