The Hellfire King And His Chosen Breeder | Read Free Preview
Read chapters 1–3 of The Hellfire King And His Chosen Breeder free. Unlock the full ebook when you are ready to keep going.
Chapter 1
"Are you going to wash that all your life?" My stepmother looked into the laundry room and yelled, making me shake in fear.
"I'll be done with this soon, Ma," I replied, but as expected, she ran closer and grabbed my ear.
"How many times will I correct you? Don't you ever talk back at me again!" She yelled wickedly and continued pulling and twisting my ear while I struggled to maintain my balance.
"Is she still on that cloth?" My stepsister immediately came into the room and joined in punishing me.
She grabbed my hair and pulled it hard, almost separating my scalp from my head.
"I apologize, ma," I said in pain and agony. I just want them to let me go. I want them to leave me in peace. All they ever do is hurt me. They hurt me every day without feeling remorse.
"Yeah, be fast, you weak weirdo," my step-sister, Genesis chuckled. She is obviously enjoying my pain. I am certain that torturing me is what they love doing best. It's their hobby, and if they don't bully me, they'll become very restless. I've grown accustomed to some of their abuses, but I must confess that I haven't adjusted to everything yet.
I still feel pain every time they hurt me, especially when they do so in the presence of my father and he refuses to help me.
My father doesn't help or caution his wife and daughter whenever they hurt me. Every time they hurt me, I always look to him for help, but all he does is pretend like nothing is happening. I am his first child— the child of his first mate before she died.
Yes, my mother is late. It's been more than twenty years since she died, and my father brought home a second mate.
At first, his second mate treated me well, but then suddenly changed after she gave birth to her daughter, who is my step-sister. It is still hard for me to understand her reasons for treating me badly. All I ever hope for is for my father to defend me and regard me as his daughter. I want him to stand up for me, I want him to protect me like all fathers do, and I want to feel safe under his arms even if it happens just once—just once I need to hear him tell me that he loves me just like other fathers out there.
My wish may seem unreasonable, but it's what I truly want.
"Nonsense," my stepmother spat on me, and Genesis quickly followed suit before storming out to the sitting room.
Once they were out of the laundry room, I redressed my hair and got back to the pile of clothes that I had been washing all morning.
"So how did it turn out, my dear?" my stepmother questioned Genesis from the sitting room.
"They asked me to return in the evening for the results. Mom, I am nervous. Do you think the king's mother will choose me as the king's breeder?"
"Are you scared?"
"No, Mother, it's just that..."
"No! You are not allowed to have doubts, my sweet bear. I have secretly sent gifts to the king's mother. They will definitely choose you."
"But I heard that the king's breeder would be chosen by the moon goddess and..."
"Well, I think the queen will have no choice but to choose you herself. You are the only lady in our pack that fits the criteria of a queen. You have all the features of a queen, so she will have no choice but to pick you despite the moon goddess's choice," my stepmother cuts in and reassures.
I heard Genesis' heartbeat slow down, which simply meant that she was no longer nervous.
There was an announcement. The Alpha King's mother wants a breeder for the king. According to rumors, the king does not want a mate. He doesn't want a queen. It is said that the king hates contact with other beings, be they wolves, Lycans, or humans.
So the king's mother must want a baby out of the king at the very least, which is why she posted an announcement.
Hereditary beauty and healthy She-wolves from within and outside the pack have been traveling to the palace to see if they could be chosen as the king's breeder, but there hasn't been any positive result so far.
Today, Genesis decided to take a risk after receiving encouragement from my stepmother. She decided to take the bold step to also contest for the position of the king's breeder.
I hope she gets rejected; I hoped I finished the laundry.
Once this was done, I carried the big bucket of clothes out into the sun to dry them. While spreading them, Genesis came out to watch me, but I ignored her.
She must be here to stir up trouble; everything about her is trouble. I hate being close to her. I hate the fact that she is my stepsister; I hate her and her mother so much, but what can I do?
I have to pretend to care for them whenever we are outside. I still pretend that she is my sweet little sister. But in fact, she is a devil in sheep's clothing, and because of her mother and her special abilities, she finds pleasure in seeing me in pain. I'll say she is a sadist, yeah, a big one.
