CHAPTER 004

Time flies as Sienna remain in the cold room, only one thing in her mind-- To escape and find her sister.

Her mind was in turmoil with the thought of what Del might do to her.

Knowing the fiery spirit of her sister, she knew Lilah would undoubtedly provoke Del, thinking she was dead.

She needed to escape. To leave this cold walls, that seems to sofficates her.

Every minute that passed by only heightened her urgecy.

Her thought, unbridden, wandered to the king. The cold beautiful devil who had taken her in his rut.

Sienna knew she was crazy to let this slipped through her mind, but she couldn't help it.

According to Dalia and Nadia, she had escaped death. She had escaped a brutality of her limps getting ripped apart by the king feral desire.

Yet, the night with him was abnormal. It stirred something different, she couldn't pinpoint... Something intoxicating.

The way his skin felt under her touch, when she dared reached to explore his handsome face. His eyes...

Terrifying, yet surprisingly exciting.

'You're insane Sienna,' her mind whispered. She should be thinking of escaping this hell hole, not this.

A quiver rippled through her body as the door creaked opened.

Selene and the guard who watched how the cut her hair stepped in, their expression blank.

"You're being summoned," Selene announced.

Selene led Sienna through the Upper West Wings, where the higher rank individuals were located.

The place was exquisite, clean, and well-furnished on every corner. Spotless. Its opulence shone through.

Servants and guards weaving their way as they work.

Selene remained silent as she led Sienna through the corridors, finally stopping before a large, imposing door. Sienna halted as well.

Why was she here? Was she to satisfy someone else's desires?

"Get in. She doesn't like waiting," Selene said, and Sienna struggled to suppress her disdain. Selene was only following orders, after all.

Taking a deep breath, Sienna pushed the door open, and her eyes settled on the elegant, tall figure inside.

The maids were busy dressing her, as if she had just taken a bath. The young woman moved with such grace that Sienna wondered who she was.

But when she caught a glimpse of her face, she immediately recognized her.

Ashley. The only daughter of Alpha Magnus, the leader of the Black Iron pack, and more importantly, she was rumored to be the Lycan King's betrothed.

Sienna had met her once, a long time ago when her father had Alpha Magnus as a visitor. She had caught a glimpse of Ashley, but they had never spoken.

Now she understood where the hatred was coming from.

As the only one to survive the King's rut, Ashley was bound to resent her.

Now, all the pieces fell into place.

Ashley was trying to hide the fact that Sienna survived the king's rut.

"How has the life of a slave been so far?" Ashley asked dismissing the maids, and turning fully to face Sienna.

"One could only knows if one tries it," Sienna clenched her jaw.

Ashley signaled to the guard at the door, and before Sienna could comprehend, the guard punched her hard in the stomach, making her drop to her knees.

"You need to understand that you're not the Luna of your pack.

This is not a place where you can defy me. Here you are nothing but a slave. A Traitor—far too worthless to breathe the same air as me."

"I'm not a traitor!" Sienna growled gritting her teeth. Every fiber of her being hated that title.

Ashley signaled the guard again. Sienna was pulled to her feet, and another hit landed in her stomach, making her spit blood.

"You should watch how you speak to me, slave," Ashley crouched down, her finger graps Sienna's chin and forcing her to meet her gaze.

"I can kill you with a snap of my fingers, torture you with my words, and make your life miserable."

Sienna groaned. Oh heavens, she missed her wolf to heal. The pain was unbearable.

Ashley stood upright and walked around Sienna, like a predator toying with her prey. "Tell me filthy one... How did you survive the King's rut?"

Sienna's jaw tightened. She had expected this question.

"Are you a witch?" Ashley taunted, grabbing a glass of wine from her table and faced Sienna, who remained on her knees. "Oh, I'd love to see you burn alive."

Sienna suddenly chuckled. "Are you afraid my survival is going to make the king reconsider taking you as his Luna?"

Ashley's smug expression disappeared, replaced by pure anger.

"I survived the rut. Something you can never do. You're trying to hide my identity, not wanting the king to know I'm alive," Sienna scoffed.

"Perhaps I should cut off your tongue too," Ashley warned.

"No, you won't. You need to know how I survived the King's rut. You need me, don't you?"

Sienna had no idea how she had survived either. The night with the king had been terrifying, but it remained a mystery to her.

"So tell me how you survived, especially considering the fact that you have no wolf."

Sienna guessed that Ashley must have witnessed the brutality of the King's rut. Perhaps she almost lost her life while forcing herself to satisfy the king—and that was true.

