A Savage Debt (Beholden Duet Book 1) Read online

  A Savage Debt, The Beholden Duet Book 1

  Copyright © 2020 by Zoey Ellis. All rights reserved

  Published by Quill Ink Books

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The right of Zoey Ellis to be identified as the author of this book has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent’s Act, 1988. All rights reserved. Except for use in review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part, by any means, is forbidden without written permission from the author.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by any way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the author’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Cover design: Jacqueline Sweet

  First Edition: April 2020

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Author Note

  Acknowledgments

  About Zoey Ellis

  For Mum and Dad

  A Savage Debt

  As payment for her father's debt, he wants:

  Her

  At his mercy

  For three nights

  Notorious outlaw Maddoc follows no rules.

  When he walks into the palace demanding repayment for a debt no one knew existed, he wants only one thing.

  The Omega princess.

  Protected and revered, Ana struggles to find control in a life planned for her from the moment she was born.

  When she is forced to give three nights to a dark, lawless Alpha, his primal touch turns her world to chaos.

  But the more she tries to resist, the deeper she is sucked into the intense savagery he has saved just for her.

  A SAVAGE DEBT is the first installment of the Beholden Duet, a fantasy Omegaverse romance that explores themes of justice, punishment, and dark, savage love. For fans of Alpha anti-heroes and sassy heroines. Cliffhanger included. This story features romance and situations of a dark nature.

  1

  “He’s here!”

  A rough hand curled around Ana’s elbow and tried to tug her up from her chair.

  “Quick, Ana. We need to go.”

  Ana blinked rapidly, readjusting to her surroundings as she pulled her mind from the world contained in the thick book on her lap. “Milly?”

  Her lady-in-waiting leaned over and closed her book as a group of guards fanned out to surround her chair. “Up, princess. We must leave now.”

  Ana rose slowly, a crack of anger suddenly charring the delightful calm she’d sunk into—that soothing peace that always came from visiting her library. “But, Milly, it is only just early morning, and I haven’t been here long—”

  “No arguments, Ana,” Milly said briskly. Strands of her usually impeccable dark brown hair flailed around her head. “We cannot take any risks while he’s here.”

  Ana frowned. “Who?”

  Milly’s voice sharpened as she turned to leave. “Make haste!”

  She followed Milly out of the library, and the profanity forming in her mouth almost escaped her. It hummed between her lips, promising to satisfy the annoyance churning in her chest, if she’d only let it slip past them.

  But princesses did not curse. Especially not a princess like Ana.

  “Who’s here?” she asked again.

  Milly’s head whipped around, her eyes narrowed. “Shh!”

  Ana stared at the back of her head as she hurried after her, her irritation twisting into alarm. Milly had never acted so harshly before. Yes, she was stern, diligent, and protective—she’d practically raised Ana—but this behavior, particularly in public, was out of character. Something was wrong.

  As they navigated the corridors toward her bed chambers, Ana realized the atmosphere in the palace had drastically changed since this morning, and not in a way she recognized.

  No one openly spoke of it, but the high society of Allandis was a grotesque web of scandal, intimidation, and indecency. Every so often, a juicy bubble of gossip burst into the open, forcing the court nobility to pretend to be both outraged and disinterested while they secretly scrabbled for every morsel of information they could get.

  Ana found it amusing at times. It changed the mood of the palace and caused the courtiers, the staff, and sometimes even the guards to behave inappropriately. Watching them entertained her most of the time, and gossip broke up the monotony of her schedule. Even though she never had access to the secrets circling, she’d learned a lot about high society, and the royal court, based on the behavior she’d witnessed—things that did not find its way into her lessons.

  But this felt different. The haughty ambiance that characterized the palace was laced with a tang of tense agitation. Courtiers huddled in small clusters exchanging hushed words out in the open. Servants kept their eyes down and practically ran along the corridors—something that was expressly forbidden. And armed guards had been stationed at every corner, their bodies alert and eyes watchful.

  Ana said nothing more until they arrived at her bed chambers.

  “Forget the bath, start with her hair and face,” Milly called as soon as they entered. Four handmaids were already inside, flitting around the room with tools in their hands that suggested to Ana she was being prepared for a court event.

  “What’s happening, Milly?” Ana asked, as Milly headed to her wardrobe. “Is this to do with Father?” The king had been critically injured while out on his last hunt a month ago. That was the only time the court had been justified in acting so panicked. Milly had come to collect her then also, only she’d been more subdued. Father had, thankfully, fully recovered, but Ana wasn’t keen on any more news like that.

  Milly approached her with an elaborate lavender dress while one of the handmaids unzipped her out of the one she wore. “There is to be a court assembly. The whole court and the royal houses will be in attendance. We must get you prepared quickly.”

