Meredith’s POV
Marco’s grip on my arm is harsh as he leads me to God knows where. I take the time to gawk at the majestic paintings that hang on the crystal-white walls.Most of it was off landscapes and skies; a few of them were of people I do not know but none of them was one of the three kings. How strange.It makes me wonder: how exactly are there three kings ruling one kingdom? There is so much mystery about this place, and I cannot wait to uncover it all.My eyes fall on a woman standing at the end of the hall. The stoic look on her face suggests that she has not had a good laugh in ages.She appears to be somewhere in her forties; her black hair has a few gray strands that are tied up in a tight bun. It lays much emphasis on her rather large forehead.The lines in the corner of her head show that she has spent most of her life frowning rather than smiling. I suppose it explains why her dark brown eyes are void of emotion.“Here she is, ma’am. The king’s new girl.”The woman scowls, deepening the lines at the corner of her mouth as her eyes rake my body with disapproval. “You may leave,” she tells Marco. He instantly lets go of my arm, but his eyes linger on mine a lot longer than I would have liked. He tears his gaze away from me and walks away.Well, that was strange.My attention returns to the woman he left me with. She starts to encircle me, and I feel naked beneath her menacing gaze. I can feel her eyes on each and every part of my body; it almost feels like she is violating me with her eyes.“I had expected you to have a bit more flesh. The kings usually prefer girls with bigger behinds and breasts, but you are rather average,” she notes, and I have absolutely no idea how I am supposed to respond to that. She continues, “Anyways, come along.”She starts leading me to a door with guards standing on either side. The both of them bow once they see her, and I feel their eyes on me. They opened the doors for us, and I felt their eyes watch me with curiosity and lust as we walked past them.“My name is Estrid, the madame of this harem,” the woman announces, gesturing to the large hall before us. The ceiling is made of glass, giving a magnificent view of the sky and giving the sun a wonderful opportunity to cast its gaze down on the room.There is a small fountain with a cupid statue at the very top of it. Water spills out of its mouth, and some ladies sit on the edge, talking and laughing.Most of these women are in black dresses and white aprons, while the others are in black and red lingerie. They looked like seductresses from the way they looked with all that makeup and carried themselves.“And what is your name, girl?” Estrid asks, snapping me back to the present.“Meredith.”“Very well, Meredith; your room is the very last one to your right. You have ten minutes to get settled in, after which you will need to go to the saloon. Follow this hall,” she pauses to gesture to the passageway to the right. “Take your left, and you will find a salon. Tell them you are new; they will know exactly what to do. Do you understand everything I have just said?” She asks, and I nod.“Thank you, Estrid,” I say, and her eyelids narrow into a glare.“It’s Madame Estrid to you,” she says, turning her back on me and leaving me stunned. I blink at the space she once occupied for some time before snapping out of it.Okay, then, that was a bit weird.Since I have no belongings, there is no need for me to settle into my room. I follow Madame Estrid’s directions and find myself in a salon, just as she said. The men and women here have an entirely different uniform.Everyone was busy doing their own thing; some men were getting their hair cut in one section of the salon while the ladies were getting their hair and nails done.One of the saloon staff walks up to me with a horrified look on her face. She places her hand above her chest as she walks up to me slowly. "Well, hello there, how may I help you?” she asks, her eyes scanning my body like I am the most disgusting creature she has ever seen.Well, technically, I would not blame her. I have not had a bath in two days. I have blood, sweat, dirt, and even a bit of cum littering my body.“Madame Estrid told me to come here. I am new,” I say, and she rears her head back in shock. She gives me a once-over, like she finds it hard to believe that I am new.“Oh, well, then we have a lot of work to do.” She spins around and claps twice. Two women come forward in similar uniforms but with smiles that are far too fake. “Come on, girls, you know the drill.”The two girls appear by my side and take me deeper into the salon. I am taken behind a maroon curtain, and my eyes fall on the large bath tub with several bottles sitting pretty by the side.