Bloodbound to the Beastly King

It was so fucking crowded.

That was the first thing Elara noticed, and the second… it was so hot.

Elara clenched her jaw. She wouldn't be in such a mess if it weren't for Irene. That miserable leech. Her father had made her leave the palace. Her? The general. It was humiliating.

And Thorne? He had given her a place to stay for the month. A comfortable place where Elara didn't need to bother with anything, but no. That wasn't what she needed.

Instead, she left. She'd use this rare opportunity of hers and make the best of it.

And now… Elara found herself in the pit market. It wasn't the regular Obsidian market. No— This was the black market. A place known to fulfill your darkest desires. The Pit.

The market reeked of fish guts, sweat, and dried herbs. The people mixed between each other, some screaming at each other. It was noisy, filthy, and absolutely disgusting.

Elara didn't mind, though. Not when she knew her wish would be fulfilled right here.

A thick gray cloak hid her face, the hood covering her curls. She'd been to fifteen different stalls, and none of them had what she wanted. Fifteen peddlers with nothing but lies and cheap tricks.

She stood outside the sixteenth stall. It didn't look like much, but Elara had learned not to underestimate anyone—or anything.

She walked in, eyes flickering over the place. It truly wasn't much. The inside of the stall smelled worse than the outside. A sharp mixture of incense, burnt feathers, and something sour clung to the air like sweat on skin.

Elara's nose wrinkled, but she pressed forward. There was no one in the stall, but it didn't matter. Her fingers ghosted over bottles of cloudy liquid, her eyes sharp. She crouched low, scanning the bottom shelf.

Her hand paused over a vial glowing faintly pink, just for a moment.

"That one's useless," a voice croaked behind her.

Elara turned instantly.

A woman stood a few feet away from her, clad in a black dress, her eyes glinting like a crow's. Her face was wrinkled but sharp, like she'd lived a hundred lifetimes and forgotten none of them.

"What is it that you seek?" the woman asked, stepping closer.

Elara straightened, taking on her general stance. "I'm looking for a potion."

The woman smiled like she'd been expecting that. "There are many potions, darling. What kind?"

Elara's eyes narrowed. "A love potion." She paused. "One strong enough to make a king fall in love with me."

The woman didn't blink. No— she only stared at Elara like she'd grown an extra head. Suddenly she burst out laughing. She threw her head back and laughed. An unrestrained laugh that drew a few curious glances from the neighboring stalls.

"If that existed," the woman cackled, "every damn woman in this kingdom would be Queen by now."

Elara's jaw tightened, hands clenched tight. Her patience was wearing thin, and she was ready to snap. Her grandaunt Jocelyn told her about the pit and how to get the things she needed from there, but now that she was here, she was beginning to think the pit had nothing.

"If you don't have it, say so and shut up. I've got other stalls to check," she snapped, turning to leave.

"Wait," the woman called after her, her voice had shifted. It was no longer amused, but cool and coaxing. "I don't have a love potion. But I have something that can make a king stay. Something that makes his mind forget everything but you."

Elara arched her brow. "What is it?" She turned slowly, the woman now looking at her with a smile that would creep out even the dead.

"Come," she grinned, showing off her yellowed teeth, "There's someone I want you to meet."

Elara followed the woman without a second thought. She could defend herself if things got rough—and besides, something about this felt right. Dangerous, maybe. But right.

The woman moved faster than she should've for someone her age, her black skirts trailing through alleys so narrow Elara's cloak brushed the walls on both sides.

They passed through the alleyways—Elara kept her hood low, her eyes sharp and scanning.

Eventually, they entered a stall. It was wider than the rest, and inside, there were lots of people. It smelled of smoke and dried sweat. It was some sort of bar. The men growled and drummed against the wooden tables while the women danced, entertaining them.

Elara scrunched her nose in disgust. The woman yelled greetings to some of the people, and they continued to walk past the bar. They walked past the kitchen, the changing room, and went deeper until the noise of the bar couldn't be heard anymore.

They stopped outside a door, and the woman knocked on it three times.

The door creaked open.

Inside, the lighting shifted. It was dim, candles lined the walls, most of them nearly melted down. A single hallway stretched ahead.

"Come," the woman said, slipping inside.

Elara stepped in, The door shut behind her with a clang. She frowned, noting how the air was thicker here. She still couldn't believe the stall she saw from outside was what stretched so deep like this.

They walked in silence, and then she heard it.

A high-pitched moan. Followed by a groan. Loud, wet, and sloppy.

Elara blinked, startled. Then it came again, more frantic than the last.

The woman didn't stop screaming, nor did the skin slapping on the other stop. It was faster than anything Elara had heard.

They passed by a thin curtain, barely shielding the room. Elara couldn't help but glance sideways—and what she saw made her stop short.

Inside was a girl, no older than twenty, writhing on the bed, her body tangled among five naked men. They were all over her. One gripped her throat, another held her legs open while a third rocked into her from behind. The other two watched, panting, stroking themselves wildly, waiting their turn.

The girl moaned. Screamed. Her eyes rolled back as if she were possessed.

Elara's mouth parted, but it wasn't from shock. It was from sheer disbelief.

"What the hell," she muttered.

The older woman turned back just long enough to smirk. "Don't stop walking. That's one of the milder things you'll see here."

Elara hesitated a beat longer, the image burning into her mind. Then she forced her legs to move.

They passed more rooms—some with men sobbing to be filled.

Finally, they stopped outside a velvet curtain. The woman pulled it apart and stepped in.

Elara followed.

Inside was a man seated on a throne-like chair. He looked to be in his forties, muscular but lean. Around him, naked girls lounged, their bodies glistening with sweat and oil. They purred against his legs, clung to his shoulders, kissed his fingers.

The place was like the home of sin.

The man's gaze landed on Elara, and he paused, taking her in like he could read her soul… then slowly a sinister smile stretched on his lips.

He raised a hand, and the girls vanished like they weren't even there.

"Well, well, well, what have you brought me, Janice," the man purred, getting up from the chair.

He took out two golden coins from Janice's hand and threw them at the woman, his gaze stuck on Elara.

"Pretty," he grinned. "Tell me, girl," he said, his voice deep. "I can give you anything your heart desires. What is it you seek?"

Elara smiled. If she couldn't get a love potion, then she'd be the one thing Thorne craved with his soul.

"I want to be a sage."

The room fell into a deep silence, and then the man howled. Lol, she'd given an outstanding comedic performance. The woman who brought her there bent over, clutching her sides. They laughed like it was the funniest damn thing they'd ever heard.

Elara's eyes darkened with anger. "What's this? Are you so weak that you'd waste my time?" she snapped.

The man wiped a tear from his eye. "Weak! Oh dear. To become a sage," he said, "you'd have to go back fifty years in time. Or kill one yourself and take their power. That's the only way."

Sages were extinct. How could she find one to kill and take its powers? Useless.

"You're useless to me," she snapped, turning to leave. She'd wasted too much time with this unfortunate woman.

"Wait," the man called after her, and she paused.

He leaned closer. "Don't you want another thing? Nothing else your heart desires?" he asked, almost coaxing.

Elara arched a brow. Nothing else her heart desires? She had a lot of things, and at the top of her list was Adina's downfall.

She grinned, looking at the man with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "That girl from the room in the hallway with five men. She's under some potion, right? I want that."

The man's smile widened even more… "That's a sexual enchantment spell. It makes whoever wears it insanely horny. It makes them crave sex like it's air. But be careful, darling… once it's used, some never recover. They'll fuck themselves into madness."

Elara smirked. "Perfect. Give me that."