Auctioned to the Cruel King - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Lance’s POV
The first thing I noticed was the stink—blood, sweat, and dirt. The damn chamber stank of everything that made my skin crawl.
Hah! Fuck!
My skin itched like it didn’t belong to me. Filthy. Slick with dried sweat. I was naked, sprawled on the cold stone floor, lungs heaving as though I’d been dragged from the depths of a nightmare.
As usual, no windows, but I could see everything. The low ambient glow of the room’s runes buzzed faintly along the walls, burning into my skull.
My beast hadn’t fully settled. He still paced within, snarling, snapping his jaws, unsatisfied.
And I could’ve shoved a fist into its chest if we weren't one.
I dragged my fingers through my tangled hair and hissed out a breath. My muscles trembled beneath my skin, overstretched and drained. It had taken everything I had to shift back. I could barely remember the moment it happened. Blinding pain, an echo of a scream. Then… nothing.
I coughed and choked. The air was thick. Something burned at the back of my throat. My body recoiled, my senses catching something else…her scent.
Almost buried under the copper tang of blood and whatever destruction I’d wreaked.
Damn it.
I stumbled up, bracing a hand on the wall as vertigo hit. My knees threatened to buckle, but I forced them to obey. I was the king, and I wouldn’t crumble like some pathetic pup in the aftermath of his rage.
“Are you alright, my king?”
Alaric’s voice came muffled but firm, filtering through the iron bars that sealed the chamber door.
“Is that you, Ric?” I croaked.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Fuck…” I groaned, feeling like shit.
His footsteps echoed closer.
He appeared at the entrance, holding a thick robe. I snatched it from him and threw it over my shoulders, my body still trembling.
“It’s cold as the void in here,” I muttered, tying it around my waist with a grimace. “Damn moon. Damn curse.”
“You always say that,” Alaric replied, tone far too light for my liking. “No need to curse yourself over it, my king. At least no one was seriously hurt.”
My eyes snapped to his. “What the hell does that mean?”
He hesitated.
That alone was enough to ignite the fire clawing through my gut. “Speak plainly. I’m in no mood for your riddles.”
“I think it’s better said once we’re back in your room.”
I growled under my breath, dragging a hand over my face. “I don’t recall much… Not after those fuckers…ugh, er., I might have smelled you before. Did you come in here before now? Was someone else here?”
“That was two days ago. You were conscious longer than usual. That’s progress.”
I barked a dry laugh that held no humor. “Progress? I don’t give a shit about progress, Ric. I want control. Not fleeting moments of consciousness while my beast uses my body like a puppet.”
“Steady stance,” he said. “Your father used to say that.”
“Yeah, well, he’s dead,” I muttered, brushing past him. “And I’m still in a cage.”
Alaric said nothing to that.
I paused halfway to the corridor. “I sensed her. Moira. Was she here?” Was it even Moira?
“Yes. She helped tend to—” His hesitation returned. “—the Luna.”
Luna…
I forced the emotion down. A sharp jab in my chest, swallowed by a colder emptiness. My jaw clenched.
“Oh.” That was all I said.
We returned to my quarters. And I immediately tore the robe off and headed straight to the shower. I’d taken my take to scrub off the dirt and try to quell the voices in my head.
I stepped out of the bathroom, steam curling around me. Naked. Didn’t bother covering up. There was no shame in our kind, only to find Vivian sitting on the edge of my bed, dressed in a see-through gown that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
My body tensed.
Her scent was cloying. Intentional. And even though she knew damn well how I dislike such a release, she did it anyway.
“What the hell are you doing here?” My voice came out low, rough.
She smiled. “I came to check on you. I figured after your shift, you might need… comfort.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Since when do you care?”
Vivian stood, crossing the room. “Don’t be cruel, Lance. I understand you get vicious after your transformations, but it’s still me.”
“Careful,” I warned, voice like frost. “You’re not welcome here.”
She stepped closer, brushing her hand over my chest, her fingers trailing down.
I caught her wrist before she reached any further. “What do you want?”
“You, of course.” Her tone was sickly sweet. “I can give you what she gives you… better. No shame. No fear. Just raw need.”
My cock hardened despite the disgust burning in my gut. The beast stirred—still too close to the surface. Still hungry. I groaned under my breath, pushed her away, and grabbed my robe.
She didn’t stop. “I’m angry, Lance. Angry that you treat me this way even knowing how much you need me. That she—some little outsider—gets your attention.”
I tied the robe tighter, jaw ticking. “You talk too much.”
“Do I?” she sneered.
“Does she satisfy you that much during your shift?” My eyes rose at her words, and she smiled. She probably enjoyed the look she’d forced out of me. “I heard what happened. You ravaged her. Must’ve been good for you.”
I moved before I realized I had.
My hand clamped around her throat, slamming her against the wall. Her eyes bulged. Nails clawed at my forearm.
“Quiet,” I snarled. “Now go back. What the hell did you just say?”
“You’re… hurting me—!”
“Answer me!”
My claws extended. Blood welled beneath my grip. I was one breath away from snapping her neck.
As the fog cleared in my head, I let go.
She collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping. The sight of her—crumpled and pathetic—didn’t satisfy me. Only reminded me how close I was to losing everything again. I’d drawn blood. Again. And I hadn't been myself for those short seconds.
“I didn’t mean to…” I muttered, almost to myself.
She slapped my hand away when I moved to help her. “Don’t touch me.”
Vivian stumbled to her feet, glaring through watery eyes. “If you so much want to know…, she had come to the den!” She hissed. “That Luna of yours. She walked right into it.”
I stilled. “What? She wasn’t stopped?”
“Why would she be? It’s her duty, isn’t it? To soothe you. To take what you become.”
Rage and shame churned inside me.
“Get out,” I said.
She was stunned.
“I said get out!”
She swallowed her pride and turned just as a knock landed at the door.
Alaric stepped in, gaze flickering from her to me.
Vivian, ever the snake, smiled. “Perfect timing. Now that we’re all here—”
“Shut up,” I snapped, eyes locked on Alaric. “Is it true?”
“My king?”
“Don’t. Don’t play dumb. Did Kayla enter the den?”
Alaric held my gaze. “Yes. She did.”
“Where is she?”
“With Moira. Resting. The doctor has seen her.”
I do be damned. I sat on the bed, running both hands through my hair. My mind raced. My gut twisted. What had I done?
Vivian scoffed. “What makes her so different, huh? What makes her so fragile and untouchable? When I satisfied you in your beast form, I never got an apology. Never got tenderness.”
I clenched my fist and held my eyes shut, trying to block out her voice.”
“For moons, I was there. I knew my role and I played it without complaint. With grace. But now—now you’re weak. Pathetic. Over some girl who can’t even—”
“Enough,” I growled.
She laughed bitterly. “Fine. I had only come here to tell you Cleo is coming. He’s on his way here.”
My head snapped toward her.
She walked out and slammed the door behind her.