"Hey, big weakling sister, do you think I will be chosen as the Alpha King's Breeder?" Genesis asked after a while of watching me work.
"Yes, you will," I answer without sparing her a glance.
"Really?" She asked in that evil tone of hers. She uses that tone whenever she is up to something bad— something evil.
I continued spreading the clothes, trying my best not to look at her. But as expected, she walked to me and grabbed my hair, then twisted my head, making sure that I was now looking at her.
"When I am talking to you, you must focus on me. How many times do I have to tell you that big, weakling sister?" She snorted.
You all must be wondering why she keeps calling me a weakling. It's because I am weak. I was born weak, and even as a full breed, I have never met my wolf. I have never shifted, and everyone in the pack knows this.
Not only am I wolfless and weaker than humans, but I also act without thinking most times, I make mistakes, and I am very stupid and clumsy. Yeah, they all tell me that, and even without the constant reminders from everyone in the pack, I know that I am weak, stupid, wolfless, and clumsy.
Most times I trip on my own leg while walking. I can't run at full speed; I have no special ability of my own.
The moon goddess blesses everyone with special abilities when they shift for the first time. They might develop the ability to heal themselves or even heal others. In addition, they might develop extra speed. The werewolves are fast, but when blessed with super speed, they become even faster. They'll be invisible.
Some are blessed with strength and beauty, and that is exactly what my stepsister Genesis has been blessed with. She became incredibly beautiful and strong after shifting for the first time. Genesis took down two Alphas by herself in front of the whole pack, and this left everyone stunned because she was the first she-wolf to be blessed with such powers.
"I... I am sorry," Genesis' hands were now holding my neck. She tightened her hands around my neck and lifted me above the ground. I looked down to see my feet dancing in the air; when I looked at her, I saw a sick smirk playing at the corner of her lips. She must be enjoying this.
If there is one thing Genesis loves doing aside from bullying me, it's showing off her special abilities.
"Put me down... Put me down..." I coughed as life started leaving my body.
"No, I refuse, big sister. What will you do about that?" She mocks.
I tried touching her as I thought of a way to free myself from her grip, but she kept lifting me higher. Hot tears rushed out of my eyes as I started giving up. Maybe giving up is the best option right now. I should meet my mother. My mother will never treat me badly.
Even though my father acts this way toward me, my mother will never treat me this way. I think I should go to her; it's better this way...I stopped struggling and closed my eyes, about to give up, when the gate opened, and his scent filled my nostrils.
Genesis immediately brought me to the floor and rushed to him.
"Daddy," she cried and threw herself at him, and he didn't fail to catch her.
"How was today, Dad? I know dealing with humans is hard, but was it harder today?" Genesis collected the briefcase from my dad as they came closer to me. I relaxed on the floor where Genesis left me and watched as my father walked side by side with the girl who tried to strangle me a second ago.
Will he say something in defense? Will he question her actions? I know he saw how she was trying to kill me a few minutes ago. He saw all that.
"Dealing with humans is the most difficult task ever. I don't want you to ever experience that," my father replied as they walked arm in arm, walking past me like I was not there.
Like I was invincible. Still not convinced, I ran and stopped them.
"Dad, I..." I made to talk to him, but...
"Later, Sarah," my father abruptly dismissed me before disappearing into the house with his daughter.
My heart was shattered all over again by his brutal rejection. I felt my legs weaken and tears well up in my eyes.
"What? What does it take to earn recognition? You obviously don't love me anymore, Dad. What will it take for you to love and defend me?" I yelled, but of course, they both ignored me.
I'm sure they heard me. We all were werewolves with super hearing abilities, so there was no way they couldn't have heard those words.
"Why do you let them treat me so?" I yelled again in a shaky voice. Without another word, I ran out of our house and into the streets. I continued running, going anyway and everywhere my tiny legs led me.
After running for about twenty minutes, I stopped to catch my breath. I wiped my tears and sweat and took deep breaths to calm my broken heart.
My first love has broken my heart again. But where the hell am I? I look around my environment to see the palace in the distance. How did I get here? I stared at the tallest building in front of me, wondering how I got there.
The palace is miles away from my father's house, so how did I get here within minutes? Considering my type of speed and strength, it is naturally impossible to get here within a few minutes.
