Chapter two

Ashley’s P.O.V.

“Ashley? It’s you?”

The tinge of shock in that shrill voice swiftly turned to anger as King Ralph’s wife, Sara, processed the sight before her. She growled at her husband.

“What are you doing, Ralph?”

King’s spouse seemed like the Moon Goddess’s help in this dire situation. I seized this opportunity and freed myself from the dumbstruck king’s hold, kneeling on the floor.

“Please save me, my Queen. He was forcing himself on me.”

My truth was countered by King Ralph’s claim, he spluttered.

“This lowly maid threw herself on me, Sara. You know I only love you!”

It was a well-known fact that King Ralph was a womanizer, sleeping around despite being married. He was hiding his true face behind the happy marriage’s façade.

I was certain that Sara would confront her husband; however, the one eighty-degree change in her attitude took me aback. She directed her rage at me and hollered.

“How dare you dream about my mate, slut?”

Sara’s false accusation dropped my heart to my stomach. I immediately bared my neck and begged for mercy.

“That’s not the case, my Queen. He called me here. I didn’t ...”

The rest of my explanation died down in my head as she grabbed my hairs, commanding furiously.

“You have the guts to slander your benefactor like this, slut.

Guards, throw her in the prison. I will decide on her punishment after a public trial tomorrow!”

...

Sara didn’t take pity on me, and I spent a long, horrifying night in the cold cell. Clutching my knees to my chest, I hid in the corner, fearing the unknown. King Ralph’s assault had shaken me to the core.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I felt powerless, unable to do anything. The silver chains burned into my flesh deeply, hurting my wolf, Ivory. She howled dolefully

“When will this misery end, Ash? I can’t take it anymore.”

Rejection, continuous starvation, and now silver torture had exhausted my wolf’s power. She was restless in pain. Feeling distressed, I prayed to my Goddess until the sky bled gold and gray as dusk creeped over the rogue pack, announcing my D-Day.

I was dragged to the pack ground right after breakfast, barefoot, bruised, and still in my soiled maid’s uniform. My eyes were aching after hours of crying.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a cruel glow over the gathering crowd on the ground as I reached there, being chained in silver restraints like a dangerous criminal. The guards ushered me to stand on a stone circle in the middle of the clearing, facing the murmuring crowd.

The trial hadn’t begun, but I could feel the obvious result written on Sara’s disgusted face. She was sitting beside King Ralph in her elevated chair. From the beginning, she didn’t like me. I was too beneath her to even bother scolding me directly. She would let her pets do it for her.

Her thin lips curled up in a mean smirk as one slave braked, stepping forward with overconfidence.

“Ashley had seduced King Ralph last night.”

That was Lia, the loyal maid of Sara. She pointed her finger at me.

“I saw her sneaking around King’s office many times. Ashley pretends to be innocent, but she’s a whore in reality!”

Sara was pleased to hear her pet’s speech. She encouraged her to speak more.

“Tell us what you witnessed in the storeroom this week, Lia. Everyone must know what kind of woman Ashley is.”

In response, Lia narrated an imaginary tale about my intimate relations with a servant, painting me as a slut. My jaw slacked as she spoke in spite.

“Women like Ashley dream big, aiming to destroy happy marriages. She had her eyes fixed on King Ralph since the day of her arrival at our pack.”

My mouth slit open in a silent scream, hearing all the fake stories short-circuited my brain. But before I could speak up for myself, another voice rose.

“Ashley barely speaks to anyone unless spoken to. She works all the time.”

My only friend in this pack, Jenna, defended me, pushing her way through the crowd.

“Ashley works harder than all of us. You know she cooked a feast for a hundred warriors yesterday. And ...”

“She steals food for you, Jenna!” Lia snapped, fabricating another tale. “I have seen Ashley and Jenna feasting on the meals, especially cooked for Alpha and Luna. It’s natural that her partner in crime will support her.”

“Jenna is a thief like Ashley!”

A sharp voice rose, spitting out accusations like venom. “Ashley is a lazy maid. I have seen her slacking off.”

“Jenna and Ashley are liars. They are a disgrace to working staff!”

Jenna’s face went pale as everyone targeted her too, currying favor with Queen. The other slaves strived their best to add fuel to the fire, wanting a good show. Watching a disobedient worker’s punishment was the only entertainment in their monotonous routines.

As there was no use of waiting for my turn for an explanation, I tried to speak up without permission.

“They are lying. I haven’t ...”

“Enough!”

Sara raised her hand, cutting me off sharply. Her firm voice cracked like a whip in silence as she consulted her husband.

“Ashley is accused by her own kind. What do you say, my King?”

*Trigger warning. Physical Violence*

King’s meaningful smile deepened as he propped his chin on his palm, speaking coldly.

“Every crime comes with a price. And whores like Ashley should be marked as an example for others!”

A chill ran down my spine as Ralph ordered, sealing my fate.

“Ashley Miller is demoted to the rank of slave. She is now my rogue’s pack property.”

No!

I wanted to scream, to cry, but the executors didn’t let me defend myself. They pinned me down in a jiffy and questioned.

“What’s her number, my King?”

“572!” Ralph spoke, as if I were just another object to be cataloged, burning my eyes with tears. The humiliation of being branded as a slave was the last thing I could ever imagine.

My stomach lurched as I spotted the glowing red iron brand shortly after the decision. It turned out that branding was all planned before the trial.

The number ‘572’ shimmered like the fires of hell itself, twisting my guts with the scent of burning metal.

And then, it came down on my back!

For a moment, the world went white, stealing the breath from my lungs. The pain was so raw and consuming that I couldn’t even scream. Withering in pain, I collapsed on the ground as the executor turned to fetch the pot of melted silver to make this brand a permanent part of my skin. The iron burn could be healed with a wolf’s power.

However, the wind shifted, thickening the air with deep

unnatural silence which spread like wildfire. A scream pierced the quiet as the arrow hit the guard beside King Ralph. His panicked growl alarmed everyone.

“We are under attack!”