Page 15 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings
“Because you refuse to tell us!”he shouts, and I let him go, turning on my heel.I am done with this conversation, as much as my brother annoys me, I don’t want to hurt Lyon.Zeke, on the other hand, I could live happily with his blood on my hands, but that would hurt Lyon.
Making my way inside the dining hall, my father looks as smug as a pig in shit.Zeke is helping himself to the small bar area, and I shake my head.That man can’t remain sober for five minutes.
“I have good news, son.”I turn my attention to my father.He’s wearing a royal blue robe with his matching pinstripe pajamas beneath.The maid Shelley stands beside him and grabs his arm as he goes to rise.I watch her actions.Something is off, and I will get to the bottom of it.She never leaves his side lately unless doing his bidding.She always lingers, and I caught her sneaking into his room last night.
“Thank you, dear, I will take my breakfast on the balcony.Malachi, will you bring the laptop so I can watch the race?”he asks, looking toward the kitchen doors.I peer over at him, and he nods, rushing off.
“Can I at least make coffee first?”I groan, it is far too early for this shit.
“No, I want to get this over with,” he speaks excitedly with a spring in his step.“I think the woman is quite deserving, and I think you boys will approve, she is in the center of the maze,” he says, and I press my lips in a line.Zeke scoffs.
“We’ll see,” Lyon mumbles.My father holds up a fist withthree straws the bottoms in his fist.
“Well take one.”I roll my eyes, plucking a straw from his hand and holding up, my brothers do the same when my father speaks again.
“Regan you get the north entrance, Zeke the south, Lyon main entrance,” my father states.
“The north entrance is the hardest!”I snap at him.
“Well, you drew the short straw,” my father retorts.Zeke smirks, having got the quickest route.
“Wait, where is Gnash?”I ask.Are we expected to believe this woman is just waiting in the center of the maze like a sitting duck, and our wolves have suddenly forgotten their way around it and are lost?
“In the maze,” is all my father answers.“Now, get to your starting points.”
I growl but stalk out of the castle toward the maze.My brothers take the other doors as they head to their starting points.
Walking to the main entrance, one of the guards moves the door, locking them inside the maze.Looking into the dark tunnel, I stick my fingers in my mouth and whistle loudly, hearing the echoes of my brothers doing the same as they call their wolves too.However, we don’t hear a single yip or yap.Usually Gnash would howl to let me know he is okay and come running, which sets me on edge.If this bitch has hurt my wolf, not even my father will be able to save her from death.With an angry growl I rip my tank top off, tossing it aside and cracking my neck, if this bitch has hurt my wolf I will be wearing her blood.
Chapter 10
The wolf beneath me whines, nudging and licking theside of my neck, while the one laying across my lap with his snout propped on my shoulder lifts his big head.
My eyes flutter open when it starts licking my face frantically like I am its favorite lollipop.Blinking and trying to wake up, I freeze, wondering if he is tenderizing my flesh with his tongue before he tries to eat me.
I push his head away, grabbing fistfuls of his fur, and he whines loudly.His tongue flicks faster across my face, making me chuckle as he covers me in slobber and drool.
“Stop!It’s gross, and you’re making me nervous,” I tell the huge white wolf who had managed to lick most of the blood off his fur coat.I am grateful he has but also slightly disturbed, hoping the leftovers caking his fur were enough to tide him over and that he isn’t looking for breakfast.The wolf cocks its head to the side, its big red inquisitive eyes watching me as if it understands the words I speak.
The wolf beside me reeks of blood.When the one behind me sits up abruptly, I fall backward from the weight of the wolf on top, his weight crushing me.The big one snaps at his brother, who yaps and yawns, sniffing my face and nudging me to get up.Groaning, I grab the side of the wolf on top, pulling myself to asitting position.
Right now, they seem calm as they continue to sniff and move around me.
“What is it?Was I not tasty enough for you to eat?Is that why you didn’t kill me?”I ask the big one who sits watching me.The smaller one nudges my face with its wet nose.With the three wolves playfully draped around me like this, I can’t believe they are the same monsters responsible for killing everyone who entered the maze last night.Right now, they seem like oversized puppies.
Looking around, I am still in the maze.Some part of me hoped I dreamed of the torturous night we all endured, that maybe I would wake up in my cave and see Granny crushing her herbs on the rocks or choking me out with sage and lavender that she used to burn every morning.
I hated waking up to those things.Now, I would do anything just to hear the clanging of her smashing herbs with rocks, or to wake up to her chants that annoyed me to no end and always disrupted my blissful sleep.
Instead, I wake in the maze of nightmares, trapped between three gigantic wolves who, for some reason, decided I wasn’t a worthy midnight snack.Sighing, I try to get up, only for the littlest wolf—who is by no means actually small—to crawl into my lap, wanting me to rub his belly.Sighing, I give him a scratch, but the wolf tenses in my lap.
A loud whistle echoes through the maze, followed by two more.The wolves grow anxious, and I peer up at the sky to see the sun beaming down on me.It must be around ten in the morning, meaning I got little in the way of sleep considering the sun was just beginning to rise when I passed out.
My lack of sleep is the least of my worries right now.Something has set these wolves off, and if something has made them anxious, it should make me anxious as well.What do these monster wolves have to worry about with teeth that rip through flesh like a hot knife through butter?
Suddenly, the biggest one stands.Peering toward one ofthe narrow branches of the maze, I hear his voice ring out loudly.A voice that could not be mistaken for anyone other than King Regan.
“Gnash!”he bellows, and the massive beast of a wolf whines loudly with his tail wagging, wiggling excitedly, almost prancing on the spot.He moves toward the branch of the maze when the small one beside me makes a noise and he suddenly stops.
