Chapter 08

AVERY

“ If my warriors were dogs, your dogs wouldn’t be panting so heavily. ” I blink, shifting my focus to other men from the South.

“ You dare— ”

“ I don’t have time for whatever drama you are trying to play. I need to see your King. ” I cut in calmly before he can keep blabbering.

Apparently, these men have beef with me that I am not aware of.

“ Our King? ” He flashes me a scary smile that rings the alarm bells in my head, “ Oh, he’s been waiting for you, Princess. ”

The word ‘Princess’ almost sounds like an insult coming from his mouth.

I frown and keep my gaze on him. What is he so angry about?

“ Follow me. Let’s not keep the King waiting. ” His smile widens as he turns around.

“ Go back. ” I command the warriors.

They look reluctant but they don’t object. I turn to the carriage so we can follow them but the man with brownish hair and grey eyes stops me again.

“ That shit is not allowed. You will walk. ”

Anger surges but I suppress it and nod subtly before turning back around.

“ But your stuff Princess, how will we— ”

“ Leave it. ” I tell Renee because I don’t think these people will want to carry my things judging from the way they are glaring at me.

It’s a strange feeling. No one has ever looked at me openly before. People are not allowed to stare at the royals.

“ I don’t have all night. ” The man snaps again.

I start to walk, followed by Renee. For some reason, they don’t object to her presence and it puts me at ease.

My sky-blue fairy dress trails behind me while the upper half clings to my curves, giving off the vibes of an elegant princess. The crown atop my head shines in the dark as Renee and I walk behind the men.

When we move past the door, the fog disappears. Moon and stars shine so bright in the sky that I am compelled to throw my head back and look up in awe. The sky was not the same outside these walls even if we were just a wall away.

Silently, I recall what people say about the wall that stands around the Kingdom of South. It’s enchanted with the strongest spells and protected by the magic of the strongest witches so no force can move past these gates if the Southerns don’t decide to open them.

My thoughts come to an abrupt halt when the screech sounds again and the gigantic doors close with a heavy thud. My heart leaps to my throat at the thought of being confined inside.

I turn on my heels and look at the closed doors. It feels like I have stepped into a new world that I will never escape.

“ Walk! ” He yells, making me clench my jaw.

I nod and face ahead again. We walk through the forest that seems to stretch so far but surprisingly, we step into the clearing quickly.

My heartbeat slows down as I pick up my head and stare at the high-rise structure in the distance. The black glass glimmers, under a belt of twinkling stars. It looks like a gothic castle that is made of carved, black glass and put together in five different pillars that seem to stretch beyond what I can see. The one tower in the middle looks bigger than the rest and glistens brighter under the moon.

“ Is that the castle? ” I whisper.

“ Yes, that’s your prison. ” The man chuckles.

I snap out of my awed trance and stare at his back. What does this mean really?

I don’t ask and follow him silently. The beautiful castle keeps grabbing my attention before it gets diverted to the glass, black bridge that leads to it. Water surrounds the bridge on both sides, and it’s as dark as the glass.

Black water? What is this? An illusion?

Something shifts in the water, making a chill crawl down my spine. I walk steadily and the closer I get to the castle, the colder it gets. The freezing temperature bites my exposed skin.

We walk for so long that it seems I will never reach the actual castle but eventually, we get there and inside it. People are scattered around the gates of the place, staring at me.

Renee steps closer to me for whatever reason and whispers. “ something is wrong. ”

‘ I know. ’ I answer inside her head instead of saying it aloud.

Lycans can initiate the mindlink with werewolves but they can’t do it unless the Lycan opens the link.

The stinging glares of the Southern people don’t let me focus on the decorations or the way. After walking for a long time and rounding many corners filled with people, we end up in front of the black double doors that are unusually big in size like the rest of the structures here.

My heartbeat drums in my ears. I rub my cold palms down my dress, pretending to smoothen the fabric. It’s so hard to not downright shiver due to the dangerously low temperature. It’s like I will freeze if I don’t get some heat.

The doors open and the Southern men walk inside. Several scents hit me at once, letting me know that the crowd inside was huge. I swallow my saliva and stay back to regain my breaths before I too, follow them inside.

My eyes meet the several rows of seats on the left and right. It’s like a stadium and the path I am walking on is the playground. All eyes turn on me at once, knocking the breath out of me.

In a trance, I continue to walk until a familiar scent hits my nostrils and my body refuses to move an inch. I stand in the middle of the people that are staring at my soul and suddenly, I am searching for that man among all of them.

He is here. He is around me. I feel this intense need to see him as warmth pools in my belly. Not understanding the reaction to his scent, I scan the multiple rows on both sides of me until I hear his low voice.

“ Welcome to my world, Princess. ”

The surroundings dim as my head snaps up and I find the man sitting on a black glassy chair in the distance. His grey eyes are on me, intense, dangerous, and alluring.

My heart skips a beat before I feel the spot between my legs tingling. Heat spreads throughout my body, dispersing the coldness.

“ You. ” I whisper, clenching my thighs unconsciously.

“ Kneel, Princess. You are standing before our King. ” The man from earlier hisses.

Waves of shock ripple through me as I glance at him and then back at the pair of eyes that are fixed on me, making me aware of every cell in my body.

The tingles between my legs become a fiery ache while my mind keeps pondering…

What did I get myself into?

Surprisingly, the man says—