Transcription
Some obsessions start quietly. Draven's began 6 months ago, the day a new servant arrived at the castle. Small, quiet, omega. He'd been walking through the kitchens, inspecting, routine. Then he'd caught a scent. Honeysuckle and rain. Subtle, intoxicating. His Liykan instincts had screamed. Mate, he'd followed the scent. Found her. Meera, 24 years old. Dark hair pulled back, simple servant's dress, green eyes focused on her work, scrubbing pots. She hadn't even noticed him, hadn't looked up, and he'd stood there, frozen, watching her, his true mate. After 420 years, he'd found her. And she was. She was a servant, an omega, young, powerless. Everything in him wanted to claim her immediately, mark her, make her his. But he'd held back because she deserved better than being claimed without choice, without time. So he'd watched, waited, told himself he'd tell her soon, when the time was right. 6 months later, he still hadn't told her. And tonight, tonight his control would shatter completely because tonight another man would smile at her and Draven would lose his mind.
Meera had been a servant her entire adult life. Orphaned at 16. Parents died in a fire. No family, no inheritance, just alone. She'd needed work. Found a position at Castle Vtoran. Started in the laundry. Brutal work. Hot, exhausting, but it was survival. Over the years, she'd worked her way up, sort of. Now she worked in the kitchens, and occasionally when they needed extra hands. She served at banquets. It wasn't glamorous, but it was better than starving, better than being on the streets. She kept her head down, did her work, stayed invisible. That was the key to surviving as an omega servant. Invisibility. Omegas were lowest rank, meant to serve, meant to defer, meant to disappear. And Meera was good at it, excellent at it. She could move through a room without anyone noticing, could serve food, pour wine, clear plates, all while being completely ignored. It was a skill, one she'd perfected.
Tonight was a big banquet, some visiting prince, political alliance. The castle was in chaos, everyone preparing. Meera had been assigned to serve the high table where the king sat. She'd done it before many times. The king never noticed her, never spoke to her, never even looked at her. She was furniture, part of the background. That's how it should be. That's how she preferred it. She didn't want attention. Didn't want to be seen. Safe was invisible. And Meera wanted to stay safe.
What Meera didn't know, couldn't know, was that King Draven noticed her every single time, watched her constantly, knew her schedule, her routines, where she'd be at any given time. It wasn't creepy, he told himself. It was protective. She was his mate. Even if she didn't know it, he had to keep her safe. Make sure no one hurt her. That's what he told himself. Truth was, he was obsessed. Completely, utterly. Couldn't stop thinking about her, about claiming her, about making her his. But he held back because the situation was complicated. He was king. She was servant. The power imbalance was massive. If he claimed her now without explanation, without giving her choice, she'd feel trapped, obligated. He didn't want that. Wanted her to want him to choose him freely. So he waited and watched and tortured himself.
His beta, Kieran, knew. Had figured it out months ago. "Just tell her." "Put everyone out of their misery." "It's not that simple." "It is exactly that simple. She's your mate. Tell her. Claim her. Move on with your lives." "She's an omega servant. If I tell her, she'll feel obligated. Won't be able to refuse even if she wants to." "So, you're just going to pine forever?" "I'm not pining." "You've memorized her schedule. You time your walks to coincide with when she's working." [clears throat] "You threatened a guard last week for looking at her." "You're pining." Maybe he was, but he couldn't. Couldn't risk scaring her. Couldn't risk her saying yes out of fear or obligation. So, he'd wait. Just a little longer. Until until what? He didn't know. Until the right moment. Whatever that meant.
The banquet was tonight. Prince Laurian of Stellarwin here to discuss trade agreements, potential alliance. Draven didn't trust him. Laurian was charming, too charming, smiled too much, flirted with everyone, had a reputation for pursuing women aggressively. But the alliance was important. So Draven would play nice, would host this banquet, would smile and negotiate, and absolutely not think about Meera serving in the same room. Absolutely not watch her move between tables. Absolutely not imagine claiming her in front of everyone. He'd be fine. Totally fine.
