Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 123: A Ghoul

Althea had no choice but to pretend to be a good, obedient child once she found her way back to the humans and sought shelter among them.

When the ghouls and vampires were declared to have been wiped out, fear gripped her heart. She knew that her life was in danger, and she was determined not to meet the same tragic fate as the others.

No, she was different. She was not like the rest. She had been born for something greater, something more significant.

Althea truly believed that with every fiber of her being. After all, it was her own body that had been sacrificed, her arms and legs repeatedly severed to feed other ghouls in the making.

It was her blood, her flesh, that had allowed others to come into existence.

And she, the last of her kind, had survived it all.

It was clear now. She was destined for greatness.

As a half-ghoul, Althea had been frozen in the body of a twelve-year-old, unable to grow older. Yet, despite this cruel limitation, her witch blood ran strong, and with it, she managed to create a potion capable of breaking that constraint. It granted her the chance to age and mature just like any human.

But even so, there was one insurmountable obstacle standing between her and her full integration into the human world. Her eyes.

As red as her long, crimson hair, Althea’s eyes glistened like precious rubies. While she had always been fond of the striking color, she knew that the moment humans laid eyes on them, they would see her true nature and kill her without hesitation.

There was only one solution—human blood, combined with a transformation spell. She was certain she could do it.

At least, she thought she could.

In the past, while living in hiding, Althea had been forced to kill animals to survive. She loathed the scent of their blood, but it was a necessary evil—something she had to endure in order to stay alive.

However, she had never taken a human life.

But now, there was no other choice. Her long-planned revenge had begun.

It was her first kill, her first murder of a human. A nomad girl, no older than Althea herself, with fiery red curls cascading down her back and beautiful brown eyes, flecked with gold near the pupils.

’No one will come looking for her,’ Althea thought coldly, wiping the blood from the corners of her lips. ’Gypsies... even their children are free to wander off whenever they wish.’

A wide, delighted grin spread across Althea’s lips as she savored the moment.

So that’s what it feels like to taste human blood... It’s wonderful... So different... So... filling!

An almost ecstatic laugh echoed through the empty, rain-soaked alley as Althea plunged her slender hands into the lifeless body of the nomad girl. She crushed the soft organs between her fingers, eagerly devouring them, her heart racing from the overwhelming flood of sensations.

She was delirious, lost in the moment. Her senses were heightened, every nerve alive as the taste of human blood and flesh flooded her body, intoxicating her, filling her with an unimaginable euphoria.

The small feast seemed endless to her. She tore at the girl’s body, ripping and crushing, her laughter becoming more manic with every bite, echoing through the night like the cackle of a madwoman. By the time she was finished, nothing remained but clean, white bones. She buried them behind an old, forgotten shed in the slums, leaving no trace of the gruesome act.

It is time to move on, she thought, her mind already calculating her next steps, as she allowed the pouring rain to wash the blood from her skin.

Once she was clean, with the last traces of the girl’s life rinsed away, Althea dried off and dressed in the stolen clothes she had taken from the girl’s body. She set off toward the Capital’s orphanage, her next destination. There, she would bide her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make her escape.

To her surprise, life in the orphanage was far easier than she had imagined. Being one of the oldest children there, she took on the responsibility of caring for the youngest, along with the nannies sent by the Temple. Though it was a lot of work, it suited her well.

With practiced ease, Althea pretended to be kind-hearted, innocent, and obedient. She made everyone believe she was an angel—sweet and docile, the picture of purity. But beneath her bright smile, a devil lurked, patiently waiting for the right moment to reveal itself and take over.

And then, one day, she finally met him—the man she had been waiting for all this time. The man who was the sole reason she had approached that orphanage in the first place.

Baron Claude Miran.

Lord Miran was an enigmatic figure, one who piqued the curiosity of everyone he encountered. Though of lower nobility, he had managed to amass a great fortune over the years. He was even offered a higher title, yet he stubbornly refused, choosing instead to remain a Baron and keep his wealth close to him, never sharing it with others.

However, beneath his odd and solitary exterior, there was a different side to the man. Despite his reclusive nature, Baron Miran had become a benefactor to many orphanages throughout Erelith. He had quietly dedicated a significant portion of his wealth to helping children in need, without seeking any recognition or accolades in return.

For all his wealth and generosity, though, Claude remained unmarried and had no children of his own. This fact made him the perfect target for Althea, the key to setting her plans in motion.

When Baron Miran came to visit her orphanage, Althea was prepared. He was to be her first puppet, the first test subject for the potion she had so carefully crafted.

As the quietest and most obedient child in the orphanage, Althea was given the honor of serving the Baron his tea while he conversed with the head of the orphanage. While preparing the beverage, Althea carefully added several drops of a mind-controlling potion into his cup. With a gentle smile and a look of innocent warmth on her young, delicate face, she served him the tea, all the while knowing this small act would set her grand scheme into motion.

"She is our brightest girl, Your Lordship," the head of the orphanage remarked, praising Althea as she finished serving the tea. "It is almost impossible to tell that she was born into such humble circumstances. With her impeccable manners and graceful demeanor, everyone here believes she belongs in high society."

Baron Miran took a slow sip from his cup, and almost immediately, he felt a strange shift within his mind. His gaze, as if drawn by an invisible force, turned toward Althea, whose bright smile seemed to shine down on him like a ray of sunlight breaking through dark clouds.

Though she was not conventionally beautiful, Althea possessed an undeniable presence. Apart from her striking, fiery red hair and flawless porcelain skin, there was nothing about her that should have captivated someone so completely. And yet, something about her smile, something inexplicable, drew him in. A strange, fatherly affection surged through him, one he never anticipated having, and certainly never expected to feel toward a girl of her age.

Without a word, Althea silently left the room, her every movement exuding grace. But deep inside, she knew the potion had done its work. Baron Claude was now under her control—her puppet, bound to her will.

The very next day, Althea was adopted into the Miran family. Within just a month, she had transformed into a young noble lady in the eyes of the rest of high society, a seamless transition that none could have anticipated. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

***

It was a cold autumn day like no other when Althea found herself returning from the family villa by the sea, making her way through the vast expanse of the mighty royal forest. The air was crisp, heavy with the scent of damp earth, and the sky was overcast, casting a gloomy shadow over the landscape.

The rain had poured relentlessly all day, leaving the forest floor slick and treacherous. The thick, muddy ground made every step a challenge, and as the carriage made its way deeper into the woods, it became increasingly difficult to navigate. When they were only halfway through, the inevitable happened: one of the wheels got caught in the thick muck, causing the carriage to come to a complete standstill.

The coachman, flustered, quickly turned to Althea, offering a flurry of sincere apologies for the unfortunate situation. His voice was filled with concern, and he immediately began directing the guards to help push the carriage free. Together, they struggled, their efforts futile against the stubborn grip of the mud.

With no other option but to wait for the situation to be resolved, Althea calmly exited the carriage, her gaze drifting across the dense trees surrounding her. Aware that the delay could take some time, she decided to take a leisurely stroll through the forest to pass the time. Being a half-ghoul, she was not easily frightened by the creatures of the woods, and she had little fear of any potential threats that might lurk in the shadows.

As she wandered among the towering trees, the rhythmic crunch of her boots on the wet earth was the only sound breaking the eerie silence. However, a sudden, unnerving shiver raced down her spine, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. It was a feeling she recognized all too well—a presence she had long since forgotten, one that only she could truly sense.

A ghoul.