4|| The Slave Has Arrived

“The bags are already in the car, Dahlia. Let’s go,” My father’s beta, Ethan, called, pulling me out of my daze.

I tore my gaze from the door and turned to see him staring at me with a sad smile. His gaze flickered briefly to the door before returning to me.

“Do you want to wait a bit? Maybe Alpha or Coralie will come see you off?” Ethan asked gently, but I shook my head, offering him a sad smile before walking toward the car.

“Don’t worry, it will be a waste of time to wait. They won’t come see me off,” I replied, the memory of two nights ago still fresh in my mind.

“You don’t have to worry about that, Father. I’ve already thought it through. I’ll go to the palace and serve the king but only on one condition.”

“Really? You’ve finally grown some sense. I know what’s best for this family and—” my father began, but Coralie, ever the sharp one, cut him off.

“Wait, wait. What condition? And what makes you think you’re in any position to ask for one?”

I drew a deep breath, lifting my chin and squaring my shoulders. “Disown me. Remove my name from the registry and write me off like I’m dead.”

The silence that followed was thick. For once, even Coralie had nothing to say. My father stared at me, his brow furrowing as the words sank in, then stood sharply, pointing a trembling finger in my direction.

“What did you just—”

My calmness must have startled him, because his voice faltered. My smile widened. “Isn’t this what you’ve wanted all along? Take the king’s money and disown me. We will have nothing to do with each other from now on, whether I live or die, is none of your business and likewise. Happy ending… isn’t that right, Coralie?”

My name was removed from the family registry the next day. As of today, I am packless. For some strange reason, I feel nothing.

Ethan didn’t say anything more, and just as I was about to open the car door, someone grabbed me by the arm, yanking me back.

“Elias ?” My eyes widened in surprise as I saw a disheveled-looking Elias standing before me, his tired gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.

“Dahlia, is it true you're going to the palace? I—I’ve been trying to reach you for the past two days, but I wasn’t allowed to see you. They said you’re going to serve the king. Please tell me that isn’t true,” Elias muttered, his grip on my arm tightening so hard it began to bruise.

I frowned, glaring at him. Was he out of his mind? After everything, he had the nerve to act like he cared about me?

“What does that have to do with you? Let me go, Elias ,” I snapped, struggling to free myself from his grasp, but he was too strong.

“You’re not answering… so it’s true. You’re the one out of your mind, Dahlia! Don’t you know who he is? How could you agree to this? Is this because of what happened between us?” Elias ’s voice broke, a mixture of anger and guilt flashing across his face.

I gasped as Elias yanked me closer, his body towering over mine. For the first time since I knew him, something in his eyes made me freeze, a cold fear creeping down my spine.

“You can’t leave. I won’t accept it! You’re mine, Dahlia. You can’t go to that forsaken palace. He’s cursed! If you go near him, you’ll be cursed too!” Elias shouted, his voice filled with desperation. Before I could fully process his words, Ethan pulled him off me and tossed him roughly to the ground.

“What are you doing!? Throw him in the dungeon! How dare he harm the Alpha’s daughter!” Ethan commanded, his voice hard. But before the guards could take the struggling Elias away, I stopped them.

“He doesn’t need to be thrown in the dungeon. Just throw him out. I’m fine,” I said quickly, my gaze flickering to Ethan, who was still glaring at Elias .

“Ethan...” I called softly, and he sighed in frustration before nodding to the guards. They reluctantly dragged the yelling Elias out of the Manor.

“Are you okay?” Ethan asked, his voice laced with concern. I nodded hesitantly, but I couldn’t shake the weight of Elias ’s words.

“Let’s go, we can’t be late,” I said, sliding into the car. My hands gripped my dress nervously as the car slowly pulled away from the packhouse and onto the street.

The silence in the car was heavy, and I couldn’t help but replay Elias ’s frantic words in my mind. The thought of the palace, the curse, and the king kept swirling around, making my heart race. How did it come to this? Why was Elias so desperate to stop me?