A normal and healthy werewolf could pull this up, but how was I able to do it as well? Different thoughts filled my head as I thought of different possibilities.
I was still thinking to myself when I suddenly heard a strange voice speak.
'Become the Alpha King's Breeder,' the voice whispered.
Huh? What? Who said that? I turned with a start as I tried to find the owner of the voice, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see anyone. I'm basically alone here, so who said that?
'You want to be recognized, right? You want your father to also protect you, then become the Alpha King's Breeder. Now is our only chance,' the voice came again, and this time I was able to detect where it was coming from.
The voice is inside my head; it's coming from my head.
What? How? What does this mean?
Wait... Is it my wolf?
"My Wolf?!" I gasped out loudly at the thought. I've never seen or met my wolf. I don't know what she looks or sounds like.
Is she...?
"Are you...?" I started to ask.
'Yes, you are right; I am your wolf, and I want you to go in there and become the king's breeder. That is the only way we can both survive,' the voice came again.
Without thinking much about the consequences of what I was about to do, I faced the palace building and soon walked through the palace gate. Once I was in, I requested to become the Alpha King's Breeder, much to the shock of everyone around.
Chapter 2
"What do you want?" One of the palace workers came to me and asked, startled by the question. I paused for a minute before giving an answer.
"I'm here because of the announcement," I reply, and she scoffs.
"What announcement?" She looked at me from my head to my feet with a disdainful look.
I don't actually blame her; I shouldn't have come in here in the first place; it's ridiculous of me.
I look like a malnourished servant—basically, I am a servant in my father's house; this contest is not for she-wolves like me. I shouldn't be here.
"For the king's breeder," I say, and she bursts out in laughter, and the other workers soon join her. I'm honestly used to this; everyone in the pack knows I haven't shifted.
They know that I am wolfless—a less wolf—so they give me this attitude all the time.
After some minutes, the palace worker composed herself and faced me again.
"I'm sorry, but this contest is not for the likes of you. We don't need wolfless beings; we need real she-wolves here, not you." She mocked.
She is obviously having fun; she is enjoying this.
"But the announcement said that all she-wolves over the age of 17 could contest; there are no restrictions," I tried to remind her calmly.
"Of course, there are no restrictions, but the contest is for SHE-WOLVES, not your type, but I have a suggestion for you. If you can show us your wolf right this moment, we can allow you to compete with the other she-wolves," she softly smiled. A very wicked smile.
I exhaled out loudly and took a step back at her suggestion.
I guess I need to leave then. I came here without thinking things through anyway; I only came here because I hoped to get chosen so that my father would acknowledge me. I can think of another way to get acknowledged by my father then.
"I'll take my leave," I announced and immediately turned to leave.
"Yeah, better; this is not a place for your likes," the palace worker chuckled, and the others around laughed with her. Even the male workers seem to find the situation amusing.
I know what must be going on in their heads; they must be wondering what gave me the audacity to come in here.
"What is going on?!" As I reached the palace gates and made to leave, I heard a voice question.
At the sound of the voice, the laughter instantly died down, and everywhere became calm, which meant that the owner of the voice was a person of enormous authority.
"My Lord," I heard the workers chorus, and out of curiosity, I turned to see who it was.
"I asked a question. Why are you all distracted from your duties?" The question came again.
I slowly looked up to see a very tall, good-looking male wolf with pretty broad shoulders standing at least 6'2ft tall.
The king's beta.
He is the king's beta; the realization brought chills to my body. The second to the king, he is one of the most good-looking male wolves in the world. He is known for his strict nature and his intolerance for laziness.
"My Lord, I have resolved the situation already and..." The palace worker tried to explain but flinched at the sharpness of the Beta's tone.
"I asked you a question." He took a step closer and then another until he was close enough to her. Seeing this, the worker fell to her knees and placed her forehead on the ground.
"She came to contest, but I sent her away because she is wolf-less," the palace worker quickly narrated.
The other workers have their faces facing the ground in fear of the beta; I guess he is that scary, but too bad I don't feel scared of him at all. I can feel his powerful aura, though, but it doesn't have much effect on me.
"And who gave you the authority to decide that?" The king's beta barked.
"I am sorry, but she is wolfless; her type can't birth the king's chi..."
