Chapter 2: Claimed by the King

Hazel felt the blood in her body freeze up. Her saliva dried up, and a strong wave of nausea suddenly washed over her.

Perhaps I heard wrong....

Yes, yes. That has to—

"Hazel?"

Alpha Lucian hissed, staring directly at her through the crowd. Some of the servants let out strangled gasps, and Emma covered her agape mouth with her hand.

"Is this some sort of prank, Lucian?" King Conan cocked a brow, his irritation flaring. "Is there nobody bearing the name Hazel here?"

Lucian laughed awkwardly, failing to mask his nervousness. He walked to a frozen Hazel, who’s fingers were trembling, and latched his hand over her arm.

"She is the one, my King,"

He tried to pull Hazel, but she immediately attempted to yank her hand clean of his grip, her brain finally rebooting from the shock.

"No! Please!" She cried out as her father overpowered her with his Alpha strength, dragging her to the front of the Lycan king. Beads of tears fell down her face in horror as she stood face to face with the terrifying Scorpio Alpha, his black eyes darting between her and Lucian.

"Lucian," he started. "What is the meaning of this? What do you mean this...." He took a sniff of her, and shuddered in disgust. "markless servant woman is my bride? You told me you would give me your daughter’s hand in marriage." Conan’s eyes darted to the female of the twins, who was standing behind their mother.

"And she is my daughter. My first daughter," A sly smile spread across Lucian’s face, his emerald eyes twinkling. "Her mother, my first mate and wife, is dead, you see. But Lockwood blood flows within her veins."

Hazel struggled to breathe properly, her throat occasionally constricting. Sweat formed on her forehead now, and the urge to kneel washed over her like a heavy storm.

Her father...had sold her out to be married to the most terrifying Lycan in their history....

And he hadn’t even told her about it?!

Hazel parted her mouth to speak, her panic overriding her common sense. "No please! My King—King Conan—Alpha," she stuttered. "I may be a Lockwood but I don’t—"

"You shut up," Lucian smacked her cheek, and her face snapped left. Hazel gritted her teeth, about to speak again when something happened.

A spray of blood splatted across her face.

Uh?

Trembling, she slowly turned around, only to flinch as her eyes widened at the scene unfolding before her.

The Lycan King had lodged one of his hands in the chest of her father, and blood tricked down his lips. He coughed, a wet wheeze escaping his bloodied mouth.

King Conan’s eyes glowed red now, and he pulled the Alpha of Tideclaw closer to him. "You dare not merely play a trickster’s game with me, but to lay a hand on the woman you chose as my bride, before my very eyes?"

He squeezed.

Lucian’s body convulsed, a strangled gurgle rattling from his throat. His fingers clawed uselessly at the King’s wrist, nails scraping against skin that wouldn’t yield. More blood bubbled past his lips, spilling down his chin in rivers of blood.

"I am sorry, please. Forgive me," he managed to wheeze.

Conan tilted his head.

"Please!" Eliza shrieked, stumbling forward. Her hair had come undone, and her face was ghost-white. "Please, my King! Spare him! He meant no—"

"Silence."

Conan didn’t even look at her when he spoke. His red eyes remained fixed on Lucian, watching the life drain from the Alpha’s face with cold satisfaction.

Behind Eliza, the twins, Dante and Danielle, dropped to their knees, bowing their heads to the stone floor as their shoulders trembled.

"Please," Dante whispered, his voice cracking. "Please, my King. Please forgive him. Please."

Hazel on the other hand said and did nothing. Her face was still wet with her father’s blood, and even though watching the family, her own family, that had dealt her punishments and pain so many times was supposed to be satisfying, she couldn’t feel it. Her mind had gone completely blank with terror, and she watched as King Conan finally—finally—released his grip.

Lucian collapsed like a sack of grain, hitting the floor loudly. He wheezed, gasping for air, and clutched at the gaping hole in his chest with shaking hands. The wound was already beginning to knit itself together, but much slowly than it would usually take.

Perhaps as a result of the power of the Lycan king.

Conan wiped his bloodied hand on a handkerchief he extracted from his trousers, the red glow in his eyes dimming back to black. The blood stains weren’t completely done, but the handkerchief did the work of reducing them.

