Page 46 of The Lycan King's Captive

When Cyrus and I entered the mansion, Foster and a group of lycans were waiting for us. I knew without asking that this was the Council of Nobles. Mostly male, they were impeccably dressed. They looked young, but that was probably deceptive given how slowly lycans aged.

None of them looked happy to see us.

I was instantly self-conscious. My clothes were covered in blood and I looked like I’d been dragged through a forest. Which, of course, I had.

Cyrus was in even worse shape. Not only was he covered in blood, he was stark naked. Unlike me, however, he didn’t seem bothered by his lack of formal wear. The second he saw Foster, he put up a forestalling hand. “I don’t care what you have to say.”

Foster stepped away from the crowd. Now, he and Cyrus faced off in the middle of the elegant foyer. They couldn’t have been more different: Cyrus with his dark hair and muscular body, Foster with his pale hair and slender build. Cyrus was stark naked and spattered with blood and gore. Foster wore a tuxedo without the jacket. Any outsider seeing them would probably assume Foster was the king.

However, as I observed the way Cyrus stared him down, I wasn’t so sure my initial assessment was correct. Foster radiated contempt. Cyrus radiated raw power.

Foster stood his ground. “You’ll care what I have to say when I tell you the council is prepared to vote. The past week’s events, along with the scuffle today, just further cement how erratic you’ve become.” He flicked the briefest glance in my direction. “Did you really think taking her as your concubine would circumvent our votes? We have an obligation to keep the race safe. Consorting with the enemy does the opposite. Today is proof enough of that.”

Cyrus didn’t answer right away, which was plenty of time for doubts to worm their way into my head. Roman might be dead, but there were other werewolves out there. I was always going to be a liability.

And, bottom line, I wasn’t a lycan. I didn’t have a bloodline or a prestigious family history. I was the daughter of a small town Texas sheriff and I had under a hundred dollars in my bank account.

Just when it seemed Cyrus might stay silent forever, he spoke in a deep voice that carried around the cavernous space. “Abby isn’t my concubine. She’s my queen.”

Shocked gasps echoed off the marble walls. One of them was mine.

Cyrus turned and grasped my hand. I tried to dig in my heels, but he tugged me to his side and laced his fingers with mine. “Her wolf is one of the strongest I’ve encountered. She saved my life.” He squeezed my hand. “She saved it more than once, actually. And now she’s carrying my child. Boy or girl, the baby is my heir.”

More shocked gasps. More than one set of eyes dipped to my stomach.

“I won’t have any other queen,” Cyrus said. He lifted his voice, addressing the council. “Go ahead and have your vote. If you want Abby gone, I’m going with her. I’ll abdicate the throne and you can have Carrington for your king.”

My jaw dropped. I tugged at his hand, ready to argue with him, but he ignored me. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going upstairs to wash the blood of our enemies from my body.” He leveled a scathing look at Foster. “Try not to wrinkle your shirt when you sit at the head of the council table and tally the votes.”

He turned and left, pulling me with him and leaving a stunned silence in our wake. He didn’t speak until we were in his suite. The second the door closed, he pushed me against the wall and cupped my face in his hands. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that garbage.”

I gripped his wrists. “Cyrus, you can’t give up your throne for me.”

He shrugged. “I’m fine with it.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Crazy about you.”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” He rested his forehead against mine. “If I can’t rule with you beside me, I don’t want to rule at all.”

Tears burned my throat. “You were born to be king. You can’t give up your heritage for me.”

His eyes grew stark. “I almost lost you today. There is no kingdom more precious than you. We met in a prison, Abby. But if we leave here, we could be truly free.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You make it sound like you actually want to abdicate.”

“It could be fun,” he said lightly. “I’ll become a plumber or something. Goodness knows I’ve spent enough time dealing with Foster’s shit. I’d probably be great at it.”

I laughed. This silly side of him was so endearing, I was in danger of falling under his spell completely.

Although who was I kidding? I was already charmed.

His eyes gleamed. “You’re really dirty. Filthy, actually.”

Heat licked through me. “I know.”

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