Unwanted Girl For The Rogue King

Isolde.

The rule was simple: follow the instructions of the male you are assigned to, or face consequences.

The keeper's instructions rang in Isolde's mind as she stood before the crowd of males that had entered the establishment. Males who carried an air of danger. The whispers from other attendants, the females trained by the keeper, were that these males arrived from the North, which meant the men were from Bloomington, a land with a fearsome reputation.

Rogue lycans and other beings occupied Bloomington, and from the looks of it, the men in the tavern were formidable.

They called out with enthusiasm, raising their tankards together as they drank and made offers for the attendants lined up on the stage. Isolde clasped her hands together just like the others, reciting the keeper's instructions all over again in her mind.

"Thirty gold coins for the redhead," Another of the males rose and made an offer. Of course, no one surpassed him. And as he demanded, the male took the redhead, Rinna. Isolde recognized her from their training.

Rinna trembled and walked ahead to meet the male who had paid for her company. The shaking of her body was a clear sign of her fear. Isolde winced when she saw the male grasp Rinna firmly. A sound of satisfaction escaped his lips.

His companions encouraged him when he took hold of Rinna's hair, angling her head. With a low sound, he pressed his lips to hers in a firm kiss. Rinna could hardly keep her composure.

Isolde heard Rinna's sounds of discomfort and shuddered. That was what they'd been enduring for ages now. Discomfort in the hands of men who viewed them as lesser beings. When Rinna was led away by the male into one of the rooms in the inn, Isolde's eyes watered.

The offers continued with loud laughter drowning out the music sung by the group of singers in the corner. The keeper stood by, calling out the prices as if all the attendants were items to trade.

"A hundred pieces of gold for the raven-haired,"

Isolde's heart raced when she heard the man in a black robe make an offer for her. A hundred pieces of gold were an immense sum! How could someone pay such an amount just for companionship?

When the man stood, Isolde gave him a quick look, and right then she knew this man was dangerous. The kind of danger she needed to avoid. His dark eyes met hers, and she shrank under his intense gaze. He gave her a look that made her skin prickle.

Isolde felt her heart pounding with beads of sweat coating her skin.

"Lord Draken, you've made an offer for a most special attendant," The keeper said with a pleased grin on her face. She ran her eyes over Isolde and nodded her head. "Go, Isolde, attend to the Lord."

Isolde moved on trembling legs until she stood before the lord. He carried a severe scent, and it unsettled her. Even though her instincts screamed to escape, Isolde didn't know how to accomplish that with all these males here, seemingly surrounding the lord.

While her heart quivered, Isolde still complied, letting the lord touch her skin, run his hand down the nape of her neck, and over to her navel.

"You have such a pleasant form," The lord said, his strong breath wafting over her face. "And it shall please me to have such a pleasant form beside me tonight,"

Lord Draken placed his hand on her arm and, without delay, he led her along the hall to the inn while his men called out and clapped.

Shallow breaths made it out of her mouth as the lord led her through the hall of the inn. Their footsteps sounded over the floor. Isolde shuddered at the sounds of other attendants seeping out of the rooms they were in.

She made a sound as she stumbled over the wooden floor when Lord Draken directed her into the room.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The floorboard creaked under his weight while he pinned his dark eyes on Isolde. Eyes full of intensity.

"Master..." She kneeled before him, lowering her head. That was how the keeper instructed them to acknowledge their patron.

"You've been taught well. So vulnerable, just the way I prefer." He stepped into her space and took her chin, lifting Isolde's head. His thumb brushed over her lips, and a smirk curled his. "Let's see what this night can achieve. If you attend to me well, I shall double the keeper's pay,"

She nodded, letting him believe he'd have her cooperation. Isolde's mind raced as she thought of the easiest way to avoid this situation.

In the depths of her mind, Isolde knew there was no avoiding the discomfort as long as she was in this place. Hence, her only chance at avoiding it was to flee. To escape the walls of Kalingrad.

At that moment, a thought came to her. Maybe it might not be the best, but she was willing to try. After serving for years as an attendant in Kalingrad, it was time Isolde made her escape.

"Rise," Lord Draken ordered, and with resolve, she stood. She was half his height, and yet Isolde was willing to defy the lord if she had to.

He took a look at her features and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers as he touched her form firmly. Isolde complied, letting the lord dominate the kiss while she skimmed her hand down his waist.

