Alpha's Regret: The Mad King's Precious Breeder

LILLIAN

The dungeon reeks of mold and blood. My wrists burn where the iron shackles bite into my skin, keeping me chained to the cold stone wall. I can barely see in the darkness-just the faint outline of my father as he steps closer, the whip coiled in his hand.

"You brought disgrace to this pack!" His voice echoes off the walls, making me flinch. "Stealing from your own Alpha's son? How dare you!"

The whip cracks through the air before I can respond. White-hot pain explodes across my back, and I bite down on my lip hard enough to taste copper.

"I didn't steal anything," I gasp, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please, Father, you have to believe me-"

Another lash. Another scream I can't hold back.

"Don't lie to me!" he roars. "Hand over what you took, Lillian. Now!"

Tears stream down my face as I shake my head. "There's nothing to hand over. I swear, I didn't-"

The whip comes down again. And again. Each strike feels like it's tearing me apart from the inside out. I try to explain, try to make him understand, but he won't listen. He's never listened to me.

"Father, please..." My voice cracks. "I'm telling the truth..."

But he just keeps hitting me, demanding answers I don't have, accusing me of crimes I didn't commit. Eventually, the pain becomes too much. My vision blurs, my body goes numb, and I let myself collapse against the chains. It's easier to pretend I've passed out than to keep begging someone who will never believe me.

Through my half-closed eyes, I watch my father pause, his chest heaving. He steps closer, studying my limp form. Seemingly satisfied that I'm unconscious, he lets the whip fall to his side.

Footsteps echo from the dungeon entrance. "Frederick!" Dylan's voice calls out. "The Alpha needs you. Now."

My father doesn't even glance back at me as he leaves. The heavy door slams shut, and for a moment, I think I'm alone.

Then I hear lighter footsteps. The rustle of expensive fabric.

"Well, well." Julia's voice drips with venom. "Look at you now."

I keep my eyes closed, my breathing shallow, but she's not fooled. Her fingers dig into my chin, forcing my head up. My eyes flutter open to meet her cold gaze.

"No matter what you say, no one will ever believe you," she sneers, her perfectly manicured nails pressing harder into my skin. "Do you know why? Because you're nothing but a lowly half-blood. A mistake. Did you really think you could get away with causing trouble?"

"I didn't-"

"Shut up." She releases my chin with a shove that makes my head crack against the stone wall. "You're going to stay right here until the Alpha King leaves. And then you're going to march yourself into that arranged marriage like a good little girl. You should be grateful, honestly. This is your only chance to ever marry an Alpha-even if you'll be nothing more than a short-lived breeder." Her lips curl into a cruel smile. "Just like your pathetic mother."

The words hit harder than the whip. My mother. The way Julia says it-like she knows something, like there's a truth they've all been hiding from me about how she really died.

"Please, Julia," I whisper, my voice breaking. "Please don't do this. We have the same father. Doesn't that mean anything?"

Her face twists with rage. "The same father?" She laughs, but there's nothing funny about the sound. "I should have been his firstborn daughter. Not you. Never you!"

Her hand connects with my cheek in a sharp slap that makes my ears ring. Before I can react, she's storming toward the door, her heels clicking against the stone floor.

The door slams shut.

This time, I really do lose consciousness.

***

When I come to, I'm no longer in the dungeon. My eyes open slowly, adjusting to the dim light filtering through a small, grimy window. I'm back in my room-if you can even call it that. It's barely bigger than a closet, tucked away in the Omegas' quarters where no one has to see me or think about me.

I'm still wearing my wet clothes from the river. They cling to my skin, cold and uncomfortable, making me shiver uncontrollably. But that's not why I'm shaking. Heat radiates from my body in waves. I press my hand to my forehead and feel the burning fever beneath my palm.

I stare at the cracked ceiling and realize what day it is. My eighteenth birthday. The day I've been waiting for my entire life-the day I'm supposed to finally transform, to meet my wolf, to become whole.

"Happy birthday to me," I whisper into the emptiness.

My voice sounds pathetic even to my own ears.

Then the pain hits.

It starts deep in my bones-a burning, twisting sensation that makes me cry out. My body convulses as something inside me tries to claw its way to the surface. I roll off the thin mattress and onto the floor, gasping for air.

This is it. My first transformation.

Every nerve ending feels like it's on fire. My bones crack and shift beneath my skin. I bite down on my hand to keep from screaming, tasting blood as my canines lengthen. The agony is unbearable-worse than the whip, worse than anything I've ever felt.

Just when I think I can't take any more, a scent hits me.

Pine and rain and something wild and masculine. It cuts through the pain like a lifeline, pulling at something primal deep in my chest. My wolf recognizes it instantly, even though I don't understand what it means yet.

Mate.

My body moves on instinct. I stumble to my feet, following the scent like I'm being pulled by an invisible thread. I can't stop myself. Don't want to stop myself. The pain of the transformation fades into background noise as I stumble through the darkened hallways.

The scent grows stronger with every step, leading me through the pack house. I know where I'm going before I get there-toward the Alpha's quarters.