“Take off your clothes, dear,” one of the girls says, and my cheeks grow hot.“With the three of you here?” I ask, and they all nod in sync.Creepy.“I am pretty sure I can bathe myself. I do not need anyone’s help,” I tell them, and they smile at me in a way that leaves me uneasy.The one who summoned the other two says, “It is protocol. All newcomers are to be cleansed and beautified by us. It is our duty to prepare you for your very first night with the kings.”My eyes widen at their words. Something about the way she said it makes me realize that this happens quite often.With a sigh, I undress before the three women. Once I am completely naked, one of them gestures towards the bath. “Get in, dear.”And I do.The warm water swallows my body, and I find myself sighing with relief. The water calmed my muscles and helped me sink further into the bathtub. One of the attendants pours some soap into the water, and the rosy scent fills the air with a relaxing aura.The three women get to work on my body, and I let them. I cannot believe I am letting three women wash me, but this feels way too good.One of them busies herself with my hair, washing it softly but with maximum concentration and precision. The same goes for the two other women handling my pedicure and manicure.I let them scrub each and every part of my body to their satisfaction. When I get out, they hand me a soft pink robe that I use to cover myself. I do not question them as they start to apply some oils and creams to my face.“Okay, I think it is time for you to move on to the next phase,” one of them says once she is done applying the last bit of oil to my face. She pushes the curtain back, and a girl in a maid’s uniform comes into view. She has honey brown eyes and pale skin. Her hair is short and a strange ginger color.Our eyes meet, and her smile is as warm as the morning sun. “Hello, my name is Sarah. Madame Estrid asked me to take you to our stylist.”I nod in understanding and follow closely behind her. She falls back to lean closer to my ear. “I have to admit, you are far prettier than I expected. When I heard that the kings have gotten a new girl, I was expecting to find some big ass stuck up bitch, but I can tell you are different from the rest.”“Well, that certainly is the nicest thing I have heard in a while,” I say with a light chuckle. “My name is Meredith, by the way.”“Sarah,” she says, and I part my lips to speak, but she quickly adds, “I have said that already, haven’t I?" I am sorry.”“It’s fine, so tell me... What’s it like here?” I ask, and she grins.“You mean here in the harem? Well, we are all one big happy family here. We look out for each other and consider each other sisters. Well, except for the nasty three, of course,” she says, and my eyebrows furrow with confusion.“The nasty three?”“Yes, they are otherwise known as the kings’ favorites; they are the three oldest maidens here. Rumor has it that they are the first three girls to have been chosen by the alphas to fulfill their sexual pleasures. I suppose the title makes them feel like queens even though they refuse to believe they are just like the rest of us,” Sarah says with a roll of her eyes.“I see. Do the kings usually bring in new girls?”“Yeah, that’s alpha Saul and alpha Caelen’s hobby. They bring in new girls almost every week.” She informs me.“I see… and what about Alpha Roman?” I ask, and her feet come to a halt. I watched the little color in her face drain at the mention of the alpha’s name, and I could have sworn I saw her swallow.She casts her eyes downward and says quietly, “I do not know much about him. He is a complete mystery to me. I hear he has only been with one of the nasty three. But apart from that, I hardly hear much about him. I know the kings love to share their girls, but the girls hardly mention Alpha Roman’s involvement. I just assume that he doesn’t take part.”Oh, he is definitely involved, alright? Those girls are most likely too terrified to talk about him.Sarah must have seen the worried expression on my face because she took my hand and squeezed it lightly. “Don’t worry; once you know the dos and don’ts around here, I am sure you will be just fine. And I will be here to make sure that happens.”The corners of my lips lift at her words. It has been quite a long time since I have received any form of kindness from anyone. So those mere words nearly bring me to tears.“Thank you.”