CROWN OF CLAWS

Chapter five :THE ANNUAL GATHERING

I woke up the following day not on my own, though. That crazy Omega, Emily, was banging on my door like she wanted to break it down.

"Wake up, you lazy slave!" she yelled. "Do you plan on sleeping all day?"

I groaned.

Moon Goddess...

Could this woman leave me alone for one day?

Another loud bang shook the wooden door.

"If you're not outside in one minute, I'll report you to the head servant!"

"Yeah, yeah..." I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

I quickly got out of bed. Calling it a room would be generous. It was barely big enough to fit a broken bed, a cracked window, and a wooden bucket in the corner.

Two years ago I slept on silk sheets.

Now I woke up with splinters digging into my back.

Funny how life worked.

If someone had told me back then that I'd become a slave, I would've laughed in their face.

But fate clearly had other plans.

I barely had enough time to splash cold water on my face before rushing outside.

Emily was already waiting.

"Took you long enough."

I ignored her and walked straight past.

"What? No smart mouth today?"

Still nothing.

"Hmph. That's what I thought."

Sometimes the best way to deal with idiots was to let them argue with themselves.

It had worked for two years.

No point changing it now.

The moment I entered the kitchen, the smell of fresh bread filled the air.

My stomach growled.

I hadn't eaten a proper meal in days.

"Amara!"

A warm voice called me.

I smiled without realizing it.

"Mama Maria."

She waved me over, flour covering both her hands.

"There you are, my dear."

Mama Maria was the only person in this entire pack who treated me like I mattered.

She was in her fifties, but years of endless work had made her look much older. Her husband had died during a rogue attack years ago, and she never had children.

Maybe that's why she looked after me.

Or maybe she simply had a kind heart.

Either way, I appreciated it.

She glanced around before slipping a small piece of warm bread into my hand.

"Eat it quickly before anyone sees."

My chest tightened.

"Mama Maria..."

"You've become too skinny."

I looked at the bread.

It was still warm.

When was the last time someone had given me something without expecting anything in return?

"Thank you."

She smiled.

"Now hurry before Emily starts barking again."

I couldn't help smiling.

"She doesn't bark."

Mama Maria laughed softly.

"No?"

"No."

I took a bite of the bread.

"She sounds more like a dying chicken."

Mama Maria burst into laughter before quickly covering her mouth.

"Amara!"

Speak of the devil.

Emily marched into the kitchen with her usual ugly expression.

"So this is why you're always late."

Her eyes landed on the bread in my hand.

"Oh..."

She folded her arms.

"No wonder this slave has energy. Mama Maria keeps feeding her."

The smile disappeared from Mama Maria's face.

"Emily..."

"What?" she shrugged. "I'm just telling the truth."

She looked me up and down.

"Some people are treated too nicely. I'm afraid they'll forget they're nothing but slaves who were sold off."

Moon Goddess...

I was already getting tired of this woman.

I had talked back to her yesterday.

If I did it again today, people would start paying attention to me.

That was the last thing I needed.

"It's fine, Mama Maria," I said quietly.

Emily smirked.

"What happened? Yesterday you were so bold."

I stayed quiet.

"Oh... so you're mute again."

She laughed.

"At least you know your place."

She walked away.

Honestly...

Ignoring Emily was becoming a full-time job.

Mama Maria gently squeezed my shoulder.

"Don't take it to heart, my baby. Emily is just... immature."

Immature?

That was putting it nicely.

"It's okay, Mama Maria."

She nodded.

"Good. Since you can't really cook..."

I frowned.

"I only burned the soup once."

"You burned it three times."

"...Let's not count."

She chuckled.

"I need you to help decorate the Great Hall. Set the tables and arrange the flowers. Afterwards, you'll serve as one of the waitresses."

Relief washed over me.

Being a waitress was still hard work, but at least it was better than staying in the kitchen with Emily all day.

"I can do that."

"I know you can."

I grabbed a basket filled with flowers and made my way toward the Great Hall.

The moment I stepped inside, I froze.

The hall looked completely different.

Long wooden tables stretched across the room.

Silver plates reflected the sunlight pouring through the windows.

Golden goblets stood neatly beside each plate.

Fresh flowers filled every table.

Large blue banners hung from the stone walls.

Whoever planned this gathering clearly wanted to impress their guests.

How funny.

If only those guests knew the people preparing this feast hadn't eaten properly in days.

"Be careful!" one of the head servants shouted.

"If even one plate breaks, every servant here will be punished."

Everyone immediately started moving faster.

I quietly arranged the flowers.

A few servant girls nearby were whispering.

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"I heard more than twenty packs are coming."

"No way."

"I'm serious. My cousin is one of the guards."

Another servant leaned closer.

"I heard the Silver Fang Pack accepted the invitation."

"So did the Crimson Claw Pack."

The oldest servant lowered her voice.

"And..."

She looked around before whispering,

"I heard the Lycan Kingdom accepted too."

Everyone froze.

Even I stopped arranging the flowers.

"The Lycan Kingdom?"

"I swear."

"My cousin heard it from Beta Tristan."

One girl gasped.

"Does that mean..."

"The Lycan King is coming."

Silence.

Even Emily stopped pretending she wasn't listening.

"I heard he's terrifying."

"My uncle met him once."

"What did he say?"

"He said King Kaelith doesn't need to shout. The moment he walks into a room, everyone goes silent."