  Ana tried to question her further, but Milly was in a focused frenzy that somehow prevented her ears from working. For the next quarter of an hour, Milly and her handmaids groomed Ana more intensely than any other time she could remember, ignoring her questions in favor of discussions about clashing colors and matching jewelry.

  Ana held in the steady annoyance building in her chest. Sometimes she wished she were brave enough to stomp around the palace and force everyone to listen to her, not caring if she offended anyone. She was frequently told how important she was—to her father, to her court, to the kingdom. Being an Omega automatically meant she was revered and even idolized, but in reality her opinion wasn’t important. She used to think she would become more forceful, like her father, or cleverer with words, like her mother, but she realized she didn’t possess those qualities. She’d never been brash or rude or reckless. Her upbringing had centered around meeting the expectations that weighed heavily on her, and since she didn’t like disappointing Milly or her parents, she worked hard to please them. As a result, she was known as the perfect princess; her father’s strongest asset and the kingdom’s greatest treasure. If only she’d known the extent to which she would lack control of her own life… maybe then she would have behaved differently, taken more risks. Still, it w
ouldn’t be this way forever. Next month she would marry an Alpha and a new phase of her life would begin, one where she would have more control.

  Finally, Milly stepped back to survey her, and Ana tried again, her voice firm. “I wasn’t aware of any event happening today, Milly. What is this one about? Is it a wedding announcement?”

  Milly stepped forward again, lifting her hands to press smooth and fix Ana’s newly styled rose-copper hair. “No. It’s much bigger than that. It’s to be the most important event in the history of the court.”

  Ana pursed her lips as she frowned. That was an interesting thing for Milly to say. Although Milly was always knowledgeable about court gossip, she rarely talked about it with Ana, and she certainly didn’t make extravagant statements. “What is it then?”

  Milly glanced at her and finally stilled. She stepped back and composed herself, though her eyes remained stained with an uneasy glint. With beautifully rich brown hair, deep blue eyes, and slightly leathery skin, it was difficult to guess Milly’s age. She’d been Ana’s lady-in-waiting since she could remember, and behaved like a stern older sister, a teacher, and sometimes even a mother, though she certainly wasn’t as old as the queen. She constantly bristled, with her hard edges at the forefront, but she had her moments of softness. As a noble woman, Milly was well versed in royal procedure and politics, even if she didn’t like to discuss every part of it with Ana. Regardless, Ana had learned a lot from her that she didn’t learn from her mother and father, and sometimes it was from simply observing Milly’s behavior.

  “A criminal has arrived at the palace.”

  Ana’s brows drew together. “That is a big event?”

  “It’s Maddoc.”

  A cold rush tingled up Ana’s arms, and her lungs expelled a gust of air. “Maddoc? As in…”

  Milly nodded. “There is only one Maddoc, Ana.”

  Ana stared at her, dread creeping into her throat. The most feared criminal known to the kingdom. The brutal, vicious Alpha who had eluded capture for over a decade while striking damaging blows to the royal sovereignty was at the palace? “Are you sure?” Her voice was raspy. “Why would he come here and allow himself to be captured?”

  Milly shrugged, but the unease in her eyes remained. “He’s demanded to see the king.”

  Suddenly it all fell into place—the behavior of the courtiers, the panicked servants, the rush to get ready for a court hearing. “Father is going to give him an audience? Here?” Ana squeaked. “Why?”

  “I haven’t been brought into discussions about that, of course,” Milly said, curtly “But I suspect it is to charge him in front of the assembly.”

  Ana shook her head, her mouth open in disbelief. Surely Father wouldn’t risk that?

  “It would be a great show of strength to arrest and charge this man in front of all the houses,” Milly added. “The king needs to prove he is strong, powerful, and capable. Whatever reason this criminal chose to show up at the gates and whatever he is expecting, it must be demonstrated to all that the king isn’t afraid of him. Granting him a hearing, that doubles as his arrest and sentencing, will show the kingdom that the king isn’t afraid. And it will prove much to the houses.”

  Ana nodded thoughtfully. She wasn’t completely blind to the constant low-level friction that existed between the five royal houses. After the king’s injury, a small amount of commotion had risen about his health and his ability to continue his rule. Of course, Ana was his heir, and her arranged wedding to an Alpha from another house was imminent. But that didn’t stop them from pointlessly theorizing, discussing, and debating the issue, as they liked to do on a regular basis.

  “Why do I have to be there?” Ana asked. “Is the whole court gathering? It doesn’t seem smart for the entire royal court to meet this man. What if it’s an attack of some sort?”

