The garden

“Miss Whelan, His Majesty believes you should practice more exercises, as in walking.” The dirty-blond hair male said with a relaxed expression.

“What for? Won't he kill me?” I was not in the mood. Sincerely, I thought I could talk, but just the mention of that King made me want to roll my eyes.

“No need to be rude.” He said and smiled. “Why don't you enjoy these new benefits the king is giving you? You'll be able to walk around, see the gardens. Talk to other females.”

"I don’t get it…"

“No need to understand but… Let me give you a piece of advice: stop being stubborn. You won't gain anything like that. Obey, be nice, and you might even save your own neck. Yours and that old she-wolf by your side.” He said and turned around, leaving me with no chance to retort.

Yes, Zaila. My nanna. I had to remind myself about her. It was not only my life that was in stack here. If I failed, if I rebelled against the King, I would have to answer not only for my life, but for someone very important and dear to me. An innocent. It was not fair.

The next morning, I was taken to a garden. Not the same one I used to look at through the window of my room, but another one. The courtyard was large, the floor all white marble. Roman-style columns lined them, with vines climbing them. The path was lined with plants and flowers of different colors. Everything was very well taken care of.

“The place is quite beautiful, isn’t it?” A female voice sounded and I looked around. Then, a head of brown hair appeared from behind one of the pillars, a pretty smile on full lips. I approached that female and noticed that her eyes were very dark. Her skin tanned, as if the sun had kissed it. She was beautiful.

She was sitting on a white stone stool. The dress she wore covered her feet. The neckline of the piece was very generous, and although it hugged her breasts so that the skin on them did not show, it contoured them perfectly. She was gorgeous, with her long hair in waves adorned with small flowers.

"Who are you?" I asked, curious. She didn't look like a slave to me, she certainly wasn't an omega, and she seemed too comfortable to be just a visitor.

Her smile widened even more and she held out her hand for me to shake.

“I'm Morgan. I am the second concubine of the King.” She said sympathetically. “You must be Casey, right?”

"Oh, yes. My name is Casey.” I replied, still dumbfounded that this female was a concubine. Not just one concubine, but the second concubine, which meant there was at least one more in the palace. Therefore, a question kept circling my thoughts: Why the hell was I there to be a broodmare if the King already had concubines?

“You're welcome, Casey!” She said with such joy! And I noticed that she had a book in her lap. She followed my eyes and noticed my glances at the brown cover book. “It is a human book. Othello, the Moor of Venice. Have you already read it?" she asked and made a space next to her on the bench, clearly inviting me to sit there with her.

I sat, of course. I wanted to ask her many things, however, I needed to think smartly. This female was definitely close to the King, and if so, maybe she could help me convince him to let me go free.

“Yes, I already read it. Shakespeare.” I answered her. “I love to read and let's face it that in our environment, there are few books of this type. Just books about building, how to be a Luna, or how to be a proper lady.” I said, rolling my eyes and I heard Morgan giggling softly.

"I know, right?!"

“In some packs, human books of this sort are forbidden. I'm shocked the King didn't banish them here.” I confessed. Even though I didn't want to admit it, I had to say that the King had done some good.

“Johannes, I mean, His Majesty, is not so bad.” She said and I realized that her eyes shone with something I didn't know how to recognize, but she soon returned to being happy. “He does not bar access to culture. On the contrary."

I nodded in approval.

“So… He's not a male who lusts after brainless females.” I said and she shook her head.

“He doesn't mind that we have access to the library, but he demands respect and obedience to him. If you follow this,” she looked directly into my eyes, “you'll have the world at your feet.”

It made me want to laugh about it.

“Morgan, I don't mean to be nasty or pessimistic, but…I'm not a concubine. I'm just a… breeder.” I slurred the last word and took a deep breath. “The King will discard me as soon as I give him an heir.”

Morgan bit her bottom lip and took my hand that was on top of my thigh.

“Maybe… Maybe that will change. You are so pretty." She curled her index finger in a strand of my pink hair. “Not only are your features delicate and beautiful, but you are a formidable creature to behold. Pink hair and pink eyes…It's something very rare.”

"I don't think the King will spare me for my 'beautiful eyes', Morgan." I shook my head from side to side and tried to hold back my tears. Remembering the night two days ago, when he'd pressed me into that damned bed… “He doesn't care what happens to me. He wants an heir from me and that’s it!” I had to hold myself together! I tried to control my breathing.

“He chose you for a reason. As long as you are alive, you must have hope.” She almost whispered, gently, and I decided to ask what was bothering me.

“Morgan…” I licked my lips and looked into those dark eyes like a starless night. “You are the second concubine. There must be a first.” She nodded silently. “So… Why would the King want a child with me when he has you? And her?”

“I am not the daughter of an Alpha. I was the daughter of a Gamma. The first concubine, of a Beta.” She said, “You, in addition to being beautiful and with such unusual features, are the daughter of an Alpha. The most fitting combination for a King.”

“If you aren't good enough, in his eyes, to bear a child… Why does he keep you both? Does he love you?”

I had never been in love, I didn't know what it was like. I had heard of a male having more than one female as mates, as well as the opposite. So I couldn't rule out that possibility. But… If that was the case, wouldn't he be happy and fulfilled to have a pup with his fated female?

“Imara and I are just for his amusement. Johannes is good to us, treats us well, provides us with everything we need, but we are nothing more than what we are: concubines. If he wanted more, we would be wives, queens.” She blurted out and despite her slow manner of speaking, I noticed the sad, but at the same time, angry tone her voice carried.

"Do you love him?" I asked and soon regretted it. How pretentious of me to ask something like that! Even more so knowing the King would have to bed me for us to produce an heir. "I’m so sorry! It was very insensitive of me to ask you that and…”

"No." She replied dryly and stared into my face. "I do not love him. But I fulfill my role with awareness.”

I just nodded in agreement. I didn't even know what to say.

We talked about books and Morgan said it would be great if I could go to the library with her, but I said no.

"I'll ask Mr. O'Horan the next time he talks to me." I told her and felt that Morgan didn't like hearing that name. "What was it? Don't you like him?"

"Lorcan O'Horan is not exactly someone to like." Morgan answered and her mouth twisted in disgust. “He gives me the chills.”

I frowned. Yes, the King's Beta, our monarch's adviser, was quite serious and always seemed to be in a bad mood. But he wasn't rough with me at all. In fact, the last time we talked yesterday, he was even patient and polite, considering I yelled and was disrespectful to him.

But I didn't defend him to Morgan. She didn't like him for a reason. One she hasn't told me and I wouldn't ask, yet.

Morgan walked with me through the garden, which was indeed wonderfully beautiful. The second concubine knew some of the plants there and explained to me that she had always been interested in botany, so that was the second place she loved the most in the castle. The first, of course, was the library.

A guard approached the two of us, warning me that my time in the garden was over and I should return to my quarters.

"Was a pleasure to meet you!" I said and waved at Morgan, before turning and following the guard.

When we were about to leave, the guard stopped and bowed. I couldn't see who it was as I was behind that huge male.

“Won't you bow down?”