Page 25 of Lycan King's Captives
“You knew I was married. I have obligations to my kingdom and my wife. You will learn to deal with it or—” he stops. “It’s only temporary. I need her to sign the divorce papers, so for now, I need to give her what she wants.”
“What if she wants you?” I ask.
His jaw clenches. “As I said, it’s only temporary to keep the peace between kingdoms.”
My eyes burn with tears. “Were you with her last night?” I ask him, my voice coming off angrier than intended.
“Yes, I had to attend a dinner with her parents. I didn’t fuck her, if that is what you’re wondering. I slept in her quarters on the couch!” he says.
I say nothing, staring off toward the window. He releases me, muttering under his breath. “I have to leave in an hour. I have an important meeting in the city.”
“Good for you,” I tell him bitterly, climbing off the bed and retaking my place on the windowsill. He curses, storming into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. I hear the shower turn on.
I don’t know how much time passes, but I hear him trying to talk to me as he gets dressed. When silence falls, I realize I’ve zoned out and let out a sigh. “Sienna!” he commands, and I roll my eyes, turning to look at him as he stands by the bed, doing up his suit jacket. When he is done, he points to the bed where I see a dress laid out. “Get dressed. We leave in ten minutes.” he snaps at me before doing up his other cuff link.
My emotions are a whirlwind of fear, anger, and confusion. Why would he want me to go with him now, after all that’s happened? Despite my feelings, I comply, hastily getting dressed in the clothes he left on the bed. I can feel his eyes on me as I move to strip my clothes off, but I refuse to look at him.
The scent of his cologne hangs heavily in the air, and it churns my stomach.
I pull on a dark blue dress, trying to ignore the way the fabric clings to my body, making me feel exposed under his gaze. Xandros says nothing when he passes me a pair of black glittery flats. I sit on the edge of the bed and slip them on, feeling nervous with him standing over me.
The room is dimly lit, shadows casting eerie patterns on the walls now that the sun has gone down, and the atmosphere feels heavy with tension.
We leave the room, the anger and hurt still simmer beneath the surface, but for now, I push them aside and focus on the opportunity before me.
I’m leaving the room, finally leaving the room. As we step outside the door, I see three maids waiting in the hall, one of which is the girl he yelled at earlier, making my thoughts go back to Darcy. I want to ask but am afraid of the answer.
“Your mother sent us to clean the room while you’re gone.” Xandros nods but says nothing in answer to them. He points down the hall. “Go on,” he growls.
The hallway outside is cold and uninviting, the stone floor sending chills up my spine as we walk. I can feel the weight of Xandros’s presence behind me, oppressive and suffocating, as he tells me the directions to go in. My heart races in my chest, a mix of excitement and fear—excitement that I was leaving, fear of wondering where we were going.
As we descend the staircase, the lights lining the walls cast flickering shadows, making the descent feel like a journey into the depths of hell. When I reach the bottom, he grabs my arm.
I glance at him, he says nothing instead, leading me outside to the waiting car. He opens my door, not letting me go until I am stuffed inside. Xandros slides across the seat, forcing me over and a nervousness creeps in. Humans rarely go out at night, so I’m feeling uneasy now. I wanted nothing more than to leave that room. However, now, faced without the nightlife of the city, I realize how foolish that is to have wanted such a thing.
“Where are we going?” I ask, nervous now.
“Mal’s club.”
I gulp down the dread that lodges in my throat.
“You wanted to come with me so desperately, you got what you wanted,” he snarls at me.
The drive to the city is filled with anxiety, my heart pounding as we venture further into the city. The night sky is a deep, velvety black, lit up with stars that seem to taunt me with their distant beauty. As we draw nearer to our destination, my fear grows with each passing mile, the cityscape looming larger with every turn.
Xandros pulls out his phone and dials a number, his eyes fixed on the scenery outside his window. I overhear the conversation as he leaves a voicemail, his voice tense and impatient.
“Javier, I know you’re avoiding me. I don’t know why, but I am headed to Mal’s. Either meet me there, or I will send people out looking for you. You have two hours! Don’t make me send people out looking for you!” With that, Xandros stabs his phone screen with his finger before pocketing it, muttering to himself.
As we arrive at the nightclub, the chaotic scene before us is almost overwhelming. The streets are filled with vampires, Lycans, and werewolves, all reveling in the night. The air is thick with the scent of blood, danger, and excitement, causing my heart to race even faster as I realize exactly how out of my element I am.
Xandros leans over, his voice a low growl as he lays out his rules. “You stay by my side, you don’t wander! You don’t talk to anyone or look at anyone! Am I clear?” I nod, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. “You’re to be seen, not heard,” he adds harshly, grabbing my arm as the driver opens the door.
Stepping into the club, the bouncer immediately recognizes Xandros and allows us to bypass the queue. The atmosphere inside is sinister and blood-curdling. Women with chains around their ankles are tied to poles, dancing naked on tables and little podiums, their bodies covered in bite marks. The music is pounding, sending tremors through the floor and up into my body. The dim lighting casts eerie shadows, the air heavy with a mix of sweat, alcohol, and something darker, more sinister. Blood.
Xandros leads me to a table where three men in suits are sitting. Their eyes flicker over me, appraising and possessive, and I shrink back against Xandros, trying to make myself as small as possible. He pulls out a chair for me, and grips my shoulder, pushing me down into it. I sit, my legs trembling beneath me. My eyes take in the men at the table. They appear to be in their thirties, and their menacing red eyes watch me. I avert my gaze when a waitress wanders over offering drinks. When she sets an amber liquid in front of me, Xandros takes it.
“Maybe wine?” the waitress suggests. “No, water. She won’t be drinking,” Xandros states, not paying her the slightest piece of attention, making me wonder if that is because I am sitting beside him, because the other three men gaze at her like she would be a tasty snack. She leaves, returning with some water, and I sip it, glancing around the place.
