The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation romance Capítulo 138

CELINE

I slipped into the dining hall and sat in a discreet corner, pulling down my hood under the cover of darkness and ordering my meal—I was starving.

Around me, the loud chatter of drunken men filled the room, laughter booming as barmaids with their breasts nearly spilling out served drinks, getting groped left and right.

I didn't like this place. I’d spend the night and leave at dawn.

"Hey, they say the Lycan King is on the move. His men are advancing through the southern border..."

"You think we’ll be ruled by Aldric Thorne now?"

"I doubt it. The sorcerers need to beat the vampires to take control of the castle. Whoever controls the castle controls the Realm..."

"But what about the curse? It activated after the Vampire King died, and now no one can enter the palace..."

Bits and pieces of conversation floated around me, fragments of information I had been collecting.

I couldn’t care less about the internal struggle for power in this Realm, but I was heading south to meet Beof.

That night, I arranged my straw mattress on the old wooden floor.

I had chosen the second floor of the stable, where tools were stored. From there, I could look down at the horse stalls and keep an eye on the entrance.

I wasn’t going to sleep with both eyes closed—I had learned the hard way that danger lurked everywhere.

And as expected, my instincts were right. That night, whispers in the dark woke me.

Crawling silently, I peeked over the edge of the platform, my vampire eyes spotting a group of about seven men in the shadows.

"She’s gotta be around here. Have you checked all the stalls?" It was the same guy who had offered me money to spend the night with him.

"Yeah, are you sure she came this way?"

"Ben, she better be worth it, or we’re gonna fuck you instead tonight."

"Very funny, idiot. If she’s not here, there's only one place left," I shrank back as seven pairs of eyes turned simultaneously toward the upper platform.

I had to escape. I couldn't take them all on at once.

Jumping to my feet, I grabbed my hood and sprinted toward a small window at the back. I'd jump from the second floor and lose them in the forest.

"Quick! She’s escaping!" their shouts echoed behind me, but I focused only on unlocking the latch, pushing up the glass, and slipping my legs through to leap out the back of the stable.

My legs landed gracefully on the grass—this was the advantage of wearing pants instead of a dress.

I sprang to my feet and the chase began. It was still early dawn, and the forest was close. I darted into the darkness, using my small lead to my advantage, but soon enough, they were hot on my trail.

They were hybrids like me, and some were witches.

Honestly, I didn’t understand these fools—how could they discriminate against others when many of them were part vampire too?

The sound of footsteps crushing the grass, their jeers, and excited voices grew closer.

A sudden gust of air whooshed past my ear—someone was aiming for my throat from behind—while in front of me, a sorcerer prepared to cast a spell.

Everything felt like slow motion, my mind working on an escape plan, adrenaline surging through my veins.

I reached up with one hand to grab the base of my hair while the other blocked the incoming strike from behind.

I took a nasty gash, but despite the blood dripping down, I tightened my grip on his wrist and roared, twisting my body sideways, using his momentum to drag him down with me as a shield.

Pain shot through my scalp, nearly making me blackout, but the scream in my ear and the smell of burning flesh told me my plan had worked—my captor had taken the sorcerer's attack instead of me.

The pressure released, and I shook my head to clear the dizziness.

My eyes locked onto a gap a few meters away—the forest seemed to call me to escape.

I wasn’t a match for all of them, no matter how brave or reckless I was.

They had underestimated me, which gave me the upper hand for now, but once they got coordinated, I’d be cornered.

Before they could realize their advantage, I sprinted toward the darkness, free at last.

I didn’t get far.

The crack of a whip sliced through the air, wrapping around my right thigh.

A brutal force yanked me backward, slamming me face-first into the dirt, and I was dragged back toward those bastards.