  “He has been detained since he approached the palace and stated who he was. His weapons were taken from him and it appears he arrived alone. Tight security has been put in place all around the palace, and its grounds and scouts have secured the whole area, just in case his men are lurking.” Milly’s frown deepened. “I will admit his presence is strange, but I agree with His Majesty’s decision to take advantage of this opportunity. That man has broken almost every law in our kingdom and has terrorized us all for years. An example must be made while we have him.”

  Ana nodded. That made sense. Thinking back to everything she’d read about him—Maddoc was infamous for his crimes—he was even more notorious for that fact that he hadn’t been caught. It was as though he were a ghost. Not many people had seen his face, and sightings of him had dwindled over the last few years. He’d proven almost impossible to catch. If he could be dealt with now, it would give peace to many, and it wouldn’t be terrible for her father either. Still, it didn’t make her feel any better that he was even in the vicinity of the palace. “So that’s why everyone was so… strange in the palace earlier.”

  “Yes. Almost every noble family and those from the royal houses have been affected by this man’s actions. His unexpected arrival has many worried, and I cannot blame them. Some of the things he has done….” A shudder trembled along Milly’s shoulders. “I’m sure most would prefer to see him dead and without the opportunity for an audience at all.”

  “Father must have considered that as an option.”

  “I’m sure he did,” Milly said inclining her head. “I’m sure there is a reason why he is granting this man time.”

  Ana thought for a moment. “Will Mother be there?”

  “All of the royal family will be there, Ana, as well as the royal houses, and maybe all of the noble families too. Many are curious about his presence, and I’m sure some will want to ensure he gets what he deserves. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is executed straightaway in the assembly hall.”

  Ana nodded and took a deep breath, her stomach jittering at the thought.

  “There is no need to worry,” Milly said, her voice warm as her eyes finally softened. “It may be difficult to watch, but he deserves whatever comes to him, remember that. And he won’t be able to do anything to hurt anyone, least of all you.” Grasping Ana’s hands and squeezing them, she smiled. “This will be a unique hearing—one that will be talked about for decades to come. It is a great opportunity to see justice done and this moment will strengthen you for your own reign. Try to enjoy it.”

  Unsurprisingly, the assembly hall was overcrowded. At one end, opposite the entrance, a wide, fixed platform held the jewel-crusted royal thrones, while velvet-lined tiered seating along both sides of the hall’s length provided seats for the royal houses and nobles. Other members of the court mixed in with commoners squashed in on the floor benches, which were always available for any who wanted to attend. Today was particularly popular. But for all the extra bodies, layers of nervous murmurings simmered in the space, replacing the usual lively commotion of court hearings.

  Ana’s seat was on the right side of the thrones in the small area where the king’s immediate family were permitted to sit, and as she made her way there, she noted that every entrance was heavily guarded, which settled her nerves—somewhat. Maddoc wouldn’t be able to escape.

  As she sat down and fixed herself into the correct position, hands in her lap, back straight, and feet tucked under her chair, the king and queen entered.

  The air sharpened as they strolled in, richly dressed in silks, jewelery, and matching maroon royal mantles. The golden crowns on their heads sparkled in the bright morning sun that streamed through the arched hall windows and cast a warming tint on the splendor of the couple.

  Ana watched her parents closely for any sign of worry, stress, or fear, but the queen’s smile was deep and genuine, and the king, although stoic, appeared relaxed. Their ease radiated out to everyone in attendance, and the murmurs petered out as her parents lowered to their thrones.

  Ana loved seeing her father at court events.

  It wasn’t as though she rarely saw him otherwise—they
dined together weekly—but seeing him holding court was an incredibly exciting experience.

  Wide and tall, the king was imposing, able to silence a room by his presence alone. Ana enjoyed watching him create and enforce laws, debate with court officials and the royal houses, as well as deal with the accused. Each time he held court, he demonstrated why he was a great king, and it couldn’t be denied by any other house, though they tried. She learned a lot about how he ran the kingdom, the choices he made, what procedures he upheld and why, but she knew her mother was his secret weapon. They discussed and debated everything privately, even though the queen rarely spoke at court. Ana had once asked her why she was happy for Father to get all the credit while she sat there and said nothing. Her mother explained that she didn’t need to broadcast her involvement because everyone knew she was vital to the king—that was the importance of being an Omega. She said Ana would only truly understand when it was time to reign along with her Alpha, but in the meantime she needed to work hard at her studies. Ana found it fascinating to watch them. It all fed into her knowledge for when she became queen.

  “Court is in session,” a courtier called out. “Maddoc, a criminal with multiple counts against him, who has terrorized the Kingdom of Allandis for decades, is requesting to address the court, and more specifically King Orick. The offender’s request has been granted by order of the king. All royal houses are in attendance; Goldfrost, Thorneshaw, Sterling, Redcrest, and Villemore. Prior to Maddoc being brought before the court, His Majesty will allow one query before the hearing begins. Are there any who wish to speak?”