The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Never for a moment had Valkyrie missed the sight of her King. She always made sure to catch a glimpse of him, even just for a fleeting moment.
They might not exchange words, but she made sure he saw her. Almost every night, he would summon her to his chamber to mount and satisfy his lust.
He only took her from behind, no foreplay, no kissing, just straight to thrusting in her. Yet, she was satisfied by it.
Her Darling still cares for her. He does.
But tonight, all things had gone so wrong.
It had been more than twenty-one hours; she had refused to eat or sleep.
Her Darling was said to be busy throughout the day, yet she heard the gossip of a maid mentioning that the King had summoned his slave.
That bitch, Arianna!
She was on the verge of tears, her feet trembling with anxiety. Why had the King summoned the slave instead of her?
Just one day, and she was forgotten?
Was she to spend another sleepless night?
Unable to take it, she went to the Sacred Moon wing, heading toward the King's chamber.
Soldiers stood by the entrance hall, guarding. They bowed to her but stood in the way.
"Let me in, this moment," she glared.
"I'm sorry, My Lady. The Grand King is busy and wishes not to be disturbed," Falcon, who was guarding, spoke politely.
"I've heard that several times. Do you not know who stands before you?" she asked, her head held high.
"I do, my Lady. You're the Grand King's betrothed..."
"Your Luna. The King's future bride. And you dare disrespect me?" she asked. "He wouldn't mind if his future Queen decides to attend to him. He'll only be mad at you for disrespecting the Queen."
Falcon glanced at her; Valkyrie thought he was finally giving in, but it shocked her when he responded.
"There is another command, my Lady, from Lord Lucas, the hand of the King. No one is to see the King except through him."
Valkyrie felt as though her head was about to explode. Knowing the soldiers wouldn't allow her in as long as the second ruler's command stood, Valkyrie took a deep breath to calm the rage building up inside her.
Spinning, she went to find Lucas. There, she spotted Lucas in a fight with Brigid, the maid under Selene.
••••••••••
The intense duel had been going on for minutes, and despite Brigid focusing all her energy on trying to land a strike on Lucas—just one strike—she failed miserably.
Beta Lucas was incredibly fast. His movements were effortless, as if he wasn't even trying.
Between his strikes—not with brute force, but with calculated precision—the impact was brutally effective. Brigid bled from her nose, her limbs beginning to give out.
She swung her sword at Lucas, intending to deceive him with the strike and use her other sword against him. He smirked, anticipating her move, and swung his dagger at her face.
Shit.
The dagger was mere inches from cutting her skin when the Grand Lord abruptly changed his move, withdrawing his hand and instead delivering a hard kick to her waist, sending her flying.
Brigid coughed up blood, unable to get up.
"Don't," one of the warriors mouthed at her, signaling for her to stay down.
Lucas stepped forward, towering over her. "Yield?"
Brigid lowered her head. "I... Yes... My Lord," she managed to say, and to her surprise, Lucas turned to leave.
"My Lord!" Brigid called out, forcing herself to kneel. Lucas halted his tracks. "Please let me join the warriors... I beg you!"
Lucas glanced over his shoulder. "On each day I see you here on the training ground, I will spar with you. Don't expect me to go easy next time. Your choice."
"Training's over. You all should get some rest," he said to the others.
Lucas wore his robe, about to head to his chamber when he spotted Lady Valkyrie approaching.
"Beta Lucas," she smiled with a light bow. "May I have your attention for a minute?"
Lucas sighed. "If this is about letting you enter the King's chamber, then you should return to your domain, My Lady," he said, annoyingly politely, and began to walk away.
"I have every right to be with the king tonight. He needs me, and you're stepping in the way!" Valkyrie almost shouted, her voice edged with frustration.
"You know, Lady Valkyrie, you're quite strange these days. Ever since the King's last rut, you've been on edge." Lucas glanced over his shoulder, his eyes holding a curiosity that made Valkyrie swallow.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about. I was simply doing my duty," Valkyrie said, trying to make her voice firm.
"Back at the Grand Court," Lucas turned to face her completely. "For the first time, King Duncan claimed a slave—one that was supposed to be killed before the court. Everyone was shocked, even I was. But you, Valkyrie..." He paused and tilted his head to one side. "You looked so terrified as though your soul had left your body."
Valkyrie's hands secretly tightened at her sides.
"Are you that afraid the King might lose interest in you, or is there simply more to it?" Lucas questioned while Valkyrie became increasingly unsettled.
She tried hard to hide her emotions, but Lucas saw right through them.
"There's something about that slave, isn't there?" A smirk formed on Lucas's lips. "Time will tell... And if you turn out to do something impulsive, I will drag your battered body to your father and his pack."
Lucas spun, striding away and leaving Valkyrie seething.
•••••••••••••
Arianna's breath was heavy, sweat dripping from her exhausted body, marred with red marks.
It wasn't his feral rut. How could he be this brutal during normal intercourse? Hadn't his beast been well fed in lust? It was as though the king was greedily mounting her.
One moment he was pleasuring her, driving her to heights of ecstasy, sending her to the clouds and making her crave more... and then moments later, he was hurting her.
He was the ruthless Lycan King, slowly drifting into darkness due to lack of a mate. How could she have forgotten that?
Her body was supposed to heal, to accept him despite the pain. The ache on her body should have dulled and faded, but it hadn't. She was trapped in that pain.
“Lily,” Arianna whispered in tears. She had badly missed her wolf. When was she going to return? She couldn't face this alone, especially as the king’s slave.
For a moment, she hated Lily for leaving her to face her pain. When was the Moon Goddess going to finally remember her and give her back her wolf? Just when?
Just when was this going to stop?
Arianna was unaware of what was happening around her any longer, but she could feel strong arms around her—gentle this time.
It seemed her soft cries had finally reached him.
She felt his touch on her face, sweeping hair that clung to her forehead aside. Her sight was blurry... barely able to see the king's face.
Slowly, she passed out.
••••••••••
KING DUNCAN.
Finally managing to stop his greedy Lycan, King Duncan's mind was in a mess.
Gently, he gathered her into his arms.
His gaze sharp, he stared at Arianna’s exhausted and vulnerable form. Her body was covered in red marks, marred with traces of blood.
She was asleep, yet her face held a small frown as if she were in pain.
His hand reached to touch her face, and her knitted brow loosened, responding to his touch.
His eyes squinted as a strange feeling rose in his chest. He couldn't pinpoint it since he had barely felt emotions ever since his dark past.
But staring at the sleeping female in his arms, Duncan's jaw clenched. If he hadn't been the one who inflicted this on her, he would have ripped the culprit apart.
Quickly, he mind-linked with the nearby soldier close to his chamber, and almost immediately the door opened. The soldier bowed.
King Duncan ordered, deep and full of urgency, “Get me the healer and head maid Selene. Tell them not to take more than five minutes, or I'll rip their goddamn heads off.”
With that, the soldier scurried away, almost stumbling as the king used his alpha voice on him.
King Duncan’s gaze shifted to the girl in his arms, and he muttered...
“By the full moon, what the hell are you to me?”