The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

"What is your plan for the Grand Festival?" a maid asked Brigid as they polished the golden candlesticks in the hallway.
"Nothing much, I just can't wait to watch the combat trials. I heard the strongest Alphas from every pack will compete. What about you?"
The younger maid chuckled softly, adjusting a floral arrangement. "I'll be too busy serving wine and keeping the guests happy. The King wants everything to be perfect, especially with so many important eyes on him." She lowered her voice. "Besides, I heard Lady Valkyrie is going to be crowned and marked as his chosen mate and Grand Queen in front of everyone."
"That rumor has been spreading for quite a while now," Brigid commented, her voice displeased.
"You don't seem very happy about it," the maid raised a brow.
"Simple. She is not the king's mate," Brigid shrugged.
The truth was she dislike lady Valkyrie and her people.
"But isn't it good that, after so many centuries, the king is finally crowning a queen for himself?" the maid asked. "Besides, the king has waited for his true mate for too long, and she never appeared."
"It is a good thing... indeed," Brigid rolled her eyes.
The maid sighed at Brigid's attitude. As they headed back to the quarters, the maid caught sight of the sky, her brow furrowing.
"I guess it's not going to rain today; the sky is clearing," she said.
"It's been long since it rained," Brigid muttered. "The crops are getting dry."
The maid frowned as she spotted something. "I--Is that the full moon?"
Brigid halted, quickly gazing up at the sky. "How could there be a full moon today without anyone knowing?"
Before the maid could reply, Brigid ran across the corridor, entering a particular room and finding Selene resting after working for so long.
"The devil did you just disturb my sleep," Selene muttered with her eyes closed.
"It's the full moon!" Brigid exclaimed. Selene's eyes snapped open, and she immediately sat up.
"How come no one knew it was coming?" Selene's brow knitted. "But, the last full moon, which was the king's rut, hasn't even been a month ago."
"I don't know, but the full moon is outside right now. It was covered earlier by the clouds."
"Find Arianna. I'll find the Beta and prepare the slaves for the king's rut," Selene ordered, grabbing her clothes.
In the hall, Selene walked hastily toward the Sacred Moon wings with a slave trailing behind her. She had already sent a soldier to inform the Beta about the sudden full moon.
A sudden sound surged in her hearing, and Selene's eyes snapped to the sky. Eryndor, her creature messenger, had returned with a reply from her goddess. She needed to head there before the creature landed.
"Go on without me," she said to the guard leading the female slave, one marked for death, to the king's chamber.
"Madam Selene!!" Brigid ran toward her.
"What is it?"
"Arianna is not in her room. She is nowhere to be found."
Selene swallowed hard.
••••••••
After a warm bath, Lucas prepared himself; however, the urges he had been suppressing for weeks gnawed at him. It had been more than three months since he last bedded a woman.
He had ignored his desires and his monthly rut cycles, which constantly dragged him back to thoughts of her-his ex-mate, the one who had left him shattered beyond repair.
The last female he had took to his bed felt nothing but pain, as all he could think of was her. Only her-and the cruel words she had hurled at his face before choosing another male.
"He is better than you," her words echoed in his mind.
Lucas groaned, slipping into his inner sanctum. The steam enveloped him as he stripped naked.
His fist clenched at the sight of his manhood, hard and aching.
Duncan had pressured him to take a personal mistress, but all he ever saw was her face whenever he was with them.
His mind would cloud with anger, and he would unleash punishing, painful sex on the female. He hated it.
But now, he didn't think he could hold out much longer.
Lucas reached for his throbbing length and began to stroke himself.
His other hand clenched against the wall, his chest heaving as he shut his eyes.
Soon, his thighs tensed, and he released with a grunt-but it wasn't enough.
This wouldn't do. Soon, he would have no choice but to take a woman to his bed. But he couldn't understand why his urges were so intense tonight.
A knock sounded just as Lucas dressed in his nightclothes.
"Your Highness, you have a visitor," his guard's voice came from behind the door.
"Let them in," Lucas replied, not bothering to ask who it was, too lost in his thoughts.
The door creaked open, revealing Lylah stepping inside.
"Your Highness," she bowed slightly.
"What do you want?" His voice was rough.
"My apologies for the intrusion. I only needed to speak with you, Your Highness."
"You know I won't permit you to sneak in and out of the barracks whenever you please. You'll get punished, and trust me, I'm not going to go easy on you," Lucas snapped, glaring at her.
"They won't let me train," Lylah said. "The head warrior sent me to the servants' quarters, made me wash their dishes, scrub the floor, and get laughed at."
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes. "Leave, little wolf. I mean it-right now."
"They won't listen. Please, I need your help, my lord," Lylah's voice edged with desperation.
"Then make them listen!" Lucas snapped, and Lylah's heart jumped.
She lowered her gaze, her voice softening. "But how can I do that? He claims I'm not fit to be one of them since I don't have a wolf. He called me worthless..."
"Then are you worthless, little wolf?" he asked. Lylah's lips parted, her jaw clenching.
"No, my lord," she whispered, keeping her gaze lowered.
"Then prove it to him the same way you did with me," his voice softened slightly. "Prove your worth, just like you did during our spar. The head warrior doesn't accept newbies easily-especially one without a wolf. I gave you a chance to join because I saw potential in you. Now it's your turn to show it to them."
His words strangely calmed her a little. She noticed the sweat glistening on his forehead.
Lylah nodded, her gaze softening. "Are you all right, my lord?"
"I'm fine," Lucas dismissed her concern. "Go back now."
"I will, after I visit my sister."
Just as Lucas was about to scold her, a knock of urgency sounded on his door.
"It's the full moon, Your Highness," a guard announced.
Lucas's body went rigid. Duncan's words from earlier echoed in his mind: I'm feeling sleepy.
It was the king's rut. How could the full moon have appeared without warning?
Lucas glanced at Lylah and ordered Falcon, "Lock her up in any room you find."
"What?!" Lylah tried to follow him, but the guards restrained her. "Hey! What the hell is going on?"
The clouds had hidden the full moon earlier, but now it was clear. Not every full moon triggered Duncan's rut, but most of them did.
Upon reaching the king's chamber, Lucas froze.
The grand doors were wide open, with no sign of the king inside.