The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Voices. One, two... perhaps three or more.
Seconds passed, and they slowly became clearer.
"I'm glad it's not going to rain anymore," one said.
"Better. I guess the material for the shelter will be of no use," another replied-a familiar voice that made Arianna's eyes to flutter open.
Her blurry vision cleared, revealing green grass, soil, and trees. Her body ached, and her head reeled as she struggled to remember what had happened.
She had been in her chamber when the maid brought her meal, but after eating, her body heated up. Her limbs gave out, and she crumpled to the floor before she could call for help.
Now, she was here. Someone had drugged her.
She tried to move, only to realize she was tied to a large tree.
Oh, heavens. When would she ever get a moment's rest in this cursed place?
"You're awake," the familiar voice pulled her from her thoughts. Her gaze lifted, meeting none other than Atlas, with four guards behind him.
It was Rickon and his men. They had decided to help Atlas the moment he asked.
"You?" Her voice was hoarse.
"What about me?" Atlas raised a brow.
"Well, I'm not surprised," she muttered.
Atlas smiled. "Did I ever tell you that Ser Orion is my father?"
Her brows arched. "What?"
"Yeah. I'm beginning to wonder if you had something to do with his disappearance. The head maid said they were transferred, but my father-knowing how greedy he is-wouldn't leave the resources he's getting here in the Citadel."
"I see." Arianna clicked her tongue. "What are you going to do to me? Stick your phállus in my cūnt, just like your father always wanted to?"
"Well, you haven't exactly been giving me the attention I needed," Atlas shrugged. "It was so hard pretending to be a nice guy, waiting for the day you'd finally open up to me."
"I trust no one. That's why I'm not surprised you're doing this. Nice personalities don't entice me anymore," Arianna replied, her voice unfazed. "I learned that the hard way. Bastards like you always act cowardly."
Atlas grabbed her jaw harshly, slamming her head against the tree trunk, making her wince.
"I wonder how good you'll run your mouth after we're done with you," Atlas sneered.
Rickon snickered from the side. "She's very good with her damn mouth... It makes me badly want to kill her."
Arianna flicked her gaze to Rickon and his men. "Little weaklings still haven't learned their lesson."
"Bitch!" Rickon growled, rising from the rock. "It took me two days to heal from the exhaustion from the king's punishment, and it was all because of you!"
Arianna let out soft mocking laughter.
"You should've seen your face while doing push-ups. Crybaby," Arianna returned her gaze to Atlas. "Wanna know what happened to your father?" She smirked mischievously.
Atlas frowned, still holding her face.
Arianna's voice lowered, taunting. "He was burned alive."
Atlas's brows arched deeper.
"I watched him dance as the flames engulfed him, burning his skin-layer by layer-until he took his last breath."
Atlas froze, but skepticism quickly replaced his shock. "You expect me to believe that?"
He clicked his tongue, moving closer and lowering his hand to her breast. He squeezed it hard, making her wince.
"Acting tough, yet you're trembling," he snickered against her ear.
"Don't touch me!" Arianna spat, unable to move a finger.
"The drug we put in your dinner will paralyze you until morning," Atlas whispered again, his hand sliding to her fabric. "By then you'll be long gone."
With that, he tire her clothing open. Arianna winced, tears burning in her eyes. The guards laughed harder, approaching to unbind her from the tree.
"Stop, you bastards!" Arianna tried to move, but her body betrayed her. "Get away from me!"
"Oh, sorry," Rickon slapped her across the face. "We don't take orders from a slave. Bring her down-we've got plenty to do with her."
As they worked to unbind her, one of them paused and glanced at the sky.
"Ser Rickon. The full moon," the guard announced, earning Rickon's attention.
"So what?" Rickon shrugged. "Are you worried the king might be having his rut? He'll be busy with another slave, not here looking for this one."
However, a distant roar echoed through the forest-powerful and commanding, laced with nothing but intense danger that sent chills down their spines.
Their heads snapped in that direction, instantly alert. Arianna, who also heard it, recognized the sound, though it was odd that she did.
"What the hell was that?" Rickon's eyes darted around, panic slowly rising within him.
"That was a roar. Of a... it was the roar of..." another guard struggled to complete his sentence.
"I bet it's nothing," Atlas said, glancing at them. "Probably just some shifted wolves night-hunting wild animals."
They nodded, slightly relieved-until another roar sounded. Louder than the first. Much closer. Damn close.
"Something is coming," Rickon muttered under his breath.
A blur of movement-too fast for the eye to catch. Blood splattered across Rickon's face before he could even react.
Slowly, his gaze shifted to the guard beside him and his heart skipped beats. The male beside him was no longer has his head. Rickon froze in place, his breath fast and heavy as he watch the headless body crumpled to the floor.
Hot liquid sprawled across his pants, and his entire being shook violently when a guttural growl sounded behind him, sending chills to his core.
The full moonlight cast a monstrous shadow that covered his own-large, massive, magnificent, and terrifying.
It was a Lycan in full shift. Not just any Lycan-the King's.