Page 35 of Lycan King's Captives
Instead, I lay there by the cold fireplace, cold and alone.
The bond is somewhat sated for now, but the painful reality remains—I am unwanted, unloved, and utterly broken. The once beautiful room is now a battlefield ravaged by our mutual torment and his destruction.
After a while, I find the energy to move, and I curl up on the bed, pulling the covers around me in a desperate attempt to find warmth in the icy void that has become my life.
The lingering scent of Xandros on the ripped shirt I wear is both a comfort and a curse. It is a constant reminder of the man who has become both my salvation and damnation.
As I lie in bed, the weight of the night presses down on me, suffocating me with the knowledge I am utterly alone in this world.
My thoughts are a whirlwind of pain and despair. Each memory of Xandros is a bitter reminder of the life we might have had if not for the sins of my family.
The ghosts of my past haunt me, whispering I am unworthy of love and that I will forever be tainted by the blood running through my veins.
As I lay there, shivering and broken, I wonder if I am doomed to remain locked in this endless cycle of pain and heartache, the weight of my parents’ past sins forever dragging me down into the abyss.
I laugh at the next thought that flits through my mind. Only time will tell, and now I have all the time in the world, eternity. Fucking death would have been kinder than immortality living like this.
19
I can feel the tension in the room rise as my parents begin to chat over dinner. Carina’s gaze burns into me as I sit in awkward silence. However, my mind is solely focused on Sienna and how I treated her. I used her. There is no other word for it, and it sickens me. At the same time I shouldn’t care for her. I hate her, I try to remind myself, yet that anger for her is blurred with my need for her.
Finally, my mother speaks up, breaking the tension.
“Are you alright, son?” she asks softly.
“I’m fine,” I answer curtly.
Carina, however, has other ideas as she adds in her own commentary.
“Xandros brought Sienna back to the castle,” she says, her eyes darting between me and my parents. “She’ll start as my maid in the morning.”
Anger rises within me as Carina looks in my direction, almost as if daring me to deny her words.
My mother nods as she takes a sip of her wine.
“Good, I’m being very tolerant, allowing her back in my castle,” my mother says, her voice barely containing the contempt that is evident in her words.
“My castle,” I snarl.
“Not until after the wedding. You may technically hold the title of king, but nothing formal has been announced yet, son.”
My father’s words do nothing to quell the emotions that are raging within me. I feel them boiling over as I glare at the table, thinking of my mate and the feeling of her in my arms.
I barely notice my parents engaging in conversation as I contemplate my situation. The night drags on, and the meal we are having consists of roasted duck, glazed carrots, and a side of creamy mashed potatoes.
My mother, an elegant woman with a regal manner, takes dainty bites while my father, a sturdy man with a stern face, digs in heartily. Carina, her hair cascading down her back and her green eyes gleaming, only picks at her food. Mostly because I know she already had blood, which suppresses a normal appetite.
Eventually, the meal is finished. Once I find enough reason to abandon the small talk, I excuse myself and quickly storm out of the dining hall, heading back to my room.
When Carina arrives soon after, I immediately lunge forward and grab her throat.
“What the fuck are you playing at?” I snarl.
“Next time you visit your whore, try not to come to dinner smelling of her. I may accept you need her, but there’s no need to rub it in my face!” Carina snarls back. “You reeked of her! Your mother asked me earlier where you were. I know exactly what you were doing with her. Do you think your parents can’t smell her?” she asks.
I suck in a breath and let go of Carina. I can still feel the anger boiling inside me. Furthermore, I want answers, and I want them now.
“What are your intentions? Why are you stirring all of this up right now?” I ask her.
