Auctioned to the Cruel King - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Kayla’s pov
Thanks to the Vivian girl, I was not only red listed in the Lycan king’s book but I was also black listed. I had to get out of here before he discovered my big fraud.
The kind of hatred he pinned me with….I shook my head at the slightest remembrance, I haven’t seen it before. It was as if my entire existence aggravated him.
Stopping short in the center of the room, my eyes darted to my untouched meal on the table, then to my door. Outside where he’d posted a guard to monitor me, thereby reducing my chances of ever being alone.
So I followed my plan.
“Do you need anything?” Even asking the question the guard’s tone was displeased, like I’d disrupted his holy mantra.
“Nothing much.” I shrugged. I raised the bowl to my face. “I came bearing food.” As if to signify with action I shook the plate to his face.
“Don’t bother yourself, I’m okay here,” he said with a straight face, however his stomach rumbled just in cue and I smiled.
“C’mon,” I pressed on, “it wouldn’t hurt, besides you would be doing more of your duty inside where you can see me.”
His brows twitched and his nose jerked a little.
Just one more push, I thought. “And it’s a win for you, you get to have a stomach full while on duty. I’m just bored.” I’d attempted my best posture of damsel in distress.
I didn’t really think it would work, I’d never tried it before, talk more on ruthless Lycans. But when his face fell to the mouth watering beef, he gave a sharp and clip nod. “Alright, but only because I will be watching you the entire time.”
“That’s all.” I assured him and he took the bowl and walked in with me. This was good.
When I was sure he was comfortable now, I threw a bait question. “So, since you are my guard, you have to follow me everywhere?”
He lifted a brow at my obvious question. “That’s what it entails.”
“I know, but everywhere?”
He paused his eating and held my gaze. “Yes everywhere.”
Humming, I nodded in understanding. Nevertheless I had to find a way out of here, a secret passage or something. Buildings like this must have something of sort.
“Let’s say,” I walked over to the table beside him and asked. “Hypothetically speaking. If the pack is under attack by a fellow Lycan king. How would you all escape? This place seemed to be built in just a very plain way.”
He arched a brow at my suspicious question and I added to smoothen the atmosphere. “Back in my pack, even small, we’d been able to withstand many threats thrown at us. I can’t say that with this one. The moment one alpha grows a ball and sets out to take you down. You lots will be gone within the snap of a finger.”
It was yet another bait to get him to sprawl whatever secret passage this pack must harbor. To brag of the pack’s strength.
He chuckled in mock. “Do not concern yourself with that. We have some secret ways that lead out of here. And our building is pretty sturdy.”
“Hmm, that’s good. If I’m going to be the King’s bride, I wouldn't want to die early. Hence your job.”
After eating he smiled at me. Tight, but baby steps. In due time I would ask about the secret passage, I reckoned if I was introduced as the chosen bride, they most certainly would have no knowledge that I planned to escape. After all, to some, this was some big shorts.
I scoffed. “Can we please take a walk? I’m tired of sitting around and doing nothing.”
It didn’t take much convincing from my side since it seemed as if he needed the walk just as I did.
We took a walk, I admired some parts of the building and even saw a library. I wasn’t a big fan of one, so we strutted till we stopped at the sight of shirtless men dueling.
Wait.
This was the training field. I scooted closer and my shadow, or personal guard followed suit.
I watched as a big burly man, with a pound of flesh and arms thrice my size threw a punch at ... .I stiffened as I looked closely ... .at the Lycan King.
The man seemed to be a giant compared to the mundane height and weight of the Lycan king. He’d had to have some guts fighting with someone that big that could easily squash him.
Who am I kidding, the Lycan king was just as feral. The sunlight caught the bronze of his skin, turning the sheen of sweat into something obscene. Majestic.
His hair was damp and curling at the ends, his chest bare and heaving. Gods, he was huge too. All shoulders and thighs and the brutal grace of a predator who didn’t need elegance to be devastating.
The man ducked low and landed a blow to his ribs. Lance grunted but only grinned—grinned like he loved it. Like pain was just another dance partner.
And when he turned his head, when those eyes found mine for the briefest of moments…
I forgot how to breathe.
In the short second his attention diverted to me, the man, built like a giant, threw his fist. In the spur of the moment, the Lycan king reacted swiftly, but he was already subjected to the sneak attack so therefore his face welcomed the punch.
Though big, fear rolled off him in waves as he realized without a trepidation what he had done. He went on his knees like any second from now he would die.
“Please forgive me alpha, I did not know you stopped. Please!”
Why did he have to beg, it was a duel after all? The sight of him—bare-chested and blood-slicked from sparring—might have made some females swoon. I snorted instead.
It was a mistake.
His head snapped toward me, like a predator catching the rustle of prey. Those cold, unblinking eyes pinned me in place as he prowled forward, every inch of him carved in menace.
“What are you doing here?” He demanded in a corpse-like tone as well as gaze.
All humour dried from the back of my mind. His gaze, heavy like the burly Lycan he was fighting, darted to my guard and back to me.
Forcing down the lump in my throat I answered. “I was taking a look around.” Not once did I meet his eyes as I spoke like a coward.
Better a coward to live than to die and forsake a future without my haunting darkness.
“If you have time to wander, you have time to prepare for your duty tonight.”
My spine went stiff. The words landed like a punch to my gut. I barely breathed.
Duty.
The word echoed, bitter and final.
If I could have run then, I would’ve. But he was right. I went to prepare—not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t see another way out. Not yet. Not until I got the hell out of here for good.
I was halfway to the damned room when Vivian’s voice slithered in behind me.
“Going to see the king?”
I turned just in time to slap her hand away. Her smile was pure venom. She was baiting me. I knew it. And I should have ignored her. I almost did—until she added, “Poor thing. How will you handle him? He’s not small by any means, you know.”
I froze.
Fear flared. But rage burned hotter.
She leaned in like she was sharing a secret. “Let’s see… how to put this? The king has... preferences. Demands. Ones I doubt you'll satisfy. But you can still walk away—if you're not up to it.”
I turned to say something that would cut deeper than her fangs ever could—but she was already leaving. The guard wouldn't even meet my eyes. So I bit down my fear and moved.
I knocked once, then let myself in.
The room was dim, bathed in some kind of incense that dulled the edges of everything. The scent made me dizzy, made the air feel thick. He was there. Fresh from a bath. Still damp.
My heart crashed against my ribs.
Keep it together.
Vivian’s words slithered in again. I forced them down. Forced the memories down deeper, of what Landon had done. Of what that night had stolen from me. This was just sex. And once it was paid, I would walk out. Unbroken. Unclaimed.
My steps were hesitant, but I moved. I moved.
The haze parted just enough to reveal him, broader than any male had a right to be. And staring.
I didn’t want this. Not like this.
But my body? My traitorous body reacted. Alphas were mad, dangerous creatures with sculpted bodies and bloodlust. I reminded myself of that. Repeated it in my mind like a mantra.
Landon had taken. Violently. This male would be no different.
So why…
Why did I feel something else blooming in my chest?
The mate bond?
He hadn’t accepted it.
My throat bopped as I swallowed hard on my saliva. With the dress that was placed out to me, I felt naked and bare.
His needle-like gaze slowly crept like twines from my feet up to my eyes and he commanded in a clear cut voice.
“Get on your knees.”