The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation novel Chapter 33

VALERIA

The disdainful stares didn’t take long to arrive when they eagerly stood, expecting the King, and only saw his ugly maid.

"Where is His Majesty?" one of them asked, glancing toward the door that had already closed.

"The King cannot come personally. I will be making the selection."

I don’t even know how I managed to get those words out when my throat was drowning in thousands of negative thoughts.

"Seriously? That’s disappointing. What kind of taste could she have?"

"Maybe she’ll pick the ugliest out of envy."

"Who are you to be doing something as important as selecting the possible future Queen?" a redhead with exotic features asked haughtily.

She was much taller than me, intimidating, probably a Beta.

All the women here were high-ranking she-wolves, but my anger was so consuming I couldn’t care less about their pedigree.

"If you have any complaints, you can take them up with the King himself. He’s the one who sent me," I replied, shoving my irritation deep inside.

I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me jealous.

"My identity doesn’t concern you, but I don’t think it’s very smart to insult the person deciding which of you gets the chance to spread her legs for His Majesty tonight," I added, staring them all down.

They seemed to finally understand that their ambitions now depended on my choices.

They lined up with sighs of resignation, standing side by side.

It seemed they had been instructed or perhaps this wasn’t their first time here.

And so, I sank into yet another level of humiliation, selecting the perfect lovers for the same man who had sworn he wouldn’t be with anyone else while our deal lasted.

It’s unbelievable, the whole jealous spectacle he put on in front of Quinn, only to turn around and do this to me now.

I walked down the line, one by one, as they parted their robes to show me their “assets.”

All flawless, with perfect curves—everything a male could want, I suppose.

I didn’t even know his true preferences, so I just picked three, and honestly, they were the least attractive ones.

"This isn’t fair!" they immediately began to protest.

"You damn ugly bitch! I knew you did it on purpose!"

They insulted me, but I left the room in silence and gave my decision to the footman waiting outside.

I walked back to my room, most of my duties finished for the day.

Once inside, I closed the door behind me, leaning against the wood in complete silence, staring blankly at the wall.

Something wet rolled down my wounded cheek, and when I raised my fingers to wipe it away, I realized it was a tear.

I wiped it angrily.

I wouldn’t let this continue. I’d find my own solution, as always.

Clearly, the part where I told him I wouldn’t be part of his orgies hadn’t sunk in.

I was relieved not to see him later. He remained in the throne room, so I only served his dinner and left it covered on the table.

But the sound of laughter and voices from the "fucking room"—as I had come to call it—still reached my ears.

I tried to ignore them while the damn jealousy burned inside me. I called myself an idiot a thousand times, wishing I could go back to when none of this mattered, but it was too late now.

I made sure the access door was locked so they wouldn’t enter this part of the castle.