Chapter 5
šShannonš
"Who areā?" My voice trembled as a wave of cold air rushed in through the open door. The hallway beyond was dark, the dim light from my room unable to reach the shadowed figure standing there. The longer the person stood there, the heavier the dread in my chest grew. "āYou?" I finally whisper.
But all I got was silence.
The figure neither spoke nor moved. My pulse quickened, the fear creeping in deeper. I donāt usually get scared. But after what happened today, my nerves were shattered, scattered like shards of glass.
"What do you want?!" I demanded, stepping forward despite the panic clawing at my chest. And thatās when it hit meā
A scent. Strong and overwhelming.
Candy and roses, laced with something deeper, something rich and sweet, like raspberries. It flooded my senses, intoxicating and almost⦠familiar.
Then, finally, the answer came.
"You."
A single word. Rough. Low. A baritone voice that sent a shiver down my spine.
The figure moved at last, stepping into the light.
I took a sharp step back, my body reacting before my mind catches up. And then, I saw him.
The same man. The same nonchalant man who had bought me off moments ago.
I guess I hadnāt paid enough attention to him earlier. I never realized he was this tall until now. He strode forwardāstraight towards me, his incredibly tall frame towering over me.
Iāve always been proud of my 5 '7 frameātaller than most girls I knewābut next to him, I felt so, so small. What is he? Six-three? Six-four?
His silver hair, wet and sleek, draped over his face like he had just stepped out of the shower. Or maybe he just always looked effortlessly, sinfully attractive.
God. What am I even thinking?
But I canāt help it. The more I took in his sight, the more captivated I became.
His chest was bare, muscles flexing as he moved. His arms, strong and muscular, swung with every little shift.
The sheer size of him, the dominance radiating off of himāitās suffocating. My breath caught in my throat as my gaze dropped lower, andā
Oh.
His shorts. Loose. But not loose enough.
The thick erection beneath them was impossible to ignore. And heās also making no effort to hide it.
Heat flooded my cheeks as I pulled my eyes away, suddenly conscious of my own bodyāof the way my nightgown clinged to me, how exposed I felt next to him.
"At some point, you're gonna have to look me in the eyes." His voice was smoother now, deeper and teasing.
Shame washed through me and I forced myself to meet his gaze.
His hazel eyes were dark and unreadable. The intensity of his gaze sent another wave of heat through me, dragging low in my stomach.
Who really is this man? And why is he making me feel this way so fast even when I tried so hard to resist him?
Iāve met men before. Iāve been flirted with, seduced even. But I've never encountered anyone like this man.
"If you keep staring at me like that, I guess weāre gonna be here all night," he drawled. "And I sure as hell didnāt plan on that."
I swallowed hard. "I-I wasnātā I mean, I didnāt mean to stare."
"Oh, you can stare all you want. Thatās not a problem." His smirk deepened, making my heart race. "But I like to look too."
My brows furrowed. "I donāt understandā"
"Youāll understand soon enough." He stepped closer, his presence swallowing the air between us. "Listen carefully. I won't repeat myself, Shannon."
My name on his lipsā
It sounded like a curse. Like something dirty.
I stiffened. Thereās no warmth in the way he says it. Only cold disdain. Like Iām nothing more than a pawn in whatever game heās playing.
"As we both know, your master has given me authority over you," he said, gently holding my chin as he moved closer, a sly smile on his lips. "So now, you are my breeder.ā
My breath hitched, my body going rigid.
What?! No!
I thought this was all a joke all along. Did he really mean it when he said I was going to be his breeder?
I shook my head, waving that thought away. It's never going to happen, no matter how hard he tries.
āI don't want to be your breeder," I said in almost a whisper, as tears rolled down my eyes. "I will accept any other task but not this.ā
He stepped in, closing the last of the space between us. My knees hit the bed, and I falled back slightly, hands gripping the sheets.
He towered over me, his body so close, too close. My heart slammed against my ribs as his eyes dragged over me, slow and calculating.
Then he leaned down, and his next words made my stomach drop.
"I'm not here to negotiate with you. I don't negotiate with anyone, especially females. You all are just too weak to behold.ā He hissed. āYou are my breeder, and the earlier you realize that, the better for you."
I froze. I felt like I had just been pricked on my skin.
But he wasn't done yet.
"Iāll fuck you, put my pups in you, and youāll give birth to them." He said it so casually, like heās discussing the weather. "As many times as I want. Do you understand?"
A strangled breath escaped from my lips. My whole body trembled.
This can't be real.
I slipped backward slowly, struggling to crawl my way to the bed when I felt his firm grip on my legs.
He jerked me back towards himself, his hands grabbing my waistline in a violent manner.
Then he stopped, his gaze suddenly calm. He stood up and lowered his head to meet my gaze.
āI've decided not to be violent. Since you belong to me, there shouldnāt be a need to force you, right?" he asked, his voice cold but oddly gentle.
I lifted my head to look him dead in the eyes. He had a murder instinct like he would be pouncing on me soon. Still, I repeated the words as boldly as I could.
"Do to me whatever you want, King Evan. But I will never be your breeder. I'd rather die!ā
He turned slowly, his eyes scanning me with a nauseating dominance and fury.
