Chapter 0007

Natalie's P.O.V.

Several hours had passed before I had mustered up the courage to help myself to a shower. I was glad I had my get-a-way bag with me when I was taken from my pack. Clean clothes and a warm shower did wonders for me and my injured arm, and I was ready to test the limits of my new captivity and learn my place.

If I weren't allowed to leave 'our' bedroom, I would find out very quickly. I paused at the door briefly, wondering what would happen if the king returned and I wasn't there. What kind of punishments did human breeders get? Were there other human breeders here, or were they killed after they produced an heir?

I shook my head, glancing back to the room, admiring the glow of the mid-afternoon sun on the gold detailing that decorated the bedposts. It made me wonder what other beautiful designs were waiting for me to discover in the rest of the castle.

The bronze handle was cold beneath my touch, like a warning that I should back away and stay where I had been left. Instead, I pulled the door open, jumping at the sight of the large back blocking my exit. The man was easily two heads taller than me and could pass for a giant had I not known he was a Lycan when he wasn't in his skin.

He moved to the side, turning to face me as he cleared the way for me to exit. He bent at the waist, taking me by surprise as he bowed in his crisp black suit. I didn't know what to do or how to handle it. But as he straightened back up to his full height and returned his gaze down the hallway, I assumed I was free to roam.

"Hello," I said softly as I tried to assess the man before me. "Am I allowed to leave the room?"

He glanced down at me with his eyebrows pulled together as if confused before looking away again with a quick nod in confirmation. I stared at him for a moment longer, waiting for him to change his mind or report me to the king. When he didn't move, I turned and made my way down the hallway, very aware of the giant man shadowing me. His presence was oddly comforting.

The winding staircase of white marble steps made me pause as I wasn't sure which direction to go, up or down. I glanced over the railing toward the foyer before looking back up.

"Your highness," A young woman gasped, and I turned in time to see her curtsy with her head down. "May I help you find something?"

I scanned her over. The young girl was wearing black slacks and a tucked-in black button-up shirt. She held a caddy of cleaning supplies in her left hand.

The way she addressed me, similar to the man hovering a few feet away who had bowed, took me by surprise.

Your Highness.

Were they misinformed, or was I under the wrong impression? I had been chosen as a mate. I was not a fated mate. Could a breeder be placed as queen, or would I only fill the position until he crossed his true mate?

"No, thank you. I'm not sure where I am going." My voice trailed off as I glanced around.

"Dinner shall be soon. Would you like me to show you to the king's study so you can dine together, or would you prefer the private dining room?" She smiled widely, and I placed her at no more than sixteen. She would have shifted by now, which meant she could also hear my heart hammering in my chest at the mention of the man who had unofficially claimed me as his mate. "If you go down this hallway and make a right into the east wing, his study will be on the left side. Tobias here can show you too if you'd like."

I nodded, taking in the information but not entirely set on seeking out and spending time with the man that I was to mate with before I had to.

Yet, a slight push in my mind told me that while I truly didn't know or trust him, I should go to him for answers. Leaving me in our bedroom with no more than a single sentence was infuriating.

"Thank you," I said, fighting the urge to dip my head in submission as I had been trained and expected to do in my pack as an omega. If they thought I was to be their queen, I didn't want to embarrass myself. I would wait until they were correctly informed of my position here before I would start acting of a lower rank.

The young woman curtsied again before continuing down the hall.

I turned to the man behind me, Tobias, and he raised one eyebrow before gesturing with his hand for me to head down the hallway. It seemed I would be officially meeting this King Killian after all.

As we drew near the entrance of the east wing, the hallway was illuminated by a bright glass mural of all colors. I gaped at the intricate details of the story it displayed of the goddess blessing the wolves and them transforming into the Lycan form. The way the artist depicted the beast was beautiful and nowhere near as terrifying as they were in real life.

It was hard to pull my eyes away, but it was time to get my answers. I let out a deep breath before turning with my back straight and head held high as I made my way down the corridor. The double doors on my left stuck out like a sore thumb. I didn't need Tobias to tell me this was the place. There was a slight pull inside me, drawing me in.

I knocked softly on the door, flinching when it was ripped open quickly by the pale witch that had participated in my capture.

"Good. Maybe you can get him to start acting reasonably." She said as she brushed past me and rubbed her hand on Tobias's chest suggestively. He remained void of expressions, but the slight twitch to his jaw told me that he was either enjoying the witch's affections or was annoyed by it.

I turned back to face the open doorway, feeling my heart stammer out of rhythm at the sight of the God-like man staring back at me with breathtaking hazel eyes.

His brown hair was so dark that it was almost black, and his defined and tense jaw ticked as he glared at me. His hands were pressed palm down on the table, and it wasn't until he looked back at the paper beneath him that I was able to let out the breath I had been holding.

King Killian.

Even in his skin, he was every bit as terrifying as his Lycan form.

"From the tension, I take it you two haven't actually met yet." The female said behind me as she pushed me into the room gently. "Allow me to introduce you."

"Joselin," The king growled in warning, sending a shiver down my spine. The deep sound of his voice was almost exactly how I had been expecting it to sound in his skin, but I was still surprised by how it seemed to affect me.

Joselin waved her hand in his direction, ignoring the king. "Your name, dear?"

It was a term of endearment, but as I stood in the room with two Lycans and a witch, it was exactly how I felt. A deer. Prey.

"Natalie Matthews," I whispered as I stared at the king. He held no reaction. He didn't even look up at me from what I could now see was a map.

"Natalie, meet Killian Amery, your mate." She purred with laughter as if it were a joke, and the king let out a low growl of annoyance.