Chapter 1 Serve the King

(Carissa)

"You will serve His Majesty tonight."

I stopped recalculating yesterday's royal expenses. Financial reports and funding proposals piled up on the desk. I sorted them by division and stored them in the filing cabinet. My boss would lock it after work.

After turning off the computer, I followed the servant upstairs. I worked on the second floor and lived on the third floor of the palace. It was the floor for royal guests, but I was not a guest.

The servants had laid out clothes on the bed. They helped me take off my clothes and clean my entire body. It was a tradition I had undergone many times before. They dressed me in a nightgown without underwear and covered me with a coat.

"Drink this." The servant gave me a pill.

I took it and put it in my mouth. I didn't know what the medicine was for. The chief maid didn't answer when I asked. I took a glass from her colleague and gulped down the water to help swallow the pill. Then, I opened my mouth to show that I had taken it.

The woman escorted me to the fourth floor. She stopped in front of a pair of doors flanked by two guards. "Your Majesty, I bring you Carissa Moss."

I clenched my fists at the sound of that name. A woman of such low class should not have dared to mention my name without my title. I would teach her a lesson for her insolence.

"Only she may enter," Duncan Bayhill exclaimed from inside.

The two guards opened the door. I entered and waited for them to close it. The three of them stepped away from the front of the room. It was a habit I had memorized. No one was near us when the king summoned me.

A large man sat on the edge of the bed. He was wearing only a cloak and had not tied the belt around his waist. His eyes stared at me without blinking. His aura of leadership was so strong, even though he said nothing. Accustomed to that, I approached him.

"Sit," he ordered.

I obeyed. Duncan never spoke that command. When I stood before him, he would approach me, and everything would be over once he was satisfied. I had to wait for him to wake up to leave the room, because I couldn't do anything without his permission.

"Your husband is dying," the king said.

I furrowed my brow. That wasn't true. I didn't feel anything. If my husband were sick, I would have known. I touched the mark on the curve of my neck. The proof of our union gave no signal about my husband's condition.

"Are you joking, Your Majesty?" I murmured.

"Sleeping with another man for months has destroyed your bond. Your husband can feel you, but you cannot sense him."

"Your Majesty, let me see my husband," I pleaded.

"You can't ask, Issa. You can only obey my orders." The king wrapped his arms around my waist. "Your job right now is to satisfy me."

The man caressed my cheek and turned my face to look at him. He kissed my lips hungrily. My wolf rebelled, but I locked her away deep beneath my consciousness. It was enough that I suffered from the touch of someone who wasn't my mate.

Duncan removed my clothes and laid me on the bed. He caressed my entire body and impatiently joined our bodies together. I felt guilty for enjoying his touch. But it was my body's reaction, not my heart's.

My soul, heart, and mind still belonged to my mate. Only my Alpha filled my head all the time. Nothing could separate us. Not even death. The king was lying. Ethan couldn't be dying.

"You're perfect, Issa. Your presence in this world is only to please me. You should have met me first, not that useless Alpha."

"We are not soulmates, Your Majesty," I argued.

"Oh, really?" Duncan kissed my lips gently.

His hand caressed my thigh, moving up to my waist. His touch sent a thrilling sensation throughout my body. I was too late to hold back the moan that escaped my lips. My heart was pounding. I was sure he heard it.

His sly smile annoyed me, but his kisses and caresses calmed my anger. Why was my body betraying my mind? I could resist other men's advances. Why couldn't I resist Duncan? Was it because he was a king?

"You rejected me repeatedly. It only took me one day to tame you. Our relationship is far more intense than the years I spent with my mate," Duncan whispered in my ear. "I've always wanted you."

"I'm only a servant, ready to serve whenever Your Majesty desires," I said obediently.

"Good." His kisses grew more intense.

Duncan took me for the second time. He treated me more gently and patiently than the first one. I obeyed his every command, including shouting his name when I reached my peak.

The king lay beside me and pulled me to sleep on his chest. His hand caressed my long hair, lulling me to sleep. My eyes burned, but I held back my tears. I had to endure for the sake of my life and my husband.

A delicious aroma entered my nostrils, forcing me to open my eyes. Just inhaling the scent made my stomach growl. I lifted my head and searched for the source of the pleasant smell.

"Are you awake?" the king asked. He was sitting on a couch near the window. Food filled the table in front of him.

"I am," I replied.

"Come here. You must be hungry," he said.

I sat down. Realizing I wasn't wearing anything, I looked for my coat. Seeing it on the nightstand, I picked it up. After putting it on, I approached the king. Duncan patted his thigh as I walked toward the sofa across from him.

"Sit here," he ordered when I just stood still.

"Okay." I approached and sat on his lap. After I sat down, he gave me a piece of grilled chicken. "Thank you."

I ate heartily. Even though I didn't like serving the king, at least I could eat well when I was with him. The servants in the palace let me go hungry. I didn't complain because I knew it was the queen's orders.

I didn't know what had happened to cause the king and queen's relationship to become cold. It had been that way since I arrived at the palace. The servants didn't gossip about their relationship. So, I had no idea what was going on.

"Come with me." The Lycan King put his hand on my waist, helping me stand up. He took my hand. "The room must be tidy when I return."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the servants replied obediently.

Those who were tidying up the table paused for a moment. The maids bowed their heads and curtsied as we passed. None of them could resist Duncan's extraordinary aura. Therefore, the people who served him were senior servants.

Strange. Why did the king wake up in the middle of the night to eat? He used to sleep soundly until morning, no matter how long we had intercourse. Impossible. Was he going to ask me to serve him all night?

I frowned as we reached the ground floor. The king left the palace and approached a car. I sat in the back seat reluctantly because I wasn't wearing any underwear. Where was he taking me?

*Author's Note*

Hi! Thank you for choosing my book and read it. I hope you enjoy Carissa and Duncan's love story. Let's start the long journey!