Chapter seven: A CHOICE I NEVER WANTED
1321 Words
Amara's POV
"I'll take her."
The words echoed through the hall.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
Me?
Out of everyone here...
Why me?
The hall was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat.
Emily's face turned pale while Collin looked as though he'd seen a ghost. Even Alpha Cedric struggled to keep the smile on his face.
"My... My King," Alpha Cedric began carefully, "she is only a slave."
The Lycan King didn't even spare him a glance.
"I know exactly what she is."
His voice was calm, but there was something in it that made everyone tense.
"I'll take her."
Alpha Cedric forced another smile.
"If Your Majesty requires servants, I can offer you ten. Twenty, if you wish."
"I don't want twenty."
"I want her."
Emily suddenly rushed forward.
"Your Majesty!" she said, bowing deeply. "Please don't let her fool you. She may look quiet, but she's lazy. She talks back, she's disrespectful, and she constantly causes trouble."
I stared at the floor.
Moon Goddess...
Does this woman ever get tired?
Collin stepped beside her.
"My King, she's telling the truth. The girl isn't worth your attention."
Mama Maria couldn't stay silent anymore.
She immediately dropped to her knees.
"Your Majesty, please forgive them. Amara is a good child. She works harder than anyone in this pack."
Emily shot her a murderous glare.
"Stay out of this, old woman."
"Mama Maria..." I whispered under my breath.
Please don't get yourself into trouble because of me.
The Lycan King's silver eyes swept across everyone before settling on Alpha Cedric again.
"You purchased her?"
Cedric nodded nervously.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
His expression darkened.
"You buy and sell people?"
No one answered.
"I asked you a question."
Cedric swallowed.
"...Yes."
For the first time since he had entered the hall, I saw something change in the Lycan King's face.
Disgust.
Pure disgust.
His jaw tightened.
"In my kingdom," he said slowly, "slavery has been forbidden for generations."
The room became deathly silent.
"No child... no woman... no man... is property."
His words were calm, but they carried enough weight to silence every Alpha in the room.
"Anyone caught trading lives is punished accordingly."
I looked up before I could stop myself.
He...
He was against slavery?
That couldn't be right.
Every powerful ruler I had ever heard of treated commoners like tools.
Yet the way he looked at Alpha Cedric...
It was as though he found the very idea revolting.
He turned toward me.
"I'll be taking her."
My heart clenched.
No.
No...
This wasn't supposed to happen.
For two years...
I had survived this place.
Every insult.
Every beating.
Every hungry night.
Every bruise.
Every humiliation.
It had all been for one reason.
Revenge.
Leaving with him meant leaving everything behind.
The Red Crescent Moon Pack.
My parents.
Lucien.
The graves I had never been allowed to visit.
And Uncle Darius...
The man who had murdered them all.
His kingdom was far away.
Too far.
If I left...
How would I ever return?
How would I reclaim what belonged to my family?
How would I make Uncle Darius pay?
No.
I couldn't.
Even if staying here meant more suffering...
I couldn't abandon my promise.
I slowly stepped forward, keeping my head lowered.
"My King..."
My voice trembled.
"Thank you for your kindness."
I took a shaky breath.
"But..."
"I cannot go with you."
The words slipped out before fear could stop me.
The hall erupted in gasps.
Emily's mouth fell open.
Collin looked at me as though I'd gone insane.
Alpha Cedric nearly choked.
Refuse...
The Lycan King?
I had just refused the most powerful ruler on the continent.
I kept my head lowered.
"I... still have something I must do."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unbearable silence.
I could feel his gaze on me.
Not angry.
Not offended.
Curious.
After a long moment, his deep voice broke the silence.
"And what," he asked quietly, "could possibly be more important than your freedom?"
My fingers curled into fists.
Revenge.
The answer echoed inside my heart.
But it was a truth I could never say out loud...
My fingers curled into fists.
Revenge.
The answer echoed inside my heart.
But it was a truth I could never say aloud.
I lowered my gaze.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."
His silver eyes never left me.
"I asked you a question."
His voice remained calm.
"What is more important than your freedom?"
The hall waited for my answer.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"I... have unfinished business."
That was all I could say.
I couldn't tell him that the man who murdered my parents was still breathing.
I couldn't tell him my family's throne had been stolen.
I couldn't tell him I had spent two years pretending to be weak while secretly preparing to destroy the people responsible.
No.
Those were burdens I carried alone.
The Lycan King studied me for a long moment.
It felt as though he was trying to read every thought hidden behind my eyes.
Finally, he spoke.
"You're lying."
My heart skipped.
"I..."
"You aren't refusing because you wish to remain a slave."
His gaze was steady.
"You're refusing because you're chasing something."
Something...
Or someone.
I bit the inside of my cheek.
How could he see through me so easily?
"My King," Alpha Cedric interrupted with a nervous laugh. "As you can see, the girl doesn't know what's good for her. She's been a slave for too long."
"I wasn't speaking to you."
Cedric immediately fell silent.
The Lycan King took another step toward me.
I instinctively stepped back.
He stopped.
"I won't force you."
The words surprised everyone.
Even me.
"But answer me honestly."
His expression softened, just enough for me to notice.
"If I leave today..."
"...will you truly be free?"
The question hit me harder than I expected.
Free?
No.
Even if he walked away...
I'd still wake before sunrise.
I'd still scrub floors.
I'd still serve people who looked down on me.
I'd still endure Emily.
I'd still bow my head every single day.
But none of that mattered.
Because revenge had a price.
And I had already paid too much to turn back now.
"I made a promise," I whispered.
It was barely loud enough for him to hear.
"A promise?"
I nodded.
"To someone... who can no longer hear it."
For the first time, I saw something flicker across his face.
Understanding.
Not complete understanding...
But enough.
He didn't ask who.
He didn't ask why.
Instead, he looked at Alpha Cedric.
"Tell me."
Cedric straightened immediately.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Does she belong to you?"
Cedric frowned.
"...She is my slave."
"That wasn't my question."
The room fell silent again.
"Does she belong to you?"
Cedric hesitated.
"...By law..."
"I asked whether she belongs to you."
"No..."
Cedric admitted quietly.
The Lycan King nodded once.
"No person belongs to another."
His words carried through the hall like a decree.
"You may chain someone's body."
"But never their will."
I felt my throat tighten.
No one...
No one had ever spoken like that.
Not since my father.
The Lycan King turned back to me.
"I won't make your choice for you."
His voice was quieter now.
"But I won't leave you here simply because you believe suffering is the only path to justice."
I stared at him, unable to speak.
How could someone I'd met only minutes ago understand what even I struggled to admit?
He looked toward his Beta.
"Tristan."
"Yes, My King."
"Prepare a carriage."
My eyes widened.
"...Your Majesty?"
He met my gaze again.
"You said you have unfinished business."
"I won't stop you from seeing it through."
Confusion washed over me.
"I don't understand."
"You will."
A faint smile..so small I almost thought I imagined it,touched the corner of his lips.
"But you will not face it as a slave."
My heart skipped.
What...
What was he planning?
- Writer