"Take her away," Before she could complete her words, the Beta ordered the guards, and they immediately obeyed his orders.
"A month's punishment," the beta said to the guards as they took her away.
Wow, he's so powerful. I wish I could have that much power too, but I am weak and wolfless and also stupid.
After the guards had disappeared with the palace worker, I turned to continue my journey but paused once the beta's command came.
"Come here," the words came.
Huh? I turned back to see him staring in my direction.
"Me?" I asked, looking around to make sure there was no one standing behind me.
The king's beta ignored my question and instead walked away; he entered the palace through the main entrance. Once he was in, a different guard approached me.
"This way," the guard urged me, and I followed without a choice. I can't turn away now; I came in here by myself. I must finish what I started.
I silently followed the guard as he led me into the magnificent-looking palace. This is my second visit to the palace, and I must say that a lot of things have changed since my last visit.
The first time I came here, I did so with my father. My mother had just passed on, and my father was doing everything in his power to cheer me up at that time. He brought me to the palace, and the feeling of being in the palace definitely did the trick. Well, all these happened before he got a second mate.
The palace looks more modernized, but I don't want to embarrass myself by staring at the expensive flooring and the unique paintings on the wall.
"This way," I heard and looked up to see a flight of stairs that led down to something that looked like a basement.
"The Beta is down there; I think he wants to see you, so I'll leave you here," the guard informed before walking away.
I looked at the flight of stairs carefully before starting my journey on them.
I hate stairs; I'm scared of walking on them, and I fear I may trip while walking and roll down, thereby embarrassing myself. Embarrassing myself is not something I want to do in the palace.
I came here to become the king's breeder; I don't want his first impression of me to be that bad. It will definitely be bad, but I don't want him to see me as a stupid wolf.
After carefully going down the stairs, I stopped to catch my breath before looking around to search for him.
This is some kind of underground basement.
"Come here," the king's Beta voice boomed through the entire space, letting me know where he was. He is standing in front of a table, holding a glass of wine. At that table, several bottles of red liquor sat, some half drunk and some still filled up.
"Yes, sir," I reply once I am close enough.
Without knowing that I was behind him, he turned at full speed and unknowingly hit me with the back of his arm; I collapsed on the floor at once due to the impact.
Why is he this strong? I feel like I have been hit by a moving truck.
"What the fuck?!" He muttered curses under his breath and quickly bent down to assist me in standing up.
I noticed liquid coming out of my nose and took my hand to my nose to inspect it, but I ended up seeing blood all over my hand.
Horrified, I pulled my clothes up and struggled to stop the bleeding with them. My nose is bleeding. I can't bleed; no, I shouldn't bleed.
I shouldn't be bleeding—not here, not now, I thought as I desperately forced my clothes into my nose to stop the bleeding, staining my dress in the process.
I don't even want to remember the last time I bled; I don't bleed. For me, it's taboo to bleed because it causes so many misfortunes, and I really don't want to be unfortunate today.
I take extra care when handling sharp objects, so I don't hurt myself because, according to my stepmother, bleeding is taboo for me. My stepmother has warned me repeatedly; she warned me with so many slaps the last time I bled, and since then I never dared hurt myself again, no! No matter how clumsy and stupid I am.
I can't believe I'm actually bleeding right now. For one thing, I'm glad that I'm not at my father's house. This is the palace, and perhaps the palace will help protect me from any misfortunes.
When I noticed that my nose wasn't bleeding much again, I returned my attention to the Beta to see him watching me.
He looks horrified, but why? Why is he staring at me that way?
He grabbed the roll of tissue I hadn't noticed from the table and gave it to me.
"Wipe that," he looked at me with a bit of disgust, but I surprised him by smiling sheepishly.
I kept smiling as I rolled out some tissue and cleaned my nose with it. He doesn't know why I am smiling, but I am gladdened by his kind action. It's been years since anyone showed concern for me.
He defended me at the gates and also gave me a tissue to wipe my nose; he is the first wolf to ever show me kindness in many years.
"Thank you," I tried returning the roll of tissue, but he waved his hand.
"Take it with you," he said and started walking to a door.
"Come with me," he said again, and I ran after him at once.
"This is the ballroom; it's where interested persons line up to contest for the position of the king's breeder." He explained, and I nodded in response. Nodding is my way of communicating most of the time.