Another servant nodded.

"They say he defeated an entire rogue army without losing a single warrior."

"I heard he's never smiled."

"I heard his wolf is the biggest Lycan alive."

"I heard no Alpha dares challenge him."

I rolled my eyes.

People loved exaggerating.

Another Alpha.

Another powerful ruler.

What made him any different?

Power changed people.

Power made people greedy.

Power made brothers kill each other.

My father had been different.

And look where kindness got him.

Dead.

"Amara."

Mama Maria's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Can you help me carry these wine bottles?"

"Of course."

I lifted the heavy crate.

Moon Goddess...

This thing weighed a ton.

"You've gotten stronger," Mama Maria said.

I almost laughed.

If only she knew.

Every single night after everyone fell asleep...

I trained.

Running through the forest.

Practicing sword forms with a wooden branch.

Throwing knives at trees.

Building strength little by little.

One day...

I'd stop pretending to be weak.

One day...

I'd make every person responsible for my family's deaths pay.

Emily walked past with a smirk.

"Oh look."

"The princess is carrying boxes."

A few servants laughed.

I ignored them.

Again.

Good.

Keep thinking I'm weak.

The weaker they believed I was...

The easier my revenge would be.

Suddenly—

Boooooom!

A horn echoed through the entire pack.

Then another.

Then another.

Every guard rushed toward the entrance.

"They're here!"

Servants hurried into position.

I quickly straightened my dress and picked up a silver tray filled with goblets.

The gates were open.

Guests were pouring in.

Security was focused on protecting the visiting Alphas.

For the first time in two years...

The pack was distracted.

Could this be my chance?

I forced myself to stay calm.

Not yet.

One mistake... and you'll die.

"The first guests have arrived!" a guard shouted.

Music filled the courtyard.

One Alpha after another entered the Blue Moon Pack.

Some came on horseback.

Others arrived in grand carriages.

Their warriors followed closely behind them.

The entire pack buzzed with excitement.

I quietly poured wine into goblets, keeping my eyes lowered like every slave was supposed to.

More names were announced.

More Alphas arrived.

The hall slowly filled with powerful scents.

None of them mattered to me.

I was too busy planning my escape.

Then...

Everything went silent.

Not quiet.

Silent.

Even the musicians stopped playing.

The guards immediately stood straighter.

The Blue Moon Alpha himself walked toward the entrance.

I frowned.

What's happening now?

A deep voice echoed across the courtyard.

"His Majesty..."

A pause.

"...King Kaelith Viltheries of the Lycan Kingdom."

A collective gasp spread through the hall.

Every Alpha stood.

Every servant lowered their head.

I did the same.

After all...

Slaves who looked royalty in the eye didn't live very long.

Heavy footsteps echoed across the stone floor.

Slow.

Confident.

Unhurried.

For some reason...

My heart suddenly started beating faster.

Why...?

I frowned.

Calm down, Amara.

He's just another king.

I reached for a wine bottle.

As I poured it into a goblet...

The strange feeling only grew stronger.

It felt...

Like someone was staring at me.

Not casually.

Intently.

I swallowed.

Why do I suddenly feel so uneasy?

Against my better judgment...

I slowly lifted my head.

My eyes met a pair of cold silver ones across the hall.

The man was tall, dressed entirely in black, with broad shoulders and an air of authority that made everyone around him seem insignificant.

He wasn't looking at the Alpha.

He wasn't looking at the guests.

He was looking...

Directly at me.

My breath caught.

Why is the Lycan King staring at a slave?

The tray in my hands suddenly felt much heavier.

For the first time in two years...

I couldn't look away.

For a moment, the noise around me faded.

He was... tall.

No.

Tall wasn't enough to describe him.

He had to be at least six foot nine, towering over everyone else in the hall. Even the Alphas standing around him looked smaller. His broad shoulders stretched beneath a fitted black tunic embroidered with silver thread, making him look even more intimidating.

His black hair fell neatly across his forehead, dark as a moonless night.

Thick brows framed a pair of piercing silver eyes that seemed capable of seeing straight through a person.

His nose was sharp with a slight upturned tip, giving his otherwise cold face an oddly balanced look.

His lips...

They were naturally pink, almost unfairly so, pressed into a thin line that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

A small mole rested just below his right ear.

It was strange.

Out of everything about him, that tiny mark was what caught my attention the most.

He looked... perfect.

Too perfect.

Like someone carved him out of stone.

He didn't smile.

Didn't speak.

Didn't even move.

Yet somehow...

His presence alone silenced an entire room.

Even Alpha Cedric, who usually walked around like he owned the world, looked... cautious.

So this is the Lycan King...

The stories hadn't been exaggerating after all.

Still...

Why was he looking at me?

Did I do something wrong?

I quickly lowered my gaze, my grip tightening around the silver tray.

Don't look at him, Amara.

You're just a slave.

Slaves don't make eye contact with kings.

I took a slow step backward, hoping he'd lose interest.

He didn't.

I could still feel his eyes following me wherever I moved.

Moon Goddess...

Why me?

I hadn't spoken.

I hadn't spilled anything.

I hadn't even looked at him until a second ago.

Then why...

Why was the most powerful man in the room staring at a nameless slave?

A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

Not fear.

Not exactly.

Just...

Unease.

Something told me that from the moment our eyes met...

Nothing in my life would ever be the same again.