I Want Her.

Dimitri's gaze swept over the grand bathhouse, his sharp eyes lingering on each of the women before finally coming to rest on Sorayah. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, an unspoken tension crackling between them. But Sorayah quickly lowered her gaze, bowing her head as she fixed her eyes on the marble floor beneath her feet.

One of the guards who had escorted them into the chamber stepped forward, his voice echoing off the high walls. "These are all the captives. One thousand women and five hundred girl children, as required."

That was it. The werewolves had made their selection. The ones deemed weak, the elderly, the sick, and those unfit for labor had already been slaughtered without a second thought. They only needed a specific number, and now the quota has been met.

Sorayah's fists clenched at her sides, her nails biting into her palms as she struggled to contain her fury. Her eyes burned red with anger, and tears threatened to spill, but she refused to let them fall. She forced herself to remain impassive, masking her emotions behind a carefully controlled expression.

Dimitri's deep voice broke the silence. "Time for the inspection. Summon the Gamma Inner Palace Eunuch from the Luna Empress Dowager's court."

At his command, a middle-aged man stepped forward. His stiff posture and calculating gaze marked him as a man accustomed to authority. He was dressed in fitted black trousers and a crimson top, a stark contrast to the black cap perched atop his head.

"Thank you, Beta Lord," the eunuch said with a deferential nod before turning his sharp gaze toward the gathered women. He took a step forward, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

"Raise your heads and meet my eyes, all of you!"

The command sent a shudder of fear through the women. Their bodies trembled as they hesitated, but none dared to disobey. One by one, their gazes lifted, their eyes filled with barely concealed terror.

Sorayah obeyed as well, lifting her chin and meeting his gaze without hesitation. There was no point in defying an order, at least not yet.

The eunuch's expression remained unreadable as he began to speak. "I congratulate you all for making it to the palace." His voice held neither warmth nor kindness. "But make no mistake as this is where the true test begins. You are now properties of His Royal Highness, the Alpha Emperor."

A wave of dread rippled through the crowd, but the eunuch continued without pause.

"Some of you will be fortunate enough to serve in his bedchambers," he went on, his lips curling into a smirk. "Others will be assigned as palace maids, an existence even worse than death. The life of a human maid in the werewolf empire is one of suffering. Even animals are treated with more dignity than they are."

His words sent fresh terror coursing through the women. Many of them now prayed to be chosen as concubines, not out of desire, but out of the desperate hope that such a fate would at least ensure their survival.

But Sorayah?

She wanted the opposite.

She prayed to be overlooked, to be discarded among the lowest ranks. As a former princess, she knew what life as a royal consort truly meant, endless manipulation, power struggles, and inevitable death. She couldn't afford to be noticed. Not when she had a mission. Not when the emperor was her enemy. As a mere palace maid, she would have far more freedom to move undetected, to plan her vengeance in the shadows.

The eunuch clapped his hands sharply. "Begin the inspection!"

At once, the palace attendants, older women dressed in dark robes made their way in and moved forward, weaving between the captives. They examined each woman closely, assessing their beauty, their figures, their skin, and even their physical endurance. One by one, blue and red ribbons were tied around their wrists.

A woman stopped before Sorayah, her calculating gaze sweeping over her face. She reached out, trailing her fingers lightly over Sorayah's cheek.

"Exquisite," she murmured in approval. "Clear, smooth skin. A delicate face. A thin waist." She moved her hands lower, tracing the contours of Sorayah's arms, then suddenly, she froze.

Her expression shifted into one of suspicion as she turned toward the eunuch. "Sir, look at this."

The eunuch stepped forward, his sharp eyes narrowing as he examined Sorayah's hands. His lips pursed as he traced the rough, calloused lines that marred her palms. "These marks…they are not from embroidery or household work," he observed. His gaze flicked back up to meet Sorayah's eyes, curiosity gleaming within them.

"You have held a sword before," he stated, his voice carrying an edge of intrigue. "What led to that?"

Sorayah met the eunuch's gaze with an unwavering expression. Her voice was steady, firm.

"To defend myself," she replied. "I am a nobody. To survive, I had to learn how to fight. That is why I have held a sword."

Her face remained stern, betraying nothing more.

She had been born a princess but not in name. Forced to live as a prince her entire life, she had been raised to wield a sword, shoot arrows with deadly precision, and master the art of war. The humans had once praised her as a god among men, a warrior destined to protect them.

And yet, their hopes had been shattered.

The eunuch studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without another word, he tied a red ribbon around her wrist.

Sorayah did not react. This was what she had wanted.

Next, the eunuch turned to another captive , Lily. He barely spared her a glance before tying a red ribbon to her wrist as well. The look he gave her made it clear, she would not last long.

The message was now clear to all.

Those who received red ribbons were destined for servitude while those with blue ribbons are the emperor's woman. The realization sent a fresh wave of dread through the women.

"The inspection is over," the eunuch finally declared, his voice cold and final. His sharp eyes swept over the group as he continued, "Those with blue ribbons, move to the right. Those with red, to the left."

At once, the women obeyed, shuffling into two separate groups. Young girls, some as young as twelve, others barely fifteen stood among them, their wide eyes filled with uncertainty.

The eunuch turned toward the women marked with blue ribbons, his expression softening into something almost warm. "Congratulations," he announced. "You have been chosen as His Majesty's women."

A few of them exhaled in relief, their bodies sagging as though a great weight had been lifted. They knew the emperor would likely never visit them, but their position granted them protection from the cruel fate awaiting the others.

Then, the eunuch shifted his gaze to Sorayah's group. His warmth vanished in an instant.

"And you," he said, his voice laced with finality, "have been selected as slaves."

A ripple of despair spread through the group.

They had already known their fate, but hearing it aloud made it all the more real. It was as if the eunuch had taken a knife and twisted it deeper into their wounds. Meanwhile, the women with blue ribbons lifted their chins slightly, no longer trembling as much. They had been spared.

The eunuch turned back to the attendants dressed in blue ego have been standing by the bathrubs. "Prepare the emperor's women," he commanded before pivoting toward those marked for servitude. "The rest of you, follow me. There is much work to be done."

The captives lowered their heads in silent resignation. Without hesitation, they formed a line, preparing to follow the eunuch out of the bathhouse.

But just as they reached the threshold....

"Stop."

The deep, commanding voice sliced through the air, halting them in their tracks.

Dimitri.

The Beta Lord strode forward, his smirk wide, sharp as a blade. His piercing gaze flicked toward the eunuch, amusement dancing in his eyes.

The eunuch stiffened. His head lowered in a deep bow, his hands clasped before him. "How may I serve you, Beta Lord?" he asked, his tone careful, deferential. He did not dare meet Dimitri's gaze.

Dimitri took his time, stepping closer, the weight of his presence pressing down on the room. When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with something dark, something dangerous.

"I find myself interested in the maids you're taking with you," he said, each word dripping with calculated menace. "As it happens, I'm in need of one."

The eunuch didn't hesitate. He knew better than to refuse. "Who am I to deny you, my lord?" he said smoothly. "You are His Highness the Alpha Emperor's right hand. Whatever you desire is yours to take so long as there are enough to go around."

He gestured toward the captives. "Choose the one you want, and she will be granted to you."

Dimitri's smirk deepened.

His gaze flicked past the eunuch, scanning the line of women. And then, his hand lifted, his finger pointing without hesitation.

"I want her."

The air in the bathhouse grew thick with tension.

All eyes followed his outstretched hand toward the one he had chosen.