Bloodbound to the Beastly King

The doors groaned as they opened.

Thorne stepped into the room, his gaze settling on the man who had been waiting for him. The room was warm and filled with the smell of rose oil, subtle but present.

Councilman Carter stood up immediately, smoothing the folds of his robe before bowing deeply. "Your Majesty."

Thorne walked towards the window, not responding. His gaze flickered over the people outside, all going about their business. He turned to see Carter still bowing.

"Lord Carter, you may rise," he said, and the man straightened up, a practiced smile on his face.

"You look very well, Your Majesty. Thank the gods. I got your message late last night and set out as early as possible this morning," the man said.

Thorne hummed, "I trust the journey wasn't too stressful. Your presence was required in Obsidian." He motioned for the man to sit.

"The moon festival was held in your son's pack, yet you weren't there. Did something happen that hindered your attendance?"

The man chuckled, "My king, I wanted to be there greatly, but my body can only allow me a certain distance away from home. The storm has been raging over the pack lands, so I couldn't leave easily."

Thorne nodded once, "Understandable."

"I must say, I heard talks of the festivities. It must have been a grand affair. I hope the celebrations were… fruitful?"

"Eventful," Thorne replied.

He turned away from the window, walking slowly toward the head of the table.

"Tell me," he said, his voice dipping lower now, "are you aware of what your son did?"

Carter's brows furrowed. "My son? Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I have no son. I only have three daughters," the man said.

How fitting. When it was about the moon festival celebration, he had a son, but now…

"Lord Carter," Thorne drawled, and the man smiled again.

"Ah, you mean Radek," he said, as if he was just understanding.

"Radek assaulted my personal maid, Lord Carter."

The air went still, as still as Lord Carter. His fingers twitched lightly against the arm of his chair. The man then smiled, "Radek may be reckless, Your Majesty, but he is still my son. He would never do anything to ruin the image of our pack."

Thorne cocked a brow, "So I'm the one lying then, Lord Carter?"

"Never, Your Majesty!"

Thorne hummed, nodding. "If I'm telling the truth and Radek can't do what he's being accused of, then who is lying?" he asked.

Carter smiled calmly, "The only one lying here is the maid, Your Majesty. The maid who told this outrageous lie. I urge you to show me the said maid, and I will teach her a lesson on why she should never tell a lie."

Thorne didn't smile. He simply turned to the corner of the room, where a pile of bound scrolls and stacked folders sat neatly on the table.

Without a word, he reached for them, and one by one, he dropped them onto the polished desk between them.

The sound echoed like thunder. Carter's eyes twitched slightly as the last folder landed.

"There," Thorne said quietly. "Twenty female slaves gone. Vanished in Radek's pack without a single trace. Ten out of them were given by Obsidian. There are two who returned with shattered spines, paralyzed for life."

He opened the top folder, flipping it toward Carter. "Signed testimonies," he opened another. "Here—lists of illegal transactions. Bribes taken in exchange for silence, buried under false taxation records."

Another. "Guard reports, intercepted letters, complaints that never made it past Radek's desk." He paused to look at the man whose face was red with anger, anger he was struggling to contain. "Your son has used his power and committed crimes, ranging from murder to numerous rapes."

He leaned forward, resting both hands on the table. "Tell me, Lord Carter. Is the maid still lying?"

Carter's lips had thinned into a pale line. His eyes dropped to the documents, hushed hands drawn into a tight fist. "You are… misunderstanding things, my king," he said stiffly. "My son-in-law has many enemies. This evidence could easily have been forged, manipulated to tarnish our name. I implore you, Your Majesty—consider how dangerous a claim like this is."

"I summoned you here, Lord Carter, because of your relationship to the throne. Don't abuse my leniency with you," Thorne spat out, and the man's eyes widened for a second.

"With me, under the roof with your son and daughter. Your son went ahead to touch my maid inappropriately."