"I need to meet the king first." Sienna had heard whispers that, despite being called a monster, according to history, the king had saved the whole pack from dark forces a long time ago.

Ashley snickered. "You think I'm stupid?"

"I have no romantic interest in the king, if that's what you're worried about, I just need to clear my name and go back home."

Ashley's face darkened, her eyes flashing yellow. "How dare a slave try to bargain with me? I knew you would be like this."

She dropped the remnants of wine and clapped her hands twice. "So I brought a surprise for you."

The door swung open, and a tall, imposing guard stepped in with Nadia, who was pushed onto the floor opposite Sienna. Confused, Sienna wondered why they had brought Nadia.

"Please..." Nadia's lips trembled, tears streaming down her face. She clasped her hands together before Ashley. Her voice desperate and urgent.

"Whatever my sister did, please forgive her. I heard her scream throughout the night, the guards was doing all sorts of things to her. Please forgive her. Let her go... I'll do anything."

Sienna eyes narrowing. They did something to Dalia?

"Of course. I'll send her back to you," Ashley smirked, a hint of humor in her voice. The door opened again and Sienna's jaw dropped and her body went rigid at the sight.

Dalia lay lifeless in the arms of the guard who stepped in, her naked body covered in bruises and dry blood. Sienna could only imagine what they had done to her.

Cruelty was an understatement.

The guard dropped Dalia cruelly to the floor, and Sienna's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Nooo!!!" Nadia shrieked, rushing to her sister. She called her name repeatedly, confirming that she was dead.

"Why?!" Sienna yelled at Ashley, who simply smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"They are the only slaves who knew of your existence. This is how far I'll go to keep the king from knowing you exist," Ashley's voice was calm as she glanced over Nadia's broken figure.

"Don't worry; they were supposed to die that night, but you saved them."

The guard pointed his sword at Nadia, who lifted her tearful eyes to Sienna, clutching Dalia close.

Ashley continued, "One is dead, and the other's life is in your hands."

Sienna's jaw tightened. These girls were innocent; why kill them for such a selfish reason?

"Now tell me..." Ashley tilted her head, her voice impatient. "How the hell did you survive my Darling's rut?"

Tension swallowed the room; the only sound that could be heard was Nadia's soft cries.

Sienna could not wrap her head around the pain Nadia must be feeling at the moment.

Losing the only family you grew up with was terrible. The only refuge you could rely on was taken.

Sienna didn't know when she let out a low growl as anger rose in her chest like a storm.

Her blood boiled with rage, fists clenched until her knuckles turned white at the sight of Nadia cradling her sister's lifeless body.

Ashley suddenly grabbed her hair, yanking it and making her stand to her feet. Her grip was so hard it ripped little strands of her short, jagged hair.

"I asked you a question. Answer, or I'll ask my men to fuck and kill her just like her sister, right before you."

It was at that moment that Sienna lost it. The last thread holding her composure snapped. Her senses blurred with fury.

With a sudden burst of determination, Sienna spun, wrenching free from Ashley's grip, and before she could stop herself, her hand shot out, colliding with Ashley's face with a satisfying crack that echoed through the room.....

Painful groans filled the air, whips clashing against flesh, their tiny sharp edges leaving fresh lines of wounds.

Sprinkles of blood spilled with each lash.

Ashley watched with slight satisfaction at the sight of Sienna getting whipped.

A light red mark bloomed on her cheek from the impact of Sienna's hit.

No one—absolutely no one—had hit her that way, except for pleasure. The best part of Sienna's punishment was that she had no wolf to heal her.

Sienna's breath was ragged. After the fifth whip, she thought she might pass out at any moment.

What had she been thinking, doing something rash like that? Perhaps it was due to her hatred of people trying to break her spirit.

One succeeded—Del... She was never going to allow that to happen again.

A guard strode towards Ashley, his feet carrying him as fast as he could. Upon reaching her, he delivered a deep bow.

"My Lady, Lord Lucas's personal guard, Falcon, is here to see you. It's an urgent matter."

Ashley raised her hand to the executor whipping Sienna, stopping the activity. Her expression shifted from amusement to wariness.

It must be due to the King's rut matter. She was prepared for this.

With that, she spun to leave the arena.

Seven whips in total; Sienna felt like her body was on fire. Her limbs felt like water, and all she could do was control her ragged breathing.

A wince rippled through her lips when Selene applied some ointment to her wounds. Her body shook like a leaf in a storm.

"You must be quite insane to challenge her like that," Selene said, dipping a piece of cloth in warm water. "You need to watch that attitude of yours if you wish to survive here, little one."

