Claimed by the Demon Alpha

Chapter 3: The Palace

Selene POV

I'm alive.

The thought comes first, sharp and clear. My eyes snap open. Soft silk sheets. A canopy bed draped in dark velvet. Stone walls carved with ancient symbols I don't recognize.

My hands fly to my body, checking for wounds, for blood, for any sign of the dragon's jaws crushing me. Nothing. Just my torn dress and scratched arms from the thorny bushes.

The room is enormous. Cold. A massive fireplace sits empty on one wall. Heavy curtains block most of the light, leaving everything in shadow. The air smells old—like stone and dust and something metallic I can't quite place.

Where am I?

The last thing I remember is the dragon. Those burning red eyes. Its mouth opening wide—

The door swings open.

I jolt upright, my heart hammering. A woman enters, dressed in a plain gray uniform. Her face is blank. Expressionless.

"Good morning, my lady." Her voice is flat. Mechanical. "I trust you slept well."

My lady?

"Where—" My voice comes out hoarse. I swallow and try again. "Where am I?"

"The Alpha King's palace, of course." She claps her hands twice. Two servants enter carrying trays of food. Fresh bread. Roasted meat. Fruits I've never seen before. They set everything on a table by the window and leave without a word.

"You're fortunate," the woman continues, still in that dead tone. "You're the first woman to meet the Alpha King's gaze and survive the night."

Meet his gaze?

"I never met any Alpha King." My fingers dig into the sheets. "I only saw a—"

"Eat." She cuts me off. "You'll need your strength."

I stare at the food. My stomach churns. "Is this my last meal? Am I being prepared for... for sacrifice?"

"Perhaps." She shrugs. "Perhaps not. It depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you can withstand the Alpha King's test. On whether the Moon Goddess grants you luck." Her lips curve into something that might be a smile but isn't. Not really. "If you survive, you'll be our Luna. If not..."

She walks to the window and throws open the curtains.

Sunlight floods in. Harsh. Blinding.

"Look," she says.

I force myself to stand. To move toward the window. Every instinct screams at me to stop, to turn away, but I keep walking.

The view overlooks a mountainside slope.

Bodies.

Oh God.

Women's bodies. Dozens of them. Maybe more. Scattered across the rocks like discarded dolls. Some are fresh—pale skin still intact. Others have been there longer. Flesh rotting. Bones showing through. Flies swarm in thick black clouds. Even from here, even through the closed window, I can smell it.

Death. Decay. Horror.

My stomach heaves. I stumble backward, one hand clamped over my mouth. The room spins. I barely make it to the washroom before I'm sick, retching until there's nothing left.

When I emerge, shaking and pale, the maid is still there. Still wearing that cold smile.

"Good luck with your test, my lady." Her voice drips with mockery. "Though I haven't seen a lucky one yet. They all end up down there eventually." She gestures toward the window. "You'll probably join them soon enough."

No. No, I can't. I won't.

"I need to leave." The words tumble out. "I need to—"

The door opens again.

A woman enters, draped in black robes. Her face is gaunt, her skin stretched tight over sharp bones. Her eyes are dark pits. She moves with an unsettling grace, like a shadow given form.

"I am Istha," she says. Her voice is soft. Almost gentle. But something about it makes my skin crawl. "The High Priestess. I'm here to prepare you. Once the other two brides are dead, it will be your turn to meet the Alpha King."

No.

My legs refuse to move. Fear wraps around my chest like iron bands, squeezing until I can't breathe.

"Come, child." Istha extends one skeletal hand. "He's waiting."