The great hall was prepared, tables arranged, food ready, servants in position, including Meera. She stood near the wall, waiting in her simple servant's dress, hair braided neatly, face calm, neutral, beautiful. She was so beautiful it hurt. And she had no idea. Thought she was plain, unremarkable. Was wrong, so incredibly wrong. Guests arrived, nobles, dignitaries, taking their seats. The high table filled. Draven's council, his generals, and the guest of honor, Prince Laurian. He was exactly as expected. Tall, handsome, golden hair, blue eyes, charismatic smile, expensive clothes, everything designed to impress. Draven disliked him immediately. They exchanged pleasantries, sat. The banquet began. Servants moved through the hall, bringing food, pouring wine. Meera was assigned to the high table. She approached with a pitcher, calm, professional, invisible. Poured wine for Draven first. King was always served first. He watched her like always. She didn't notice. Never did. Moved to the council members. Poured for each. Efficient, quick. Then then she reached Prince Laurian. He looked up, actually looked at her, really looked, his eyes focused, studied her face, and he smiled, warm, interested. "Well, hello there. What's your name? Beautiful."
Meera froze. Nobles didn't speak to servants. Didn't acknowledge them. This was unusual, uncomfortable. "Meera, your highness." She kept her eyes down, poured his wine, tried to move on. He caught her wrist gently but firmly. "Meera, lovely name. You're quite beautiful. Has anyone told you that?" She didn't know what to say. Stammered. "I know, your highness. Thank you. I should. I need to serve the others." "Of course, but perhaps later we could talk. I'd love to know more about you." He released her wrist, smiled again, and Meera, confused, overwhelmed by the attention, smiled back, polite, brief. "Perhaps, your highness," then fled back to the wall, heart racing. What had just happened?
Draven saw everything. Saw Laurian look at her, speak to her, touch her. Saw Meera smile. That smile. That should have been for him. Only him. Something in him snapped. Possessiveness, jealousy, rage. All tangled together, overwhelming, his Lykan nature roaring. Mate being touched by another. No, absolutely not. He stood abruptly. Conversation at the table stopped. Everyone looked. "Excuse me. I need a moment." He crossed the hall straight to Meera. She was standing with other servants, whispering, confused about what happened. Didn't see him coming until "You come with me now." His voice low, dangerous. She looked up, startled. "Your majesty, I did I do something wrong now?" He grabbed her arm, not roughly, but firmly. Began pulling her toward a side door. She stumbled, tried to keep up. "Your majesty, please. The banquet. I'm needed." "You're needed elsewhere." The entire hall watched. Whispers erupted. The king dragging a servant girl out of the banquet. What was happening? Laurian watched with interest, smiled slightly. "How fascinating."
They reached a corridor, private, empty. Draven released her but blocked her exit. She backed against the wall, confused, scared. "Your majesty, what? What's wrong? Did I offend you somehow?" "Don't look at him again." "What?" "Prince Laurian, don't look at him." [clears throat] "Don't smile at him. Don't speak to him. Don't acknowledge his existence." She stared, completely baffled. "I I don't understand. He spoke to me. I had to respond. It would have been rude." "I don't care. You don't look at him. You don't smile at him. Understood?" "Why?" The question was out before she could stop it. You didn't question the king ever. But this was insane. He was He was jealous over her. "That makes no sense because I said so." "That's not an answer." "It's the only answer you need." "No, it's not. Your majesty. With respect. I'm a servant. You've never spoken to me before. Never acknowledged me. Now you're you're giving me orders about who I can look at. I don't understand. Please explain." He stared at her, wrestling with something. Finally, "You're mine." "I'm what?" "Mine. You're mine. You've been mine for 6 months since the day you arrived." "I don't, your majesty. I'm a servant. I'm not anyone's. I work for the castle, but I'm not. I'm not property." "That's not what I mean. You're You're my mate."
