Chapter 2

Leah

“Wait here,” I say to Gayton when the cab drops us off in front of the castle gates. “Take care of your brothers.”

The guard at the gates gives me an amused look. “Breeder, are you? Those your kids?”

“Do I look old enough to have a twelve-year-old?”

It’s a sincere question, but the guard laughs uproariously.

“They’re my brothers,” I say when the guard starts to wipe the tears from his eyes.

“I know, lass, I was joking with you. Do you have a formal invitation?”

I reach into my backpack, pull out the blue envelope with the king’s seal on it, and hand it to the guard.

After six months of squirreling away every last cent and taking on two more jobs, I finally had enough money for four bus tickets.

I couldn’t bring myself to leave my brothers with my father. He would have destroyed them while I was gone. I couldn’t risk it.

He won’t start looking for us for a while. I left enough money for a few weeks’ supply of alcohol, and I paid up the rent for the month. I worked my fingers to the bone to get the cash together, but if the king accepts me as his breeder and agrees to my terms, it would have been worth every agonising, sleepless minute.

“This looks in order,” the guard says and hands the envelope back to me. “Your brothers can stay here with me. I’ll after ‘em for you.”

I’m floored by his kindness. I haven’t experienced anything like it for quite some time. “Thank you,” I say with real warmth.

“Aye. Dustin will take you up to the castle. Most of the other candidates are here already.”

Other candidates? When I received the invitation, I thought the job was mine.

I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. Lothaire is the Lycan King. The last of the Lycan Kings. He has his pick of the litter. Of course he wasn’t going to choose the first breeder that came his way.

My stomach flips over. What if he doesn’t pick me? I do not have enough money to get us back home. Hell, I don’t even have enough money for a taxi to take us back into town.

I’ll just have to figure it out when the time comes. We can cut through the woods, walk back into town. It will take us a day or so, but it won’t kill us.

A golf cart pulls up to the heavy, wrought iron gates. The guard sticks his finger in the air and makes a circle. The gates soundlessly swing open, and the man I assume is Dustin motions to me to get into the cart.

The ride up to the front door is quiet and uncomfortable. Dustin has a sour expression on his face, and he keeps throwing disgusted glances my way.

He’s clearly not impressed with me.

With the last bit of money I had left, I went to the thrift store and bought an old-fashioned, but still in a good condition, outfit for my meeting with the king.

A simple pencil skirt that goes down to my knees and a red blouse with a ruffled neckline and a bow. I know it looks frumpy, but it’s clean and whole.

Breeders aren’t always the richest girls in the world. Quite often, they’re from the poorest families. If they had money, they wouldn’t have to sell themselves like brood mares.

The ancient castle looms overhead. It’s massive. The impressive structure is bigger than my whole town.

Built with grey, hand-carved bricks, patches of moss had taken over in places and ivy climbs up the walls, reaching all the way to the towers. The sloping emerald lawns are flawless and look velvety soft. Numerous gravel paths branch off in every direction.

“Get out,” Dustin gruffly commands as we pull up to the steps leading to the massive front doors.

On shaky legs, I ascend the stairs, counting thirty steps before I stand in front of the entrance.

I take a moment to admire the carving in the door. A wolf on his hind legs, howling at a full moon. Meticulously carved to include even the smallest detail.

I’m about to lift the heavy brass knocker when the oak door swings open, breaking the wolf neatly in half. A man dressed in a black suit and white shirt looks me up and down with the same disapproving scowl that Dustin had. “You are?” he asks in a lofty voice

“I- I’m Leah Davenport,” I quickly answer. “I have-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the man says. “Another breeder? You could have dressed better. This is the king you know, not some country Alpha.”

Wow. Rude. “It’s the best I have.”

“Very well,” the man says. “I’m Rupert. The butler. Don’t bother remembering my name. I doubt you’ll stay here long.”

I’d be offended, but I’m inclined to agree with him.

“Come on then, girl.”

I follow the butler inside, my mouth nearly dropping open when I see the massive entrance hall. It’s dark inside, but lit in such a way that all the spectacular artworks are highlighted.

Along the walls, to the left and right, coats of armour stand sentry over the castle and its inhabitants.

It’s like stepping into a fairy tale.

“Hurry up,” Rupert says curtly.