“You are welcome. Now, we must hurry. We are running out of time,” she says before pulling me into another section of the salon.She helps me up on a mini pedestal, and three other women surround me. I stand still for the next five minutes, watching them work on me through the full-body mirror before me.The base of my hair is straightened, while the tip is curled. They help me into a red silky dress that stops right above my mid-thigh and hugs my body nicely. My cleavage is exposed, and my perky nipples poke through the thin material.As if one of the women could sense my discomfort, she handed me a red robe to add more covering to my body. They begin to touch up my face, and once they are done applying my lipstick, my eyes meet Estrid’s through the mirror.“Is she ready?” she asks the stylists, and they all nod. “Come along, girl, it is time.”I want to ask what she meant by that, but a part of me already knows. She leads me out of the harem, and I feel a million eyes on me as I walk down the hall.Estrid stops before a door and turns to me. “Wait for them inside.” That was all she said to me before leaving abruptly.Okay then…I turn the cold handle and step into the room. A gasp escapes my lips as I take in the sight of the room. This is no ordinary bedroom.There are whips, collars, and cuffs of all shapes and sizes laid out perfectly on a table. The bed is king-sized, with candles lit on either stand. But the chains right beside them make me sick to my stomach.Subconsciously, I take a step back, but my back hits something hard.“Scared now, are we?”A gasp leaves my lips as I spin on my heel.The three alphas stood tall and mighty, but most of all, they were hungry.And I was their dinner.Meredith’s POVAll three alphas are seated in armchairs facing the bed. Saul has his usual evil smirk with mischief twinkling in his eyes. Caelen, as always, is filled with curiosity and excitement. And of course, Alpha Roman, with absolutely no expression on his face, remains stoic as always. “Are you ready, little one?” Saul asks me, and I bite my bottom lip. I do not think I will ever be ready, but I might as well get this over with. So, I nod.“You look a lot better now. You are actually very pretty when you don’t have dirt on your face and try to steal our food,” Caelen remarks, and Saul chuckles. My smile is nervous, and I do not know whether to take that as a compliment or not. My gaze shifts to Roman, but he does not utter a word.Rather, his eyes trail up and down my body. When they stop at my eyes, I feel my wolf stir within me. She is excited; she purrs with delight at the contact. She wants to jump into his arms and never let go. I have to do everything within my power
Meredith’s POVThe breath is knocked out of my lungs as Roman slams me down on the bed. My back makes contact with the soft mattress, and my head dangles over the edge. Roman grabs my neck, forcing me up. His hand around my neck sends tingles through my entire body, and the way he looks at me with so much intensity makes me weak in the knees.He brings his lips to my ear and whispers, “I do not care how badly you are choking. I do not care if you are about to faint or if you see death knocking right outside your door. Under no circumstances will you get my dick out of your mouth; do you understand?” I gulp, but somehow manage to nod.His minty breath fans my earlobe when he says, “I need words.”“I understand, Alpha Roman,” I choke out, and he hums. A yelp escapes my lips when he forces me to my knees. He doesn’t wait another second before forcing my mouth open and shoving his entire length down my throat.My God, I do not think I am going to survive this night. But even with this
Meredith’s POV“The kings have a favorite?” I ask, and Sarah nods in confirmation. I do not know how to feel about that. “You mean all three of them favor Gwen most out of all the women here?” “Not exactly,” she pauses, like there is something she wants to tell me but thinks against it. “All three of them are the most called to the red room. I suppose it is because they have the best bodies out of all of us here.”“Oh, I see.” I trail off. A twinge of jealousy plagues my heart, but I do my best to dismiss it. So what if that girl has a better body than me, and the trio would love to have her more? Why should I care? Maybe it is because my mate is among the triad. I cannot help but wonder: does he actually like her, or does he just go along because his brothers enjoy her?I suppose that is a question I might most likely never get an answer to.“Aside from that, life in the harem is actually pretty sweet. Everything you can ever need is here, and you will hardly ever get bored,” Sara
