CHAPTER 9

>>>>>Alone with her.

In the early hours of the morning, the kitchen bustled with slaves. The air was filled with the aroma of different dishes, filled with slaves, including Madam Estelle and Lyra.

Madam Estelle stood by the large pot, inspecting her hands kneading dough, while Lyra scurried between tasks.

The slaves moved with a deep sense of urgency, making sure they were doing everything they were supposed to do. Akira stood next to Beth, kneading the flour, when a tall man, six feet two inches, walked into the kitchen, his boots thumping against the hard floor and grabbing everyone's attention.

Once Madam Estelle turned her gaze to the man, she recognized him at once,it was Tyson…..the prince's right-hand man. Meanwhile, when Lyra narrowed her eyes at him, her face lit up; she slammed her hands together, shaking off the flour dust, expecting he had come for her.

"Good morning, Madam Estelle," Tyson greeted, his eyes sweeping across the girls. He wasn't sure who Nia was; he didn't know what she looked like, though he had heard her name since the day she let the royals' drink collapse to the floor and escaped punishment.

"What is it?" Lyra asked at once. "Is Prince Dominus looking for me?"

"No!" came the firm reply. "He asked that I bring someone named Nia to him."

Gasps rippled through the kitchen, and the atmosphere shifted immediately.

All eyes flicked to Akira, who froze, her eyes darting across the room to Tyson's face.

It had to be a lie. She refused to believe that Prince Dominus was requesting to see her. But why so early?

Couldn't he wait for later? What made him request to see her right away? Unless he had noticed she was his lost Akira.

Akira's heart pounded in her chest, and her jaw tightened instantly.

Her face was a picture of indecision as everyone's eyes bore into her.

Madam Estelle stared at her in sheer disgust. For everyone, it was clear that the prince fancied her body,that would be the only reason he was requesting to see her so early.

However, Lyra stood with her eyes red from both anger and jealousy. She had been trying to win the prince's affection for Goddess knows how long, and now a new slave was about to capture his attention before her.

Her teeth were clenched, and disgust marred her features as she watched Akira.

But the other slaves lit up with smiles. It was no secret that when an Alpha prince or princess favored you, you could be elevated from being just a slave.

"Nia!" Tyson's voice reverberated through the kitchen, and Akira felt weak in the knees instantly. "Please come with me immediately; the prince requests to see you right away!"

Madam Estelle narrowed her gaze at Akira and then shifted to Tyson, letting out a small chuckle. "Are you sure it's her he wants to see? I mean, she's just a nobody. She barely knows her job! You could send another girl in here to satisfy the prince. Trust me, I have good recommendations."

"Exactly," Lyra shook her head vigorously. "Are you sure you're not making a mistake about what he asked for?"

Tyson's voice was firm. "Yes, I know what he asked for." His gaze shifted to Akira at once. "Nia, he wants to see you right now."

With that, Akira moved her feet forward after Beth gently pushed her. "Go, go, go!" she whispered with a wide grin, happy that her friend might get favored by a royal. Meanwhile, Akira slowly dragged her feet; her legs felt wobbly, and her heart raced, each thud echoing in her ears as she took hesitant steps toward Tyson.

As she left, every gaze bore down on her—a mixture of envy and anticipation filled the air, knowing that most of the time, slaves were picked but didn't come back favored.

"Why me?" Akira thought. She was scared he might have noticed she was the one. This meant he didn't believe Madam Estelle.

With that, she followed Tyson, who walked in front of her while she struggled to keep up with his pace. She could barely catch her breath, let alone ask Tyson why Dominus wanted to see her.

After a few minutes, they reached the door to where Prince Dominus was staying. Tyson pointed at the door, signaling her to go inside. She glanced at him, wishing she could just decline and turn back. Entering to meet a prince who had been the cause of her and her family's downfall was certainly not a good idea.

Drawing a shaky breath, she walked inside. As soon as she did, her eyes darted around, looking for Dominus, but he didn’t seem to be present.

The room was vast—larger than anything she had ever seen before.

Then came the sound of water sloshing—slow and deliberate. Akira's heart jumped.

A low, growl-like hum followed. It was deep, guttural… male.

She realized he was near. Upon hearing the slosh of water, her heart froze, almost dropping to her stomach as memories flashed back of the times she had bathed him every day.

From the far end of the room stood Dominus inside a bathtub filled with warm water, fragrant herbs intended to help heal his wounds and scars quickly. Once he realized Nia was in the room, he walked out from the water. The droplets cascaded down his skin as his torso rose from the bath first—broad shoulders, rippling muscles, his skin marked with various scars from training and battles. Each mark told a story without him needing to say a word. His hair was wet and slicked back, and his wolf-like eyes were amber this time as he took slow steps to the opening in the wall. There she was, waiting patiently for him.

Staring at her from where he stood, he said nothing and just watched her while Akira stood, her eyes darting around in search of where he'd be coming out from.

Prince Dominus remained still, his gaze fixed on Nia as his mind wandered back to Akira.

The water trickled down his body, clinging to the deep ridges of his chest and shoulders, as steam curled up in the air, veiling him like smoke.

He didn't speak but stared at her intently.

Akira could feel a gaze on her even if she couldn't find his eyes. However, she stood still; she had no choice. Running away or escaping the northern pack was as good as dead.

The more he stared at Akira, the more his heart twisted in his chest. Memories shot back to seven days ago, the memory of her coming flooding back.

His gaze lingered on her face; his throat tightened. The resemblance to his Akira was still uncanny. It wasn't just resemblance; even her hesitation was exactly the way lost Akira had hesitated.

His hands slipped down to his cock without conscious thought. His eyes didn't leave her,it felt like it was Akira touching him right now.

He exhaled through his nose, his palm beginning to massage his massive cock while his eyes closed shut and then opened to glance at Nia.

He let his head rest against the wood behind him as he allowed his hand to stroke himself slowly……tightening his jaw, breath growing heavier as he kept going.

He remembered the last time he touched her... the real her. The memory of that night before she vanished burned behind his eyes.

He moved, faster this time, his breath quickening as a low sound escaped his throat, a half growl and half moan.

His hips jerked once. Twice. He was so close.

“A-k-i-r-a,” he whispered harshly. It slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. He stared at her through the crack, his amber eyes glowing faintly now.

Then his body stiffened, a wave of heat crashing over him. He let out a deep, husky grunt as release overtook him, his liquid spilling all over his palm. His fingers gripped the doorframe to steady himself.

For a moment, all was quiet again—except for the erratic rise and fall of his chest.

Akira's senses were heightened; being of pure bloodline, she could hear the faintest sounds of whispers from miles away. The same went for her sense of smell; she could detect anything from afar. Standing there, she heard his soft growls and moans, which made her uneasy.

She couldn't see him, but she could hear it. With her eyes wandering around, she called out, “My lord, are you okay?” She asked, paying attention to hear where his voice would come from so she could pinpoint where he was.

Dominus raised his head, and with a final breath, he said, “You can leave!”