The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 173: Chapter 173

It had been almost an hour since Lucas and his cohorts settled in Briarshade Waystation, a modest, half-forgotten traveler’s stop nestled between two sloping hills. Surrounded by tall grass and bramble hedges that offered a wide field with enough visibility to spot any approaching enemies.
The journey had exhausted Mearina and her maid. They planned to take a short rest and leave before sunrise. They also needed a plan.
“My Lord, the coast is clear,” Falcon said, stopping beside him. “The perimeter has been checked twice.”
Lucas glanced back at the small, stone-crafted abode in the distance where Mearina was staying.
“My Lord… w-will you be alright?” Falcon asked, and Lucas understood the concern in his voice.
“Hm. I’ll be fine,” Lucas replied. He had done something to ease the ache of the past memories, and it was working.
The kiss with Lylah had been intentional. Since he felt a slight pull toward her, he used that to his advantage.
He only hoped Lylah would forgive him for it.
“My lady, you should eat something,” Oren said to Mearina, who sat on the floor, offering the soup they had made together.
“Not until I see my children, Oren. Take it away,” Mearina refused. Her eyes were swollen and red, as if she had cried for far too long.
“My lady, you’ll need strength—”
“I want to be alone. Stop bothering me,” she insisted.
“Leave us,” Lucas stepped in, and Oren nodded. She cast Mearina a worried glance before stepping out.
Lucas sat beside Mearina on the floor, their backs resting against the wall. Silence settled between them, broken only by the occasional crackle from the small fireplace.
“I’m such a failure, Lucas. I let everyone down… including you.”
Lucas pulled out a small, clean piece of fabric and handed it to her to clean her tears. She thanked him, trying her best to hold jer emotions.
“I’m sure you hate me. I saw it in your eyes that day you came visiting…”
“I don’t hate you, Mearina. I wouldn’t be here if I did,” he said, his gaze fixed on the fire, but he could feel her eyes on him.
“But you don’t trust me.”
He didn’t respond.
“I understand. Not after what I did to you years ago, how I destroyed everything in a whim, all because of my selfishness.”
“I’m not here to talk about that. I just need you to rest and be ready for tomorrow. That's what I came to tell you,"
“Does that mean you don’t want to know the real reason I let you go?”
This time, Lucas’s crimson eyes finally met her ocean-blue, glassy ones.
She gave him a weak smile.
“I’m really sorry, Lucas. I never meant to hurt you back then. After the Ouroboros Massacre, I found my home burned to the ground...”
She brgan to narrate.
Mearina had once been adored by her people. Her clan had dark, glowing skin—a rare trait that often left people in awe.
She was the most beautiful among her sisters, and many were jealous of her. Because of that, she had been secretly bullied.
The bullying led her to visit the palace often. She became friends with Lucas and Duncan, and saw Valoreth as her mentor. She loved spending time with Valoreth ever since she was eight, drawn by all the things he taught her.
However, when the Ouroboros Massacre occurred, she rushed back to her clan only to find her homeland in flames. Bodies had been reduced to ashes. Nothing remained. No one.
Her parents, friends, sisters, brothers—all gone.
That day, Valoreth had saved and shielded from the last wave of fire. His large wings had wrapped tightly around her until the attack was over.
She owed him her life and promised she would do anything to repay him.
But Valoreth’s request was not an easy one.
He had asked her to marry him.
And he had made that request after her mate bond with Lucas had already been formed.
Having given Valoreth her word, and she had no choice but to agree, leaving Lucas with a broken heart.
Lucas's jaw was tightly clenched by the time she finished.
“You could have told me. I would have understood. Back then, I was ready to do anything to fix us. I was ready to give up my position and build a life with you. But I couldn't do a thing... because I had no idea where to start. You broke me without explaining.” Lucas looked away, fists clenching. “You did hurt me, Mearina. So much that I almost lost myself… no, I did lose myself.”
Lucas recalled how insane he went after she broke him—the words, her face, the way they haunted him every full moon.
He had even found himself sobbing in bed several nights, desperate to know what had gone wrong. What mistake he might have made.
He remembered how he craved to see her one more time, just to know if she was okay with Lord Valoreth, but…
Time passed, and he got no explanation.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears falling from her eyes. “I’m really sorry, and I would do anything to fix it now. I did really love you, and our time together was the best part of my life. I—” she croaked, sobbing harder. “I hated myself for ruining it. I hated myself for destroying everything. I just… I just didn’t know what to do.”
“There’s no need,” Lucas said, looking at her again. “I’ll be fine.”
The thought of Lylah worked. He forced himself to replay their kiss in his mind over and over again, and It kept him sane.
But as he zoned out on that thought, Mearina did something unexpected.
She kissed him—
Pressing her lips into his, deepening the kiss so hard he could feel her wet, soft flesh against his tongue.