I shook my head, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. It didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered anymore.

This was my way of atoning for my sins.

“Dahlia, we’re here,” Ethan’s voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up, frowning as the car rolled to a stop in front of… nothing. Just a forest, endless and still.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

Ethan turned to look at me. “It’s a Moon Stepper. Think of it like… a teleporter. It’ll take us straight to Crown City, and you’ll stop right in front of Thorn Castle. The royals use it for quick and safe travel.”

“A… are you sure it’s okay for us to use it?”

“Of course. Dahlia, you’re the king’s royal concubine now. You’re royalty, whether you like it or not.”

He pressed his foot to the gas and the forest around us seemed to ripple, stretching like liquid across the windshield. My stomach dropped as the trees blurred into streaks of silver and black.

And then—

The car burst through the veil

I looked up, watching as the car slowly glided through the gates of the eerie palace.

My eyes scanned the surroundings, a sense of dread pooling in my stomach. I hadn’t been here before, but the rumors had certainly not been wrong.

Endless trees filled every space, their branches intertwining, and a towering castle stood in their middle, stretching endlessly upward, as if trying to touch the sky.

I swallowed nervously as the car came to a halt in front of the castle. The entire place felt eerie and deserted. I might have believed no one lived here if not for the elderly woman standing in front of the castle, her piercing gaze fixed on the car.

“Stay here for a moment. I’ll go talk to her,” Ethan said, stepping out of the car before I could respond.

After a minute of speaking with the woman, Ethan returned to the car and opened the door, a faint, sorrowful smile on his face.

“Everything is arranged. This is as far as I can go,” He said softly.

I nodded and stepped out of the car, the weight of the situation sinking in. “Thank you, Ethan. I’ll always be grateful for everything you’ve done for me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan nodded, blinking back his tears as he walked to the car and removed my luggages for me.

“Take care, Dahlia. Good luck,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with emotion. With those final words, he climbed into the car and drove off, leaving me standing there, feeling both abandoned and lost.

As I stood there, unsure of what to do next, a soft voice broke through my thoughts.

“Welcome, my name is Smite. I’m the head maid to the king. Let me help you with your bags and show you to your room,” she said, staring dead into my eyes with a monotone voice.

“My name is Dahlia, nice to meet you,” I said with a slight bow and as she motioned for the staff behind her to carry my bag.

“You are now one of the King’s women, you do not bow to anyone besides the king.”

It was a warning. A sharp, frightening warning and I nodded immediately pushing my hands behind my back to stop it from shaking.

We started walking into the castle and I sucked in a tight breath at how beautiful it was.

Oh my Goddess...

The floors were shiny marble, and there were huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The walls had fancy tapestries and golden details, making everything look grand. The castle felt huge, with hallways going in every direction.

From the outside, you wouldn’t expect the inside to look like this. I thought they said the king lived like a barbarian?

Servants and maids stood at every corner like they were ready to serve at any moment. We didn’t slow until we reached a towering set of doors that touched the ceiling. Head Maid Smite bowed so low her forehead nearly touched the floor, her voice ringing through the hall.

“Concubine Dahlia is here to offer her greetings to you, Your Majesty.”

Silence.

Then, with a deep groan, the massive double doors swung open.

The throne room was massive and shadowed, lit only by shafts of pale light that glinted off black marble floors. Silver wolf sigils lined the obsidian pillars, and a long carpet of red ran straight to the throne.

It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust  and when they did, I froze. Two women in barely any clothes stood at both sides of him. One fanning him lazily, the other feeding him dark berries from her hand. To his left, advisors sat like predators.

He sat on the throne like it belonged to his very bones, his broad shoulders is wrapped in black silk, one hand propping his jaw. A silver mask hid half his face, but his eyes… those cold, storm-grey eyes pierced straight through me, sharp enough to make my legs quiver.

His lips curved into a slow and mocking grin.

“Ah… the sex slave has arrived.”