"Join the other girls," he pointed.
Looking into the ballroom, I see different she-wolves dressed in expensive gowns lined up in a single line; they all look like royalty in their dress.
"Hey there, are you for us?" The she-wolf, who appeared to be in charge, asked a question, causing everyone to stop and stare in my direction.
"Yes, ma'am," I answer.
"Then join the line," she said, pointing to the long line.
"Okay," I answered and walked to the end of the line.
I can see the girls staring at me as I made my way to the back of the line, some appeared confused, while some simply mocked me with their gazes. They must be wondering how I got in here.
When I reached the back of the line, I stood behind the last person.
"Don't get too close to me; I don't want to smell like you," the last girl grumbled, and those who heard her busted out and started laughing.
I didn't try to argue; I did what she wanted and took a step back. I don't blame her; I think I smell from all that sweating. I haven't taken my bath today either; I have been going from one chore to another since I woke up; it's my routine anyway. My stepmother has complained that I waste too much water when bathing, so they only allow me to have a bath once a day at home.
Ridiculous, It's very ridiculous because her daughter uses more water than I do in the bathroom, but who am I to defile her? I will get beaten up if I don't do as she says.
Small talk filled the ballroom as the girls kept getting tested one after the other, but all activities came to a sudden stop when the king's mother suddenly rushed into the ballroom.
"Who is she? Who is the lady that came in last?" She shouted like someone who had lost her mind. I can tell that she's the king's mother due to her dress. She is dressed almost like a queen; I mean, she has always been a queen. She was the queen when her husband, the late king, ruled.
"Where is she?!" The queen shouted, and almost everyone turned to look at me.
"Is she in trouble?" A voice whispered.
"Maybe the king perceived the offensive odor coming from her," the girl before me grumbled.
Once she had identified me, the queen started coming to me but abruptly stopped in her tracks once someone else entered the ballroom.
Someone else. A person with even greater power. The person with the deadliest aura. The aura is so dangerous, it seeps into your body and weakens your bones.
When I craned my neck to see who it was, I realized it was the king. It was the king himself!
Everywhere became dead silent as the king searched the entire room with his eyes.
"Where is she?" His question came, and those words were the last thing I heard before collapsing to the floor. I can't help it; my legs can no longer carry me; he is suppressing everything in me. His aura is weakening even my supernatural being.
I can no longer bear it.
As darkness struggled to swallow me whole, I lazily watched in shock as the king and the king's mother rushed towards me. What is happening? Why is he carrying me? Where is he taking me to? What is going on?
Chapter 3
"Are you awake now? Do you know where you are?" A voice whispered to me as I struggled to adjust my eyes to the lightning of the room.
"Where... Where am I...?" Once my vision had fully adjusted to the room's brightness, I forced myself into a sitting position.
The lady who had been speaking to me drew closer to me. "You are in the palace; we have been waiting for you to wake up. How do you feel now?"
"In the palace? Why am I in the palace and not at home?" My stepmother won't like this.
"You passed out at the ballroom yesterday evening; do you not remember?"
"Yes... Yesterday evening?" My eyes widened as I turned to face the lady. I can tell from her dress that she is a palace worker. But she seems to be of higher rank when compared to the girls I met outside the gate. She looks older too.
"Yes."
"You mean I've been here since yesterday?" I gasped out again.
"Yes. Do you not remember?"
"No... I mean yes, I think I remember a little bit of what happened. I shouldn't be here, though; I need to leave right now." I jumped down from the bed and tried to reach for the door but paused on noticing my state of undress.
I'm naked. Why am I naked?
I curiously turned to the lady for answers, and it didn't take long before she provided one.
"We washed your dress; we had to get rid of the bloodstain on it. Your clothes are over there; you can put them on now," she stood to her feet as she explained.
I followed her gaze to see my clothes neatly folded on a dressing table.
"Okay, thank you." I immediately rushed to the dress, and within the next minute, I was fully clothed and ready to leave, but before I could do so, the lady spoke up again.
"I'm afraid you can't leave; Her Majesty gave orders."
"Her majesty? Why? Did I do something foolish yesterday? Am I in trouble? Will I be punished?" I asked in one breath. I hope it's not what I think it is. I don't wish to be punished.
