[Song Recommendation: Lana Del Rey - Once Upon A Dream.]
Odette held her breath as her gaze fell on the looming, seven feet tall man, wearing a cloak that covered his entire body and swept the ground, complete with his wolf skull mask that hid his face entirely.
The only visible part of his face was his red eyes that looked down on her menacingly.
As if hypnotized, she was unable to look away.
She was petrified due to fear, just like in that nightmare after she fainted in his embrace.
The cat maids bowed deeply and reported, "Your Majesty, Her Grace wants to meet you right after she woke up. She said that she wants to thank you personally for saving her."
"Hrm. Go," the Masked Man ordered, and the cat maids quickly retreated, leaving Odette alone with him.
…
…
…
There was nothing but complete silence between them after they were left alone, and right now, all Odette wanted was to lower her gaze and apologize for daring to stare at him with her humble eyes. She had never met a king before, let alone a beast king with powerful magic.
But here she was, unable to do anything, only to stare at him with unbridled fear in her eyes.
"You still need rest."
Odette almost gasped when the masked man finally said something to her. His voice was different from what she remembered that night. Here, he still sounded menacing, and his voice carried a regal feeling that made you want to submit.
But there was a lost tint of softness in it, and it made her feel less tense.
Thus, she gathered her courage and bowed politely in her wheelchair, "T-thank you for saving me that night, Your Majesty. I am uhm… I have been cast out of my pack for having no wolf. I thought I'd die that night."
There was no answer coming from the masked man. Odette thought he was angry at her for being impolite so she hurriedly added, "I-I don't have anything to repay your kindness, Your Majesty. Y-You can order me to do anything in exchange for such kindness!"
Odette wanted to add 'before I leave' at the end of her sentence, but her instinct told her that was not the right thing to say, at least not when she was still deeply indebted with this mysterious man.
"Name."
"Huh, O-Odette, Your Majesty," Odette replied. "I am Odette from ForestFang Pack. Well, I was. I have been kicked out now."
"Then you are Odette of the Hollow Beasts Kingdom now," the masked man stated firmly as if it was a mandate from the king.
Odette paused for a moment. She understood what he implied, but she didn't understand why.
Why would he allow her to stay in this kingdom, especially when she already told him that she was wolfless?
She was no better than a regular human.
"If you have nothing else to say, then I'll send you back to your room. You need rest," the masked man repeated. He was about to use his magic to teleport her back to her room when Odette suddenly admitted, "Your Majesty, I-I have no intention of staying…"
…
There was a strange mood shift after she said that. The gleam in his eyes turned brighter as if there were a furnace burning violently behind those eyes.
The scent of blood also got stronger until it made her tremble in fear.
Odette panicked. She didn't know what she did wrong, but she knew the man in front of her was angry. She opened her mouth, ready to apologize if she said something wrong, but the masked man cut her off.
"You have no other place to stay. This is now your home," the man said. It was supposed to be comforting words as he uttered the word 'home', but it was devoid of any warmth. It sounded so cold as if he was talking to a dead woman. "Don't ever think of leaving."
Don't ever think of leaving.
That sentence reverberated inside her body, it felt like an absolute order that she couldn't refute.
She didn't understand why she had to stay. He might be kind, but she used to be treated like dirt in her old pack. So why would this powerful king suddenly order her to stay in his castle?
After all, she had nothing special to offer.
She wasn't strong, smart, or beautiful.
She was just an outcast in her old pack and surely would be an outcast here too.
Odette was thankful for this man, but to stay and continue freeloading… she wasn't that shameless!
She opened her mouth again, but for an unknown reason, she became mute.
There was something, like a lump, inside her throat that stopped her from saying anything.
She knew that the King of the Hollow Beasts in front of her must've done something to stop her from talking. Thus, she sat in the wheelchair, staring at him powerlessly as he walked towards her until there was almost no gap between them.
Odette trembled in fear as the scent of blood coming from him was nauseating right now. She was forced to look up, to stare at his red eyes.
"You cannot leave this kingdom, Odette," the masked man dictated. He stretched his hand and touched her chest using the tip of his sharp claw, and her chest suddenly burst open all of a sudden.
Odette's eyes widened. She felt no pain, but the psychological shock from seeing her gaping chest made her tense all over, and her brain simply gave up on processing what just happened.
Unlike her, the masked man wasn't bothered by the view in front of him, and said while staring at her with the burning fury in his eyes.
"Because you are part of us now. You're part of me."
Unable to handle the shock, Odette 'fainted' once more.