The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 95: Chapter 95

Duncan couldn't eat properly—it was as though the food before him had lost its taste.
She was upset. He could feel it, but the reason was unclear.
Your Grace.
Your Grace.
Those damn words had never upset him as much as they did now, especially hearing them from her lips.
The blue dress looked stunning on her, her skin smooth as porcelain—begging for his mark. She was breathtaking, every rise and fall of her body was tempting.
For a fleeting moment, she met his gaze, then quickly looked away, focusing on the food she was barely touching.
She had been fine yesterday when they parted after the Combat Trial. So why the change?
“How was your night?” he asked breaking the unbearable silence between them. Her movement paused briefly.
“It was very pleasant. How was yours?” her tone still flat.
Duncan snorted. “Your heart skipped a beat.” Her movements stopped completely, but she still wouldn’t look at him.
“Are we going to keep this up, or are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
Without glancing up, she replied, “I’m fine.”
“Ari.”
His voice deepened, edged with a tone that compelled her to meet his eyes.
“Is this about Selene?” His voice softened. “Do you want her to be freed?”
She was silent for a moment. That wasn’t the real reason, but she replied, “Yes. She saved my life.”
“She’s still being questioned and watched, Ari. Until then, she can’t be freed. But no harm will come to her.”
Arianna returned her gaze to her meal, saying nothing.
“That’s not the main reason you dressed so beautifully, ignored me, and refused to say my name.”
“I’m full,” Arianna said. “I’d like to take my leave.”
Before she could take a step, he was in front of her, pinning her to the table, his eyes cold. His jaw clenched, patient wearing thin.
“It’s high time you stop playing this game, little flame. It’s not funny," he almost growl, but she didn't flinch.
Her stoic expression finally faltered, her shoulders slumping slightly.
“What am I to you? What are we?” she asked queitly.
“You're mine,” he replied without hesitation.
“Yours... But are you mine?” she questioned, and for the first time, he stilled—clearly not expecting the question.
Her silver eyes turned glassy, as she stared.
“I was meant to be a Luna. A ruler in my own right. But that was stolen from me. Then I was thrown into your world, expected to be nothing more than a body to sate your rut.” Her voice trembled, but she pushed through. “Yet I survived. I stood before you. I refused to break even as death stared right into my eyes. And in the midst of it all, I started to feel… something.”
She drew a shaky breath. “I thought that maybe—just maybe—I was more than a pawn in someone else’s game. That maybe you saw me as more. But then…” Her voice cracked. “Then it feels like I’m just fooling myself.”
He wanted to speak, his throat worked but not a word came out.
“When I look at you, Dun, I see you—my mate. A man I want… but is it the same for you? Do you even see me?” she whispered. “Not just the woman in your bed meant to satisfy you. Not just the girl who survived when she should have died. Do you see me as a woman you truly want? You didn’t reject me, yet it feels like you’ll toss me aside any moment. Like I’m just a tool to satisfy you when needed. I don’t even know which part will hurt more.”
“That will never happen,” he almost growled. “You're my mate.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be acting this way. I’m in no position to say this but… I know what happened centuries ago left a deep scar in your soul. And maybe I’m just a reminder of that. I understand—truly, I do.”
Tears burned in her eyes. “But I didn’t choose to be this way, Dun. I could have left—run as far away from you as I could—but I didn’t. We were bonded for a reason. And for that reason, I’m standing here… asking you to tell me what you really want.”
After saying her piece, she walked past him and out of the dining room.
••••••••••
A FEW HOURS LATER
“So, how is your training?” Arianna asked Lylah as they walked together.
“Pretty hard without a wolf, you know,” Lylah replied honestly. “Sometimes I think I might die from the fatigue.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“How does it feel to have a wolf?” Lylah asked.
“It feels… different,” Arianna replied, her gaze distant. “Like having a part of yourself that is wild, strong, and untamed. A voice inside that pushes you when you’re weak, urges you to fight when you’re afraid.”
Lylah let out a small sigh, kicking a loose pebble on the ground. “That sounds incredible. I can’t wait to meet mine in a few days.”
Arianna glanced at her. “And when you do, everything will change. You might even meet your mate.”
“Screw that shitty thing. Mates are fucking stupid,” Lylah gasped, quickly covering her mouth. “I mean—not you. You know what I mean.”
Arianna snorted, looking away.
“Does the dragon feel the same way?” Lylah asked in a very hushed voice.
“One word—terrifying.”
"Sorry Aria."
They both halted, gazing down at the bustling servants below. The final ceremony of the Grand Festival—the masked ball—was in two days.
“The palace feels peaceful. It scares me, though,” Lylah said.
“Me too,” Arianna murmured, biting her lip. “But here we are. Still here, like we belong to it.”
“I know, right?” Lylah glanced at her older sister. “I snuck into the dungeon where that bastard Kael is being punished.”
“Lylah—”
“I was just curious. I heard he’s currently in the Silver Inferno. It was only for a moment, but he’s in immense pain.”
The Silver Inferno is a punishment where werewolves are bound with silver chains that burn into their skin and are surrounded by fire.
The heat slowly disfigures them—not enough to kill, but enough to make them wish they were dead.
That was just the beginning of his punishment. There was more to come.
The hour was growing late. After spending time with her sister, Arianna headed back to her chamber.
However, on her way, she began to feel strange. It was a familiar sensation.
The same one she had felt the night assassins tried to kill her.