Chapter 3 Little Penny

• | • Penelope’s POV
• Glad there was no one around to hear the words I had just uttered from my lips.
• A slave? Much less to the enemy who had pointed a sword to my neck?
• And my answer? I couldn’t care less.
• Even if it means earning a scowl for my father, who had loved me a little too much all these, I didn’t mind. He would come to realize later that this was the reward I was giving him—for taking care of my life.
• An Alpha’s daughter submitting herself—not as a wife, but a slave—to the king of all living thing in Lycos.
• I was intimidated. I felt myself crumbling like wet sand, no matter how hard I tried to hold his gaze. It was as though he could see every corner of my soul through those bottomless golden eyes, that looked like molten lava.
• It made my skin crawl to the point I tasted bile in my throat.
• But I bit down on my tongue, restraining myself from doing something foolish—because the power this man held made the lords of the Dukedom look like playacting boys.
• “A slave?” He repeated, voice laced with mockery before laughing—cold and amused. “Gideon, can you hear this little girl? She wants to be my slave.”
• Their laughter stung worse than the words. It chipped at me, hard enough to make my eyes burn.
• I had mustered all this courage. Was it all going to be for nau—
• “Tell me, Penelope Ernaut. What exactly can you offer me as my slave?”
• I choked on my own saliva as his voice breathed coldly into my ears, that’s when I realized—he had closed the space between us.
• My heart hammered against my ribs. I tried not to look scared, but judging from the way his lips curled into a loathing smirk, I knew he had caught that whiff of fear.
• ‘He could kill you with one breath, Penny.’ My wolf whispered, as if she were afraid the Lycan King could hear her.
• I ignored her. How could I nudge her into silence when a bigger predator was already hanging my neck on a stake?
• I forced a slow breath, searching for the words—and when they finally came to me, my eyes gleamed. I parted my lips and spoke.
• “I will serve your PERSONALLY.” I enunciated every letter, delivering my intentions right where I wanted.
• There was a spark in his eyes, and I knew I had struck a nerve, but then his smirk widened—just as it dropped.
• He was planning something. That alone made me frown.
• Did I perharps say the wrong thing.
• “PENELOPE ERNAUT!” my father roared and I jerked my head toward him in surprise. He had never called me out like that before.
• “What in the madness do you think you are doing?! If you refused to save yourself by fleeing, why throw yourself into death’s arm?!”
• His voice boomed with fury, but beneath I could feel the tremors of hurt in his voice.
• He tried to sound stern, to look intimidating—but his soft, watery eyes gave him away. He couldn’t understand that I would never allow him to leave me again in this life.
• My eyes hardened. It took only a mere moment to drag the tip of a soldier’s sword to my own neck. Blood trickled down as I stared resolutely at my father.
• “Do you prefer I die right now?” I asked coldly.
• He struggled against his constraint, fear burning in his eyes as he stared at the thin trail of blood.
• “Because it’s either my life—or your decision to allow me do whatever I choose. Your choice father.”
• My voice was devoid of want. Heavy and cold. Equal in weight to the silence that followed after.
• He stared at me in disbelief. I tightened my grip on the blade, ignoring the burning sting trailing down my spine.
• “You—” His voice broke with emotion before he closed his eyes and turned away. “Since you are hell-bent on dying, then go ahead and do what you want. If you won’t die now, then you would definitely die later.”
• He returned equal fervor as if he was cutting ties with me, and as if to prove that he was, he added:
• “From this moment on, you are not my daughter.”
• My eyes widened. I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces, but apart from hurt and pain, all I felt was relief.
• My eyes softened and a smile curved at the corner of my lips.
• “Then so be it,” I murmured, “I am glad I was your daughter—even for a time, Duke Ernaut.”
• He didnt’ even look at me as if shutting me out completely.
• I turned my gaze to the man of the moment—the King which I loathed. That took everything away from me, because he lacked a proper investigation.
• He stared back at me, confused at first, then parted his lips and spoke with firm authority. “You are willing to give up all this and become a petty slave?”
• I scoffed, “What is a title, riches and luxury—when we all die?”
• He clicked his tongue and stared at me, long and hard, all of a sudden the friction between us became tense, and I found myself trembling under his cold, unreadable gaze.
• What was he thinking? Was he finally going to stop all this small talk and give us all a swift death? Did everything i said fail to move him?
• Ba-thump.
• My heart pounded violently.
• “Your Majesty—”
• “Halt, Gideon,” He ordered, voice thick and raspy, his eyes dragged from my face down to my cleavage. My face burned and I really wanted to shrink back but I bit down on my lower lip and held my ground.
• This was the only way to survive.
• “But my king—”
• “We shall take her in as a slave.”
• His voice rang out, loud and thunderous befitting the king he was. “From this day forth, Penelope Ernaut belongs to me—the King. And since I am a merciful king, her family shall be spared—but will be monitored strictly.”
• Wolves bowed to his command.
• While my head remained bowed, but I could not stop the immense joy rising in my heart. A victorious smile curled at my lips as I breathed heavily.
• My family was saved!
• “But my king, she is a stain to your throne.”
• “Please rethink your decision, Your Majesty.”
• My eyes widened as the objections rang out one by one. What was so wrong with having a slave—especially one of noble blood?
• I waited silently for the King’s final decision.
• “Your Majesty—”
• “One more word from the lot of you,” he growled, “and I shall rethink the heads that connects to your bodies.”
• The whole place went silent. The servants whimpered, sweat trickling down their brows.
• “And you...” His voice softened. I looked up, startled, meeting his gaze. “Your wish has been granted...” I sighed in relief, but then he dropped the bomb on me, “You will earn it.”
• I blinked.
• Earn what?
• “Take her,” he ordered Gideon, without giving me a chance to say even a word of agreement.
• Gideon seized my arm and slapped a thick silver chain around my wrist, I hisssed at the pain but didn’t falter. I kept my eyes on the king.
• Then his words slithered out like a drug, “We are going to have lots of fun, little penny.”