The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 84: Chapter 84

“Trust me, the word ‘Ruthless’ attached to his name is not for show.”
Arianna pressed her lips together as she paced in her room. The scene—the blood, screams, cries of pain, and sheer gruesomeness—all at once flooded her mind.
Yes, she had known Duncan to be ruthless, but witnessing it tonight felt… strange.
She didn’t know if she should be terrified or intrigued. Her emotions were jumbled.
Now her mind drifted to Selene, the head maid who had disguised herself in the palace for twenty-one years under the King’s nose, hiding so many secrets.
They were both Ouroboros. Enemies of the Lycans centuries ago. However, Arianna's case was different—she was his mate. But Selene?
Her situation was entirely different. Could she be getting tortured?
Oh, she needed to see her.
Then there was Nadia. According to Brigid, Nadia was now in the dark clutches of Toran—out of her reach to save.
But Arianna wasn’t going to give up, even though she had only known Nadia for a short while.
After she was done dealing with Kael, she’d find a way to save her.
Arianna sat up, glancing at her window.
It was already so late. The palace must be quiet now, with only guards roaming around.
But knowing she wouldn’t find sleep tonight unless she satisfied her curiosity about Selene, she rose from her bed to leave her room.
“My lady, you can't go anywhere,” Falcon said.
“Oh… b-but I need some fresh air. My chamber is quite suffocating,” Arianna lied.
“Then I’ll escort you, my lady,” Falcon suggested, and Arianna bit her lip. Damn, she didn’t want an escort.
“Actually… there’s a snake in my room,” Arianna said, putting on her best acting skills and looking a bit scared. “A very poisonous snake, and I don’t know how to kill it.”
Falcon didn’t waste a moment before rushing into the room. Arianna immediately locked the door from the outside. Instantly, Falcon began banging on it softly.
“My lady?” he called, he banged a little harder. “My lady, please open the door.”
“I’m sorry,” Arianna whispered before turning to leave. But she bumped into a firm chest, the familiar strong scent hitting her nose.
She didn’t need to look up to know who it was. It was him.
“What a tricky little flame,” Duncan muttered as Arianna slowly looked up to meet his gaze.
Her heart raced.
It was hard to tell he was the same cold King from the banquet.
His voice was slightly soft, tinged with amusement, and his eyes were less piercing.
He reached out to cup her face with one hand. “Where do you think you are going at this late hour, Ari?”
Arianna, for some reason, wasn’t intimidated. “I needed to see Selene. I want to know if she’s alright.”
Duncan’s face dropped back to its usual blank expression—then a gentle knock interrupted their moment.
It was Falcon, still trapped in Arianna’s chamber. Duncan signaled for Arianna to open the door.
Arianna sighed, then reluctantly went to do it. A pang of guilt struck her heart—she felt a little bad for tricking the guard.
Falcon stepped out, his eyes widened at the king and he immediately fell on his knees. “I’m sorry for my clumsiness, Your Grace. I deserve your punishment.”
Punishment?
Arianna squinted, glancing at the king.
“You’re not going to punish him, are you?” Arianna didn’t know when the words slipped out of her mouth.
For a fleeting moment, Duncan’s eyes dilated, as if something had struck his mind.
“I will,” he said casually. “He didn’t do his job properly. I shall punish him severely.”
Arianna’s eyes widened slightly. She glanced at the guard, who remained in his kneeling position.
Facing the King again, she countered, “But I was the one who tricked him and trapped him inside. It was my fault. I only wanted to see Selene. Please don’t punish him for my sake.”
“Then you should be punished instead.”
Arianna’s face turned red at the King’s unexpected words. Oh, shit!
“Punished?” she muttered, her heart racing as the King closed the distance between them and looked down at her with those dark, unreadable eyes.
“Yes. Punishment, Ari,” his voice was low, vibrating through her veins, making her swallow.
“If you’re going to free the guard… then… yes,” she whispered. “Punish me instead.”
Then she noticed the King’s lips curl into a dark smirk.
“Alright, then.”
••••••••
TORAN’S CHAMBER
Toran’s fingers drummed gently on the armrest of his chair, his dark gaze sharp.
In his other hand, a bow swung loosely in his grip.
He couldn’t sleep, so he gave in to what he craved most—more than sex.
Bloodlust.
“I’m really sorry, Ugly,” Toran muttered, his gaze fixed on the bed. “You should blame the King for making me this angry—and that stupid bitch friend of yours… Arianna Greystone.”
Silence followed his words.
As a thought crossed his mind, a chuckle rumbled through his chest.
“Come to think of it, Ugly, I just actually did you a favor,” he muttered.
Right before him was Nadia—naked, tied to the pole connected to his bed. Five arrows were embedded deep into her skin.
The last one pierced through her forehead, exiting the back of her head and connecting into the pole, forcing her head to lean backward slightly.
Her lifeless body dripped blood, the pool thickening beneath her with every drop.
Toran finished coldly, “At least now you got the opportunity to meet your sister.”