The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 43: Chapter 43
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Hearing every word from her sister, Arianna couldn’t help the rage that burned inside her.
Kael had tried to kill Lylah. That bastard.
Clenching her jaw, Arianna—now dressed in her usual slave attire—muttered, "This is all my fault. If I hadn’t trusted him and listened to you, you wouldn’t have been forced to venture into the Dark Forest, almost killed by rogues, and brought here."
"You promised not to blame yourself, Aria," Lylah reminded her.
"That doesn’t change the fact that it’s my fault," Arianna said, pacing the room. "I was the one who listened to the elders, got fooled by my bastard ex-mate, risked your life, and put our pack into the wrong hands. You could have been killed several times because of my stupid mistakes."
Lylah swiftly set her meal aside, crossed the distance between them, and hugged her.
"Can you stop blaming yourself?" Lylah tightened her hold.
Arianna’s eyes teared up, her chest heaving as emotions swirled in them.
"What if something worse had happened to you? I wouldn’t forgive myself, Lylah. I don’t think I’d be able to live with that guilt—not even for a second," Arianna sobbed, drawing her sister closer.
Tears welled up in Lylah’s eyes. "I learned every single thing from you. You would have done the same thing—perhaps worse. Everything I did was just to find you."
Arianna sniffled, her voice breaking. "Oh, Lyla… I’m so sorry."
"Alright, enough with the crying and apologizing," Lylah snorted, breaking the hug and wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"What happened to your hair? I almost didn’t recognize you at the barracks," Lylah asked, swiftly changing the topic as she returned to her meal.
"Don’t worry about it. It’s a long story," Arianna replied. Her hair was growing back anyway. "What happened to your hair?"
"I cut it off when one of the guards caught it while I was trying to escape," Lylah shrugged, completely unbothered. "I wanted it shorter anyway. I don’t like long hair. I’ll find someone to help me even it out."
Arianna shook her head slightly. "I’ll do that for you tomorrow. Besides, you shouldn’t put yourself in danger like that again. This isn’t like our pack. This place is far more dangerous."
"I’m a warrior, remember?" Lylah grinned despite the emotions swirling inside her. "Your warrior. How can a Luna have no one to protect her?"
Arianna smiled wide. It had been a while since she felt genuinely happy.
Lylah had always dreamt of being a warrior, determined to protect Arianna once she became Luna of the pack. Despite their father’s constant scolding, reminding her that she was a female, Lylah had secretly trained with Ryder.
"Fine," Arianna ruffled her sister’s hair gently. "You’ll always be my knight in shining armor. Ryder taught you well."
Lylah’s smile faltered, her bright eyes replaced with guilt.
Knowing what she was thinking, Arianna cupped her face. "It’s alright. I’m sure Ryder would be proud of you wherever he is. You did great, little sis."
Lylah studied her sister for a while. "How is it, being a slave to the most dangerous man in the realm? The Beta scares the hell out of me. Now I’m wondering how you managed to face the King at the Grand Court."
"I only spoke the truth," Arianna shrugged.
"I knew you’d survive. You always do," Lylah smirked. "So, tell me all about what happened to you here."
Arianna swallowed. "Uhmm… You don’t want to know."
"That bad?"
Arianna sighed. "Complicated. Besides, now isn’t the right time to talk about this. I have to get back to the chamber," she said, swiftly avoiding the question.
••••••••
AMBASSADOR WING – Tarven
"It is such a great honor to have you here at the Citadel, Alpha Toran," said Lord Pericles.
"Careful," Toran mumbled, bringing his ale to his lips. "I haven’t taken the place yet."
Lord Pericles snickered. "It’s only a few days away. You’re already the Alpha of Black Iron Pack—the strongest pack! Haha!"
Toran forced a smile, his eyes sweeping over the lavish and spacious hall. That was one thing he loved about this place: so much ale, slaves, and beautiful women. He couldn’t wait to have one in his bed soon, but first, he needed to see the King’s slave.
The only thing he disliked about this place was the lack of freedom.
He couldn’t move as he pleased, despite being the King’s betrothed’s older brother. But since his father was the Alpha of the most powerful pack, Toran was respected—especially as he was to become the new Alpha in a few days.
"Alpha Toran, how is your father, my dear friend…?"
Toran sighed. "You’re drunk, Lord Pericles."
Pericles shook his head slightly. "I’m just tipsy," he said, glancing at Valkyrie, who had remained silent the whole time. "Isn’t that right, my lady?" He asked, and Valkyrie raised a questioning brow. "Do I look drunk?"
