The Lycan King's Saving Grace

~ELEORA~ “Be snappy about it, Leora. The driver is waiting.” Traven's icy voice treaded into my room. I sniffed back my tears, bending to pack everything I was allowed to. Just one duffel bag. I wanted to leave quietly, but by the time I got outside, they were all there. All three of them—My mother, my sister and Traven, my mate who was now my sister's. My Mother spread her hands wide apart, asking for a hug but I stood back, not moving an inch closer. "Be a good girl there, Leora.” She moved close, her hands busy on the collar of my shirt. “That's the only way you'll live." Five more minutes. I begged my wolf to hold out that long. “How can you say that to me, Mom?" That wasn't a question, it was a search. She responded with a scoff. "After everything I've done and am still doing for this family?” I faced Bella. They both held their faces high— no single trace of guilt or remorse. “And what have we done to you other than stopping your weak ass wolf from embarrassing us?” Mom snapped, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You'll finally be useful somewhere, Leora." Bella sneered. "By taking my freedom?” Mother laughed, then grabbed my hand. She already wore that dirty ‘mother facade’ before she began. "Honey…” I yanked my hand from hers, my eyes misty as an irritation grew inside me. "You all deserve to suffer worse. Each one of you.” I said each word slowly. The worst I could do, was speak that way because in an actual wrestle, I was no match for any of them.. Not even my pregnant Beta sister. The gates shut behind me as I walked over to the waiting car. Metal hit metal— creating a pounding sensation in my chest, just enough to remind me of my new bondage. Just enough to remind me that this was no longer home. My freedom had been sold to not just anyone, but the man whose second name was terror. The Lycan King. And I was to serve with my whole life. Two gates opened and closed. One was my family's. The other was the Lycan King's. The sound of the metals clashing was enough to shudder my breathing, sending tears down my eyes. I kept my head low until the car had driven past the entrance path. The driver opened the door for me to step out. I quickly wiped my tears before stepping out, clutching the strap of my bag—and then I saw it. It was a manor sitting on a vast estate, and in all my years of living, my wolf had never seen it felt anything like it. It quietly existed in a suffocating shade of black and touches of gold, like a sleeping dragon that could awaken at any moment. In front of us stood a fountain. It was the only thing that seemed to carry life across the grounds. Then I looked around. Flowers. Not one. But rows of them stretched along both sides of the entrance path, planted several paces away from the fountain. And there were guards. Not one, or two. But dozens. “Welcome, Miss Lancaster.” A middle-aged woman approached me, dressed in a uniform. I knew she was a worker in this estate. “Thank you, so much." I couldn't smile, but my chest lightened a bit, knowing someone was familiar. She told me I could call her Marilyn and then asked me to come with her. We went into the manor through another entrance— not the main one, and I already had a million questions stacked inside my head as we made our way to a room she told me I could settle in temporarily, until the housekeeper was back. Nothing about the manor felt ordinary. Even the servants' quarters looked larger than homes I'd seen growing up. Paintings and artifacts lined the walls, watching from every corner like silent spectators. But the few minutes I'd spent here had only reminded me that my life had changed. For the worse. As we walked settled into that room, one question kept scratching at my thoughts. "Why didn't we go through the main entrance?" I asked, allowing my curiosity to overpower my restraint. She paused, and her body reacted to my question. "Um…” She let out a fake and awkward laugh. "That question is not mine to answer, Miss Lancaster.” I swallowed because I had my answer already. It was the fear in her eyes. "It'll be evening soon, so you must make yourself ready.” She said quickly, her tone respectful yet dismissive, before leaving. I laid back against the large bed and stared at the ceiling above me, letting tears trickle down each corner of my eyes. The room felt too big. Too quiet. The silence pressed against my wolf in a way I couldn't explain. I'd only spent minutes in this manor, yet fear had already settled beneath my skin. Maybe because deep down, I knew this wasn't a home. It was a cage. As much as I knew, I was to spend the rest of my life serving here— all because I was born a weakness to my family. My late father had been the pack's last Beta, and my mother once served as the Alpha's housekeeper. They had status. Bella inherited everything worth showing off. And me... I was the mistake no one wanted to claim. I wasn't allowed at tables with them. Wasn't allowed opinions or friends. Or even space. I had always been alone. I didn't remember when sleep found me until the slow creak of the bedroom door jerked me awake. My eyes slowly opened, sweat dribbling down my chin. Outside the window, darkness had already swallowed the sky. “Miss…” An old woman broke in with her quavery voice. I assumed her to be the housekeeper Marilyn spoke of. “You must make haste and prepare yourself to meet the King right now." She scurried into the bathroom with an unavoidable tone of urgency. I followed, and other maids followed after me. "What are you doing?” I questioned, steadying my gaze to capture all five maids in the large bathroom. “You must allow us do our jobs, Miss. The King is very strict about cleanliness and it is only right that we give you your first bath.” I swallowed,my chest puffing from inside. I allowed them bath me— but it wasn't just a bath. They bathed me, and applied body oils on me. When they were done, the maids lefts and the old woman tossed a silk two-piece black lingere before me. I stood, holding the towel tight around my body. "I'm not sure I understand.” “Hurry, child. You must—" “Am I to meet the King wearing that?" My brows pulled together at their own will. She paused, her gaze spelling out confusion in every language. "Of course. You're to be his breeder, so you must.” My breath hitched and every other sound rang aloud in my ears. "What?" Breeder. Was I to carry his child? The King's breeder? What did my Mother do? I shook my head, while the words were forming slowly in my mouth. “I wasn't told. I can't do it—’ She looked into my eyeswith pity, and cupped my face, shaking her head as she spoke with desperation. “Yes you can, child. It's already too late to back out." “What if he kills me?” I'd heard of how he killed without a second thought and how death was very easy for him to inflict. "He won't." She said, but her eyes soon saddened. "Wear it, child.” She whispered before walking out. A sob broke from my chest as I fell to the ground. This was the bondage. A breeder, meant I would have to breed his children. To carry them. This King was said to be a monster. Callous and dangerous. It was too late to escape, because there were maids and guards planted outside my room already. I didn't spend time wearing the lingerie, and minutes later, I was being led to the King's inner rooms. The air tightened against my lungs at each step and before I finally walked into the room, a very long rope was tied around my waist. So long it travelled through the hands of twenty other servants. My heart had ripped into a million pieces before the doors were opened and I entered. The entire room was dimly lit with just one corner lamp, in a dark all-black color and the dress on me paired with my skin color seemed to be the only thing of different color. Quiet. Dark. Different. My wolf hated black, so I had chosen the wine lingerie instead. I did as she'd told me— I sat on the large bed, waiting but instead, the metallic scent of blood filled the air. After minutes, I was still alone here so I stood to leave. “Sit" I heard a growl. Eerily low and quiet that my wolf stuttered. My heart lurched and my feet halted. It was dark, and the only lamp in this room barely lit anything. I could hear footsteps, so I fell back to the bed in fear. The chandelier lights burst alive overhead. And there he was. Shirtless. Blood trailing from his temple down the hard planes of his chest like crimson paint across marble. Lycan King Xenos Nikolai. The man whispered about, in prayers and nightmares alike. Dangerous. Ruthless. Merciless. And staring directly at me.