Se connecterNinety-nine lashes. That was the price of loving the Alpha’s son. Bettoni Williams gave everything to Ardon. Her heart. Her trust. Her dignity. In return, he accused her of witchcraft, stripped her of her rank, and watched as she was whipped ninety-nine times in the public square. Broken, disowned, and demoted to a Gamma, Bettoni swore she would never trust a royal again. She planned to rot in the slums, to remain invisible and forgotten. But fate, and a bored Alpha Commander, had other plans. When the kingdom’s most feared war hero, Commander Zachery, returns home, he is granted one wish by the King. He doesn't ask for land. He doesn't ask for gold. He points a calloused finger at the girl in the servant’s uniform. "I want her. The exile. I want her as my wife tonight." Now, Bettoni is trapped in a marriage with a brute who collects wives like trading cards. Zachery is uncouth, violent, and dangerously seductive. He treats the palace like a playground and his brother, the King, like a joke. Bettoni intends to use this monster to climb back to the top and destroy the family that ruined her. But Zachery is not a ladder. He is a cliff. And he has no intention of letting his new sweetheart go. Revenge is a dish best served cold. But the Commander likes his nights scorching hot.
Voir plus"Scrub that marble until I can see my reflection in it."
Bettoni squeezed the soapy rag. The cold water stung her raw knuckles. She blew a loose curl of thick dark hair out of her warm brown eyes and kept her head down. She was scrubbing the grand hallway floor. Around her the pack house was filled with sickening excitement. Alpha Jaceon ordered a grand welcoming feast. The estate swarmed with highborn ladies wearing silk and expensive jewels. They all wanted the same prize; Commander Zachery returned tonight.
Jaceon wanted his younger brother married to a noblewoman before the next blood moon. The Alpha desperately wanted to bury the shame Bettoni brought to the royal court.
They think a fancy dress will tame a beast, Bettoni thought.
Her petite frame ached terribly. The scars of ninety nine lashes burned across her skin. Ardon gave her those scars. The Alpha's son promised her the world and then threw her to the wolves on his mating day. He stripped her rank. He made her a lowly Gamma. Now she washed floors while he paraded around the palace in his fine royal robes.
She rinsed the dirty rag. I will make you choke on your crown, Ardon. Her revenge would come. She just needed a way out of the dirt first.
The head maid kicked Bettoni in the thigh. "Get more water. The Commander's carriage is approaching the gates."
Bettoni grabbed her wooden bucket and limped away from the grand hall. The loud noise of arriving carriages and giggling noblewomen made her stomach turn. Frostina, Ardon's now intended, was out there plotting. Angelika, the famous politician daughter who was basically raised to be Zachary's Commandress, was out there scheming. They all desperately wanted the Commander's bed and his power. Bettoni just wanted ten minutes of silence.
She slipped out the servant doors. The night air felt cool against her pale skin. She wandered past the busy kitchens and headed toward the abandoned market stalls near the military barracks. No one came back here during a feast. She set her bucket down on the cobblestone. She leaned against a wooden post and closed her tired eyes.
Soon after, a low groan broke the silence.
Bettoni froze instantly. The sound came from the deep darkness behind the nearest stall. A heavy panting followed. It sounded wet and cadenced.
She took a cautious step forward. The distinct smell of dark musk hit her senses. It was completely intoxicating. She peaked around the wooden corner.
A huge man stood in the dark alley. He leaned his broad shoulders against the brick wall. His thick military coat hung open over a scarred chest. He had a rough jaw covered in dark stubble. His pants were shoved entirely down his muscular thighs.
Bettoni gasped quietly. His massive thick length stood completely erect in his brutal grip. He stroked himself with slow and forceful pumps.
His head tipped back against the brick. Thick muscles corded along his neck. He pumped his fist much faster. The wet slapping sound echoed loudly in the quiet alley as slick precum glistened under the moonlight and dripped constantly down his thick fingers.
Bettoni could not look away. She stood completely frozen.
The man opened his eyes. Piercing burgundy irises locked directly onto her. He did not stop his hand. He smirked.
"Enjoying the view?" he asked. His voice rumbled like rough sandpaper.
Bettoni felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She stumbled backward. "You are disgusting."
He chuckled deeply and pushed himself off the wall. He did not bother pulling up his pants at all. He walked right toward her. His massive erection jutted out proudly and bobbed with each heavy step.
"Do not come near me," Bettoni warned.
He ignored her entirely. He stepped right into her personal space. His towering frame blocked the moonlight. He smelled of sweat and pure dominance. He raised his right hand. Thick clear slick coated his palm and fingers, dripping freely onto the dirt between them.
He tilted his head. His eyes darkened with pure lust. "You look tense. Want a taste?"
He moved his dripping hand right toward her face.
Bettoni slapped his wrist away hard. "Urgh, are you insane? Keep your filth to yourself."
The man threw his head back and laughed. It was a booming sound. He stepped closer, his hard chest brushed against her worn servant dress. "Insane? Maybe. You are the one watching a man handle his business in a dark alley."
"I was looking for peace and quiet," Bettoni spat. She glared directly into his burgundy eyes. She refused to show any fear. "Not a pervert jerking off like a wild animal."
He dragged his dirty hand through his messy hair which left a visible trail of slick in the dark strands. "A wild animal." He tasted the words slowly. "I really like that."