Silence. Complete, stunned silence. She laughed. Couldn't help it. This was ridiculous. "Your mate, your majesty. I'm omega, servant. You're king, Lykan. That's That's not possible." "It's exactly possible. It's true. I knew the moment I caught your scent 6 months ago. You're my true mate." She slid down the wall, sat on the floor. This was too much. "If I'm your mate, why didn't you tell me? 6 months. You've known for 6 months and said nothing." "Because I didn't want to scare you. Didn't want you to feel obligated. Your servant, I'm king. If I'd claimed you immediately, you wouldn't have been able to refuse. Even if you wanted to. I wanted I wanted you to have a choice." "So instead, you what? Watched me in secret for 6 months." "Yes." "At least he was honest. That's That's creepy, your majesty." "I know. I'm sorry. I just I wanted to protect you, make sure you were safe. I was waiting for the right moment to tell you." "And the right moment was dragging me out of a banquet in front of everyone because another man smiled at me." "He didn't just smile. He touched you, flirted with you, and you smiled back." "I was being polite." "You're too polite. That smile, that's mine. Your smiles, your attention, your everything. Mine."
The possessiveness in his voice, it should have scared her. Should have made her run instead. Instead, something in her responded. Omega instincts recognizing Alpha. Recognizing mate. "I don't know what to say. This is this is overwhelming." He knelt, bringing himself to her level. "I know, and I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted to tell you, but seeing him touch you, seeing you smile at him, I couldn't. I lost control." "I noticed," she said dryly. He almost smiled. "What do you want me to do, your majesty? If you're if we're really mates, what happens now?" "Now? Now? I want to go back in there. Announce to everyone that you're mine. Mark you, claim you. Make sure every person in that hall knows you're taken. Off limits. Mine." Her heart raced. "That seems extreme." "It is extreme, but I've been holding back for 6 months, watching you, wanting you, not touching, not claiming. It's been torture. And tonight, seeing another man try? I can't hold back anymore." "So, you're just going to what? Drag me back in there, make some announcement. I have no say in this." "You have all the say if you tell me no. If you tell me you don't want this, I'll let you go. I'll suffer, but I'll respect your choice." "And if I say yes?" his eyes flashed gold, pure Lykan. "If you say yes, then you're mine completely. I'll claim you publicly. Make you my mate, my queen, give you everything, protect you, cherish you for the rest of our lives." Queen. He was talking about making her queen. An omega servant. Queen. It was insane. "The court will never accept it. An omega as queen." "I don't care what the court accepts. You're my mate. That makes you queen. Anyone who objects can leave." "Your Majesty." "Draven. Call me Draven." "If we're doing this, if you're mine, use my name." "Draven." "This is This is a lot. 6 months ago, I was just washing dishes, surviving. Now you're telling me I'm your mate. That you want to make me queen." "I can't. I need time to process, to think." "How much time?" "I don't know. More than 5 minutes in a hallway." "Fair." That was fair. He took a breath, trying to calm the raging instincts demanding he claim her now. "All right, I'll give you time. But I need you to promise me something." "What?" "Stay away from Laurian. Don't speak to him. Don't smile at him. I know you think I'm being ridiculous, but he's he's not a good man. He has a reputation for pursuing women aggressively, for not taking no for an answer. I don't want him near you." "Is that the mate bond talking or genuine concern?" "Both. Please, Meera, promise me." She studied him. This king who'd been watching her for 6 months, who'd just dragged her out of a banquet in a jealous rage, who was looking at her now with desperate hope. "I promise I'll stay away from him." Relief flooded his face. "Thank you. But Draven, I need honesty from you. Complete honesty if we're going to to explore this this mate bond. No more secrets. No more watching from afar. Real communication. Can you do that?" "Yes. Anything. I'll tell you everything. Answer anything you ask. Just Just give me a chance." She stood. He stood with her. "I'm not promising anything, but I'll think about it. About us, about everything." "That's all I'm asking." They stood close. Very close. She could feel heat radiating from him. Could smell cedar and smoke. Alpha scent. It was not unpleasant, actually. Actually, it was intoxicating. She swayed slightly. He caught her elbow, steadying her. "Are you all right? Your scent, it's strong. Is it bothering you?" "No, it's it's nice. Really nice." His eyes darkened. "Meera, you can't say things like that. Not when I'm barely holding on to control." "What happens if you lose control?" "I kiss you, mark you, claim you right here in this corridor, regardless of timing or propriety or anything else." "Maybe, maybe I want you to lose control." Where had that come from, she didn't know, but something about him? [clears throat] About being this close? About knowing he was her mate? It made her bold, reckless. He groaned. "You're killing me." "Is that a no?" "It's a We should return to the banquet before people assume things." "Aren't things exactly what you want them to assume?" "Yes, but you asked for time." "I'm trying to give it to you." "If I kiss you now, I won't stop. And you deserve better than a hallway for your first time with your mate." First time, implying there would be more. Implying everything. Her stomach flipped. "You're right. We should We should go back." "Stay close to me during the banquet at the high table. I'll have them bring you a seat." "Your majesty. That's not I'm a servant. I can't sit at the high table." "You're my mate. You can sit wherever I say you sit. And I say you sit beside me where I can see you. Where everyone can see you're mine." Possessive, intense, overwhelming. And somehow, somehow she didn't mind.