"Your Majesty…"

"Radek will be punished, and not just for that. For all of the crimes he has committed so far."

"Doing that will damage my reputation, My king," Carter spat out, taking a deep, forceful breath. "My king, please… do not do this. Radek has made a mistake, but if you do this… you can damage my reputation, my title."

Thorne shook his head. He knew the man was selfish, but this was another whole new level. Radek's crimes were not to be joked with. Twenty slaves had disappeared right from his pack after serving him. And the ones that didn't? They've become paralyzed. They now live among the villagers… Whatever he's done to them… it's horrible.

And the guards whose limbs have been cut off from Radek's rage? The bribery? Misuse of his title and abuse of the power given to him.

"Wow, Lord Carter. You're to serve the people, but you think of yourself first?" Thorne scoffed.

"Why are you doing this? Is it… is this about the concubines?" Carter's voice dropped, urgent now. "If that's the issue, I will remove them. Every last one. They'll leave the palace before nightfall. If that is the price for your forgiveness, then so be it."

"Now the realm doesn't need an heir anymore? Is that it, Lord Carter? Or wasn't that what you and the other councilmen said. You made a decision, and I must follow it."

"Your Majesty…"

"You all forgot for a moment who I am. I don't take orders from the likes of you. I put you in the position that you are in, and I can take you out if I desire," he snapped.

"I made a mistake. We made a mistake, but this will…"

"This will nothing! The decision has been made. Radek will be punished as per the realm law."

"My king! Doing this will tarnish the image of the kingdom itself. The outer realms will see us. They'll mock us if you do this." He paused for a second.

"He can grovel. If you demand it, he'll kneel and beg for your forgiveness. But to ruin him over a… over a maid?" Carter's voice cracked slightly, a mix of disbelief and frustration. "She's just a maid, Your Majesty."

"A maid or not!" Thorne's voice cracked through the air harshly. "She's first a member of Obsidian!"

"If Radek is so desperate for forgiveness, let him grovel on his knees to her." Thorne's words rang through the chamber like a slap.

Carter's face fell. His mouth opened, but no words came. Just stunned silence. As if the king had spoken in a language he couldn't comprehend.

"To her?" he finally whispered. "You would have my son kneel to a… servant girl?"

"He'll kneel to the woman he wronged!"

The older man's breath came fast now, unsteady. "I have always served you. I have given everything to this crown—"

"And you think that earns you immunity?" Thorne took a step closer, his voice now low and deadly. "Let me remind you, Lord Carter… it does not. Your loyalty does not come at an exchangeable rate. You were made to obey my commands! Not choose when to be loyal or not. And your title is not a leash for this throne."

Thorne let it hang. Let Carter stew in it.

"Radek will be brought in tomorrow morning," he said finally. "He will grovel on his knees to the woman he wronged, and not just that… he will stand before the council. The realm will hear what he has done. And they will see what it costs to disrespect my commands."

"You would shame me," Carter breathed. "You would humiliate my house. My name. My title. All for a servant girl, Your Majesty."

"No. You will humiliate yourself for allowing your daughter to mate a man like Radek. You made him pack alpha of your late wife's pack. You brought this rot upon yourself," Thorne spat out.

The man stared, his insides twisting with absolute anger. He swallowed hard. "Understood, Your Majesty."

Thorne nodded curtly. "You're to be in the palace at dawn tomorrow for the hearing of Alpha Radek's crimes. You're dismissed, Lord Carter."

The man stared at Thorne for a moment longer before bowing stiffly, hands clenched into a tight fist at his sides.

The door shut behind Carter as he stepped out, rage rolling off him in waves as he walked down the hall, his robe flowing behind him.

His beta rushed to his side, following his pace. "What was the meeting about, My Lord? Has he finally agreed to—"

"The maid," Carter's voice stopped the beta in his tracks. "The maid that accompanied His Majesty to the festival. What was her name?"

The beta thought about it for a second. "Adina, My Lord."