Chapter 3

Anastasia POV

That Seer collapsed before everyone, her body falling lifeless to the ground...

Cries spread among the onlookers as they stared at her, her eyes wide open.

My own eyes widened in shock as I looked at her. Had she been talking to me before she suddenly dropped dead like that, or was I imagining things? And why had she looked so startled...?

Lady Mirav's gaze shifted between the Seer and me as she narrowed her eyes. It was obvious that something was running through her mind...

Then she pointed at one of the guards and ordered, "Take her body inside until we see what the luna wishes to do."

Afterward, she looked at the other girls and me before speaking in a strong, sharp voice. "Listen carefully. This castle belongs to King Alexander Jeharz Montgomery, the King of Werewolves. From this moment on, all of you belong to him. You will obey orders and do only what is asked of you. Anyone who breaks the rules will be punished, and trust me, you will not like the punishment."

She looked at me specifically and emphasized her words. "No mistakes are allowed."

After that, we followed her toward the castle. We passed through the gate and entered.

The place was luxurious and enormous,  We climbed the marble stairs with difficulty. There were so many steps that they couldn't be counted, and we hadn't eaten anything in two days. Some of the girls had already fainted, and the guards carried them inside.

The castle doors opened before us. If the outside looked like something from a fantasy because of its wealth and grandeur, the inside surpassed it by far.

I had no idea how a place like this had been built. Long hallways covered with deep crimson carpets. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, their lights reflecting across the polished marble floors like scattered diamonds. Massive paintings decorated the walls.

There were four wings, all built in the same style...

Mirav headed east and said, "This is the Eastern Wing. It belongs to all of the King's women, and you will live here."

Several girls exchanged confused glances, while a suffocating feeling settled in my chest because of her words.

The King's women? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

We entered a spacious hall filled with dozens of women.

Some wore green silk dresses, others blue, and others deep crimson.Their hair was carefully styled.

Mirav stood in the middle of the hall. "You will wake before sunrise. You will learn proper etiquette and how to behave before the King."

Her voice was stern. I listened in complete silence while trying to think of a solution, some way to escape this cursed place.

Afterward, they led us to the royal baths, removed our metal restraints, and ordered us to bathe.

After the bath, our old clothes were taken away. Each of us was given a new outfit.

I was handed a piece of emerald-green fabric. It was a long dress made of soft silk, with wide sleeves embroidered with silver thread. A delicate belt decorated with small green gemstones wrapped around my waist.

One of the girls, who clearly didn't seem new here, said while putting on her clothes,"Who will be going to the King tonight? Do you know?"

Another replied flirtatiously, "I really hope it's me. Every night another girl gets chosen, I feel jealous."

Several girls laughed around her, while others exchanged whispers and smiles, as though going to the King was their greatest dream...

I clenched my fists in anger at the thought of that bastard gathering all these girls for himself and spending a night with each one.

"You're new, aren't you?"

I turned. The girl looked around my age. She had wheat-colored skin, hazel eyes, and short brown hair.She smiled shyly. "My name is Lian."

I simply nodded.

That didn't seem to bother her. She continued smiling warmly. "Everyone here is obsessed with King Alexander. He's the new King after the death of King Jeharz, his father. That's why every girl wants to be chosen by him. It guarantees her a better position here..."

I interrupted her coldly. "And don't you want to go to him too?"

Lian blinked several times before laughing softly. "I'll be honest with you. You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen here. That's why I came to talk to you."

Her smile never faded as she continued casually. "As you can see, I'm a very ordinary girl. But you... Looking at you, you'll definitely have status with the King. If I become your friend, I won't have a hard life here."

I frowned while listening to her. She was incredibly straightforward.

"The women here are treated according to their rank. Luna Iris comes first, the mate and wife of the late King Jeharz and mother of King Alexander." Her voice lowered slightly, as though speaking carelessly about that woman was forbidden.

"Then come King Alexander's sisters, Elara and Elena. After them comes King Alexander's wife, whom he married recently. She's one of the noblewomen from the Black Moon Pack."

Then she added with obvious envy, "After that come the King's favorites, the women who caught his interest and became close to him. When he wants one of them, he personally sends for her. They are separated from the rest of us and have servants attending to them."

She sighed helplessly. "And then there's us, at the very bottom. We're used during celebrations or married off to men chosen by Luna Iris whenever she wishes. But if I become your friend, maybe you'll make me your servant when you become one of the King's favorites."

A sarcastic laugh escaped me. "And who told you I want a position beside that man?"

"Is there anyone who doesn't want to be close to him?" she asked confidently "Being close to him is everyone's dream. He's the King of Werewolves."

I slowly shook my head. Then I laughed softly, closed my eyes, and muttered, "Idiots."

The door opened. I slowly opened my eyes. A blonde girl entered. Her eyes were blue, and she looked incredibly arrogant. Her chin was lifted high in obvious superiority.

Her gaze swept across the room before stopping on me. "Are these the new girls? I don't see a single one who's beautiful or attractive. They're all far too ugly for the King."

Some girls immediately lowered their heads, while irritation appeared on the faces of others.

Then she pointed at me. "You. You'll be one of my personal servants."

I slowly lifted my eyes to her.I examined her from head to toe.Then I replied coldly, "Have field cockroaches learned how to talk now?"

The smile vanished from her face instantly.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Even Lian gasped beside me, staring at me as if I had completely lost my mind.

Everyone in the room was watching in shock.

Lian hurriedly said, trying to stop me, "Please stop. You'll get into trouble. She's one of the King's favorites."

"What did you say?!" the blonde bitch snapped angrily.

It was finally time to vent my anger, and that blonde woman happened to be the lucky recipient of it...

What stopped me was the sudden sound of the door opening.

Mirav entered. Her eyes moved between the blonde girl and me for a moment, but she didn't seem interested in knowing what was happening.

As if something much more important occupied her mind.

Then her gaze settled on me. With complete seriousness, she said, "King Alexander wants to see you immediately."