Valkyrie simply replied with a small smile, meeting her brother’s gaze before drinking her wine.
"I can’t help but wonder why you’re here, Alpha Toran. Is it because of the upcoming Grand Festival?"
"Why I’m here is none of your concern, Lord Pericles," Toran replied curtly, the thought of the King’s slave gnawing at him.
Pericles giggled. "I understand. Once the Grand Festival is over, my lady here will become Queen of this realm. That way, your father will become like the third ruler—the Gamma of the Citadel. I can’t wait to see everything fall perfectly into place." He glanced back and roared at his working slave. "More ale!"
"Me too," Toran forced a smile, looking at his sister. "Everything will be perfect after the Grand Festival, and I’m here to make sure of that."
Pericles clapped his hands. "Yes! You shouldn’t worry. The King will have no choice. The council is already on our side. It’s his duty to balance the realm and listen to his people. What is a realm without a Queen?"
Nadia approached the table. "Here’s the wine, my—" she paused upon seeing Valkyrie.
Valkyrie said nothing, but Toran noticed the tension.
"Are you blind? Can’t you greet the guest? Or do you want your head hung on a spike?!" Pericles spat.
"I’m sorry, my lord, my lady," she greeted with a bow, one that didn’t reach her heart.
As she left, Toran’s eyes followed her.
"Ugh," Pericles groaned. "Excuse me, Alpha. I need to relieve myself. Please, enjoy."
After he left, Toran returned his gaze to Valkyrie. "Who is she?"
"Hm? Who?"
"Don’t play games with me. Who is she?" Toran asked, and Valkyrie swallowed before telling him everything.
Toran exhaled in frustration. "So you killed her sister but not her? Yet you insisted you had everything under control?" He scoffed. "What gives you the assurance she hasn’t told the King yet?"
Valkyrie clenched her fists at her brother’s bluntness.
Pericles returned after a while.
"You owe me a favor, Lord Pericles," Toran said as the man settled back into his seat.
"Of course, Alpha Toran. If it weren’t for you and your father, I wouldn’t be on this seat. Tell me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you."
"It’s simple," Toran smirked, glancing at Nadia. "I want that slave. I want her to serve me."
Kael had tried to kill Lylah. That bastard.
Clenching her jaw, Arianna—now dressed in her usual slave attire—muttered, "This is all my fault. If I hadn’t trusted him and listened to you, you wouldn’t have been forced to venture into the Dark Forest, almost killed by rogues, and brought here."
"You promised not to blame yourself, Aria," Lylah reminded her.
"That doesn’t change the fact that it’s my fault," Arianna said, pacing the room. "I was the one who listened to the elders, got fooled by my bastard ex-mate, risked your life, and put our pack into the wrong hands. You could have been killed several times because of my stupid mistakes."
Lylah swiftly set her meal aside, crossed the distance between them, and hugged her.
"Can you stop blaming yourself?" Lylah tightened her hold.
Arianna’s eyes teared up, her chest heaving as emotions swirled in them.
"What if something worse had happened to you? I wouldn’t forgive myself, Lylah. I don’t think I’d be able to live with that guilt—not even for a second," Arianna sobbed, drawing her sister closer.
Tears welled up in Lylah’s eyes. "I learned every single thing from you. You would have done the same thing—perhaps worse. Everything I did was just to find you."
Arianna sniffled, her voice breaking. "Oh, Lyla… I’m so sorry."
"Alright, enough with the crying and apologizing," Lylah snorted, breaking the hug and wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"What happened to your hair? I almost didn’t recognize you at the barracks," Lylah asked, swiftly changing the topic as she returned to her meal.
"Don’t worry about it. It’s a long story," Arianna replied. Her hair was growing back anyway. "What happened to your hair?"
"I cut it off when one of the guards caught it while I was trying to escape," Lylah shrugged, completely unbothered. "I wanted it shorter anyway. I don’t like long hair. I’ll find someone to help me even it out."
Arianna shook her head slightly. "I’ll do that for you tomorrow. Besides, you shouldn’t put yourself in danger like that again. This isn’t like our pack. This place is far more dangerous."
"I’m a warrior, remember?" Lylah grinned despite the emotions swirling inside her. "Your warrior. How can a Luna have no one to protect her?"
Arianna smiled wide. It had been a while since she felt genuinely happy.
