The King's Game

Mira's POV

I emerged from the bath feeling almost human again. Almost.

The servant's clothes Margot had mentioned were laid out on the bed a simple gray dress that buttoned up the front, a white apron, and soft leather shoes that actually fit. Someone had been thorough.

Too thorough.

I pulled on the clothes, my fingers fumbling with the small buttons. It had been years since I'd dressed myself without help. As Luna, I'd had attendants for everything. The irony wasn't lost on me now I was the attendant.

The dress was plain but well-made, the fabric soft against my skin. It fell just below my knees, modest and unremarkable. Perfect camouflage for a maid who wanted to disappear into the background.

I was braiding my still-damp hair when the door burst open.

No knock. No warning.

Just Killian, striding into the room like he owned it.

Which, I suppose, he did.

"You clean up nicely," he observed, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Those unnatural golden eyes tracked over me slowly, assessing. "Much better than the half-drowned rat I found in the forest."

I kept my hands steady as I finished the braid, refusing to let him see how his presence made my pulse race.

"Is there something you need, my Lord?"

The title tasted like ash in my mouth, but I forced it out anyway.

His lips quirked into something that might have been a smile.

"So formal. I like it." He pushed off the doorframe and walked toward me with the lazy confidence of a predator who knew his prey couldn't escape. "Tell me, Thea. Do you know how to pour wine without spilling it?"

"Yes."

"Can you draw a bath?"

"Yes."

"Can you keep your mouth shut when you see things you shouldn't?"

I paused, meeting his gaze.

"That depends on what I see."

He laughed a genuine sound that seemed to surprise even him.

"Honest. I wasn't expecting that." He circled around me, and I forced myself to remain still. "Most servants would have said yes immediately. Promised me anything. But you... you negotiate."

"I don't make promises I can't keep."

"Smart." He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could see the faint scars along his jaw, the flecks of amber in those golden eyes. "But dangerous. Honesty isn't valued here, Thea. Obedience is."

"Then perhaps you chose the wrong maid."

The words were out before I could stop them. Goddess, what was wrong with me? This man could kill me with a thought, and here I was antagonizing him.

But instead of anger, I saw something else flicker across his face. Interest. Amusement.

Hunger.

"No," he said softly. "I think I chose exactly right."

He turned and walked toward the window, hands clasped behind his back.

"Your duties are simple. You'll wake me at dawn. Prepare my clothes. Attend me during meals. Draw my baths. Change my sheets. Light my fires." He glanced back at me. "And whatever else I require."

The way he said that last part made my skin prickle.

"Understood, my Lord."

"Good." He moved to a large desk in the corner, shuffling through papers with practiced efficiency. "There's one more thing."

"Yes?"

"My brothers." His voice hardened. "Damon, Kennedy, and Rogers. They're... problematic. If any of them tries to speak with you, you report it to me immediately. If any of them touches you..." He looked up, and there was something cold and deadly in his expression. "You scream. Loudly. Is that clear?"

I nodded, my throat suddenly tight.

"Why would they "

"Because they're animals," he cut me off. "And because they'll do anything to get to me, including hurting what's mine."

What's mine.

The possessiveness in those words should have terrified me. Should have made me want to run.

Instead, my wolf perked up with interest, and I had to mentally slap her down.

"I'll be careful," I managed.

"See that you are." He returned to his papers, effectively dismissing me. "You're free until dinner. Margot will show you the kitchens and the servants' quarters. Stay out of the east wing that's where my brothers reside. And stay out of the dungeons unless I send you there."

Dungeons. Of course this place had dungeons.

"Yes, my Lord."

I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me at the door.

"Thea?"

"Yes?"

"You fight well. For a simple survivor."

My blood turned to ice.

"I... what?"

"In the forest. Before the tranquilizer took you down." He didn't look up from his papers. "You took out three of my best trackers before they subdued you. That's impressive for someone with no training."

Damn it. I'd been so focused on escaping I hadn't thought about how it would look.

"Survival makes you desperate," I said carefully. "Desperation makes you dangerous."

"Indeed." He made a note on one of the documents. "We'll have to test that theory sometime. I could use skilled fighters in my guard."

