Defying the Lycan King-Chapter 10: The Wrong Bride

"Strip, get on the bed on all fours, and give me your back," he grunted, not even bothering to look at her as he walked inside.

"What?" Kira blurted, jumping to her feet.

Derek finally turned to look at her as if she had asked the stupidest question in the world. "Get on the bed, and don’t waste my time."

Kira nodded but made no move. Derek, who was now getting undressed, sent her an icy glare.

"Um... I... can we do this some other time?" she stammered. "I mean, I’m not ready. I need to be mentally prepared."

"Your state of mind is not my concern," he replied coldly, now stripped down to his trousers. "Business doesn’t run on emotions."

Kira’s breath caught as she looked at him, noticing how his muscles looked like solid stone. She was surprised to see he had no tattoos, which was unusual for a man of his status, but she quickly looked away when he caught her staring.

"I... I... I’m on my period," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Derek took a step toward her, and she instinctively backed away, her heart pounding against her ribs. He knew she was lying; he could hear the erratic beat of her heart.

Kira kept moving back until her heel caught the bedframe, causing her to lose her balance and fall hard onto the mattress.

Pain exploded across her back as the wounds took the impact. She howled and scrambled off the mattress, biting down hard on her lower lip to stop the cry. But it was too late.

Derek’s dark gaze was pinned on her, and she saw a flash of realisation in his eyes.

"Stand up," he commanded.

Kira shook her head, her eyes pleading, but he ignored the look. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her to her feet. Then he spun her around so her back faced him. With one sharp pull, he ripped the night robe open, exposing the thin-strapped nightdress underneath.

Kira tried to turn, but his hold was like iron. Without another word, he tore the straps of the nightdress. The fabric slipped down her body and pooled at her feet, leaving her back completely bare.

He went completely still.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Derek stared at the raw whip marks as if he had seen something impossible. Kira’s body sagged with defeat.

She never wanted him to find out, at least not now. Because even though she was furious at the King for forcing this marriage, she didn’t want him to know her real identity. If he discovered she wasn’t Chloe, her father and Luna Lydia wouldn’t hesitate to kill her the moment the real Chloe was taken away.

Now, the secret was out, and she had no idea what the King would do next.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice quiet but dangerous.

"It is nothing," Kira cried, even though they both knew that lie was stupid.

He spun her around and grabbed her chin. His grip was firm enough to make Kira’s pulse jump. She could see his Lycan pushing against the surface. The anger rolling off him felt like heat from a wildfire.

"Do not provoke me," he warned. "Who the hell are you?"

His aura hit Kira so hard her knees almost buckled. Now, she understood why Lycans were feared. In this moment, she couldn’t even scrape together one drop of bravery.

"I am your... I am Chloe," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Liar!" His grip tightened on her chin, and then he tilted her face up, forcing her to look at him, his expression unreadable and stony. "Explain to me how the pampered daughter of Alpha Rolf has the back of a common slave?"

’That’s the point, you idiot,’ Kira thought. ’The pampered daughter is at home in her bed. I’m the one who’s paying for your desire. I’m the one you bought. My name is Kira’.

His hand slid down to Kira’s throat when she remained silent. There was a dangerous, lethal glint in his eyes. "If you do not want to feel the life leave you, I suggest you start speaking."

"My name’s Kira," she finally blurted out desperately, needing him to let go. "Kira Thornclaw. I... I am Alpha Rolf’s daughter, but not his heir. He whipped me twenty times in the dungeons the day before the marriage. Because I refused to marry you willingly."

His hand dropped from her throat, and he stepped back, staring at her as if she had just turned into a different creature entirely. Her strength finally gave out, and she slumped on the bed, her body quivering uncontrollably.

Derek stumbled back again, jaw tight, eyes losing focus as his mind raced through the whole story. He wasn’t a man who stumbled a lot. But tonight, this little wolf had made him lose his bearings, not only once but twice.

"Bloody werewolves," he muttered, his face twisting as pieces started clicking. His mind replayed the scene at Moonfang earlier that morning, and he recalled how Rolf had been eager to sign those papers. Even now, the man had played him.

"Bloody werewolves," he repeated, his voice thick with horror, and he turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Kira alone.

Once the door shut behind Derek, Kira sniffed, her eyes darting around the bedroom as she searched for anything to cover her nakedness. She finally spotted Derek’s closet, grabbed one of his shirts, and pulled it on. It was massive on her, the hem reaching all the way down to her knees, but she was grateful for the warmth it provided and the way his scent wrapped around her. It was oddly soothing, and for a moment, she felt like she could just fall asleep and forget the fire in her back.

A firm knock sounded at the door only a few seconds after she had covered up and crawled onto the bed. Kira’s eyes snapped open and shifted towards the door. Her first instinct was to ignore whoever it was and pretend to be asleep, but she found herself asking, "Who is it?"

"It’s the doctor, Your Highness," a calm female voice replied.

She sat up quickly, wiping away the last traces of tears. "Oh, come in, please."

The door opened, and an older man stepped in with a younger woman close behind. They both dipped their heads in a respectful bow.

"Your Highness," the man said kindly. "I’m Lorenzo, the pack doctor and healer. This is Julia, my assistant. The King sent us. He said you needed our help."

Kira felt a rush of gratitude. She had honestly thought Derek would leave her to stew in her pain. Still, she felt a little hesitant about baring her body to a man. The look on her face must have given her thoughts away, because the doctor offered a kind smile.

"Adah, our female healer, is away on a trip. She would normally handle this, but that’s why I brought Julia. She’ll check your back while I prepare the medicine."

"No, it’s fine," Kira said quickly. "I’ll just change and leave my back bare."

A few minutes later, she was lying on her stomach, with a sheet draped over her lower half for modesty. The doctor began to examine the brutal marks on her skin.

"Who could do something this cruel?" Julia muttered under her breath. "I thought whipping was banned from our ways long ago."

Lorenzo stayed quiet, focused on his work.

After a few minutes, the door swung open and Derek strode in, looking much calmer than he had earlier. He didn’t say a word, only stood behind the doctor and his assistant with his arms folded across his chest, watching.

They spent the next couple of hours treating her: cleaning the wounds, running blood tests, applying numbing ointment, and giving her pills for the pain. Soon, Kira’s eyelids grew heavy, and sleep tugged at her.

"Your Grace," Lorenzo said finally, turning to Derek. "The wounds aren’t infected yet. I’ve cleaned them well, and they should heal faster after tonight."

Derek gave a short nod. "Thank you, Lorenzo."

The doctor glanced back at Kira, who was almost drifting off. "But... there’s something else you should know."