Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 11

Garrick

The ancient stones of Nightfang Fortress seemed to recoil from my presence as I stalked through the corridors, my footsteps echoing with the weight of my fury. Blood still seeped through the hastily applied bandages wrapped around my torso and shoulder—humiliating reminders of my defeat at the hands of that feral beast.

The servants scurried out of my path like frightened mice, their heads bowed so low their foreheads nearly touched the floor. Good. Let them fear me.

As I entered my private chambers, a young servant girl was tending to the hearth, her hands trembling with obvious fear. She reached for a crystal goblet with shaking fingers, but her nervousness made her clumsy. The glass slipped from her grip, shattering against the stone floor with a sharp crash that pierced through my already frayed nerves.

The noise snapped something inside me.

In one fluid motion, I crossed the room and seized her by the throat, lifting her slight frame from the ground as easily as picking up a discarded toy. Her feet kicked helplessly in the air, her fingers clawing at my iron grip while she gasped for breath that would not come.

"Careless little bitch," I growled, my voice rough with barely contained violence. "Do you have any idea what I've endured tonight? What humiliation I've suffered because of creatures just like you?"

Terror filled her brown eyes as I slammed her back against the stone wall, my free hand tearing at the rough fabric of her servant's dress. The material gave way like paper, exposing her small, trembling form to the firelight.

The sight of her naked vulnerability sparked something primal within me—a need to reclaim the dominance that had been stripped away in front of hundreds of witnesses. If I could not conquer the Wolf King, I would at least remind myself what true power felt like.

I pressed my body against hers, pinning her to the cold stone as I freed myself from my leather breeches with my other hand. Her eyes went wide with new understanding, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks as she realized what was about to happen. She shook her head frantically, her mouth forming silent pleas that fell on deaf ears.

"This is what happens to those who displease me," I whispered against her ear, positioning myself at her entrance. "Remember that in whatever afterlife awaits your kind."

I drove into her without mercy, her unprepared body suffering under my brutal assault as I sought to reclaim the dominance stripped from me tonight. Her struggles grew weaker as my grip on her throat tightened, until finally her resistance ceased entirely.

When I finished, I released her lifeless form and stepped back, watching with cold satisfaction as her body crumpled to the floor. The act had purged some of my rage, but the memory of the Wolf King's crimson eyes still burned in my mind.

"Clean this up," I commanded the other servants who had witnessed my display from the doorway, their faces pale with terror. "Immediately."

They scrambled forward with trembling hands, gathering the girl's remains while carefully avoiding my gaze. I adjusted my clothing and moved to the window, staring out at the moonlit landscape of my domain.

It was then that I caught her scent—exotic perfume mixed with something darker, more dangerous. I turned to see Liliana gliding through my doorway like a specter, her crimson gown flowing around her graceful form as she stepped delicately around the servants cleaning up my mess.

"My, my," she purred, her red lips curving into a knowing smile as she surveyed the scene. "It seems I've arrived at a rather... eventful moment."

I narrowed my eyes, studying the blood thrall who had served the Wolf King for three centuries. Her presence here was unexpected, and unexpected visitors were rarely bearers of good news.

"Speak your purpose, blood slave," I said coldly, dismissing the servants with a wave of my hand. "Why do you dare enter my domain?"

She waited until we were alone before answering, her calculating gaze never leaving my face. "I come bearing information that I believe will interest you greatly, Commander Garrick." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Information about the human girl who has so... captivated our dear Wolf King."

I felt my pulse quicken despite myself. "The one called Thalia?"

"Indeed." Liliana moved closer, her hips swaying hypnotically as she approached. "I observed something quite remarkable tonight. For the first time in three centuries, my king chose to protect a human rather than simply use her. He fought for her, risked exposure, showed a level of... attachment that is most concerning."

The implications hit me like a physical blow. A mad beast was one thing—it could be controlled, contained, eventually eliminated. But a beast with emotional attachments was far more dangerous.

"What are you suggesting?" I asked, though I suspected I already knew.

Liliana's smile turned predatory. "I'm suggesting that this Thalia represents both a weakness and an opportunity. Kill her, and you remove the one thing that seems capable of reaching whatever humanity remains buried within the beast."

The logic was sound, but something about her eagerness troubled me. "And why would the Wolf King's devoted blood thrall wish harm upon someone who brings him peace?"

For just a moment, her perfect composure cracked, revealing the raw fury and jealousy burning beneath. "For three hundred years, I have been his sole companion, his only source of comfort in that damned prison. I have given him my blood, my body, my very existence—and now he rejects me for some human whelp who has known him for mere days!"

Her voice rose with each word, echoing off the stone walls as her mask of seduction fell away completely. "I want him back the way he was—dependent on me, needing only me. Even if it means he remains a beast forever."

Now I understood. This was not about strategy or politics—this was about a woman scorned, desperate to reclaim what she perceived as her rightful place.

"Tell me your plan," I stared at her.

Liliana composed herself, smoothing her gown and returning to her practiced elegance. "Thalia has formed an attachment to another human girl—Adelaide, I believe her name is. They act like sisters, protective of one another. Take Adelaide as bait, and Thalia will come running to save her. Then you can eliminate her without the risk of the Wolf King interfering."

"Good plan," I smirked.

"Our interests align perfectly, do they not?" Liliana extended her hand toward me, her fingers pale and elegant in the firelight.

I grasped her hand, allowing my grip to tighten just enough to make her wince—a reminder of which of us truly held the power in this arrangement. "They do indeed. I'll have my agents move immediately to secure the Adelaide girl."

As I released her hand, I felt the first stirrings of genuine excitement I'd experienced since my humiliation in the great hall. The Wolf King thought he had won tonight, but he had merely delayed the inevitable. Soon, his precious human would be dead, his mind would be forever lost, and I would claim what had always been mine by right.

The game was far from over.