"I'm not a fighter."

"Liar."

The word hung in the air between us like a blade.

I swallowed hard.

"I was a farmer's daughter. We learned to defend ourselves from rogues and raiders. That's all."

"Hmm." He finally looked up, studying me with those too-intelligent eyes. "A farmer's daughter who moves like a trained warrior. Who speaks like nobility. Who has calluses on her hands from sword work, not from plowing fields."

My hands clenched at my sides.

"You're imagining things."

"Am I?" He set down his quill and stood, moving toward me with deliberate slowness. "Or are you hiding something, little liar?"

He was close now. Too close. I could feel the heat radiating off him, smell that intoxicating scent of woodsmoke and danger.

"Everyone has secrets," I whispered. "Even kings."

His eyes flashed with something dark and thrilling.

"Especially kings." He reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers barely grazing my skin. "But I always discover the truth eventually. It's one of my gifts."

"Then I suppose we'll see if I have anything worth discovering."

The corner of his mouth lifted.

"I suppose we will."

He stepped back, and I could breathe again.

"Dismissed."

I practically fled from the room, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break free from my chest.

What had just happened? Had he been testing me? Playing with me? Or did he genuinely suspect something?

I couldn't tell, and that terrified me more than anything.

The servants' quarters were located in the lower levels of the keep, accessible through a narrow staircase that spiraled down into the earth like a descent into the underworld.

Margot led the way with brisk efficiency, pointing out various rooms and corridors.

"Kitchens there. Laundry there. Storage there. You'll take your meals with the other servants in the common hall." She glanced back at me. "Though as the King's personal maid, you'll eat better than most. He insists his attendants are well-fed."

"How generous," I muttered.

Her lips twitched. Might have been a smile. Hard to tell.

"You'll share a room with three other girls. They work in the laundry and stables." She pushed open a door to reveal a small but clean chamber with four narrow beds. "This one's yours."

The bed on the far left had fresh linens and a small chest at its foot.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." Margot crossed her arms. "The other girls... they won't like you."

"Why not?"

"Because you serve the King directly. Because you're new. Because you're pretty." She shrugged. "Take your pick."

Great. Just what I needed. More enemies.

"I'll manage."

"I'm sure you will." Margot's expression softened slightly. "A word of advice, girl. Keep your head down. Do your work. Don't make waves. The Lycan King has a temper, and when he's displeased..."

She didn't finish the sentence. Didn't need to.

"I understand."

"Good." She turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing. There's a girl here. Blonde. Pretty. Arrived yesterday from Evergreen."

Aria.

My hands clenched into fists.

"What about her?"

"She's been asking about you. Wants to know which servant serves the King's chambers." Margot's eyes were sharp. "I told her nothing, but she's persistent. If she approaches you "

"I'll handle it."

"See that you do. We don't need drama in the servants' quarters."

She left, and I was alone.

I sank onto the bed, my legs suddenly weak. Everything was happening too fast. Two days ago, I was Luna of Evergreen. Now I was a maid in the house of my enemy, surrounded by people who would kill me if they knew the truth.

And Aria was here. Hunting me.

I couldn't hide forever. Eventually, we'd cross paths. Eventually, she'd try something.

But not today.

Today, I needed to rest. To plan. To figure out how to survive long enough to make them all pay.

I lay back on the bed, staring at the stone ceiling, and let myself feel everything I'd been holding back.

The grief. The rage. The bone-deep exhaustion.

Magnus's face swam in my vision, and I had to bite my lip to keep from sobbing.

"I'll avenge you," I whispered to the empty room. "I promise. I'll make them all pay for what they did to you."

The words felt hollow, but I clung to them anyway.

Because right now, revenge was all I had left.

Killian's POV

I watched from the window as Thea crossed the courtyard below, her gray dress blending with the stone walls.

She moved with purpose. With grace. With the kind of controlled precision that came from years of training, not from farm work.

"She's lying," I said aloud.

"Obviously," Damon drawled from behind me. I hadn't heard him enter, but I'd learned to expect his intrusions. "The question is what she's lying about."

I turned to face my eldest brother. He looked pleased with himself, which was never a good sign.

