Chapter 1 - The Kings

NORA

Loneliness shapes you.

That’s what I believed.

Because loneliness made me what I am today — An eighteen years old girl who hates men as it was a man who forced me into this hellhole of isolation where I only had myself to love, to rely upon.

The man who did this to me was none other than my father. He claimed my mother, made her fall so deeply in love with him that she couldn’t focus on anything else.

Even when she was on the brink of death, she didn’t ask for water. She asked for him and he was nowhere. He abandoned us. He left us to die and disappear with time while he lived a prosperous life.

I like to think I was happy once, but I can’t remember that time. I only remember what I was told, the lies that I was fed. But I didn’t take notice of the lies until I fell into the trap of a man, making the only mistake I swore I will never make.

Then, I realized love is like a deadly poison that slowly kills everything inside you. It turns you into a lifeless body that only comes to life at the command of its master.

I never thought I will become one of those love-crazed dead bodies, but I did. When he chose me, despite my mediocre looks, a secret that I held close to my heart, and a truth that could ruin me, everything in my life changed.

The person I loved was the Alpha King-One of the few Lycans that were ruling our world. Things took an interesting turn for me because the world of Kings was a destructive place. They were smarter, harder, and stronger than the normal werewolves. They were always one step ahead and it was utterly impossible to ever defeat them. They made me, broke me, shaped me into something I never knew I could become. At last, when the ugly reality of the Alpha Kings dawned upon me, it was too late to go back.

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“ This way, my Lady! ”

The guard walking in front of me said politely.

He was leading me to the great grand hall of the Wolveshire Citadel. It was the home of Alpha King Dustin Landric, one of the four rulers of all werewolves—The King of North.

Every year, the Alpha King of my region—The North and the Kings of West and East, Alpha King Striker and Tyson gathered at one of the three castles they owned, and a grand banquet was held.

At the banquet, they chose one omega each to take as their woman for one whole year. The woman was made to go through many tests during this year and if she succeeded in every single test, she was chosen as the Queen.

That’s how the previous Queens of Three Kingdoms was chosen as well. It was done to strengthen the bond between the royal families-the only surviving Lycans and the rest of the werewolf community. This was done to lessen the fear Lycans always evoked in normal day werewolves. People thought that if Lycans-that were cursed to never recognize their fated mates chose one omega from the werewolf community, it was going to mean that regular wolves had some kind of power over the ever so powerful Lycans-the undefeated, crueler, smarter, and stronger form of werewolves.

It’s an honor, according to what these Kings thought and the rest of the werewolf community thought as well for a girl to be chosen as a Lycan Alpha King's mate and the Queen.

All the omega ladies, groomed by powerful households were obliged to gather in the hall to get selected. These ladies tried their best to get chosen. Merely a year of having sex with an Alpha King and you came back richer than any other omega in this Alpha and Beta dominant society even if you didn’t pass any tests.

During your stay with the Lycan King who picked you, you must submit yourself to him. Heart, body, and soul alike. That was the only condition.

He had the right to do with you, whatever he wanted.

Every year, all omegas who turned eighteen, even if they were daughters and sisters of werewolf lords, warriors and betas lined up here and swooned over the Kings.

Unfortunately, I, as Lana Redley, was obliged to attend the banquet this year because I turned eighteen. And, I had to try my absolute best to not get selected by any of the Kings. Or else, I was doomed.

One might ask why. Well, because I was not whom they invited or wanted here. I was the one who should have never set foot in this castle in the first place.

I shook my head and pulled myself out of the trance.

My eyes were instantly drawn to the decorations. Ceilings were adorned with dangling shimmery candle holders, casting shadows all around. Everywhere I looked, I saw gold-colored ornaments placed precisely.

The bright Golden shine made my eyes hurt. In my eighteen years of life, I had never seen a hall so magnificent.

There were omega girls all around me. Fair in color. Their features sharp. And their dresses fitted their curves. These ladies looked expensive and screamed their omega status in the way they talked and walked while swaying their hips to grab the attention of every man possible.

I closed my dry mouth and fixed the deep neckline of the golden dress I was wearing.

It made me look foreign to myself, too neat and too fashionable to my liking.

The soft music playing in the room made my nerves tense. 

My eyes searched the room for any familiar face, but whom was I kidding? I couldn’t even say greetings to any woman here, let alone be friends with one of them.

While my eyes roamed around, I found them getting fixed on the food table in the distance. 

My dry mouth watered. At least there was some benefit of being here tonight.

Gathering my heavy dress between my sweaty fists in a highly un-womanly fashion, I approached the food table. My lack of mannerisms earned me a few skeptical looks from the sophisticated ladies.

I tried to ignore them and reached out to a rich-looking desert.

“ Who is that skank? ” An arrogant lady dressed in a pinkish-something gown asked one of her friends.

“ Must be Alpha Redley’s daughter. She is the only one we never met. ” Her friend replied in an equally distasteful tone.

I choked on my sweet piece of cake and turned to look at them.

An insult or two begged to leave my mouth. I hardly controlled myself.

The horns were blown, announcing the arrival of the Kings. The selection ceremony for this year’s omegas was starting.

Taking my eyes off the rude ladies, I focused on the lavish carpeted staircase instead. My heart hammered in my chest.

It was time.

I turned back to the food table and dipped my finger in the liquid chocolate. Taking the finger to my mouth, I tasted the rich chocolate and thoroughly smeared it on my teeth. 

‘ You are such a bitch! ’ My wolf Zoey snickered with me.

