The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation romance Capítulo 19

VALERIA

I glanced to the side, noticing the Alpha's daughter had also stepped outside.

"Well, His Majesty takes protecting his pack very seriously," I replied with my best loyal and diplomatic servant voice.

She started chatting with me casually, young and carefree.

Excitedly, she talked about a night market held in the town square, where they sold local specialties.

The fact that she wasn’t staring at me strangely or treating me differently because of my scars earned her a point in my favor.

"It sounds really interesting. I’d love to go, but I can’t leave His Majesty's side. I’m sorry—"

"You can go with her if you want," Aldric's voice rumbled behind me.

"I’ll be tied up here for a while. You can explore the market, but don’t go too far. I’ll catch up with you both soon."

I turned to see him digging into his pocket, already guessing what he was about to do.

"Thank you, sir," I replied quickly, practically dragging the girl away with me to escape.

"Wait, Valeria."

He caught my arm, stopping me and forcing me to face him.

"Take this. Buy whatever you want. I don’t care if you spend it all—I brought more."

He tried pressing the heavy pouch of coins into my hand, but I pulled back, clutching it to my chest.

"I have my own money, Your Majesty—my wages. I'll pay for my personal things. If you need me to buy something for you…"

"No, it’s for you. Buy dresses, makeup... I don't know, whatever you like," he insisted, stepping closer, still holding out the pouch.

"It’s not necessary, King Lycan. I already received my payment this month for my service as a maid."

I refused outright, full of defiance.

Before he could react, I walked away, leaving him standing on the porch.

His burning gaze lingered on my back, but I straightened it with pride.

"I’m just your servant, King Aldric. Stop confusing me with your mixed signals," I snapped silently to myself.

With all this rebellion, will I even make it to tomorrow with my head still on my shoulders?

I wondered, half-joking, having no idea of the stormy night awaiting me—or the dangers I would soon face.

*****

"Look, Valeria! These bracelets are so pretty!" Adele practically dragged me from stall to stall around the market.

At last, this gloomy pack seemed to show some life.

Paper lanterns floated overhead, casting a warm glow across the bustling square.

I got distracted examining some medicinal creams. I hadn’t given up hope of finding a miracle that could help speed up my healing.

But when I turned back around—Adele was gone.

I scanned the crowd, finally spotting her near the end of the square.

She was speaking to someone in the shadows of a dark alley.

The moment they noticed me watching, the figure slipped away into the darkness, and Adele returned.

Her face looked different.

Even though she tried to smile, something was clearly bothering her.

"I’m so sorry, Valeria… Something came up with my mate. My parents don’t really approve of him."

Memories tried to surface, flashes of another temple like this one.

Could this be where the stolen artifacts came from?

The raven perched atop the stone moon, watching me closely.

I stepped forward, climbing the worn steps, brushing aside ivy and moss until I revealed something beneath.

Symbols.

What I had first thought were just decorative patterns were actually letters.

An ancient script, carved deep into the stone.

It was confusing, but I felt like I was starting to understand.

I leaned in closer, drawn to decipher the meaning, desperate to see what it said...

"Can you read what's written there?"

A voice broke the silence behind me, making me jump.

Adele.

She had appeared out of nowhere, staring at me with wide, curious eyes—too curious.

Why did she seem so interested in whether I could read these symbols?

Couldn’t she see them too?

The raven cawed again, taking flight as my unease grew stronger.

"I... I don’t know what you mean. They just look like strange decorations to me," I lied, my instincts screaming that my survival depended on it.

Now I just needed her to believe me.