Chapter 9

Soren’s POV

I followed the young guard down the corridors. My heart was beating fast. When the guard told me that my wife was punishing the servants, I expected the worst.

The old Evelyn used to be so soft and easily frightened. If a maid ever gave her a dirty look, she would lock herself in her room and cry for hours.

 I assumed the guard meant she was having a panic attack, or perhaps screaming in fear because her mind was still broken from the Rogue woods.

But as we stepped out into the chilly night air of the royal courtyard, I froze in my tracks.

The courtyard was completely lit up by flaming torches. A large crowd had gathered. Pack guards, cooks, and other palace servants stood in a wide circle, whispering to each other in hushed, shocked voices. 

I used my shoulders to push my way through the crowd to the front line.

What I saw in the center of the courtyard made my jaw drop.

Three young palace maids were kneeling on the hard, rough cobblestones. Their faces were red, covered in thick sweat, and tears streamed down their cheeks. 

Their arms were raised high above their heads, shaking violently as they each held a massive, heavy burlap sack filled with raw grain.

They struggled to breathe, their bodies shaking under the overwhelming pressure.

And sitting calmly in front of them was my wife.

She looked every bit like a powerful queen.

Her legs were crossed elegantly as she sat in her chair. A golden goblet of red wine rested in one hand, while a silver platter filled with freshly cooked shrimp sat on the table beside her.

Without saying a word, she picked up a shrimp, dipped it into the sauce, and took a slow bite.

She chewed leisurely, her eyes never leaving the frightened maids kneeling before her.

"I said, lift them higher," she commanded. Her voice was not loud, but it was incredibly sharp and dangerous. It cut through the air like a blade.

"Please, Luna... my arms... they are breaking," one of the maids sobbed, her elbows bending as the heavy bag of grain started to drop.

"If that bag touches your head, I will have the guards double the weight," she replied smoothly, taking a sip of her red wine.

 "Lift it."

The maid let out a pathetic cry and forced her shaking arms straight back up. I stood in the crowd, completely stunned. 

I could not believe my own eyes. Was this really my Evelyn? The timid, quiet girl who could not even look the pack elders in the eye? The woman sitting in that chair commanded absolute fear. She radiated pure authority.

My heart pounded heavily against my ribs. A sudden, intense wave of heat rushed straight to my groin. 

Seeing her act so dominant, so powerful, and so ruthless was the most attractive thing I had ever witnessed. 

My human side was entirely captivated. Even my wolf, who had been strangely quiet and resistant all evening, let out a low rumble of approval at the sight of a strong, capable mate.

I cleared my throat and stepped out of the crowd, walking into the center of the courtyard.

"What exactly is happening here?" I asked, letting my deep Alpha voice carry across the open space.

The whispering crowd instantly fell dead silent. The three kneeling maids looked at me with wide, desperate eyes, as if their savior had just arrived.

My wife noticed my presence immediately. She did not flinch. She did not look guilty or scared that I had caught her.

 Instead, she calmly placed her golden goblet down on the small table. She stood up from the armchair, her white nightgown flowing beautifully in the night breeze.

She turned to face me and gave me a slow bow.

"Alpha Soren," she greeted me, her voice smooth and soft.

I stepped closer to her, keeping my eyes locked on hers.

 "Evelyn. Why are these maids kneeling in the cold with bags of grain?"

She folded her hands neatly in front of her.

 "They needed to be taught a lesson in respect, my Alpha. I caught them in the royal corridor, dusting the walls and laughing about my trauma. They were making cruel jokes about the time I spent in the forest."

Her silver eyes darkened slightly, flashing with a fiery anger.

 "And worse, they were mocking me for being barren. They said I was a useless Luna who could not give you an heir, and that you would soon throw me away for a real woman. I decided to remind them exactly who they were talking about."

A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the courtyard.

My blood instantly boiled. 

Hot, violent rage flared in my chest. How dare they? How dare these low-level servants speak about my wife's trauma? How dare they talk about the children we could not have?