āDonāt dare me.ā
Chapter 44ShannonI stayed by the window for a long time, watching the two of them walk through the garden like a perfect couple in a romantic movie. Lisa was laughing, her hand still wrapped around Evanās arm. He didnāt pull away. He never did. I could see her tilt her head towards him, whispering something that made her smile wider. He said nothing, just nodded slightly as they walked past the rose trees.My heart hurt so badly I pressed my palm against my chest, as if that could stop the pain from spilling out.Then, out of nowhere, the door creaked open behind me.I turned quickly.It was one of Evanās guardsāthe tall one with a scar across his chin. He didnāt even look at me properly. He just threw something at me.It landed at my feet with a dull sound.I took a quick look at the floor, and my mind spinned when I saw an apron lying there.āGet dinner prepared before sunset,ā he ordered, his voice sharp and cold.I blinked. āDinner?āHe narrowed his eyes. āYou heard me. The Wol
Chapter 43ShannonEvan was still standing there when the door opened again.At first, I thought it was another guard or maybe Owen coming back to say sorry. But the moment I saw who it was, my heart froze.It was Lisa.She was tall, beautiful, and dressed in a long silver gown that sparkled under the soft light. Her golden hair was tied neatly, and her lips were painted bright red like fresh blood. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked in, her chin high, her eyes sharp.But what shocked me most wasnāt how she looked ā it was what she did next.Without even saying a word, she walked straight to Evan and kissed him.Right there⦠in front of me.The sound of her lips pressing against his filled the quiet room. My chest tightened so hard it hurt. My breath caught in my throat.It was like the world around me stopped moving.Evan didnāt push her away. He didnāt even look surprised. He just stood there, letting her do it.I wanted to look away, but I couldnāt. It was like my eyes we
Chapter 42Shannon The air in the manor always felt heavy. Not like before when I was a slaveāback then, fear filled my chest like a locked cage. Now, it was different. I wasnāt beaten. I wasnāt ordered around by angry guards. But even in all this quietness, I still wasnāt free.Evan said I could only leave when I gave birth to his child.That was the deal.That was my fate now.I had been here long enough to know every corner of this big house. The tall windows, the shiny floors that always seemed too clean to step on. I knew the guards by name. Nothing here was new to me anymore.And yet, every time I saw Evan, my heart still jumped ā not because I loved him, but because I didnāt know what he would do next.Sometimes he was silent and calm. Other times, he looked at me like I was nothing more than a cage holding something precious ā his heir.Owen had stopped talking to me much. He stayed far away since that day Evan almost tore him apart. When we crossed paths in the hall, he gave
Chapter 41ShannonThe morning came too slowly.I didnāt sleep much. My eyes were swollen, my throat dry, and my body heavy like I had been crying for days. The room still felt cold, even though the sun had started to shine through the curtains. I could see little streaks of light dancing on the floor, but they didnāt make me feel warm.The moment I opened my eyes, I remembered everything ā the noise from last night, the laughter, the womanās voice, and Evanās deep tone mixing with hers. I remembered how my heart broke while I sat alone in this locked room, begging for the pain to stop.I pressed my face into the pillow. It still smelled like him. I hated that. I wanted to forget his scent, forget his touch, forget everything about him. But no matter how hard I tried, the smell stayed there, clinging to my skin, to my heart.I slowly sat up, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. My head hurt, and my hands were shaking. I didnāt even want to move, but I knew I had to. I couldnāt st
Chapter 40ShannonThe night felt endless.The cold wind brushed against my face as Evan dragged me through the woods, his grip so tight it almost cut off my skin. I didnāt fight anymore ā I was too weak now. Tears ran down my cheeks, but he didnāt even look back.āOwen!ā I cried once, but my voice was swallowed by the dark. I knew he couldnāt come. He was hurt, maybe even worse than hurt. My heart squeezed painfully at the thought.Evan didnāt say a word all the way back. His jaw was clenched, his steps fast, his body stiff with anger. His silence was scarier than his shouting. I could feel his rage rolling off him like heat from a fire.When we reached his palace, he didnāt slow down. He yanked the heavy doors open and pulled me inside. His guards bowed their heads quickly, pretending not to see what was happening. No one dared to stop him. No one ever did.He dragged me up the stairs, his fingers still digging into my wrist. āEvan, please,ā I whispered, my voice trembling. āYouāre
Chapter 39OwenāSheās not with me,ā I said quickly. āShe wanted to come back to the palace, so I brought her back.āBut Evan didnāt believe me. He grabbed my shirt and yanked me out of the car with one swift move. I stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.āYou expect me to believe that?ā he growled. āAfter you helped her escape?āāI didnāt help her escape!ā I yelled back, trying to steady myself. āI was trying to protect her!āHe shoved me hard, and I hit the side of the car. Pain shot through my shoulder, but I didnāt move.āProtect her?ā Evanās voice was sharp, mocking. āFrom what? From me?āI clenched my fists. āYou donāt understand, Evan. She was scared. She didnāt even want to stay here anymore!āāLiar!ā he roared, his voice echoing into the night. āYou took her! You hid her!āBefore I could speak again, his fist landed on my jaw. The impact sent me crashing to the ground. My vision blurred for a second, stars flashing before my eyes.āEvan, stop!ā I coughed, blood dripping from