Spencer's POVWhen I get to my father’s office–the office of the Lycan King–I already know I’m in trouble.“Spencer!” My father says when I walk into his office, fixing me with his usual stern expression. “We need to talk.”I close the door behind me and take a seat opposite him. “Yes, Father.”“Did you buy a girl from the Omega auction?” My father asks. I simply nodded, not intending to say much more.“And did you bring her back here to the palace?” Once again, I nodded. He looks at me in shock. “Two years ago, a maid tried to seduce you, and you had her executed immediately. Since then, every she-wolf in the kingdom has been too scared to even approach you. Every one of them desires you, but don’t dare disturb you. Simply put, the women of this kingdom are terrified of you. No she-wolf has ever been held close to your heart. Could it be… is this girl your mate?”My father’s words remind me of the first time I saw her. Ivy. It was at the wedding of that Alpha and his wretched Luna
Ivy's POVAfter Spencer leaves, I abandon all pretense of etiquette and begin to devour my food hungrily. I eat as if there’s no tomorrow, trying to consume as much as possible. As the food slides down my tongue, tears involuntarily stream down my face. It’s been ages since I’ve tasted such fresh and plentiful food.When I finally finish my meal, I make the decision to head back to my room. The moment I leave the dining hall, though, I realize I have absolutely no idea where I am. The castle is so large, I get lost in the winding hallways and corridors in no time. It’s built like the maze–every hall looks the same. Just as I’ve given up hope on trying to navigate the palace, I spot a slight maid polishing a picture frame.“Hello?” I call out tentatively.The maid turned around. Surprise flashed in her eyes when she saw me, but she quickly regained her composure. “Yes, ma’am,” she smiles politely, softly inquiring, “What can I do for you?”“Oh, that’s so kind of you, thank you,” I sa
Ivy's POVI don’t understand why the maids hate me so much.I pace the floor of the room restlessly, frustrated tears pooling in my eyes. The dust covering the floor and hovering in the air makes my nose itch, making it a horrible place to pace in, but what else am I supposed to do? I’m trapped, completely and utterly. I haven’t done anything to any of the maids–they shouldn’t have any reason to despise me based on any of my actions. Is it because I’ve been labeled as an auction girl? Or maybe it’s because I don’t have a wolf? But all of that is based on rumors, and far from the actual truth. None of what’s happened to me has been my fault. I’m an Alpha’s daughter, and I once had a wolf–I only lost that connection because I was forced to drink wolfsbane. Maybe it’s because I’m so weak now that they all hate me so much? But I’ve never done anything to harm them. Or maybe it’s because of Spencer. He is, after all, incredibly charming. And handsome. I wouldn’t be surprised if every
Spencer's POVIvy is missing.I stare at the doorway of her room, which is wide-open and vacant. All the lights were off when I got here, bed still freshly made from this morning. There was a glass of water on her nightstand. Her pajamas were folded neatly under her pillow.Simply put, the bedroom is exactly as it was when we left for breakfast.And Ivy hasn’t returned.I pace back and forth frantically. I’d returned to the room to see her–I wanted to see her, but she’s nowhere to be found.Is she lost? It’s a big castle, sure, but there are plenty of staff here who’d be able to take her to her room. Even if Ivy had wandered outside to explore the grounds a bit, surely she’d have returned inside by now. It’s dark outside–it’s been dark for awhile now.Has she left the castle? No. There are guards everywhere, and they would have reported to me immediately if she had left.‘Beta Roger’ I quickly mind-link my Beta, ‘the girl I brought back from the auction is missing. Seal off the castl
Ivy's POVI’m on the run, and I need to move.Fast.Though my wolf is gone now, my senses are still sharp, and I can hear the voices of warriors in the distance shouting directions to one another. As I crouch in the grass, fear grips my heart in a tight fist.The voices are getting closer.And I have no idea where to go.I need to consider where Spencer thinks I am–whether he thinks I’m missing, or whether he knows I’m running away. The consequences of those two possibilities would be wildly different in terms of how he treats me. While Spencer has been good to me so far, I know that running away would most likely make him angry. He did buy me, after all–I’m under no delusions that he truly cares for me. Maybe I’m just some toy he picked up at the auction, something he can play with patiently for as long as I’m obedient. Maybe he gets off on spoiling me. But if it’s all under the condition that I play nice, I have no idea how he’d react to my escaping. I’m not following orders now.
Ivy's POV“How about you let me fuck you, and then I’ll let you go?”My mind races a mile a minute, formulating my plan.“Deal,” I reply breathily, looking up at the warrior through my lashes.He grins and pushes himself closer against me. I’m already pinned to the tree, and he’s only minimizing the distance between us–I can already feel much more than I want to, but I grit my teeth and bear it. I remember the combat techniques my father had taught me, his insistence that I learn how to fight. I pray silently to the Moon Goddess and my father for strength. I’m going to need all the help I can get. As the warrior’s rough hands start to caress my waist, I reach for a hard, thorny branch nearby. I wince uncomfortably as his fingers poke and prod into my sides, waiting for the moment when he’s the most distracted.He hums in contentment, grabbing me particularly roughly.Anger and indignation spark in the pit of this stomach.Who is this man to touch me like he owns me? I’ve had quite
Ivy's POVI stare helplessly at the lifeless body of the warrior, trembling from head to toe.He’s dead. He’s dead, because of me.Finally, with a great amount of difficulty, I force myself to tear my gaze away from the corpse. Looking at it won’t change anything. This is my situation, and it couldn’t be worse. Tears stream freely down my face as I look back at Spencer. What happens now? He found me. Does he know I tried to escape? Will he kill me for it? Or does his killing that warrior mean he thinks my disappearance was someone else’s fault?Spencer locks eyes with me, and something heavy clouds my expression. I feel like I’m destined to fail.“You ran away,” Spencer states confidently.A chill runs down my spine. How does he know?Now, the Lycan Prince will surely kill me as ruthlessly as he killed that warrior.“The maid lured you to the punishment room. You managed to escape, but you didn’t come to find me,” he calmly states, slowly approaching me. With each accurate statement
Ivy's POV“The forest is full of danger, but my warriors can move through it easily and cover every inch of the grounds.” Spencer’s voice is casual and relaxed, as though we’re discussing the weather, but his eyes lock on me with a warning glint. “So, naturally, you have no chance of escape.”Ice cold fear floods me. My heart starts to pound as I nod quickly. So long as Prince Spencer doesn’t kill me, I can afford to be more or less compliant. No–completely compliant. After all, I have more important things to do than incur his wrath.While I’m still lost in thought, Spencer suddenly scoops me up into his arms. I gasp and let out a small shriek, wrapping my arms instinctively around his neck and clinging to him to keep from falling. He starts to walk back down the path he came from, and my last hopes of escape slip away as I realize he’s carrying me back to the castle. “I can walk back on my own,” I whisper to him. “Your ankle is sprained.” Spencer dismisses me with that same infur