But before I could unleash my Alpha aura on them, the maids broke down completely.

"Alpha Soren! Please! It is a lie!" the first maid cried out, dropping her bag of grain. It hit the cobblestones with a heavy thud. She crawled forward on her bruised knees, reaching her hands out toward me. "We did not say those things! She is making it up!"

"Yes, Alpha!" the second maid sobbed, her face pale with terror. 

"She just came out of her room and attacked us! She forced us out here for no reason! You know how she is, Alpha! You know her mind is sick!"

They looked up at me with pleading eyes. They were trying to play the victim, and it made my stomach turn with pure disgust.

I realized exactly what they were doing. They thought I was going to support them. They thought I was going to take their side against my own wife. 

In the past, before Evelyn was kidnapped by Orion’s men, I used to let things like this happen. When the pack elders or the servants would disrespect her, I would turn a blind eye. 

Sometimes, when I was angry, I even agreed with them. I had called her weak. I had looked at her with disappointment because she had not given me a strong heir.

My own past cruelty was staring me right in the face. These maids thought I would humiliate her again tonight.

The guilt weighing on my chest quickly turned into anger.

I stepped forward and released my Alpha aura.

The pressure swept across the courtyard like a powerful storm.

Several guards gasped and backed away. The three maids cried out as the force slammed down on them, forcing them to bow lower to the ground.

They trembled beneath the overwhelming weight of my authority, unable to lift their heads.

They could barely breathe.

"You dare call my Luna a liar?" I growled, my voice vibrating with dark, deadly power. 

"You dare speak about her mind? I should tear your tongues out of your heads right here and feed them to the border hounds!"

The maids whimpered pitifully, pressing their faces into the dirt.

"Alpha, please! We are sorry! We just thought—"

"You thought wrong!" I roared, completely losing my temper.

 "Those days are over! The woman standing before you is your Queen! She is the Luna of the Obsidian Claw Pack! If any of you ever disrespect her again, if any of you ever speak a single word about her past, I will not make you hold bags of grain. I will end your lives!"

I glared at the surrounding crowd of guards and servants. "Do you all understand me?"

"Yes, Alpha!" the crowd shouted in unison, quickly bowing their heads in deep respect.

I took a deep breath, pulling my terrifying aura back inside. The air in the courtyard instantly felt lighter. I turned away from the shaking maids and looked at my wife.

She was standing perfectly still. She looked slightly surprised by my fierce defense, but there was a bright, beautiful fire shining in her silver eyes. She looked incredibly proud.

I stepped closer to her and gently placed my hand on the small of her back. I looked at her with pure admiration and respect.

"This is your court, my Luna," I said softly, loud enough for only her and the maids to hear. 

"I will not interfere. Do exactly what you must do."

Evelyn stared at me for a long moment, reading the deep truth in my eyes. Then, a slow, dark, and utterly wicked grin spread across her lush pink lips. It was the most beautiful and terrifying smile I had ever seen.

"Thank you, my Alpha," she whispered.

She turned her attention back to the crying servants.

 The sweet, fragile wife completely disappeared, and the ruthless Queen returned. She picked up her golden goblet from the table and took another slow sip of her red wine.

"You dropped your grain," she said to the first maid, her voice dripping with cold authority. "Pick it back up."

The maid scrambled desperately, grabbing the heavy burlap sack with her tired, bleeding fingers and hoisting it back into the air.

Evelyn walked forward, her bare feet stepping lightly over the hard stones. She stopped right in front of them, looking down at their shaking, sweaty bodies.

"I am enjoying my wine," Evelyn announced smoothly, a dark amusement dancing in her eyes. 

"And you are ruining my view. Lift them higher."

I stood by her side in the cool night air, watching her dominate the courtyard. My heart hammered with pride.

 My wife was no longer a victim. She was a weapon, and I was completely, hopelessly under her spell.