Chapter 1: Lust

Aria’s Pov

I felt a firm grip on my cheek, my head jerked to the side. Sophia, the gamma female and Henry's betrothed glared at me, her eyes blazing with anger. "You're a foolish little slave," she hissed.

"You think you can catch Henry's eye? You're nothing but a mere plaything."

I tried to pull away, but her grip only tightened. Her claws dug into my skin, and I winced in pain. "You'll learn your place, slave," she sneered, before shoving me against the wall.

I struggled to catch my breath, my heart racing with fear. Sophia's eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and I knew I was in grave danger.

I was dragged away by Sophia's maids, my wrists bound behind my back. They pulled me through the winding palace corridors, their grip unyielding. I stumbled, my feet struggling to keep pace with their hurried steps.

We reached a small, dimly lit chamber deep in the palace. The maids thrust me forward, and I fell onto a cold, stone floor. Sophia stood before me, her eyes blazing with fury.

"You're a slave," she spat. "You'll do well to remember your place. Stay away from the crown prince, or suffer the consequences."

One of the maids produced a whip, its leather straps crackling in the silence. Sophia nodded, and the maid raised the whip, striking me with a loud crack. I cried out, the pain searing across my back.

"Remember, slave," Sophia hissed, as the maid struck me again. "You're nothing but a plaything. Don't think you can ever be more."

The whipping continued, each strike burning my skin and searing my soul. I knew I had to endure, to survive this torment. I was just a slave, after all, and I had no hope of ever being more than that.

The whipping finally stopped, and I lay there, my back throbbing in agony. Sophia's maids dragged me to my feet, and I stumbled, my vision blurry.

As they pulled me out of the chamber, I caught glimpses of the other slaves in the corridor, their faces etched with shock, horror, and fear.

Some looked away, unable to bear the sight of my battered body. Others met my gaze with sympathetic eyes, their expressions conveying their solidarity and support.

They pulled me through the corridors and deposited me in the servants' quarters.

I collapsed onto my narrow bed, my body trembling with pain and fear. I knew I had to be careful, to avoid drawing attention to myself. But it was hard to keep hope alive, trapped in this tormenting place.

As I lay there, I heard the sound of footsteps outside my door. It creaked open, and Lily, my roommate and fellow slave, slipped inside. She brought me warm water and a small cloth to clean my wounds.

"Aria, oh Aria," she whispered, her voice full of compassion. "What did they do to you? Your back... it's covered in welts and blood."

I tried to speak, but my voice was barely a whisper. Lily helped me onto my narrow bed, and I winced in pain as I lay down. She gently cleaned my wounds with a damp cloth, her touch gentle and soothing.

"Be strong, Aria," she whispered. "You'll get through this. We will all go through it."

I nodded, trying to hold back tears. I knew Lily was right. Slaves like us were nothing more than property to the royal family and their nobles. We were subject to their whims and cruelties.

As Lily continued to tend to my wounds, I couldn't help but think of Henry, the crown prince. His lingering stares sparked Sophia's wrath, and I knew he was only consumed by lust for me.

I remember the way he looks at me, his eyes burning with a desire that makes my skin crawl. He doesn't care about me, only about satiating his desires.

I was just a slave, a plaything for him to use and discard at his whim. The thought filled me with a sense of hopelessness, trapped in a world where I was nothing more than a mere object for the nobles to exploit.

I've been trying so hard to be a ghost in the palace, invisible and silent, a mere specter haunting the palace corridors. But since Lady Alice changed the duty roster, I've been assigned to serve the crown prince, Henry, directly.

Now, I'm constantly in his presence, pouring his wine, serving his meals, and attending to his every whim. His piercing gaze follows me everywhere, making my skin crawl.

I can feel his lustful eyes on me, sense his desire to claim me as his own. I'm trapped, a slave to his every command, forced to endure his lecherous stares and fawn over him like a loyal subject.

My heart races with anxiety, my mind consumed by the fear of what he might do next.

I drifted off to sleep, my exhausted body surrendering to the darkness. But my reprieve was short-lived, as the shrill slave siren pierced the air at dawn, summoning us to the fields.

I groggily got out of bed with Lily, my back still throbbing from Sophia's cruelty. We joined the other slaves, our faces somber, our eyes sunken with insufficient sleep .

We trudged to the fields, our footsteps heavy, our hearts weighted with the knowledge of another long day of toil ahead.

I glanced up at the palace, wondering what new torments the day might bring, and my heart raced with a mix of fear and dread. Another day, another struggle to survive.

As we worked in the field, a loud and grave roar echoed across the landscape, making everyone freeze. The sound was coming from the palace, and we knew exactly who it belonged to - Romain, the second son of the king, Alpha Grimaldi II.

His growl sent a shiver down every spine, and I could sense the other slaves' fear and anxiety as they glanced nervously at each other.

Romain’s wolf was a symbol of terror, and its roar was a warning sign that it was on the prowl, wanting a prey to consume.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing with anticipation, wondering if I would be the one to face its wrath today. The roar grew louder and scarier, echoing off the palace walls, and then... silence.

The sudden silence was more unsettling than the roar itself. I exhaled slowly, our eyes fixed on the palace gates, waiting for the beast to emerge.