4: Marry me, little kitten

BRIAR

When I woke up, it was on the softest bed in the world, and I immediately wanted to go back to sleep, but three pairs of eyes were staring at me, and they immediately nudged me up. They introduced themselves with names I couldn’t follow, and they told me that their King had allowed they to run my bath for me and feed me. I was momentarily confused because I couldn’t really remember anything beyond what Aaron and Roxie did to me, but I followed their orders anyway. I allowed them to bathe me by running the fluffiest, most luxurious, scented soap over my body. They took their time cleaning every single part of my body, and it was so calming that I dozed off a couple of times.

When we were done in the bathroom, I was led back into the large room where sweet-smelling oils and creams were rubbed against my skin, and my hair was brushed and oiled till it sparkled. Another set of maids brought huge trays of mouth-watering dishes, and they barely even set them down before I devoured them. It reminded me that I haven’t eaten in days. I haven’t eaten since that morning before I realized what Aaron really was.

The events of the past few days felt like nothing but an unrealistic soap opera, from having my mate toss me out to die, to fleeing on a train, saving a stranger, and opening up about my personal life to him, to being captured and locked up in a dungeon, to be tried and almost scarred with burning iron, only to be saved in the last minute by the stranger that I met on the train.

The same stranger that the head of the asylum referred to as Alpha Azrael.

But that wasn’t possible, right? He couldn’t be Alpha Azrael. If he were, he’d have recognized that I was wolfless and mateless on the train. And it wasn’t possible that someone as powerful as Alpha Azrael would have that serious and life-threatening allergy.

But it was him. I could remember his face clearly now. I could…

“If you’re done eating, my lady.” One of the old maid’s voices interrupted my thoughts from where I was staring into space, “We’d have to dress up and get you ready to meet the Alpha.”

“What?” I asked, alarmed.

“The alpha has requested your presence if you’re done eating,” she smiled and nodded politely, even though my panic was building a tsunami within me.

“Why?” I asked again, and the trio exchanged confused looks, “I mean, does your alpha do this a lot? Bring a girl into the palace and ask her to be fed and decorated before taking her to his room?”

“No,” the same maid replied, “this is the first time Alpha Azrael would bring a lady into the palace.”

That calmed me down a little, but as they dressed me up in a bright red gown, my mind kept going haywire. Did he bring me here to punish me for what I said about Apha Azrael, without knowing they were the same person on the train? If that were it, then he wouldn’t have saved me earlier unless he had a worse punishment in store for me.

That made me start panicking again. My conclusion was probably the truth because of all the rumors and his reputation that have always preceded him. He has a thing for torturing his enemies in the most dehumanizing way. He has a thing for dangling false hope in front of traitors, only to snatch it away at the last minute and then plunge them into hell.

He was sadistic. He was the devil himself and the king of Fangshire.

And right now, I was being held like a lamb to a slaughterhouse as they led me to him.

The palace was beautiful and gigantic, like all the rumors said, but I couldn’t pay attention to its beauty. My heart was in my mouth, and before I knew it, we were standing in front of a huge golden door. The door slid open to reveal a large sitting room with sofas arranged around a central table.

It was only when I stepped in that I realized there were two men in the room. One was standing up with his head slightly lowered, and the other, who was the stranger and Alpha Azrael, was spread out on one of the sofas in a completely black outfit.

“You’re dismissed, Abel.”

Abel bowed before turning to leave, but not before I noticed the wonder and astonishment in his eyes when he glanced at me briefly before walking out and shutting the door after him.

And then, it was just Alpha Azrael and me in the room. My heart picked up again.

“Told you I’d see you again, didn’t I? Little kitten.”

“So you knew who I was?” I asked him, tension rolling off of me a little as I walked further into the room, “Why didn’t you arrest me then?”

He shrugged as he raised his glass of wine to his lips, “Because I knew my men would catch you. Like you said, there is no way to escape Alpha Azrael.”

I scoffed. He was really as terrible as the rumors say.

“So why save me from being branded? Isn’t that what you listed as a punishment for slaves who try to run away?”

I shouldn’t be talking to him like this. I should be on my knees begging him to pardon me, at least because I saved his life.

“What do you think, kitten? Why do you think I saved you?”

“To… to thank me for saving your life?” I said, and he chuckled, as if what I just said was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. His reaction made me move closer to him, and I dropped to my knees in front of him.

“Pardon me,” I begged, “I told you my story. You know how I ended up wolfless. I need to go back and get revenge on the people who wronged me.”

He listened patiently and even nodded at intervals, but when he spoke, he completely discarded my pleas.

“I saved you because I need you alive.”

“I don’t care. I’m ready to do anything you want as long as you can guarantee my freedom.”

“Good,” he leaned forward so our faces were mere inches apart. I swallowed at the close proximity, “marry me then.”

“What?” My mouth dropped open. Of all the things I expected him to say, this wasn’t even on the list at all.

“Marry me, little kitten. You want revenge on the people who wronged you? Marry me, become the luna of Fangshire, become the most powerful shewolf in the history of Fangshire, and use that power to destroy those that wronged you.”