Her fingers ran over the sheath fastened around his waist, and cautiously, she pulled out the lord's blade.

Lord Draken, distracted, noticed a second too late as Isolde pressed the blade against his side.

"You!" He roared, stumbling on his feet as liquid seeped from the wound. A sound filled his mouth while Isolde watched the act she had committed, moisture coating her palms.

Attendants were not allowed to cause harm, but she had caused her patron discomfort, and if his men were to come alongside the keeper, Isolde's safety would be in danger.

"Agholf! Warren!!" Lord Draken roared, staggering toward her.

He was calling on his men, Isolde realized. She quickly snapped out of her daze, only to see Lord Draken trying to grab her.

Without wasting a minute, Isolde pressed the blade against his hand. She bolted for the window while the lord roared in discomfort, shouting after her.

Stepping over the ledge, Isolde jumped down a second before Lord Draken's men entered the room.

"My lord..." The men stuttered at the sight of Draken. The keeper rushed in, gasping when she saw the injured lord.

"Heavens, my lord..." She quivered as Lord Draken turned on her.

"You led me to believe she'd give me the most pleasure! Is this it? Your twisted form of pleasure? A blade to my side and hand!?" He roared and pushed the keeper away.

The woman stumbled to the floor, moving away as she pleaded.

It was a huge blow to the lord's pride that he was overcome by a mere female, and he swore not to let Isolde escape from his grasp.

Turning to his men with fire burning in his eyes, he declared, "Go find her!"

"Yes, my lord," The men nodded in unison and fled out of the inn to search for Isolde.

Isolde raced through the woods after causing the guard at the gate of Kalingrad enough of a distraction to slow him. This was the first time she had made it out of Kalingrad in over ten years. The first time, she wasn't being controlled by the keeper or a patron.

Right now, she'd be dismayed if she ever let the keeper catch her. Knowing the lord would send his men after her, Isolde moved as fast as she could through the dark woods, searching for the safest place to hide. Her bare feet brushed through the underbrush, twigs pressing into the soles of her feet.

She made a sound but cupped her hands over her mouth when she heard the men racing after her.

They were following her trail. Isolde had heard the stories about the sharp senses of beings from the North from the other attendants, and to mask that, she turned and plucked the banehush leaves beside her.

Crushing the leaves together in her palms, she rubbed them on her skin. Taking refuge behind a boulder, she watched as Draken's men walked past her.

With the men gone, Isolde went north, trudging and covering her trail as much as she could. The humid air in the woods clung to her skin. She held on, seeking shelter. She was hoping to arrive in a village, but unfortunately, Isolde found herself edging toward a lake.

Her feet drew to a sharp halt as she stared long and hard at the water. She barely knew how to swim. She contemplated heading south, but the footfalls echoing behind her informed her of the men chasing after her.

"I've found her trail!" One of the men's voices roared. Upon hearing that, Isolde lunged for the lake.

Without a second thought, she dove into it and began swimming, sinking deep into the water just as the men emerged.

Their eyes scanned the area for Isolde, but they couldn't find her. Isolde, with effort, reemerged onto the surface, coughing as she waded through the water as much as she could.

"There!!! She's in the lake!" Warren called out, pointing in Isolde's direction.

They should have gone after her and swum until they caught her, but unfortunately, Isolde had swum into their enemy's territory.

The territory of Alpha Draco, the rogue lord of Abbator.

Isolde.

Isolde coughed ceaselessly when she finally made it to the bank on the northern side. She felt cold, her body shivering as water dripped from her hair onto her skin in a stream.

A glance back informed her that the men weren't coming after her. That was enough to give her respite, but when she turned to the vast dark forest before her, a trickle of dread raced down her belly.

Where was she?

Gathering her waning strength, Isolde began penetrating the dense forest. Heavy breaths escaped her as she navigated the thick thicket, her wide eyes circling the whole place.

Isolde made a sound as a net made of sturdy ropes and cords ensnared her, pulling her up from the ground. She didn't notice the poachers' trap on time and stepped into it, triggering the mechanism.

She let out another cry, struggling to free herself from the trap. The net was so tight that she practically curled in on herself.

Amid her struggles, Isolde heard the incoming footfalls and braced herself. Five men emerged, their laughter chilling her spine.

"It took us nine days to convince your human master to release you to us, and now you think you could run?" One of the men blurted and joined another's laughter.