They returned to the great hall. Every eye turned, watched them enter. Draven's hand was on her lower back, guiding her. Possessive, clear claim. He led her to the high table, gestured to a servant. "Bring a chair. Place it beside mine." The servant scrambled, brought a chair, set it next to the king's seat. Meera sat stiffly, uncomfortable. Every noble in the hall was staring, whispering. She could feel their judgment, their confusion. An omega at the high table beside the king. Unheard of. [clears throat] Draven sat beside her, leaned close, whispered, "Ignore them. Focus on me." "That's easy for you to say. You're king. I'm I'm nobody." "You're everything to me. That's all that matters." Prince Laurian watched with amusement, leaned forward. "Your majesty. Interesting seating arrangements. Is the servant girl being rewarded for exceptional service?" The insult was veiled, but present. Meera flinched. Draven's hand found hers under the table, squeezed. "Meera is my honored guest and will be addressed with respect." "Of course, my apologies. I meant no offense." He did. Absolutely did. But Draven let it go for now. The banquet continued. Awkward. Tense. Meera picked at food. Couldn't eat. Too nervous. Draven barely touched his plate either. Too focused on her, on watching Laurian. On making sure everyone understood she was his. An hour passed, then two. Finally, the banquet wound down. Guests began leaving. Laurian approached, bowed. "Your majesty, thank you for your hospitality. I look forward to continuing our discussions tomorrow." "Of course. Meera, lovely to meet you. I hope we see each other again." He smiled, charming, calculated. She didn't respond, just looked away, remembering her promise. Laurian's smile tightened. "Cold shoulder. Interesting. I'm not used to being dismissed." Draven stood slowly, towering over Laurian. "She's not interested. Move on." "I haven't even pursued her yet." "You won't. She's mine." "Yours? How fascinating. I didn't realize you'd claimed her." "I'm claiming her now in front of you. In front of everyone. She's my mate, my future queen, and if you so much as look at her again, I'll take it as an act of war." The hall went silent. Every remaining guest frozen. The king had just just announced an omega servant as his mate, as future queen. It was unprecedented, shocking, world-changing. Laurian's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Well, that is unexpected. Congratulations to you both." He didn't mean it. Anyone could tell. But he bowed, retreated, left. The threat understood. Other guests followed, whispering, gossiping. This would be the talk of every court in every kingdom. The Lykan king, choosing an omega servant, as his mate, as his queen.
