Chapter 161: Chapter 161 What She Once Scorned
Fiona stepped into the chamber, expecting to find only the royal beta Allen waiting for her. Instead, three Valerium warriors lounged around the room alongside two women.
"Fiona..." Allen’s voice dripped like honey as he spread his arms wide in greeting. "How wonderful to have you here."
His lips lingered against her cheek far longer than appropriate before he ushered her deeper into the space.
Disgust churned in Fiona’s stomach the moment his mouth made contact. She should have kissed him properly, let him taste Reginald on her lips, but the thought made her sick.
Whatever fleeting satisfaction she’d felt from Reginald’s suggestion died as Allen’s hand guided her forward.
The spacious chamber featured an enormous bed and several sofas where the two women were already entertaining the warriors. They barely glanced at Fiona before returning their attention to more pressing matters—literally. Their eager fingers worked at the warriors’ belt buckles with practiced efficiency.
Fiona recognized the type immediately. Prostitutes. She’d seen their kind back in the Crimson Fang pack, always desperate to please, always available.
She used to judge them harshly for sharing their bodies with countless men, for refusing to wait for their destined mates. Some even rejected their true partners to continue this lifestyle.
Yet here she stood.
In the same room, about to service the same man, trapped in the identical situation she’d once scorned.
Nausea rose in her throat.
"You’ve gone quiet. Last time we met, you couldn’t stop chattering." Allen yanked her down onto his lap, his grip tightening when she tried to escape.
"Relax. You came here willingly, didn’t you? Might as well enjoy ourselves."
Fiona’s gaze darted around the room, but every direction offered the same debauched scene. She couldn’t bear to meet Allen’s eyes either.
"Let’s start with a drink. Help you loosen up." Allen reached for a glass, deliberately pressing his face against her chest as he leaned forward. He inhaled deeply, making no attempt at subtlety.
"Here, drink up..." He lifted the glass toward her.
Fiona desperately wanted to flee, but leaving meant abandoning her father’s revenge. The support would vanish with her.
She had no choice but to drink and pray the alcohol would numb her to what came next.
Before her fingers could close around the glass, Allen’s hand "slipped," sending the liquid cascading down her chest.
"Oops. Clumsy me." His smirk was predatory. "Can’t waste good liquor though."
His tongue darted out, lapping the alcohol from her skin.
"Stop!" Fiona screamed, shoving against him, but something cold snapped around her wrist—a silver bracelet.
"Just a precaution, sweetheart." Allen’s grin widened as he pushed her back against the sofa, forcing her legs apart.
"No!" She fought against him, tried to shift, but the silver burned against her skin, blocking her wolf.
The other women wore identical restraints.
"Your fighting only makes this more exciting." He positioned himself between her thighs, his arousal pressing against her. "You knew what this was when you agreed to come."
"I changed my mind! I don’t want this!" Her screams echoed uselessly in the soundproofed room.
Allen laughed, tearing her shirt with one savage motion, exposing her completely. "Too late for second thoughts, darling."
——
**Phoebe’s POV**
I woke to pain radiating through every muscle, not from passion but from the exhausting ceremony that had left my legs aching and my body feeling beaten.
Rolling over, I reached across the bed but found only cold, empty space. Perry had been gone for hours.
My eyes opened to solitude. I strained to hear sounds from the bathroom, but silence greeted me. He wasn’t anywhere in our chambers.
Through the window, dawn painted the sky in soft orange hues. Far too early for Perry to be awake normally.
I tried dismissing the thought and falling back asleep, but restlessness won. Sliding from bed, I padded to the door.
The morning air bit at my skin as I stepped outside, wrapping my arms around myself. The guards stationed by my door straightened at my approach.
I mouthed my question silently.
*Where is the king?*
"The king?" One warrior asked for clarification.
I nodded.
"His Majesty is at the training grounds. He’s been there for three hours."
My sudden conversation clearly surprised them—I rarely spoke to the guards directly.
*Thank you.*
I shaped the words with my lips before heading toward the training grounds. Why would he spend our first morning as a mated pair sparring instead of with me?