"What do you want, Damon?"

"Just checking on my baby brother." He smirked. "Making sure you haven't been seduced by a pretty face and a sharp tongue."

"Your concern is touching."

"I'm serious, Killian." He moved closer, his expression hardening. "That girl is dangerous. I can smell it on her."

"So can I."

"Then why keep her close?"

I considered the question.

Why did I keep her close? The logical answer was to extract information, to figure out who she really was and what she wanted. But there was another reason, one I wasn't ready to admit even to myself.

She intrigued me.

In a world of submissive servants and power-hungry schemers, she was neither. She was fire wrapped in ice, and I wanted to see what would happen when she melted.

"Because," I said finally, "she's more useful alive than dead."

Damon snorted.

"You're playing with fire."

"So everyone keeps telling me."

"And when she burns you?"

I smiled.

"Then I'll enjoy the heat."

He shook his head, disgusted, and left without another word.

I returned to the window, watching Thea disappear into the servants' entrance.

Who are you? I thought. What are you hiding?

I'd find out soon enough.

I always did.

Mira's POV

Dinner was a nightmare.

The servants' hall was crowded and loud, filled with the clatter of dishes and the buzz of conversation. I found a seat at the far end of one table, hoping to go unnoticed.

It didn't work.

Within minutes, three girls had surrounded me my new roommates, apparently.

"So you're the one," the first girl said. She was tall and red-haired, with freckles and a mean smile. "The King's new toy."

"I'm his maid," I corrected, keeping my voice neutral. "Not his toy."

"Same thing," another girl piped up. This one was shorter, with dark curls and suspicious eyes. "How'd you manage it, anyway? Spread your legs for him already?"

My wolf snarled, but I pushed her down.

"I did nothing. He chose me."

"Lucky you," the third girl muttered. She was blonde and slight, with nervous hands. "Hope it was worth it. Last girl who got that close to the King ended up dead."

I froze.

"What?"

"Ignore her," the red-head said quickly. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about, Clara. The King's last "

"There was no last maid," Clara interrupted firmly. "Margot already said. Thea's the first."

The blonde girl fell silent, but her eyes said she didn't believe it.

Neither did I.

I was about to press the issue when a hush fell over the hall. Everyone's attention turned to the entrance, where a familiar figure stood.

Aria.

She looked different than she had in the holding chamber. Cleaner. Better dressed. Her blonde hair was pinned back elegantly, and she wore a deep blue gown that marked her as someone important.

Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on me.

And then she smiled.

It was the smile of a viper about to strike.

"Thea," she said sweetly, weaving through the tables toward me. "What a lovely surprise. I didn't know you'd survived the journey."

Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I held my ground.

"Aria. What a coincidence."

"Isn't it?" She stopped in front of me, her smile never wavering. "I'm so glad you're safe. After everything that happened..."

She was baiting me. Testing to see if I'd break, if I'd reveal what I knew in front of witnesses.

Not a chance.

"Yes," I said calmly. "It was terrible. So many lost."

Her smile tightened.

"Indeed. Though I suppose some losses are greater than others."

Magnus. She was talking about Magnus.

My hands clenched under the table, but I kept my expression blank.

"True. Though I find the greatest losses are often those we inflict on ourselves."

Her eyes flashed with anger.

"Careful, Thea. Words can be dangerous in a place like this."

"So can actions."

We stared at each other, the air between us crackling with unspoken threats.

Finally, she stepped back.

"Well, I should go. The Alpha my Alpha is waiting for me." She emphasized the word, making sure everyone heard. "Do enjoy your meal. It looks... filling."

She swept out of the hall, leaving a wake of whispers behind her.

Clara leaned over.

"What was that about?"

I picked up my fork, forcing my hand not to shake.

"Old history."

"Must be some history."

"You have no idea."

I managed three bites before my stomach rebelled. Pushing the plate away, I excused myself and headed back to the room.

I needed to think. To plan. To figure out my next move before Aria made hers.

But as I climbed into bed that night, surrounded by strangers in a hostile place, one thought kept circling through my mind.

I was in the lion's den.

And the lions were getting hungry.

Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

And yet, I dreaded it all the same.