Royal punishments are too severe; I don't think I can handle them.
"No, it's not that. Her Majesty just wants to see you before you leave. She wants to speak to you," the lady surprised me with her next line of words.
"She does?" Her Majesty wants to speak to me? Oh, what a surprise. She just wants to speak to me. What does she want to talk about? I certainly don't have anything to say to her. Does it have to do with the way I passed out at the ballroom yesterday?
Oh, moon goddess! Am I in trouble?
"Her Majesty will be here within the next thirty minutes; before she arrives, I want you to tell me what you would like to eat. Any favorites?"
"You want to feed me?"
"The palace will feed you; I know you must be hungry."
"I... I... I just want to go home; I'm not hungry. I just want to go home." I can't waste another hour here; I'm already in serious trouble, and if I don't return home before noon, I'll be in even more trouble.
My stepmother has threatened to throw me into a pot of hot oil if I ever misbehave. She's the type of person who keeps to her promise; she's not the soft type. She might really throw me into a pot filled with hot oil if I don't return home before noon.
"You should sit down; Her Majesty will be here shortly," the lady encouraged. I obeyed her words; I returned to the bed and sat at the edge.
"I'll leave you now," the lady added before walking out of the room, leaving me alone in this big room. The room is very spacious; it's almost the size of my father's house. I wonder if all the rooms in the palace are as big as this one. It wouldn't be surprising if all the rooms were as large as this one, given that the palace occupies a vast expanse of land. It's the biggest and the tallest building ever known in history.
As different thoughts filled my head, I didn't realize how much time passed; however, the sudden loud voices at the door pulled me out of my imaginary state. I immediately rose to my feet when I heard the doorknob turn.
Still on my feet, I silently watched a strange girl pop her head in after opening the door.
"Her Majesty is here," the girl announced before throwing the door wide open.
She stepped out of the way as her majesty, the queen mother, majestically entered the room.
"Close the door." Once she was in, she gave the order.
The girl obeyed the queen mother's orders and quickly closed the door, leaving me completely alone with her.
I can't believe this. I'm in the same room with the queen mother, and not only that, I'm also alone with her. The queen mother is the most powerful female in the world. All she-wolves literally aspire to be like her. We all dream of being like her. Many stories have been told about her, about how scary she can be. And also how nice she tends to be sometimes. I wonder if those stories are true. Does she have a little bit of niceness in her? Or is she like my wicked stepmother who finds pleasure in seeing others in pain?
"Dear, you can have your seat."
"Huh?"
What did she just call me? I don't have the courage to stare at her, so I've been staring at my feet since she came in. But did I hear her correctly?
"We're here to talk about you. I want to get to know you. You can loosen up a little bit," her next line of words came.
Huh, why is she speaking to me with such a welcoming tone? Is she being real, or am I imagining things?
"Are you listening to me?" She asked, raising her voice a little higher. Her sudden change of tone scared me, so I immediately apologized.
"Yes, my apologies, Your Majesty," I apologized and immediately took my seat at the edge of the bed. I hope my little display of foolishness did not anger her. I hope she is not mad at me.
"Come a little closer," the queen mother urged after also taking a seat on the bed.
"Ye… yes," I moved a little closer, but not close enough for our bodies to touch. Why does she want me close, though? It's suspicious. I can't help the feeling of anxiety rising up inside me.
"I heard your name is Sarah; is that correct?" She started.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I'm Sarah Rowan. Beta Rowan is my father," I responded.
"Oh, so I heard. And your mother is late, am I right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, she died when I was little," I bobbed my head sadly.
"And you stay with your stepmother, am I right?"
"Yes, and my stepsister too. We all live together."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 25 years old."
"You are twenty-five?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." She sounds surprised; most people say I look too young for my age, and it's true. I have a very youthful look, and I also find it difficult to believe that I'm this old most of the time. It seems like I stopped growing at 18. I still look fucking 18. I don't know if I should feel happy or sad about it, but I've mostly felt sad about it. My youthful look doesn't help me at all; it only brings me disrespect and mockery. Mostly because I haven't met my wolf yet.
"That's great; it's perfect. But why aren't you looking at me? You haven't stared at me since I came in here; are you scared of me?"