I have to run to keep up with the butler who takes me through a maze of corridors and hallways. Soon, I’m hopelessly lost.

I’ll never find my way out of here on my own.

Everything is suddenly very, very real. Too real.

My heart starts hammering in my throat, and tears spring to my eyes. What have I gotten myself into?

Ten minutes later, Rupert comes to an abrupt halt, and I walk right into him, banging my nose hard against his firm back.

The butler looks over his left shoulder at me. “Look where you’re going.”

“Sorry,” I mutter.

He growls softly and opens a door marked, 'Office.'

The waiting room is teeming with girls. I count thirty before I give up. Most of them are beautiful and well dressed. They’ve clearly had their hair and make-up done by professionals, and are sitting around looking smug.

I see three girls who are like me. They’re trying to make themselves small and invisible. Hiding in the corners and the shadows.

The waiting room is huge, but there are no chairs. The girls are standing around on a plush, blue carpet in their designer heels. As I watch, a door on the far side opens and gorgeous raven-haired beauty flees from the room. “Aw, not good enough?” one of the girls says and sniggers.

“What made you think a king would want you mangy mutt,” another jokes. “Get yourself a nice Beta. Maybe he’ll want you.”

What is this? High school mean girls at werewolf camp?

The rejected girl yanks a tissue out of her purse and runs from the room while dabbing at her eyes.

“You girl,” a woman says to my right. “What’s your name?”

I inhale deeply and turn my head to the right. I look into the eyes of the king’s secretary sitting behind her desk against the wall. She’s a stern-looking woman. Slightly terrifying. Her greying hair is pulled back in a severe bun, and her lips are set in a thin line of disapproval.

“Leah-” I start.

“Hang on,” she says and stands up. “Jessica Jones,” she announces loudly. “The king will see you now.”

The blonde that mocked the dark-haired girl slings her purse over her arm and starts to walk in the direction of the office. “All of you might as well go home,” she announces smugly. “He’ll pick me.”

The receptionist sits back down and gives me an appraising look. “Ugh. Another peasant?”

The more time goes by, and the more these people speak, the more I hope and pray the king doesn’t pick me. There are hundreds of Alphas out there that will pay good money for a solid breeder. Maybe I should just leave.

‘Think of the boys,’ I remind myself. ‘You have to get this job.’

“Name?” the secretary asks again.

“Leah. Leah Davenport.”

“You can call me Miss Lucinda.” She pulls a tablet closer and opens a file. A deep frown edges between her eyes as she slides them down the screen. “I don’t see….Oh. Here you are. Dead last.”

That can’t be good.

“Probably put in as an afterthought to show the plebs that everyone’s getting an equal chance, hey?”

“I- I am an Alpha’s daughter.”

“Pfft,” she scoffs loudly. “Who here isn’t?” She takes in my clothes and overall appearance. “Can’t be a successful Alpha.”

Well, she has me there.

“Medical records?” Lucinda asks.

I reach into my battered pack and pull out the clean, new manila envelope. I haven’t looked at the records since they showed up at my house, I just transferred them over to a new envelope.

She yanks the envelope from my hand, leaving behind a nice little paper cut. “I’ll call your name when the king is ready to see you,” she announces and gestures to the waiting room.

Sucking on my bleeding finger, I find an empty spot against the wall and watch as the receptionist knocks on the door on the far side of the room.

Before she can enter, the door flies open and Jessica storms out. Her blonde hair flying in every direction, as she stares daggers at us. “I thought I told you to leave!” she snaps.

The king sure is picky.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable and completely out of place, I lean against the wall and stare at the scuffed toes of my black shoes. It’s the best pair of shoes I own. After buying the bus tickets and the second hand clothes, I didn’t have enough money left over for a new pair of shoes.

At least no one can see my underwear. It’s at least as old as my shoes. My beige bra is stretched out and has a big hole in the left cup. The grey panties used to be black, and the elastic is coming apart.

The blonde, Jessica, turns on me. “What are you looking at peasant?”

“A reject,” I answer without missing a beat.

I’m used to bullies and my father’s vicious insults. Besides, rich or not, Jessica and I are at least the same rank. She doesn’t intimidate me at all.

“Fuck you, you filthy mongrel. He’ll reject you too.”

“Oh, I hope he does.”

“You,” a cold, low voice says from the open office door.