Playing The Alphas

SAMANTHA

As soon as the soldiers entered the training room, the other sex slaves erupted into whispered chatter.

"Why would the king suddenly want to see her? Did she mess up or something?" one of them hissed, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Serves her right. She made herself too noticeable," another chimed in, crossing her arms with a smug smirk.

"She’s always been a troublemaker. It wouldn’t surprise me if she gets kicked out one of these days," a third added, her voice dripping with venom.

Their eyes gleamed with malicious delight as they glanced my way, but I paid no mind to their words or their smirks. I kept my composure and followed the soldiers, knowing I had to face whatever awaited me. Sooner or later, trouble always came knocking. I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong, so there was no reason to be scared.

As I walked through the corridors, I could hear the whispers growing louder behind me. The other slaves were already spreading rumors, their voices carrying like poison through the air.

"Did you hear? She attacked the future queen," one voice said.

"I heard she slapped her so hard she drew blood," another replied with exaggerated horror.

"She’s definitely getting executed. The king doesn’t tolerate that kind of behavior," a third added gleefully.

I clenched my jaw and kept walking. Let them talk. Let them spread their lies. I had bigger things to worry about than the gossip of petty women.

But then I heard something that made my blood run cold.

"Actually, I heard she’s been sleeping with all three princes," a voice whispered conspiratorially. "That’s why she thinks she can get away with anything."

"All three? No way. She’s just a slave."

"That’s what I heard. Jayce, Finnian, and Darlington. She’s been passing herself around like a common whore."

My hands trembled at my sides. Where had that come from? Who had started such a vile rumor? I had never been with Darlington. I had never been with any of them willingly. But now they were painting me as some kind of seductress, someone who used her body to climb the ranks.

I wanted to turn around and confront them, to scream that they didn’t know what they were talking about. But I held myself back. That was exactly what they wanted. They wanted to see me break.

"Keep walking," I muttered under my breath. "Just keep walking."

The soldiers led me through the grand entrance of the main hall. The doors swung open with a groan, revealing Alpha King Lionel seated on his throne, his expression one of thinly veiled annoyance. Molly was there too, crying and seemingly pouring out her complaints. I had already braced myself, understanding that Molly was likely the reason I was summoned so abruptly.

I remained calm, but as I glanced at the man standing behind King Lionel, my composure faltered for a moment.

My former fiancé, John Thompson?!! What was he doing here? Our eyes met briefly, and I caught a flicker of mockery in his gaze before I looked away, choosing to ignore him entirely.

Molly Hanes spotted me then, and her reaction was immediate. She nearly leaped to her feet, pointing an accusatory finger at me as she shrieked, "It was her! That unruly woman! She struck me!" Tears filled her eyes as she turned to King Lionel, pleading with him in a voice dripping with grievance, "Your Majesty, please deliver justice! This hateful woman must be punished."

I couldn’t help but sneer at Molly’s melodramatic accusations. Instead of responding to her, I simply bowed to King Lionel. "Good morning, Your Majesty."

His gaze was cold, distant. "Did you hit Molly?" he asked sharply.

I met his gaze and nodded without hesitation. "Yes, Your Majesty, I did."

"Preposterous!" King Lionel’s fury was swift. "Do you have any idea who Molly is? She’s the future queen! And you—you’re nothing more than a sex slave. How dare you lay a hand on her!"

His scolding brought a smug smile to Molly’s face. She looked at me with triumphant eyes, clearly convinced that I was about to face severe punishment.

But I didn’t panic. I didn’t even attempt to defend myself. Instead, I met King Lionel’s gaze and asked, "Your Majesty, I’m confused about something. Is it true that a sex slave must endure humiliation from Miss Hanes after serving a prince?"

King Lionel frowned, his expression puzzled. "What are you implying?"

Molly’s face paled, and I noticed her fingers clutching the hem of her blouse tightly. I couldn’t suppress a smirk. As I suspected, Molly hadn’t been entirely truthful with King Lionel.

"I’m simply trying to understand the rules, Your Majesty," I continued, my voice steady. "Because yesterday, after my training, Miss Hanes cornered me in the corridor. She and her followers blocked my path. They taunted me, threatened me, and when I tried to leave, they grabbed me."

"She’s lying!" Molly shrieked, her voice cracking. "Your Majesty, she’s twisting everything!"

I ignored her and pressed on. "They tried to strip me in front of everyone. They wanted to humiliate me, to remind me of my place. I only defended myself when I had no other choice. Is that not allowed, Your Majesty? Are we not permitted to protect ourselves?"

"That’s not what happened!" Molly insisted, her face reddening. "She attacked me unprovoked! I was simply walking by and she lunged at me!"

"Then why were your followers there?" I asked calmly, turning to face her. "Why were they grabbing my arms? Why were they trying to tear my clothes off? Were they just walking by too?"

Molly’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. She was trapped, and she knew it.

"Your Majesty," I said, turning back to King Lionel, "I have been nothing but obedient since I arrived. I have followed every rule. I have served without complaint. But I refuse to be a target. If serving your sons means I must endure abuse from their future wife, then I deserve to know that now."

"Ridiculous!" King Lionel exploded with anger, slamming his fists onto the armrests. The sound echoed through the hall like thunder. He turned to Molly, demanding, "Is she telling the truth?"

"L... I..." Molly stammered, her fear palpable as she struggled to form a coherent response. "Your Majesty, I would never—she’s making it all up! She’s trying to make me look bad because she’s jealous of my position!"