What The Hell Was I Thinking

Chapter Four

The doors clicked shut behind Lady Mira and the head maid, leaving me alone in the study with a predator who looked as though he was deciding whether to hang me from the chandelier or feed me to the royal hounds.

Then came the order that sent a chill down my spine.

“Sodom, call the head warrior.”

My breath caught. Sodom?

The name jolted through my memory. Sodom was the trusted former Royal Beta, the man who had supposedly comforted Talon after the death of his family. He was also the man who had helped shape the king into the ruthless ruler he had become. But in the novel, there was a secret about him that most people knew nothing about.

If Sodom walked into this room, my modern business instincts screamed that I would be looking at a viper in sheep's clothing. And if he saw an Omega servant who had just openly challenged the Lycan King, he could use the situation as an excuse to get rid of me before I accidentally uncovered any of his secrets.

Before I could finish the thought, Talon moved.

His massive frame blocked the light from the arched windows as he crossed the room. The space between us disappeared in a single stride, and before I could prepare myself, his hand shot out and closed around my throat.

My back struck the stone wall with a hard thud, knocking the air from my lungs. A sharp gasp escaped my lips, but I couldn't draw another breath. My heels lifted from the floor as his fingers tightened around my neck.

Panic rushed through me. The confident businesswoman, the independent woman from Chicago, seemed to disappear beneath the terror. There was only Karen, trapped against a cold wall in the grip of a man who ruled an entire kingdom through fear.

"You test my patience, Omega," Talon growled.

His voice was low and harsh, and his dark eyes burned with anger. The pressure around my throat made it difficult to think. My hands flew to his wrist, desperately trying to loosen his grip, while my vision began to blur at the edges.

I was going to die.

Not in a car accident on a wet highway, but at the hands of a fictional king I had foolishly decided to lecture.

Fight back, a stubborn voice inside me urged. Don't let him see you cower.

With the little air I had left, I forced myself to meet his gaze. I didn't beg or whimper. My fingers pressed against his wrist as I struggled to hold his stare, even while my body trembled beneath his grip.

Then Talon froze.

For a brief moment, something changed in his eyes. His anger seemed to falter as he looked down at me. Perhaps he expected tears or desperate pleas. The servants in this palace knew better than to resist him, and the original Karen would have been terrified beyond words.

But I continued to stare at him, refusing to surrender even as my strength began to fade.

Talon suddenly pulled his hand away as though he had touched something burning.

I dropped to the floor, landing hard on my knees. My chest heaved as I struggled to draw in air, coughing painfully while my hands flew to my throat. The cold stone beneath me felt painfully real, reminding me that I was still alive.

For now.

A soft click came from the corner of the room. My attention shifted toward the heavy velvet curtains, where a hidden side door had opened.

A tall, silver-haired man stepped into the study.

Sodom.

He looked exactly as I remembered from the novel. His robes were immaculate, his posture straight, and his gray hair gave him the appearance of a wise and loyal adviser. A gentle smile rested on his face as he approached the king.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" he asked smoothly. "I heard raised voices. Has this unfortunate servant caused more trouble?"

His pale eyes shifted toward me. Beneath his calm expression, I caught a brief look of contempt. He didn't see a person. He saw someone who had disturbed the order he worked so hard to maintain.

"She has an unfortunate habit of forgetting her place, Sodom," Talon said. His voice still carried the anger of our confrontation. He paced behind his desk, his shoulders tense. "She stands in my study and lectures me on parenting. She speaks of trauma as though she understands the weight of this crown."

Sodom stepped closer and shook his head with a sigh.

"Ah, youth and ignorance," he murmured. "The lower ranks grow bold when they are shown too much leniency. Perhaps a night in the lower dungeons will remind her of the proper hierarchy, Your Majesty. It would be a tragedy if such insolence spread among the other servants."

You manipulative old snake.

My fist tightened against the floor. Sodom wasn't simply offering advice. He was encouraging Talon's cruelty, making sure the king remained feared and isolated. It was exactly how someone could keep a ruler under their influence.

Talon stopped pacing.

"Get out," he snarled at me.

His voice was sharp, but there was something else beneath his anger. He wouldn't look at me. Instead, he turned his back and gripped the edge of his desk, his shoulders tense.

I didn't wait for another order.

With trembling legs, I pushed myself off the floor. There was no courtesy or apology. I simply turned and hurried toward the doors, desperate to get away before my strength gave out.

The hallway blurred around me as I stumbled forward, my heart still pounding and the pain in my throat making every breath uncomfortable.

Oh Becky what the hell were you thinking.