Then he turned his gaze to Eliza, who was clutching her chest. She wanted to move closer to her husband, but was too terrified to do so.

Danielle slowly rose to her feet, feeling jealously swell in her heart as she stared at her fallen father.

Why would he promise the Lycan King a mere slave, and markless girl as his queen?

When she was right there?

"Tch. I would have made a better queen," she whispered to herself, glaring at her half-sister. Hazel was markless, an omega, a runt who certainly didn’t deserve to stand by King Conan’s side as his queen.

Unfortunately for Danielle, in her grumbling she had forgotten about the famed supernatural senses of the King of Lycans.

King Conan’s eyes immediately found hers, and she instinctively took a step backwards.

Oh no. He heard me.

"You, what is your name?" His voice rang out, his gaze still pinned on her.

Danielle swallowed. "Danielle, your majesty."

"You believe you would have been a better queen to me?"

A collection of gasps rippled across the gathered crowd, and even Dante, her twin brother, had a terrified expression on his face.

"Dani, be quiet!" He whispered, but Danielle gritted her teeth.

Perhaps this was a chance to get him to see the truth.

"Yes, my king." She spoke, completely ignoring her brother. "If I may speak freely, Hazel is a servant. A slave. She may bear my father’s blood, but she is unpolished and uneducated, used to living a life in the dirt." Danielle, feeling emboldened by Conan’s rapt attention, continued. "I am a daughter as well, and since you want a Gemini bride, I believe I would be a good—"

"Do you presume to know what is best for me?"

Conan’s voice shut her off coldly, his eyes briefly glowing again. Danielle felt sweat trickle down her forehead. "No! I would never make that—"

"Then shut up." The Lycan King snapped, redirecting his attention to the Luna of Tideclaw.

"It is to my knowledge," he began, his voice deceptively calm, "that twin Alphas usually lead the Gemini pack?"

Eliza batted her eyelids, confused by the sudden shift in tone. Quite frankly, she agreed with her daughter but didn’t dare say it. She swallowed hard, nodding frantically. "Y-yes, my King. The Gemini Celestial line has always been ruled by twins. It is our—"

"I recall Lucian had a twin sister, Lurana," Conan cut her off. "She died a year ago, did she not?"

Eliza’s face crumpled. "Yes. Yes, my King. She was killed by—"

"So a single Alpha can function alone."

It wasn’t a question.

Conan smiled. It was a terrible thing, that smile. It didn’t reach his eyes.

"For this trickery, and for your second daughter’s foolishness," he continued, his eyes focused on the defeated Alpha of Tideclaw, "I will return in exactly one year. And when I do..." He let the silence stretch, just as the evil smile on his face stretched. "I will kill one of your twins."

Danielle’s eyes widened. No! But she had just....she was just trying to help! To ensure he had the very best!

"My King please!" She cried out. "I was just trying to—"

"Know your place, imbecile. I should kill everyone standing here for this treachery. Consider this mercy."

His eyes briefly flashed red again, and Danielle’s mouth snapped shut. Eliza pressed her forehead to the floor, trembling violently, her sobs muffled against the stone.

Then Conan turned.

His black eyes settled on Hazel.

She flinched immediately, expecting him to lash out at her or worse, punish her for her father’s lies and for Danielle’s stupid words.

Instead, he reached out with his clean hand, the one not coated in her father’s blood, and gently touched a strand of her hair. His fingers brushed against her cheek, and she shuddered so violently she thought she might collapse.

He leaned in, inhaling deeply.

Then he recoiled, his nose wrinkling.

"Your stench would take some getting used to," he muttered, almost to himself. "But you’ll do."

He stretched out his hand.

"Come."

Hazel stared briefly, a part of her hoping she would wake up very soon from the nightmare.

No such luck.

Hazel felt the fear coil in her stomach. It crawled up her throat, threatening to choke her. Every instinct screamed at her to run. To flee. To disappear into the shadows where no one could find her.

But she was markless.

And nobody dared disobey the Lycan King.

Slowly, so slowly it felt like moving through honey, Hazel reached out. Her fingers trembled as they brushed against his palm. She hesitated. One last moment of resistance.

Then she placed her hand in his.

His thick fingers closed around hers, and without another word, King Conan turned and led her out of the hall.