Meredith’s POVSomething warm trickles down the side of my face; it is sticky and makes my skin crawl. I touch the spot and pull my hand to find blood on my fingertips. What? I am bleeding? But how? I feel no pain.Slowly, I lift my gaze, and a scream leaves my lips.Johnathan’s lifeless eyes are staring right at me. He has blood spilling out of his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. His skin is completely pale, and the veins on his neck are a bright shade of blue.“Meredith, what have you done?”That voice.My blood freezes as my father’s voice fills my ears. He is standing by the doorway with horror mixed with disappointment swirling within his eyes.“No, papa, wait. It’s not what you think!” I scream as I jump off the bed to run to him.“You killed him,” my father says, and I shake my head in denial. My eyes sting with tears as I watch someone shive my father down to his knees. My father-in-law, Johnathan’s father.His face is a bright shade of red; there is so much rage in his eyes, a
Meredith’s POVThe maid escorting me to the red room is silent. Which I somewhat appreciate; it gives me more time to think. My heart is beating wildly as I think of what I plan on doing tonight. It is risky, and the kings might kill me if I am caught, but damn it, I have to see my father and be sure my dreams are actually just dreams.We arrive at the red room, and the maid spins around to face me. She looks at me with pity in her eyes, and I feel pity for her too. But my excitement is greater. I know this may sound sick, but I actually look forward to my sessions with the kings.“Good luck,” the maid says, taking me off guard. I am about to thank her when she walks away briskly. Okay then.I stare at the door to the red room and take a deep breath before stepping in. The room is empty. None of the kings are present; what a relief!The room has been cleaned up nicely, like absolutely nothing had occurred here just last night. It almost looks like a normal bedroom if one decides to
Meredith's POVMy legs scream for a break, but I do not grant them that. I don't know how long I have been running, but I can't take the risk of getting caught now. My feet and the bottom part of my dress are covered in mud and pieces of dried leaves. My breaths are held, and I find myself almost giving up until my eyes fall on the road up ahead.A tired smile lifts my lips, and I use my last bit of energy to make it to the roadside before my legs finally give out. I use the time spent waiting for a vehicle to catch my breath. I can't believe I have made it this far.I feel a weight lift off my chest when I see two headlights approaching. I wave my hand in the air and watch as the car comes to a stop.The window slides down slowly, and a man and woman come into view. The man has a wary look on his face, while the woman looks at me with worry. They both have prominent amber eyes, and their similar features suggest that they might be related. I would say siblings if I were to guess.
Meredith’s POVI smile through my tears as my father squeezes my hand through the bars. As I take in his features, the tears only fall more. He has cuts and bruises everywhere; how could anyone do this to an innocent old man?My father is one of the kindest men I have ever met. And I am not saying this because he is my father. I am saying this because I actually know him. I see the way he treats his people with such kindness, wisdom, and sound judgment. He does not deserve this. He does not deserve any of this.Even though it has just been a week since I last saw him, I can tell that he has lost an unhealthy amount of weight. Are they even feeding on him here? My attention falls on a cut right above his eye. Judging by the discharge escaping it, I can tell that it has been infected.My chest feels tighter as more tears slip past my eyes. “I am getting you out of here, papa. I promise. I will look for the key and get you out.”I attempt to stand, but he holds me back down. He shakes
Meredith’s POV“What are you doing in my room?” I demand, and she raises a brow.“I am the one asking the questions here, Missy,” she pauses to take in my appearance. A scowl graces her lips when she says, “You look terrible.”I look at myself, and for the first time since I have known her, I actually agree with her. My dress is torn, ripped, and stained with all manner of things. I cannot even begin to imagine what my hair and face look like at this moment. A tired sigh leaves my lips, and I shut my eyes, trying to control my frustration. My legs are killing me! Hell, I feel like they are about to give in any moment from now on. Never in my life have I craved a bed as much as I do now.The ache in my legs and the fatigue make it almost impossible to think of an appropriate lie.“I am not in the mood for this, Gwen. I really need to sleep,” I say, almost plead.She purses her lips and shrugs. Throwing her legs off my bed, she walks around me and says, “That is fine, but let me tell