The ladies behind me rushed to get in a single line so the Kings could have a look at them as they passed by.

I walked to them and stood in the middle of the line.

Not too close to the start and not too close to the end.

A perfect place to be, to avoid getting noticed.

The room fell silent. My heart thumped heavily. Despite knowing that I would never get selected because of my mediocre looks, the shiny slutty dress, a blonde bush for hair, and chocolate-smeared disgusting-looking teeth, I still felt a little jabby blabby in my guts.

The tap of heavy footsteps caught my attention. I lowered my gaze like the rest of the ladies in respect for the Alpha Kings.

The footsteps climbed down the stairs. The room was instantly filled with darkness and many suffocating auras of Lycans-the creatures everyone feared greatly because they couldn't be killed with a dose of wolfsbane or a silver stake to the heart or head like usual werewolves. They were blessed by Moon Goddess and not cursed like the rest of the wolves.

‘ The Kings are here. ’ My wolf whispered as if the Kings could hear her if she talked loud in my mind.

I lowered my head further. My hands clenched into fists by my side.

“ This one is too plain. ” A chirpy voice made its way to my ears.

I shivered. And barely held the disgust from showing on my face.

“ This one has small hips. ” A new heavy voice commented in a serious tone.

“ This one looks too ready to get fucked. How many men have you been with before? ” A calm voice questioned this time.

Were they going to question me like this too? I gulped my saliva.

“ Just — Just my fiancé, My King. ” The girl replied in a small voice.

I almost jumped in shock.

There were committed women too. That was new information for me.

“ Are not experienced women better? They know what they are doing. They can suck cock better and are also flexible. ” A voice heavily chuckled.

OH YES! I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. Choose experienced women and spare poor virgins like me.

“ So what’s your name? ” A voice asked.

I froze. 

“ Katniss Bruding. ” The so-called experienced lady answered.

Silence fell. I tried to pick my head and have a look at the Kings, but two guards standing in front of me blocked my view.

“ You are chosen as Alpha King Tyson’s woman for the next year. ” One of the guards announced in a booming voice.

I released a breath of relief.

One woman was already selected. Now, Alpha King Striker had to select his omega for the year and I was done.

As for Alpha King Dustin…He recently got engaged to Alpha King Tyson’s sister and he didn’t need to choose an omega anymore. The relationship between North and East was strengthened after this engagement but it was a little weird for the two Kingdoms to marry off their royals.

Time kept passing. Alpha King Tyson had gotten busy chatting and flirting with the omega he chose for himself. Alpha King Dustin and Striker were strolling towards me, and my heartbeat was jumping just at the thought of having them look at me like I am a thing to be chosen.

As they grew near, my mind went to the King who had not chosen a woman until now.

…Alpha King Striker—The relentless asshole, everyone called him. He was the worst Lycan among Lycans-the most bloodthirsty and merciless. He was rumored to be the reason behind the death of his father and brother, and now he ruled his high castle, Euthoria Fortress. He was the King of the West where there was nothing but endless rainforests and some open fields.

All the supernaturals, the vampires, and the witches were scared shitless of him. 

His cruelty was not limited to the enemy. He was ruthless towards his people too.

And it was known to everyone that whichever woman he chose for the year, came back scarred. Mentally and Physically. No amount of money was enough to make them normal again.

I was relaxed. It couldn’t be me. The King who was utterly picky would never choose me. I was far below average for a Lycan's high taste. 

The thumping footsteps came to a halt in front of me.

I glared at the shiny pair of black leather shoes and wet my lips with my tongue.

“ Raise your head. ” This new voice was much more demanding than the other two voices I heard earlier.

I did as the voice asked and lifted my head slowly. My gaze lingered on the blue silk shirt the King was wearing which clung to his strongly built frame. He was unusually huge, broad and strongly built — I had to crane my neck back to finally have a look at his face. 

A scar ran down his chin, to his neckline before disappearing down the shirt. 

My azure eyes met his hardened Obsidian globes which were dark just like everyone had painted them to be. The stupid lungs gave up on me instantly.

After the delay of an awkward moment, I forced myself to grin, displaying the chocolate-stained teeth to him as I had practiced before.

His thick eyebrows bunched together. A vein throbbed in his broad forehead as he stepped closer. His unruly and a little unkempt hair bounced over his forehead as the sharp corners of his angular jaw tightened under the beard.

“ Oh. Oh, my Fucking Goddess. ” Alpha King Tyson cringed from behind somewhere.

Yes. Yes. I shouted in my mind.

“ What’s your name? ” The wild King asked in a strong tone-the one signature tone of Lycans which always made werewolves succumb to them. 

My lips trembled. The smile dropped in an instant.

Alpha King Tyson had to interfere by laughing out loud again.

“ You always choose an interesting woman. ” Alpha Dustin commented.

My eyes wandered around while my mind refused to come up with anything.

He was not serious about this, right?

“ What’s your name, girl? ” The man I recognized to be Alpha King Dustin of our region, commanded. “ Answer the King. ”

I stopped breathing and looked up at the scarred King with horror filling my eyes.

“ Nor… ” I corrected myself. “ Lana Redley. ”

My heart leaped to my throat.

The King’s arched eyebrows smoothened. My tongue darted, wetting my lips once more.

He glanced to his right, while my sight remained on him.

My ears were ringing, my breathing uneven. Unlike other women who received their new titles joyfully, I looked like I was about to die.

“ Lana Redley. You are chosen as Alpha King Striker’s woman for this year. ” The guard announced.

“ NO WAY IN SATAN'S HELL! ”