The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 99: Chapter 99

Arianna’s breath hitched, shock clear in her silver eyes as they stared down at the male whose arms were wrapped possessively around her waist.
His words echoed in her mind, making her heart hammer hard in her chest.
Treasure. He called her treasure.
A light giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it, her fingers threading through the king's long, dark hair.
“Alright, my king,” she whispered.
Duncan glanced at the male kneeling with ragged breaths. “You are not to look away, Kael. Do you understand?”
Kael was on the brink of tears. He couldn't feel any of his limbs. Each breath was like a stab to his lungs. Everything hurt. So much.
He had thought escaping the Silver Inferno would be a break from the torture—something he had craved for the past two to three days.
But at this moment, he felt worse, watching the woman he had once betrayed sitting on the king's lap. Straddling him as if she had no care in the world.
A whip cracked against his back, sending searing pain through his system. He barely let out a whimper, his voice already lost from the endless screams of torture.
Shaking violently, he managed to speak. “Y…yes, Your Grace.”
Hot tears slipped from his eyes, rolling down his cheeks, the salty fluid stinging as it touched his already wounded skin.
Duncan returned his gaze to Arianna, reached for the steak, and stabbed another piece, bringing it to her lips. She parted them, taking the bite with a smile, her gaze never leaving the king.
Kael felt every shred of his sanity shatter. Who would have thought that watching his ex-mate would trigger anything in him?
Over the years, Arianna was just a pawn. A simple product of the man who murdered his father. After ordering her to be killed, he felt a slight twinge of guilt but blamed it on the mate bond. Yet, as time passed, Kael didn’t regret his actions.
He felt nothing for her… so why?
Why did the walls of his heart feel as though they were pressing against each other?
The real question was—how the fuck did she win the king's heart? She was the king’s slave, as Toran had mentioned… that bastard. Kael should have been suspicious when Toran kept asking about Arianna.
They had fooled him!
Arianna fed the king, then watched as he chewed gently with a smile. The sense of possession between them was clear, choking Kael deep down his throat.
Duncan took a sip of his wine, and when Arianna moved to feed him again, he kissed her instead.
His mouth claimed hers, her moan piercing the air—a pure form of torture in Kael’s ears, sending him spiraling into helplessness.
Their kiss turned wild. Kael could see their tongues rolling against each other.
Kael grew more restless.
Please stop…
Stop…
Stop!
“Stop!”
Kael hadn’t realized the words had slipped out. He was shaking. Really shaking.
Duncan and Arianna’s lips parted, slightly swollen and wet. The king lazily brushed his tongue over his lower lip, then bit it.
His jaw clenched, and ever so slowly, he fixed his gaze on Kael, who flinched at the intensity.
“What did you just say?” he questioned.
Kael began to sweat profusely.
Had he said that out loud?
“Come on, Kael. Don’t be shy,” Duncan taunted, adding fuel to the fire already consuming him.
“She is still alive… that means she is still my wife.”
He actually spoke. Kael, why the hell won’t you shut up?
The king would definitely kill him for that. Rip him apart and serve his flesh to the dungeon beasts.
Instead, Duncan did the unexpected. He laughed.
The sound was like a punch to Kael’s ego, making every nerve in his body scream to disappear.
It was just too cruel.
“Your wife?” Duncan repeated, his dark eyes sending a chill down Kael’s spine. “You fucking asshole, how dare you call her that?”
Kael swallowed hard, keeping his mouth shut.
Arianna’s silver eyes met his for a fleeting moment. Anger? Disappointment? Or maybe both. Then she turned away, returning her attention to Duncan, proving Kael was nothing but worthless to her.
She didn’t even speak to him. Not a single word.
“I should thank you, Kael. If you hadn’t acted like a coward, I would still be brooding in my loneliness. Truly, every disappointment is a blessing.”
The king’s fingers played with Arianna’s hair.
“Truly,” Arianna agreed, resting her forehead against his.
And Duncan smiled.
His dangerous aura vanished completely.
•••••••••••••••
Nyra found Evelora enjoying the fresh air at the top of her building, a cup of tea in hand. Her grey hair, packed in a bun, blew behind her.
"Sneaking out of the palace again?" Evelora turned her head slightly. "If the king finds out, I won’t cover for you."
"It’s an important discussion, great one," Nyra stepped forward. "You asked me to tell you what I heard in the palace and not to anyone else."
Evelora stayed quiet for a moment before exhaling. "Take a seat—"
Nyra didn’t waste a moment.
"What is it that troubles you, child?"
"There are more," Nyra’s voice sounded urgent. "More of the Ouroboros, beyond the realm. Their land is covered in ice, so they couldn’t truly adapt. Now they want land from the Moon Realm. What if they’re planning to wage war against us again?"
Evelora snickered. "War? Don’t jump to conclusions, Nyra."
"You knew the whole time?" Nyra gasped. "The king won’t like this."
"The king already knows there are more of them, but he has no idea of their intentions," Evelora corrected. "Whatever you hear, Nyra, do not interfere. She is the king’s mate, after all."
"She is getting stronger each day. She mentioned her dragon being terrifying. An Ouroboros only merges with their dragon if it physically exists. That means Arianna’s dragon is somewhere..."
"Nyra," Evelora cut in. "The king is to decide and follow his heart. You’re a sage. I know you worry for this realm since it has been your home ever since you were born, but some things are left to be handled by fate. This is one of them."
Nyra took a deep breath and rested her back against the chair. "The king is smitten by her." A small smile graced her lips.
"Truly? Who would have thought that punk would actually get smitten?"
Nyra chuckled, then her face turned serious. "The realm will never accept her… especially the ancient Lycans who witnessed the war—"
Evelora replied with a deep sigh, and Nyra understood. It was time to shut up.
Nyra leaned forward with a smile. "I’ve missed you, great one. Can I have some of your tea?"
"No. Go back to the palace before the king senses your absence."
Nyra bit down on her lip, wishing she could continue the conversation.
"Alright, great one." She stood and gave her a deep bow. "Thank you for having me."
As she left, Evelora brought her cup of tea to her lips but froze mid-act as a breeze hit her skin.
A deep sigh left her lips, the wrinkles on her face hardening as she whispered into the air,
"A tree does not fall in the storm unless its roots have already rotted from within."
Her voice was barely above a whisper. She took a slow sip of her tea.
"And when the first root snaps, the whole forest will tremble...
…I hope they can face what lies ahead."