Human? No, she wasn't human. She was a lycan, although nobody knew that truth except her family. They made her vow to hide the truth about herself all the years she spent in Brindlemark before the keeper, and her men came and took her.

Well, Isolde willingly followed them when the keeper's men confronted her father because of his debts. That was how she found herself in Kalingrad.

"I told ya, the trap would be the easiest way to find her, right, boss?" Another of the males intoned, feeling smug.

"Right, right, Erimont," the 'boss' hummed, inching close to Isolde. "We should get her back before Alfos arrives."

They loosened the sturdy ropes of the net, and Isolde crumpled on the floor, the leaves sticking to her damp body.

"I'm not who you think I am," she said.

The men froze when they saw her, trading surprised glances.

"Boss, it's not the girl," Erimont complained.

The boss glared at Isolde and, crouching down, he took her damp hair, demanding, "Who are you?"

"I was just..." She began, but the boss halted her words.

"Forget it. We'll take her. We can't stand to lose two hundred pieces of gold coin now."

"You're right, boss," the others concurred. One threw Isolde over his shoulder and began to take her away, even while she voiced her objections and pushed against him.

Was staying in Kalingrad better than this unknown fate that awaited her? The thought flashed through Isolde's mind.

It took a long hour of walking through the dense woods before they arrived at the nondescript hovel in the middle of nowhere.

The man carrying her set her on the floor, hissing, "You're solid!" He groaned as he rolled his shoulder to ease the knotted muscles.

Isolde glared at him, gritting her teeth. She figured out when her eyes scanned the hovel that there were other females there.

Isolde's eyes turned wide. Ten females! What were these men doing with so many females?

"Here, take this piece of clothing and cover yourself."

Isolde gingerly fit into a worn tunic he threw at her and curled back on the floor.

A while later, the 'boss' rushed into the hovel, panting.

"Alfos is here. I want you all to behave yourselves. We have to get our payment and leave, but if you threaten to mess things up, I'll deal with you once Alfos leaves, get that?" The harshness of his voice had Isolde shuddering.

"Yes, master," the females chorused.

Shortly after, a large man with long raven hair and wearing a long black coat stood at the door of the hovel, his aqua blue eyes inspecting the females. When he moved into the hovel, clasping his hand behind his back, Isolde's heart sank.

Oh, well, not just her. The other females as well.

"Just eleven?" The man's voice was cool, just like his face. Spine-curdling kind of cool, and Isolde dreaded it.

"Ah, yes, sire. But, of course, my men and I will still journey back to the human world to find more females," the 'boss' explained.

Alfos exhaled, pursing his lips. "Very well then, bring them."

As soon as the man walked away, the 'boss' and his men came pulling the females up and guiding them outside. A wagon awaited them. Firmly, they helped all the females into the wagon.

Isolde was practically shivering. She ran into a difficult situation in her bid to escape another. Her eyes scanned the females as they contained their fear.

"We're all going to be in a difficult situation," the girl beside her hummed, licking her parched lip.

"How do you know that?" Isolde blurted, managing to hold herself from becoming upset.

"We're headed to Abbator in Bloomington, the land where females are sought for companionship and family," the girl answered.

"Family?" Sure, Isolde didn't understand that.

"Yes. From what I heard, Bloomington lacked female inhabitants. They need females who would help continue their lineage. But not just to the people..."

"The lord as well," another chimed in, interrupting the girl beside Isolde. Isolde's eyes turned to the girl as she added. "The lord of Abbator."

Dread, it was all Isolde felt. A lord with a difficult fate? She'd only read of such in stories.

"We'll be given cards. One red. One green," the second female continued. "If fate smiles on you and you pick the green, then you'll be a companion for the people. You'll join families for males who desire it. But if you pick red, you'll...be the lord's companion..."

The girl didn't finish her sentence. Something was left unsaid, and Isolde wanted to know what that was.

"And what happens to the female?" She summoned the courage to ask.

The second girl roamed her eyes around in fear before it glided back to Isolde. "You might end up in a very difficult situation."

Isolde's breath seized. For the first time in her life, she said a prayer to whatever being watched over her to protect her.

There was the green card; she'd ensure to pick it up while she planned her way out of Abbator.

*

*

*

Dawn had crested over the sky by the time they made it to Abbator. The place was filled with thousands of males, confirming the girls' words.

Isolde never saw a woman, and she wondered why.

