Chapter 4: The king's bestrothed

Arianna's heart raced even more as she stood paralyzed, the King's warm breath brushed her skin, his finger trailing up to her neck and collared it in a possessive manner.

She didn't like this, didn't like the heat starting to spread through her body.

Was he going to hurt her? She had heard of ruts and the uncontrollable desire that came with them-the periods of intense, primal urgency that not even the most civilized of her kind could resist.

His nose buried his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply, as if her scent intoxicating. He then let out a low, throaty groan of satisfaction.

"Take your clothes off, get on the bed, all on four." His voice rough and thick with command, making her nerves tense.

Arianna gritted her teeth, her eyes shut. "P...please," her voice came out like broken waves. A guttural growl of warning followed, an angry one that made her shiver.

Left with no choice, she turned and took a few steps away from him, her legs weak with fear. His pair of golden-red eyes still lingered in her mind, the memory making her stumble.

She reached for the strap that held her dress and loosened it, letting it slip down to the floor, revealing her nakedness.

She climbed onto the bed, parted her legs, and arched her back. A bitter sigh left her lips as she awaited her fate.

The bed sank beneath her, a clear sign that he had joined her. She whimpered, beads of sweat cascading down her face. She tried to prepare herself mentally for what was about to happen but kept failing.

Today was supposed to be her first day as the Luna of the Ravenwood Pack, but instead, she was here, at the mercy of the ruthless Lycan King, who was in the throes of his rut.

She felt his large hands press against her thighs, parting her legs further and lifting them slightly. Arianna caught a glimpse of his figure and her breath caught in her throat. Under the dark, his muscles rippled beneath his skin, his raw power on full display. He was magnificent, terrifying-and completely lost to his rut.

His hands left her thighs and reached for her hands, which were clutching the sheets tightly. He folded them behind her back and pressed her chest onto the bed. Her back ached, easy for his penetration.

She could feel his member against her thigh, firm, hard, and ready. Its tip pressed against her folds. Arianna's eyes snapped open wide.

He was huge. Far too huge for her to take.

Without warning, it plunged into her, and she let out a loud scream, trying to pull away, but his hand that pinned her hands behind her held her down firmly.

A growl tore from his throat as he pulled out and slammed back in, more brutal than the first thrust.

Arianna's scream pierced the air, her face buried in the sheet. She couldn't move, paralyzed by the fear that the Lycan might kill her.

"Stop, it hurts!!"

His grip on her butt cheek tightened as he pulled out again, then slammed back in, deeper this time. His pace was unforgiving.

Her head spun as pain shot through her entire body. He kept thrusting, each thrust making her scream in agony. Tears cascaded down her face. Her hatred for Kael, and those who betrayed her, grew stronger. They had caused all of this.

She wouldn't die. Not here. Not now. Not until she destroyed every single one of them who had caused her pain.

He pulled out completely, only to thrust back in hard, hitting the depths of her.

She felt as if he might split her in two if he kept going, and yet this time it felt different. Her body reacted, heating up. Her wet core throbbed, tightening around his member.

Arianna didn't know what was happening, but she didn't like it. Her body was sending a fleeting message.

Her heat.

Was she mistaken? There was no way this was possible. Her thoughts were shattered when the Lycan King, took her by her hair to pull her up, buried his nose in her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

The hand that had pinned her to the bed now rested on her neck, his grip firm as he continued plunging into her from behind.

**********

Selene stepped into the warm chamber, adorned with glittering candelabras and gold. Her gaze settled on Lady Valkyrie, who was overlooking the kingdom through the large window.

Clad in a gown of rich velvet and adorned with unique embroidery, the woman features were the very definition of beauty. Her presence commanded power and authority.

Lady Valkyrie, the daughter of one of the strongest alphas, had been chosen as the future Luna of Lunaris Citadel.

"Your Highness," Selene greeted with a bow, her voice filled with respect.

Lady Valkyrie glanced over her shoulder, her expression unreadable. "Has my Darling's rut begun?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Selene responded, her head still lowered.

Even though Lady Valkyrie was the chosen Luna, she had not been able to handle King Duncan's rut. Tales had mentioned that King Duncan was beginning to lose his mind due to the lack of mate.

Unlike werewolves who are capable of living without a mate, an Lycan tends to lose their mind if it takes too long to get to find their destined one, especially the ancient ones like the king himself.

After centuries of searching for his mate, King Duncan was beginning to lose himself, making his rut primal and deadly under almost every full moon.

With the thought of choosing and marking a Luna instead, he chose Lady Valkyrie as his betrothed.

Even at that, she was never recognized during his rut. Perhaps he was yet to mark her. That was what she believed.

Lady Valkyrie hated that her Darling became a beast during his rut, and she hated even more that she wasn't the one to tame him.

The thought of each slave dying by the next morning brought a satisfying smile to her face. At least they were paying for driving her mad with jealousy.

"And the other female slaves?" she asked. Sometimes it took two or three slaves to satisfy the King's rut.

"They are prepared as we speak, my lady," Selene replied. "But even the strongest among them won't last long. His Majesty's rut grows more uncontrollable with each passing full moon."

Lady Valkyrie sighed, her fingers brushing against the cold stone of the window.

She had been bound to King Duncan for months, yet king still wasn't ready to mark her, despite that there was no improvement.

"I should be with him, not them," she mumbled to herself. She was like this during every one of his ruts-impatient, anxious, and upset. There was only one way to calm her storm.

She spun around, leaving her room and heading toward King Duncan's chamber.

The painful screams of the slaves with her Darling always seemed to calm her.

She would smile while hearing their agonizing cries echo through the walls, each scream reminding her that she was the only woman for him-it was the only thing that soothed her heart.

Watching the slaves who took her place broken and torn apart, their lives snuffed out by the King's uncontrollable desire, gave her solace.

However, as Lady Valkyrie approached the heavy, imposing doors of the King's chamber, her excitement quickly faded. She halted in her tracks, confusion flashing across her beautiful features.

The sounds coming from the chamber in front of her was unmistakable.

The slave with King Duncan-her Darling-was not screaming in pain, but screaming for more.