Selene had found her almost unconscious, asking her fellow maid to bring her here for treatment.

It had shocked Sienna, but she was too weak to even ask the middle-aged woman why she had helped her.

This was the same maid who had advised her not to run from the King.

Selene was simply hard to read.

"The bleeding has stopped, but the wounds are definitely going to leave scars," Selene said, her voice calm. Sienna winced at the contact of the warm cloth on her back.

After she was done, she placed a vial in Sienna's hand. As she turned to leave, Sienna quickly spoke.

"Why?" Her voice was barely audible, but it reached her.

Selene simply turned to look at her with her usual blank gaze.

"You've probably not heard this since you were held down by Lady Ashley. All new slaves are to stand before the King tonight at the court. You're to confess your sins before everyone and wait for his judgment."

Before the King?!

Selene continued, "Some face a cruel fate, some are assigned to various officials. If their crime is worse... they'll face death. Any slave who doesn't face his judgment will be automatically killed." Her eyes flashed with something unreadable.

"Eat the meal on the desk over there," she gestured to the small meal in the corner. "I'll send a maid to check on you. Rest for now."

With that, Selene left, shutting the door behind her, leaving Sienna's mouth hanging open in awe.

•••

The slaves were lined up and dressed in thin fabric that barely covered their frames.

After eating and resting, just as Selene had instructed, Sienna finally gained some strength.

Every part of her ached, but not like before. The medicine Selene provided worked so well.

However, as the maid led her to the other new slaves waiting, dread crept onto Sienna's skin.

Nadia was among the new slaves, completely lost. Sienna wanted to talk to her but didn't know what to say.

Her heart hammered in her chest, the sound beating like a drum in Sienna's ears as the guards led them through the hall.

There were at least twenty slaves heading to the grand court where the king was going to stamp their fate.

She was going to see the king again. To stand before him... The thought sent a chill down her spine.

Would he recognize her?

"Be calm, Sienna... You can do this," she whispered to herself as the guard opened the large ornate door for them to step in.

The grand court was massive and intimidating. Dark stone pillars stretched high to the ceiling, walls built with carvings of wolves and the moon. Chandeliers hung above, casting a warm glow in the large space.

Their court back at Blackwood was nowhere near this. The difference was like day and night.

The ground was made of fine marble, echoing as their feet collided with it.

Other slaves shuffled forward, their gazes remaining lowered as they marched to the center of the court. But Sienna's gaze couldn't help but scan through the hall.

Rows of nobles, warriors, and a few pack leaders stood along the edges of the court, their piercing eyes assessing the group of slaves as if they were cattle.

She spotted Ashley at the front, seated among the high nobles, her long velvet gown shimmering under the light.

Her expression was a bit stunned to see her, but it was just for a fleeting moment.

Sienna's jaw clenched, casting a hard look at her before finally shifting her gaze away.

But then, at the far end was the king, and she didn't bring herself to look at him.

"Whatever you do... do not meet the king's gaze," she recalled Selene's warning. She had asked why but never got a reply.

She had met the king's gaze during the rut; why must this be any different?

He wouldn't even recognize her. Her scent was suppressed, her appearance messed with, and she looked like someone drawn from a gutter.

The host was busy introducing the event of the day, but Sienna wasn't hearing any of it.

Her heart hammered in her chest like a war drum as she fought her inner instincts.

Just look at him, Sienna... her mind yelled.

Sienna shut her eyes, trying to suppress the urge. She had been warned; she needed to stick to that.

Just do it!

Look at him, Sienna?! Look at him!

What if he gets mad? Sienna fought her stubborn mind back.

'He could be staring at the host. Just for a fleeting moment! Look at him! Just once!'

Sienna snapped, her eyes going wide, and that was it. Her eyes trailed over the floor, sliding across the room, the steps, and finally meeting his feet—large boots crafted from fine black leather, resting firmly on the marble floor.

Slowly her eyes traveled further to his legs, clad in dark, intricately embroidered trousers, slightly parted. His long, thick black robe draped over one leg.

Her eyes met his chest, broad... She recalled how it felt holding him.

Almost... Sienna's breath grew heavy, slowly raising her gaze to his jaw, propped by one of his arms.

His face from that night flashed in her head...

The beautiful devil, her mind whispered.

Then finally, her gaze met his face.

Her breath hitched, her body went rigid, heart skipping a beat as her face lost its color.

Those golden-amber eyes made her skin crawl, and it felt as though she had fallen into an abyss.

The king was staring back at her...