The Tenth Wife of the Beast King

EmilyI really believed I could heal her.Josh had never stopped trying. He secretly brought me potions and herbal remedies, sitting beside me in the dark corridor as I choked them down. We both pretended that the next bottle might be the one to neutralize the toxin, but the wolfsbane had already gone too deep. It moved through my veins like black ink in clear water—slow, dark, and impossible to pull back.Some mornings, I woke up and felt absolutely nothing. No inner warmth. No spiritual connection. Just a hollow, echoing silence where Amy used to be.Those were the mornings I finally understood the truth: the Emily I used to be was never coming back.I lay flat on my bed. It was the only place left in this house that still felt like mine, though even that comfort was slipping away. My body barely obeyed me anymore. My arms were swollen and sore from endless scrubbing, and my back burned with a deep, muscular exhaustion from days without a single moment of rest.Weeks ago, Clara had d

EmilyMy stomach made a loud, hollow sound as I walked down the hallway. The last time I had eaten was yesterday morning—a small, stale piece of crust that barely counted as food.Hearing voices from the dining room, I slowed my steps.Clara and my father were seated at the table. The rich, warm scent of roasting meat and melted butter hit me, and my mouth instantly watered before my mind could stop it.“Where are you coming from?” Clara asked the second I stepped into view.“I was cleaning Miss Anna’s room,” I said, keeping my eyes glued to the floorboards.“Why are you so slow?” Clara scoffed, not even bothering to look up from her plate. “Always taking forever.”“I’m not—”“Shut your mouth!” Her voice snapped like a whip across the room. “Don’t you dare talk back to me. If I say you’re slow, you’re slow.”Before I could swallow the lump in my throat, Anna walked in and took her seat right beside my father.The moment he saw her, my father’s entire face changed. He smiled. It was tha

Emily“Don’t kill her yet.”Anna’s voice cut through the darkness, pulling me back from the edge of unconsciousness.Josh’s grip loosened slightly, allowing me to breathe a little better, but not enough to fully catch my breath. It was just enough to keep me conscious and in a state of suffering.“She’s still useful,” Anna added.“She hit me.” Josh’s voice was a low growl against my ear. His fingers tightened again briefly. “Look at my face. She drew blood.”Anna leaned in closer, staring at the blood on his face with fake surprise. “Oh my. I didn’t know she still had it in her.”She reached out, gently touching his bruised jaw, before looking down at me with a dark, twisted smile.“A warrior is still a warrior,” she mused. “Even when you break them down to nothing, they still try to bite.” She tilted her head. “Just like her mother.”Anna’s lips curved into a slow smile. “She’s too valuable to kill right now. If you end her now, the entertainment stops.” Her eyes moved over my body. “

EmilyThe knife came down more than once.“This is what you get for being too pretty,” Anna screamed.The silver blade caught the light an instant before it bit into my cheek. She dragged it down, tearing through my skin.“Ah!” I shrieked, the sound echoing off the walls as a wave of hot blood gushed down my neck. “Please! Please stop!”But no one moved. Josh sat in his seat, staring at the floor. My father turned his face away. Nobody stopped her. Anna didn’t quit until her arm was tired and she was satisfied with the ruin she had made of me.“Now!” she panted, wiping the blade on her silk dress. “You look much more adorable like this.”I curled into a ball on the floor, screaming as my face burned as if it were on fire.“Must you do that?” Father’s voice was flat, totally empty of any love. “You know what is at stake with the King.”“The King needs a wife,” she said, turning to face him. “Not a pretty one. Just a breathing one.” She shrugged. “She’s still breathing.”“But...” Josh fi

Emily“The ceremony has started,” a guard barked. “Miss Anna demands your presence. Move.”I didn’t say a single word. I straightened my spine, ignored the cold wind biting at my exposed skin, and followed them out.Today was the day Josh would crown Anna as his Luna. And today was the day I would begin my descent into the terrors of the Nightclaw Pack.The courtyard was grand, filled with the overwhelming scent of roasted meat, expensive wine, and toxic joy. The entire pack had gathered, and the moment I walked into the sunlight, a heavy, suffocating silence fell over the crowd.Every single pair of eyes locked onto me. They stared at my see-through dress, my exposed skin, and the monstrous scars cutting across my face. I could see the disgust in their eyes. I could hear the sharp, judgmental intakes of breath.A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips. Let them stare. Even I knew I looked like an ugly freak.“Sit here,” a maid muttered, shoving me into a wooden chair right in the front r