"Huh? No! Your Majesty," Well, yes, I am scared of you. Who isn't? I secretly thought to myself.
"You can look at me. I told you to loosen up, didn't I?"
"Oh, oh, thank you, your majesty," I bowed slightly in appreciation. She's speaking to me so nicely, maybe I should truly loosen up.
"You don't have to thank me. I should thank you instead, you passed the test."
"Can I ask what test?" As I asked this question, I summoned up courage and glanced at her. She's beautiful. She has a calm look. A graceful look. And she also has a soft, almost non-existent smile on her face.
"You'll know the details soon; my maid told me that you are in a hurry to leave; I won't hold you back anymore. But you should eat before you leave; once I leave here, the maids will come in with your food. Eat before you leave, okay?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." I rose to my feet and gave a bow once she stood to hers.
"It's nice to meet you, Sarah," she flashed me a tight-lipped smile before stepping out of the room.
As the queen mother mentioned, the door to the room opened two minutes later to reveal two palace workers; they had trays of food and drinks with them.
**
Moon goddess, I've never eaten this much food my whole life, as I followed the palace worker from behind, I couldn't keep the smile away from my face. I'm so happy. I'm so full.
Right now, a palace worker is leading me out to the palace gates; they know I can't leave the palace on my own. The palace has too many rooms, hallways, and corridors; one can easily get lost if not careful enough.
"We are here," the palace worker stated once we were close to the gate. I can see the gate; I can continue the journey on my own.
"Thank you," I appreciated her with a small smile, but she ignored me and went on her way. As usual.
I continued my journey alone, venturing out of the palace walls and the palace gates. Happy that I was finally free from the palace and all that had to do with it, I let out a small laugh, pleased that I wasn't punished in any way. I was very nervous, especially when I was with the queen mother. I'm glad she let me go after feeding me; I never knew that she would be that nice and considerate.
I think the only thing left to do is come up with a lie, I need to cook up a story for my stepmother. I can never reveal the fact that I went to the palace. She'll kill me if she learns of this. She must never know the truth.
What should I tell her? What lie can I come up with? As I tried to come up with a convincing lie, I failed to notice the tall, brooding figure in front of me.
"Why are you so deep in thought? What are you thinking of?" The question not only startled me but also forced me to stop in my tracks. Looking up, I found the king's beta leaning against the only tall tree outside the palace.
"I... I... I..." Not knowing what to say or how to react to his presence, I ended up stuttering. What is he doing out here? And why is he talking to me?
Does he want to scold me? Wait. Is he here to kill me? I knew it! He must be here to finish me off. The palace rules are pretty strict; fainting in the palace yesterday wasn't okay. I must have broken the palace rules.
The king must have sent him to kill me out here in the open. He'll probably hang my head on a stake so it could serve as a lesson to others. Oh, moon goddess! Was that my last meal on Earth?
Why wasn't I given a heads-up? Maybe I could have eaten more if I had been given a little clue.
"I'm not here to hurt you," as if the beta had listened to my thoughts, he leaned away from the tree and declared. "I'm here to ask you a question."
"Oh...okay." What is it?
"Why did you behave that way yesterday?"
"Yes... Yesterday?"
"Yes. When you were bleeding, it seemed like there was a reason not to bleed."
"Oh... Are you referring to the way I reacted to my nosebleed? Well, I know I'm not supposed to bleed. Bad things happen whenever I bleed."
"Bad things happen?"
"Yes. That's what my stepmother said. She warned me against it. Against bleeding. But why do you ask? Did I do something wrong? Am I going to be punished?" I anxiously asked, but he shook his head negatively.
"You should return home. Prepare yourself for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Why tomorrow? What is going to happen tomorrow?" I curiously asked.
"The queen mother will pay your family a visit."
"Huh? A visit? For what? Why? What's going on?" I asked the question in one breath but instead of replying to me, he turned toward the palace entrance and disappeared into the palace. Leaving me totally confused and scared.
Finished the preview?
Unlock the full ebook now and continue the story right away. Get instant access after purchase — no shipping, no waiting. Delivered as PDF and EPUB for reading on phone, tablet, or desktop.
👉 Unlock the Full Story — The Hellfire King And His Chosen Breeder ($7.99)