They approached the gates of the castle, and the wagon rolled past. However, they paused just after the entrance. Two sentinels approached them, guiding them down.

"Bring the cards, Ogibly," Alfos said as he walked toward the females, pausing before them.

The sentinel dispersed but returned in a short while with a bowl of cards. In the queue, the females trudged ahead, picking.

Smiles clouded the faces of those who had picked. Isolde knew already that it must be the green card. It gave her hope.

When it reached her turn, Isolde hummed a short prayer and picked. She stepped aside and turned the card. A gasp slipped out of her mouth at the color staring back at her.

It was red.

It cannot be, she chanted inwardly, waiting for the color to change back, but it never worked. Red stared back at her.

"Now that you've all picked. It is time you began your role. Welcome to Abbator," Alfos said, of course, to the others. To Isolde, he approached her with a serious look and ordered, "Follow me."

Her legs trembled when she rose to her feet again. She felt the rapid tempo of her heart as they ventured into the tower.

The moment Isolde walked in, the distressed sound of a female and the low sound of a male echoed across the tower.

All the males remained impassive while tension filled the tower.

That was when Isolde knew it must be the lord.

She felt someone take her wrist and tug her firmly. Turning, Isolde noticed it was Alfos.

"Do not linger! Follow me!"

At those words, he pulled her along. After a long walk up the stairs, they made it to a room. Alfos opened the lock, the door swinging open.

"In," He ordered, and Isolde slipped into the room. Before she could blink another moment, Alfos closed the door shut.

She turned in panic and rushed to the door, calling out. "Please, don't lock me in!"

Her cries rang through the hall, but Alfos never turned back. She knew then that he had sealed her fate.

The sound of movement echoed in the room, and in place of a beast, now stood a man, Draco.

He grunted at the sight of the room. Lying still was another of the females. She was unmoving.

Draco moved aside to the window, watching the black sky as his sentinels entered, carrying the lifeless form away. Draco's spirit was restless.

After the sentinels carried the form away, Draco helped himself with a bath. His mind was saturated with thoughts until he felt his beta's presence.

"It wasn't a success," Alfos intoned, not needing to ask what had occurred as he walked into the bathhouse.

"Were you expecting anything different?" Draco's tone was sharp as it cut through the air.

"We all do, Dracolian Abistroghato Throne. Always," Alfos said with conviction, and that troubled Draco. In the bid to get away from his beta, he slipped out of the steamy water, bare.

On his way out of the large bathhouse, he grabbed his robe and tied it around his waist, striding out.

Draco had only walked twenty steps away from the royal bathhouse when Alfos walked out and called.

"You've got a new companion!"

Draco muttered under his breath. A new companion meant another difficult situation. In a state of agitation, he paused and turned to his beta.

"I do not want any more females! No more companions!" He said, his voice vibrating.

"Dracolian, you do not have an option! Do not act as you do!" Alfos said firmly, wanting his words to sink into the king's mind. The mind that had for years been altered.

"Taking her means another attempt," Draco hummed, his shoulders deflated. For all he could remember, he had joined with nine female humans just to father a child, which, according to an advisor, might break the cycle, but nothing was working.

All of those females ended up lost. None lived to tell the tale of what they witnessed.

"If that's what you'll do to help our people, then you must..." Alfos insisted.

Draco shook his head. He wished Alfos understood his distress. Hell, no one in Abbator would understand what it means to suffer such a fate.

"I can't continue. After the nine lost companions, it's obvious I cannot manage this. I do not wish to continue that pattern..." He gritted out and whirled back around to continue his walk to his chambers.

"Then what about our purpose?" Alfos' words halted Draco in his tracks. His body visibly started to shake. As always, the thought of the purpose always sent him on edge.

Alfos moved closer to him, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Would you want the other clan to take what's yours--- ours, forever?"

Draco's throat worked as he dimmed his eyes. So many things flashed through his mind. The deadline. He lost his position. His heritage and the lives of his people.

"Alfos..." He murmured, feeling helpless. Alfos knew he had spoken to Draco's soul, and at that, he added.

"Five feet tall, raven hair, olive skin. Round, sparkling blue eyes. That is the description of your new companion."

Alfos could very much refer to her as his new charge. The word companion made it sound mild.

"Fine." He continued walking, moving past the sentinels and male servants that filled the tower. "What if she's not suited to be my companion?"