Who is this lunatic? Bettoni thought. She looked at his heavy combat boots, at the gold medals pinned to his coat… then the realization heavily hit her in the chest.
Commander Zachery.
The man Jaceon brought all those noble women to meet. The most feared warrior in the entire kingdom. He was standing in front of her with his pants down and a wicked grin on his handsome face.
Zachery watched the sharp recognition hit her face. He smiled wider. He liked the sudden fire in her eyes. The highborn ladies waiting inside the hall bored him to death. They simpered and bowed constantly. This filthy little Gamma with her scarred hands and feisty tongue made his blood run incredibly hot.
He finally adjusted his clothes. He zipped his pants but left his coat open. He leaned down until his lips grazed her ear.
"What is your name?" he whispered.
"None of your business," Bettoni replied. She shoved her empty bucket between them. "Go back to your party. Your future wives are waiting."
Zachery grabbed her chin firmly. His thumb stroked her bottom lip slowly. "I do not want them."
Bettoni swatted his hand away again. "Do not touch me."
"I will touch whatever I want," Zachery said. His voice dropped an octave and the humor vanished completely. Pure predatory intent replaced it. "My brother wants me to pick a bride tonight. He brought me a whole buffet of boring princesses."
Bettoni backed away quickly until she hit the wooden post. There was nowhere left to run. "Then go pick one and leave me alone."
Zachery stepped into her space again. He caged her against the wood with his massive arms and leaned his face inches from hers. He inhaled her unique scent deeply. He smelled old trauma and buried anger. He loved it.
"I already made my choice," Zachery said.
Bettoni frowned in confusion. "Then what are you doing out here?"
"I am collecting my prize," Zachery replied. He grabbed her wrist tightly. "You are coming with me to the grand hall right now."
Bettoni struggled against his iron grip. "Are you crazy? The Alpha will kill me. Ardon will kill me."
Zachery laughed darkly. "Let them try. We are going inside and you are going to stand right in front of my brother."
"To do what?" Bettoni yelled.
"To ruin his perfect little feast," Zachery smirked. "Because you are going to be my Commandress tonight."
Zachery did not move a single muscle away from his wife. He kept his massive body pressed completely against Bettoni. His thick arousal pulsed hotly against her soaked center through the thin fabric of her ruined underwear. The loud pounding on the heavy door echoed through the massive bedroom. Zachery completely ignored it.He looked down into Bettoni's wide brown eyes. She was breathing incredibly fast. Her chest rose and fell against his combat uniform. She was deeply terrified of the Alpha waiting but her body was melting entirely for the Commander holding her down."Let him wait," Zachery whispered lewdly right against her lips.He leaned down and kissed her with animalistic intensity. He forced her soft lips apart with his rough tongue, tasted her deep panicked breaths, and swallowed her soft whimpers completely. He kissed her like he wanted to consume her entire soul right on the silk sheets.Bettoni arched her spine off the mattress involuntarily. Her hands grabbed the th
Bettoni did not flinch. She sat perfectly still in the center of his silk bed. The heavy dark wolf fur swallowed her small frame entirely. She looked up at him with those warm brown eyes. They were completely devoid of the terror he expected.Zachery felt a dark and heavy thrill roll right through his chest.Any other highborn woman would be sobbing uncontrollably right now. He knew his reputation perfectly well. He cultivated it very carefully for an entire decade. He was the savage military butcher. He was the feral royal embarrassment.He married twenty one women before Bettoni. He picked them because they were shallow and easily frightened political muppets. He intentionally acted like an unpredictable monster; he broke furniture and growled at them. They always demanded annulments within weeks, and he paid them off with heavy bags of gold and sent them away. It was the perfect system that kept him completely alone.Zachery learned a very long time ago that loving someone in this
"You look like a sacrificial lamb walking to a slaughterhouse."Bettoni stopped walking down the grand corridor. She turned her head slowly. Three of her older brothers blocked the stone archway leading out to the royal courtyard. They all wore expensive suits bought with the Alpha's money.Billow leaned heavily against the stone pillar. He looked completely bored. He was her oldest brother and the absolute laziest man in the pack. "Mother is having a complete breakdown in the courtyard. You really ruined her social standing today, Bettoni.""I am bleeding for this pack and you only care about her social standing?" Bettoni asked coldly.Bryant stepped forward. He ran a vain hand through his perfectly styled hair. He always wanted to climb the social ladder. He flirted with every highborn lady in the palace hoping to secure a wealthy mate. "You are marrying the village monster, Bettoni. He is a literal butcher. Do you know how bad this makes our family look? Lady Angelika will not eve
He did not give her a single second to argue. Zachery grabbed the rough canvas collar of her Gamma uniform. He pulled his massive hands apart violently. The cheap fabric ripped right down the middle with a loud tearing sound.Bettoni gasped in shock. The torn fabric exposed her bare collarbone and the top of her breasts to the freezing hallway air."Commander, stop," Bettoni breathed out. She pushed her small hands against his chest but it felt like pushing against a solid brick wall.He completely ignored her protests and buried his rugged face directly into the crook of her neck. His dark stubble scraped deliciously against her soft skin. He inhaled her scent like a starving man finding his first real meal and rubbed his jaw heavily along her pulse point. He coated her entirely in his thick intoxicating scent of dark musk.Bettoni felt her knees actually bend. The raw dominant energy oozing off his massive body completely overwhelmed her senses.Zachery opened his mouth and dragged
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