Within an hour, the hall was empty except for Draven, Meera, and his council. Kieran, the beta, approached, grinning. "Well, that was subtle." "Draven growled. "Not now. You just announced her as your mate in front of a visiting prince after dragging her out of the banquet in front of everyone." "Style, that's what that was." "I said, not now." Meera stood. "Maybe I should go. This is You have things to discuss." "No, stay, please." Draven caught her hand. "We need to talk about what happens next." "What does happen next?" Kieran answered. "Next, the king courts you properly, officially makes it clear to everyone this isn't just impulse, that you're truly his mate, his chosen queen. And then then you accept him. Bonding ceremony, coronation, the whole thing." "And if I don't accept him?" Silence. No one had considered that. Draven turned to her. "Do you do you not want this? Want me?" His voice was small, vulnerable, so different from the possessive king who dragged her from the banquet. "I don't know. This is all happening so fast. 6 months you watched me in secret. Now suddenly I'm supposed to be queen. It's overwhelming." "Then we'll slow down. I'll court you properly. Give you time to know me to decide." "But you already claimed me publicly. You told Laurian. Told everyone." "What if I decide no?" "You'll look. It'll be embarrassing." "I don't care how I look. I care about you, about giving you real choice. If you decide you don't want this, don't want me then. Then I'll accept it. It'll destroy me. But I'll accept it." He meant it. She could tell. "I'm not saying no. I'm saying I need time to adjust, to understand. This world, your world, it's not mine. I don't know how to be queen. Don't know if I can be." "You can. I know you can. But we'll take it slow. I'll teach you, show you, and you can decide at every step if you want to continue." Kieran coughed. "Your majesty. Forgive me, but where is she staying tonight? She can't return to the servants' quarters. Not after that announcement. They'll It won't be safe." Draven tensed. He was right. The servants, they'd be jealous, resentful. Some would be outright hostile. An omega rising above them, becoming queen. They'd make her life hell. "She stays with me in my chambers." Meera's eyes widened. "I don't think that's appropriate." "Separate rooms. My chambers have multiple rooms. You'll have your own space, your own bed. I just I need you close. Need to know you're safe." She should refuse, should insist on her own space, somewhere neutral. But but she didn't want to go back to the servants' quarters either. And and part of her, the omega part, wanted to be close to him, to her mate, even if she wasn't ready to admit it yet. "All right. But separate rooms and and you keep your distance until I'm ready." "Whatever you need, I promise." He led her to his chambers. Massive suite of rooms, living area, study, bedroom, and a second bedroom, smaller, but still larger than any room she'd ever had. "This is yours for now, for as long as you need. There's a lock on the door. Use it if you want. I won't enter without permission." She looked around at the luxury, the comfort. "This is This is too much." "It's not enough. You should be in the main bedroom, in my bed, where you belong, but I'll wait until you're ready." Her cheeks heated. "Thank you for for respecting my pace." "Always." He moved to leave, stopped. "Meera, one more thing." "Yes." "Today when Laurian smiled at you, when you smiled back, it it hurt more than I expected. I know you didn't know. Didn't understand. But seeing another man try to claim what's mine. It made me It made me realize I can't wait anymore. Can't watch from afar. I need to be close to you. Need to make sure you're protected, safe. Mine." "I'm not anyone's property." "Draven, I know, but you are my mate, my fated one, my other half, and I I'll do anything to keep you, to make you happy, to prove I'm worthy of you." She crossed to him, stood close, looked up, way up. "You dragged me out of a banquet in a jealous rage, announced me as your mate in front of visiting royalty, demanded I stay in your chambers. This is intense. Too intense, maybe. But also also kind of flattering. No one's ever." "I've been invisible my whole life. And you? You see me. Really see me." "I've always seen you. From that first moment, you were all I could see." She reached up, touched his face. He froze. "Kiss me just once. Let me let me see if this is real. If the mate bond is real." "If I kiss you, I won't want to stop." "Then don't." That was all the permission he needed. He pulled her close, kissed her deep, possessive, claiming. She melted into him. This was This was right. Perfect. The mate bond sang, connecting them, binding them. When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, she whispered. "It's real. I feel it. The bond." "Thank God. I thought I thought maybe it was just me." "It's not just you. It's It's us." He rested his forehead against hers. "I love you. I know it's too soon. I know you need time, but I love you. I've loved you for 6 months from afar in secret. But now, now I can say it. I love you, Meera." Tears filled her eyes. "I don't know if I love you yet, but but I think I could. I think I think I'm already falling." "That's enough. More than enough." They stood there holding each other. The king and the servant, the Alpha and the Omega mates. Finally. Finally together. And in the morning, the world would know. The omega servant who became queen, the king who chose love over politics, it would be scandalous, revolutionary, beautiful. But tonight, tonight it was just them learning each other, beginning something new, something impossible, something fated.
If you enjoyed the story of Meera and Draven, the omega servant who caught the eye of another prince and discovered the king had been obsessed with her for months, subscribe for more epic Lykan King romances. Hit the notification bell so you never miss a story. And remember, sometimes love demands we lose control. Sometimes jealousy reveals what's been hidden. Sometimes the most powerful thing is choosing to be claimed. Thank you for listening.