Lylah had always dreamt of being a warrior, determined to protect Arianna once she became Luna of the pack. Despite their father’s constant scolding, reminding her that she was a female, Lylah had secretly trained with Ryder.
"Fine," Arianna ruffled her sister’s hair gently. "You’ll always be my knight in shining armor. Ryder taught you well."
Lylah’s smile faltered, her bright eyes replaced with guilt.
Knowing what she was thinking, Arianna cupped her face. "It’s alright. I’m sure Ryder would be proud of you wherever he is. You did great, little sis."
Lylah studied her sister for a while. "How is it, being a slave to the most dangerous man in the realm? The Beta scares the hell out of me. Now I’m wondering how you managed to face the King at the Grand Court."
"I only spoke the truth," Arianna shrugged.
"I knew you’d survive. You always do," Lylah smirked. "So, tell me all about what happened to you here."
Arianna swallowed. "Uhmm… You don’t want to know."
"That bad?"
Arianna sighed. "Complicated. Besides, now isn’t the right time to talk about this. I have to get back to the chamber," she said, swiftly avoiding the question.
••••••••
AMBASSADOR WING – Tarven
"It is such a great honor to have you here at the Citadel, Alpha Toran," said Lord Pericles.
"Careful," Toran mumbled, bringing his ale to his lips. "I haven’t taken the place yet."
Lord Pericles snickered. "It’s only a few days away. You’re already the Alpha of Black Iron Pack—the strongest pack! Haha!"
Toran forced a smile, his eyes sweeping over the lavish and spacious hall. That was one thing he loved about this place: so much ale, slaves, and beautiful women. He couldn’t wait to have one in his bed soon, but first, he needed to see the King’s slave.
The only thing he disliked about this place was the lack of freedom.
He couldn’t move as he pleased, despite being the King’s betrothed’s older brother. But since his father was the Alpha of the most powerful pack, Toran was respected—especially as he was to become the new Alpha in a few days.
"Alpha Toran, how is your father, my dear friend…?"
Toran sighed. "You’re drunk, Lord Pericles."
Pericles shook his head slightly. "I’m just tipsy," he said, glancing at Valkyrie, who had remained silent the whole time. "Isn’t that right, my lady?" He asked, and Valkyrie raised a questioning brow. "Do I look drunk?"
Valkyrie simply replied with a small smile, meeting her brother’s gaze before drinking her wine.
"I can’t help but wonder why you’re here, Alpha Toran. Is it because of the upcoming Grand Festival?"
"Why I’m here is none of your concern, Lord Pericles," Toran replied curtly, the thought of the King’s slave gnawing at him.
Pericles giggled. "I understand. Once the Grand Festival is over, my lady here will become Queen of this realm. That way, your father will become like the third ruler—the Gamma of the Citadel. I can’t wait to see everything fall perfectly into place." He glanced back and roared at his working slave. "More ale!"
"Me too," Toran forced a smile, looking at his sister. "Everything will be perfect after the Grand Festival, and I’m here to make sure of that."
Pericles clapped his hands. "Yes! You shouldn’t worry. The King will have no choice. The council is already on our side. It’s his duty to balance the realm and listen to his people. What is a realm without a Queen?"
Nadia approached the table. "Here’s the wine, my—" she paused upon seeing Valkyrie.
Valkyrie said nothing, but Toran noticed the tension.
"Are you blind? Can’t you greet the guest? Or do you want your head hung on a spike?!" Pericles spat.
"I’m sorry, my lord, my lady," she greeted with a bow, one that didn’t reach her heart.
As she left, Toran’s eyes followed her.
"Ugh," Pericles groaned. "Excuse me, Alpha. I need to relieve myself. Please, enjoy."
After he left, Toran returned his gaze to Valkyrie. "Who is she?"
"Hm? Who?"
"Don’t play games with me. Who is she?" Toran asked, and Valkyrie swallowed before telling him everything.
Toran exhaled in frustration. "So you killed her sister but not her? Yet you insisted you had everything under control?" He scoffed. "What gives you the assurance she hasn’t told the King yet?"
Valkyrie clenched her fists at her brother’s bluntness.
Pericles returned after a while.
"You owe me a favor, Lord Pericles," Toran said as the man settled back into his seat.
"Of course, Alpha Toran. If it weren’t for you and your father, I wouldn’t be on this seat. Tell me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you."
"It’s simple," Toran smirked, glancing at Nadia. "I want that slave. I want her to serve me."
End of The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving Chapter 43. Continue reading Chapter 44 or return to The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving book page.