Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 154: Do You Love Me?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on her bedroom door, drawing her attention to the early morning intruder.

Right on schedule, the princess mused, her gaze flicking to the large round clock hanging on the opposite wall. Marianna, bringing the tincture to ease the symptoms.

She shifted under the heavy quilt and cleared her throat. "Come in," she called, her voice soft but steady.

Though her words seemed too quiet to carry through the closed door, it swung open almost immediately. To her surprise, it wasn’t Marianna who entered but Kai, a small silver tray balanced in his large, pale hands.

He stepped inside almost unceremoniously, his strides loud and heavy as he approached her bed. A wide smile lit up his rested face, his every movement radiating calm confidence.

Since she had fallen ill, Lorelai had been confined to her bedroom for most of the day, only allowed brief walks in the garden under Marianna’s watchful eye. Seeing Kai now, breaking her routine, was both unexpected and oddly reassuring.

The days spent alone blurred into one another, the constant dizziness and the weakness in her legs robbing her of the energy to entertain herself or seek distractions. Any attempt to fill her hours with purpose had become futile, leaving her adrift in quiet resignation.

Her mother, Queen Althea, had yet to visit her. The queen claimed that her aging constitution made her vulnerable to sickness, and exposure of any kind was a risk she could not afford to take.

Surprisingly, Lorelai did not mind that at all.

Kai, however, had been steadfast in his care. According to Marianna, he had neglected his royal duties on more than one occasion, spending hours waiting patiently outside Lorelai’s door until she was awake and ready to receive him. His unwavering devotion had become a small yet steady comfort in her isolating illness.

"How are you feeling today?" Kai asked gently, setting the silver tray on the bedside table.

For a moment, Lorelai studied the softness of his genuine smile, the warmth in his green eyes contrasting sharply with the stark chill of her bedroom. Then, her gaze drifted to the contents of the tray.

It was always the same: a cup of herbal tea, a small bowl of berries, and a glass of water, its clear surface streaked with crimson spirals of tincture as the liquid swirled and mixed in slow, hypnotic motions.

The medicine was meant to ease the persistent ache in her hip, but its effectiveness often felt as fleeting as the wind.

Instinctively, Lorelai picked up the delicate dessert fork beside the tray, spearing a plump strawberry. The burst of sweetness against her tongue offered a brief moment of solace, a reminder of simpler pleasures amid her discomfort.

"I had that dream again," she murmured after taking a sip of the bitter tea. Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant, as though speaking of it might summon its unsettling images into reality. "Perhaps I should see a priest. I think... it’s the dream that’s keeping me from getting better."

Kai’s features shifted dramatically, the softness in his expression hardening into something displeased—bordering on hurt.

Lorelai raised her eyes to quietly observe her stepbrother’s darkened face. She hadn’t known he was capable of looking so disgusted, no matter the reason. The unfamiliar sight unsettled her, and though the expression made her uncomfortable, her own face refused to react. It was as if the weight of her illness had stolen even her ability to express emotion.

"It will get better soon, don’t worry," Kai finally said, though the deep line forming between his brows betrayed his frustration. "Just do what I tell you, and don’t fill your head with anything else."

His tone was clipped, the words landing less like gentle reassurance and more like a warning.

Something inside Lorelai stirred—a fragile thread of resistance snapping under the pressure of his dismissal. Her dull, fatigued eyes sparked faintly with rebellion. "What if it’s a curse? What if—"

"Lorelai!"

Kai’s voice rose like thunder, the sudden boom shattering the fragile calm in the room. Lorelai flinched, instinctively shrinking back into her bed as her trembling hands gripped the blanket.

It was the first time her stepbrother had ever raised his voice at her, and the sound echoed in her chest like the crack of a whip. Fear welled up, unfamiliar and chilling, at the sharpness of his outburst.

Seeing her reaction, Kai softened almost instantly. "Lorelai," he murmured again, this time gently, as he reached out to brush the back of his hand across her cheek. His touch was warm, yet it only deepened her confusion. "You’ll be alright, but only if you listen to me. Do you understand?"

His voice was tender now, but the words still felt like a blade, dull and unrelenting, driving between her ribs. Lorelai could only nod, her lips quivering as any response she might have formed dissolved into silence.

Kai’s smile returned, as though her compliance had soothed him. "Lorelai... do you love me?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Lorelai felt the familiar urge to reply, the same way she always had before. She had told him she loved him countless times, hadn’t she? It was expected, a reflex, a truth she had never questioned.

But as she parted her lips to speak, an image flashed in her mind—two pairs of bright amber eyes, burning with an intensity she couldn’t place. The vision left her trembling, her heart racing in her chest as sweat beaded on her forehead.

"What is it, Lorelai?" Kai’s hands gripped her shoulders, his wide green eyes searching her face with frantic urgency. "Why are you shaking?"

She swallowed hard, fighting the tightening hold around her throat. The words she had always said to him felt heavier now, almost suffocating. Yet, after a moment of hesitation, she forced them out. "I love you. I... love you."

The words left her lips, but they felt hollow, as though they belonged to someone else instead.