The words hit like a slap, and I felt my heart skip a beat, anger flaring up before I could stop it. How dare he? How dare he assu he knew what I was thinking, what I was feeling? But even as the anger simred, a small part of knew he wasn’t entirely wrong. The thought made my cheeks burn with humiliation. But he was wrong if he thought it was in that kind of way.
I lifted my chin, forcing myself to et his gaze, even though it made my skin prickle with unease. "Believe what you will, Your Majesty," I said, my voice colder than before, "but I assure you, I was rely following your summons."
His smirk widened, a dark, almost wicked gleam in his eyes as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You know, I could make this easier for you," he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, laced with sothing dangerously soft. "I could give you exactly what you want... if only you would admit it."
The intensity of his gaze made my breath hitch, a twisted mixture of emotions churning in my chest. Part of wanted to lash out, to shout at him, to finally tell him exactly what I thought of his gas. But another part, the part that had always been just a little too drawn to the danger he embodied, held in place, frozen under his gaze.
He watched for a long mont, his eyes dark and unreadable, before he finally leaned back, his smirk softening into sothing almost contemplative. "Very well," he said softly, his tone carrying a hint of amusent. "We’ll play this your way... for now."
Without another word, he stood up, brushing past with a casualness that belied the tension that had filled the room just monts before. The faintest brush of his fingers against my arm sent a shiver down my spine, a reminder of the power he held, of the ga he was playing—and of the twisted, undeniable fact that a part of was still caught in it, whether I liked it or not.
As he left the room, leaving standing there in the dim candlelight, I felt a strange mixture of relief and frustration wash over . I hated that he had this effect on , that he could unnerve with just a look, a smirk, a few carefully chosen words. And yet, as much as I wanted to hate him, to despise him for every cruel, calculated move he made, I couldn’t deny the bitter truth—that sowhere, deep down, a part of craved his attention, even if it ant stepping into the darkness he so willingly wielded.
And that truth, more than anything, terrified .
I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized was holding in. The weight of his presence still lingered, like a shadow stretching across the floor, even though he had long since disappeared through the doorway. My cheeks burned as the words he said played over in my head, each one more infuriating than the last.
I hated how he got under my skin, how he could twist a simple question into a loaded dare, how he used every mont to remind of the power he held over . But what made it worse—what made grind my teeth in quiet sha—was that I had been waiting, hoping, even feeling a spark of... sothing when Sabastine had knocked on my door. It hurt to admit, even to myself.
The quiet of the room felt louder than any silence had a right to. It pressed against my thoughts, forced to face the truth I had been trying so hard to ignore. I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself against the cold realization sinking in.
Before this place, I would have laughed if anyone had suggested I would one day feel even the slightest glimr of... interest in soone as cruel as the Lycan King. Soone as calculated, as domineering, as insufferable as he was. But here I was, left standing alone in his chamber, feeling an unsteady mix of relief, frustration, and sothing that bordered dangerously close to longing.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the feeling, but it clung to like a fog that refused to lift. I made my way toward the window, hoping the view outside might clear my thoughts. From here, I could see the dark expanse of the forest stretching out beyond the castle grounds, a sprawling, untad wilderness that mirrored the storm brewing in my chest. It was strange to feel trapped and yet so... boundless all at once, like one wrong move could unravel everything I had ever known.
A slight creak sounded behind , pulling out of my thoughts. I turned, half expecting to see him standing there again, that familiar smirk on his lips, as if he had sohow sensed that I wasn’t quite done with him. But no, it was just Sabastine, stepping in as quietly as ever, his gaze lowered as he carried a tray of tea and pastries.
"My lady," he said, his tone respectful but distant, as if he had perfected the art of remaining detached from whatever chaos was unfolding around him. He set the tray on a small table by the window and then retreated a step.
"Thank you, Sabastine," I murmured, taking a seat near the tray, more for sothing to do than out of any real desire for tea. I poured myself a cup, watching the steam curl up into the air like tendrils of a ghost.
For a while, we stayed in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. It was strange, really, how easily he blended into the background, like a shadow that knew its place. I found myself wondering if he ever thought about leaving this place, about escaping from under the King’s iron grip. But then, maybe he was more comfortable in this role than I would ever be.
Eventually, the silence beca too much, and I cleared my throat, glancing up at him. "Sabastine... Do you ever get tired of... this?" I gestured vaguely around the room, hoping he would understand what I ant.
His eyes flickered, just a hint of sothing hidden beneath the surface, but his expression remained unreadable. "I serve as I am required, My lady," he replied smoothly, his voice devoid of any hint of rebellion or dissatisfaction.
I wasn’t sure what I was even expecting Sabastine to say. "Right," I muttered, taking a sip of the tea, the warmth a stark contrast to the chill seeping through .
As I sat there, I felt a faint tug of exhaustion pull at . Today had been... intense, to say the least. I glanced down at the bracelet on my wrist, the protection charm he had given . It was simple, unassuming, yet sohow it felt heavier than anything else I owned. I couldn’t help but rember Elara’s words.
My chest tightened as I thought of her, her familiar smile and the gentle way she had always looked out for . It made miss her even more, a dull ache spreading through as I realized just how much I had relied on her steady presence. She would have known what to say right now, how to ease the confusion swirling in my mind.
But she wasn’t here. I was alone, facing the twisted, layered world of the Lycan King with no one to guide , no one to tell when to step forward or pull back. I sighed, rubbing a thumb over the charm, as if the motion could sohow ground .
The silence shattered when Sabastine spoke, his voice soft but laced with irritation. "It would be best if I just say it and gets this over with," he said, a hint of annoyance slipping through. The sharpness of his tone startled .
What...?
Was he talking to or himself.
Sabastine shifted, his gaze sharpening as he studied . "I serve His Majesty, my lady and though I understand how... unfortunate your situation may be, I would rather he gets bored of you—or breaks you entirely. It would be best for everyone."
His words sent a chill through . The calmness in his voice, the almost businesslike tone—it was as if he were simply stating a fact, as if my fate were an inevitable nuisance.
"This is only the second ti His Majesty has shown interest in a female, you know," he continued, his face unreadable. "The last ti didn’t... exactly end well."
I swallowed, feeling my pulse quicken as he let that sentence hang in the air.
"He’ll probably start spending most of his ti with you from now on," Sabastine added, a glint of sothing unreadable flashing in his eyes. "Let us hope he tires of you quickly, before things escalate. Do us both a favor, my lady—behave."
There was no threat in his voice, not exactly, but his words held a weight that told more than enough. The ssage was clear: every single soul in the dark tower probably wanted gone for a certain reason. A reason no one is yet to tell about.
Sabastine’s expression softened, if only slightly, as he looked at , almost as if he pitied for being caught in the King’s orbit. "You may return to your chambers, my lady," he said, and without another word, he turned and slipped from the room, leaving alone with the unsteady mix of dread and anger churning inside .
Then I rembered the Lycan kings word. This is a ga and I wonder how long you will last.
Whatever flicker of interest I was having for him vanish in thin air.
Reviews
All reviews (0)