The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 177: Chapter 177

Pain radiated from her lower abdomen, back, and between her thighs. It woke her up, leaving her gasping for air.
It had started as a dull ache, but now it was becoming unbearable.
Arianna’s body trembled as she looked up at her sleeping mate and bit down on her lip. The gathering was today, and everything felt so wrong.
Where was this pain coming from?
“Dun,” she called in a whisper and groan painfully. “Dun, wake up.”
Duncan remained still, his chest rising and falling in a slow, shallow rhythm that oddly terrified her.
Something was wrong, she could feel it. She forced herself sat up slightly and cupped his face.
“Dun?” she called again.
Still no response.
Duncan never slept deeply. He had always been the one to wake before her, and on the rare occasions she woke first, just the sound of her voice was enough to stir him.
Something was definitely wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Please. Please. Please. This couldn’t be what she was thinking.
“Dun, wake up,” she pleaded, tapping his cheek repeatedly, panic seeping into her bones. Tears gathered in her eyes blurring her vision.
“Dun, please wake up. Dun…” she shook him, but her mate remained still.
A broken sob tore from her throat, her mind reeling from what could have happened.
Could this be the Cor Triantha? She had refused to see anyone apart from Selene, refused to give Duncan anything that would touch his tongue.
So if this was the poison, then how… how did it happen?
And if it was true, why target the king? He hadn’t wronged anyone!
“Dun, please… please… no. Just open your eyes,” Arianna begged, ignoring the pain tearing through her body as she checked for his heartbeat. Faint—so faint she could barely hear it.
“Help!!!” Arianna screamed, the pain in her belly intensifying. “Somebody help!!!”
The door flew open, revealing Selene.
“Help, please! He’s not opening his eyes! Get the healer!” Arianna sobbed, her head spinning as she held him close.
“Open your eyes for me, my love. Please, I beg you…”
Her gaze flicked to Selene, who stood there, unmoved. Something about the head maid didn’t feel right. But before she could speak, soldiers burst in.
“She killed the king. Make the announcement."
Arianna’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets.
That voice, it had come from Selene.
Wait—the beeswax she had given her last night…
'I made it out of hearts,'
The head maid’s voice echoed in her mind.
The beeswax she had put on her lips. Duncan had kissed her. And then… the pregnancy herbs. Could it be?
No. No. No.
“I don’t understand,” Arianna whispered, her tear-filled gaze locking with Selene’s. The soldiers marched forward and grabbed her.
“Why?! Why the fuck would you do this?!” she screamed, then noticed something strange, something off about the head maid as they forced her to the ground and shackled her.
“You’re not Selene, are you?” Arianna muttered.
The figure in Selene’s image smirked.
“Never thought you'd figure it out princess. I'm impressed,” the doppelganger said smoothly. “Take her out.”
Arianna struggled against the guards. She wanted to summon her power, but they were too strong—or maybe she was simply too weak and in too much pain.
The began to drag her out.
She caught a glimpse of the false Selene drawing a sword.
Don’t tell me they’re going to plunge that through his heart…
“No! Dun—don’t you fucking go near him!” she cried out.
“ARGHHHHH!!!”
Arianna lost control.
•••••••••••••••
Lylah gasped awake with a splitting headache, a painful one that made her groan.
It was the nightmare again. This time, she remembered all of it.
Arianna, standing before a crowd, about to be executed. The gathering today was not going to end well.
She had to find her.
Lylah burst out of her room, panting. She endured the pain in her head and rushed down the corridor, but the headache grew worse the further she went. So instead, she changed direction, she needed to find Selene.
The corridor was oddly empty. The usual bustling of maids and guards had vanished into silence. It must be because of Arianna’s gathering.
Thud.
Lylah’s head snapped toward the sound. Another thud echoed. It was coming from Selene’s room.
She rushed to open the door, just as Selene burst out and collapsed to the floor, coughing out blood.
“What in the world happened to you?!” Lylah asked, panicked.
The head maid staggered to her feet, leaning back against the wall and panting.
“Where’s Aria?” Selene asked, wiping the blood from her lips.
“She’s probably getting ready for the gathering and I'm on my way to see her.”
“Her gathering is today?” Selene gasped.
“What happened to you? You just coughed up blood! Are you okay?”
Selene took several deep breaths before answering. “No. I've been trapped in my room for three days. A man in a dark cloak appeared in my room, offered me a deal to betray Arianna in order to save my people. He said they were going after the king and the Beta and needed me because I had direct access to Aria.”
“What?!” Lylah gasped.
“I refused. I was going to report him, but suddenly I couldn’t see. He took my blood while chanting something. For a brief moment, my vision returned, and I saw… my face on him. I’ve been locked up ever since. I just woke up.”
Selene’s breathing slowly steadied.
Lylah remained frozen, her head spinning from the news.
“We have to find Aria. Before—”
Her words were cut off by the blare of a loud trumpet.
The sound rang out once.
Selene flinched so hard her entire body shook. She looked to the sky, her face lost color.
The trumpet blared again and every nerve in her body caught fire with dread.
“No…” she shook her head. "This can't be happening."
Then the third and final trumpet blast shattered her completely. The three blasts meant one thing.
And it felt like a nightmare.
How in the devil had they pulled it off? What was happening?
A trick? No—this was hell. Total hell.
“Madam Selene!” Lylah shouted, snapping the head maid back to reality. “What the hell is going on? What’s the trumpet about?!”
The king’s death, Selene wanted to say. But first—Aria.
“Hey, Lylah… I need you to do me a favor,” she said, locking eyes with her. The intensity in those stormy gray eyes told Lylah everything.
Everything was falling apart.
“Go into the woods and release Eryndor. Don’t worry, I’ll connect to it and give it instructions.”
Lylah stilled, her lips quivering.
“Go! Lylah, go!” the head maid shouted.
Without wasting another second, Lylah bolted, grateful she had her daggers with her.
Selene stormed back into her room, reaching for her dark hooded cloak and pulling it on. She lit a small lamp and fastened it to the cloak.
She whispered a prayer under her breath and cast a pleading look at the sky before stepping out with her face covered.