AYLA
The Lycan King slowly walked towards me, and I recoiled instinctively, my heart making drum rolls against my chest.
He stopped in front of me, his eyes slithering with growing suspicion.
Before he could say anything else, I blurted, "I only took a wild guess that he was the one you were referring to, since..." I bit my bottom lip nervously, hoping he wouldn’t catch me in my lie. "You hate him."
His nose twitched as he stared at me with an intensity that bothered me since I didn’t know what he was thinking right now. Say something, please! I screamed in my head.
Suddenly, he leaned forward, easily lifting me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.
I gasped in shock. "What are you doing?"
"Taking you back to the room to get you changed," he grumbled as he walked towards the exit, the broken wooden door making a squeaking sound as he climbed over it.
"King Ezra! Put me down, please. I can walk." I tried to squirm out of his hold, but his grip on me seemed to only tighten. I gave up before long, realizing I could never overpower him as he walked through a back door, separate from the main entrance I had used to enter the hall.
He didn’t put me down until we arrived at his bedroom, and just then, a maid walked in holding a lilac dress. She set it on the bed before scurrying away.
"Strip!" Ezra rumbled, his dangerous Lycan gaze scrutinizing me from head to toe.
My eyes widened with sheer horror at the thought of stripping before him.
But before I could voice my protest, he marched towards me, and in the blink of an eye, grabbed the neckline of my dress and shredded it to pieces, leaving me in nothing but my underwear.
His dark eyes traced every line of my body, and I swore I saw his throat bob as his breathing grew heavier.
I was supposed to hate him, curse him for stripping me naked, but instead, an insane sense of longing overwhelmed me. I wanted to press myself against him and kiss him like never before.
"I have no time to waste. We have to get back to the ball. The Queen Mother has arrived," he grumbled, pulling me out of my reverie. He marched towards the bed where the lilac dress lay and flung it at me. "Wear it now."
My hands clutched the dress, and I hurriedly turned towards the bathroom to put it on there, as I felt utterly naked before him. But his voice growled again.
"Stop!"
I halted, but I didn’t turn around to look at him.
He marched closer and stood behind me, hovering over me like a mountain because of our height difference. "What is this? Why do you have scars all over your back? Who did this to you?" he growled.
Oh, that was the result of living with a father and stepmother who hated you. They’d flog me with canes every day, worse whenever I became defiant. And I didn’t know how not to defend myself when I wasn’t at fault.
"Why are you acting like you care?" I blurted before scurrying off into the bathroom.
I changed into the lilac dress. It was soft and elegant, with thin silver embroidery trailing across the fitted bodice and a flowing skirt that fell gracefully to my ankles. Looking at myself in the mirror, I realized some of the eyeliner and patches of makeup on my face had smeared. It had possibly happened when I fell face-first onto the floor.
Luckily, I found a box of essential makeup on the vanity, and I quickly touched up my face. Only after I had finished did realization dawn on me. How did the Lycan King have makeup in his room unless a woman had been here and left it behind?
A pang of unwanted jealousy hit me, but I brushed it away immediately. If not for Lucius, who had ruined my escape plan, I would’ve been long gone from here and found Aunty Dahlia. Hopefully, she’d be willing to accept me when I eventually escaped.
The Lycan King and I returned to the ball, his arms wrapped around my waist and I noticed how he wouldn’t keep his eyes off me. I bet he couldn’t stop himself from fantasizing about taking advantage of me because that was the only way he could ever have me.
The heat from the mate bond was unbearable, but I’d rather run mad than have sex with him.
Once again, everyone’s attention was on us, side remarks flying here and there.
"I arrived late, Lycan King, but better late than never. I came bearing gifts to compensate for my lateness. They’re in the truck outside," a man said as he approached us, grinning from ear to ear and extending his hand for a handshake.
The aura emanating from him was strong, and I could tell immediately that he was powerful.
The Lycan King’s body tightened beside me as he accepted the man’s hand. "You are welcome, Werecat King Celis."
My stomach coiled, and my eyes snapped wide open.
Werecat King Celis. Aunt Dahlia’s mate. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with piercing amber eyes and thick, jet-black hair.
My eyes quickly darted around, searching for any trace of Aunt Dahlia. But I didn’t even know what she looked like. Perhaps I’d have to be patient and see who remained around him for the rest of the ball. If I didn’t see any woman with him, I’d have to muster the courage to ask him about his mate myself.
"Oh my goodness!" a woman’s voice sounded loudly from behind us, and we both turned around to look at her.
Her dark brown hair was streaked with grey, and her sharp hazel eyes seemed untouched by age. She was dressed in a simple white dress with extravagant gold accessories that screamed luxury even from a mile away.
"Mother," Ezra muttered lowly.
His mother? Luna Helena Blackthorne. The former Lycan Queen and the current Queen Mother.
She stopped in front of me, her eyes sweeping from my head to my toes before a wide smile claimed her face. "You are even prettier than the reports said you were, Calista."
My palms pressed nervously against my sides as I glanced at the Lycan King. He didn’t tell his mother either?
I quickly returned my attention to the woman standing before me and gave a quick bow like an obedient little girl.
"I am flattered, Queen Mother."
All I could think about right now was escaping this place or at least speaking with the Werecat King to pass information to my aunt. So, I needed to be on my best behavior to avoid suspicion.
"Calista," Queen Helena called, her voice carrying across the hall. "It’s a full moon tonight." Her gaze shifted to the opening in the ceiling, where a beam of moonlight spilled into the hall. "Please, do us the honor of showing everyone the sacred mark of the Gemini wolf."
Mora!
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach at once.
Under the moonlight, the Gemini wolf’s mark shone brightly, almost blindingly if no clothes covered it.
But I wasn’t the Gemini wolf. There was only a tattoo painted on my back.
I flicked my gaze at Ezra in panic, only to find him looking equally perturbed.
"Mother..." the Lycan King took a step forward.