"The elder's assessment will confirm that, but until then, you need to see her," Alfos hurriedly said, trying to convince the alpha lord.

"I do not wish to see her. Until the assessment, I don't want the sight of her around the castle,"

It was a command, one that Alfos knew not to disobey. He watched the lord's frame disappear from the corner.

Draco hastened his movement, moving past his men. The urge to get away from it all brimmed in his mind. In record time, he entered his chamber, closing the door shut. He exhaled a long breath, recounting how the night went awry with his last female companion.

"Lord alpha..."

The voice lured him from his deepest thoughts, and Draco looked up. On his bed rested his male Attendants. Like the attendants in other places, the attendants in Bloomington were males trained to provide companionship in Bloomington.

Of course, the alpha lord's Attendants were carefully selected.

The two Attendants had minimal clothing on. One moved closer with the intent to assist the lord, but he stopped him midway.

"You're all dismissed, Micah. Jed." Draco ordered in a firm voice that left no room for argument.

"Yes, my lord," Both Attendants chorused and gingerly exited the room.

With them gone, the lord ran his hand through his hair, a tired sigh escaping his lips. He walked into his balcony, needing some respite that only the fresh air could provide.

He stood on the balcony, overlooking his domain, Abbator, as males moved by. Just when he decided to rest his elbows on the parapet, he heard a loud sound coming from the room above.

The sound was like something breaking.

*

*

Isolde.

Dread was all Isolde felt when Alfos closed her in. It crawled around the depth of her gut as she faced the room. The brick walls were dark. The bed in the corner was larger than the one she had in Kalingrad, but none of that mattered to her.

At the moment, Isolde needed to find a way to escape this place. She moved around the room, searching.

Holding the candle, she went to the chest and pulled it open, darting her eyes around for any key.

Her father was skilled with locks, so she could potentially open the lock and flee, but she found nothing.

Frustrated, she thought of another plan. Escape through the window. It didn't matter if she was in a tower. With the energy pumping through her veins, she could navigate whatever ledge, no matter how narrow it was.

The window had metal bars, and she needed to loosen them. Fortunately, Isolde found a stone resting beside the chest. She took hold of it and began to strike firmly against the metal bars. The need to escape filled her muscles with strength.

Isolde held on, striking while keeping her ears out for any of the sentinels that might come to stop her.

Eventually, the metal bars that clung to the concrete tenaciously gave way.

Isolde pulled back and exhaled, wiping the dots of sweat on her face as she dropped the stone.

Taking one last breath, she climbed onto the bed, holding onto the wall. The moment her head propped out, she studied the height.

She was a hundred and fifty feet off the ground. A small gasp of dread shot through her; however, the ledge and trellis gave Isolde a little hope.

Oh, there was a balcony beneath her. If she carefully followed the trellis, she'd land on the balcony and escape from there.

Happy with that conclusion, Isolde began her escape. She grunted as sweat layered her face, regardless of the cool air, dripping into her eyes while she climbed. Her feet and hands latched successfully on the ledge.

In time, she slipped onto the trellis and climbed through it until her hand latched onto the balcony's parapet.

A song of victory nearly made it out of her mouth, but she held it in. It was too early to rejoice.

After discarding the thoughts, she climbed over the parapet and landed on the balcony. A wince left her on reflex. Rubbing her forehead, she rose to her feet to continue moving.

Two steps into the balcony, Isolde froze.

There was a figure in the dark. A man and only his Iridescent eyes shone. He had shoulder-length hair and scruff and was as tall as a tree.

Oh, no. Had she walked into a formidable being? The thought came, but Isolde dismissed it fast.

With a pounding heart, she turned, shaking as she tried to flee. Maybe jump over the parapet...

And risk great harm? A voice spoke in her mind.

Yes, that risk was better than standing before a formidable being!

Just as she perched her hand over the rail, a deep, firm voice sounded.

"Stop."

Was there command laced in his voice because it had Isolde freezing on the spot?

The dark figure shifted a bit, coming under the burning torch on the balcony, revealing his face.

Isolde's breathing stopped the moment she set her eyes on him. Sharp chiselled jaw and black tousled hair revealed under the light. His eyes still glowed like embers burning on the horizon. But what caught Isolde's focus was the noticeable mark that ran from his brow down to his cheek.

"Is that you?" The male's voice sounded as his eyes took her in with intensity.