Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 37: Mate

The water in the large square bathtub splashed onto the marble floor as Rhaegar submerged his body under it, its clear surface instantly turning red with the mixed-in blood.

The man did not move for quite a while, feeling the hot water dissolve all the dirt on his skin as it soaked his entire body in its pleasant embrace.

Their blood smelled sickeningly disgusting. Even mixed with the scented oils added to his bath, that hideous stench refused to leave his nostrils, clinging desperately as if to remind him of what he had done.

His face grimaced and the king finally emerged from the water, brushing his wet hair backward with his big tanned hand.

Rhaegar never cared when it came to killing his enemies. It did not matter whether they were humans, beasts, or rogue creatures––if they posed a threat to him or his subjects, he would never hesitate to raise his sword or bare his fangs.

And yet, tonight, it all had changed in a heartbeat.

Because she was there.

'Why did she have to look at me like that? Why did not she leave like I told her to?'

A loud groan escaped his lips and then turned into a sigh of resentment. Why did he care that Lorelai saw Gian beheading that knight? And why did not she turn away?

'Was she brave or simply stupid? Was she paralyzed with fear?'

"What is the matter?" Gian walked into the bathroom carrying a stack of fresh, fluffy towels in his hands. "Is it the smell? Should I ask one of the servants to bring something stronger?"

"No, it's not it," Rhaegar finally opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling above him, not really focusing on anything in particular.

Gian watched his king silently for a while, then let out a long sigh, shaking his head disapprovingly. "It's the princess, isn't it? I saw that she was looking too. Do you think she will use it to cause trouble for us?"

Rhaegar shook his head. "I don't think she will and frankly, this is not what I am concerned about."

Gian narrowed his eyes, finally realizing what was bothering his king.

"Are you worried that she will now be terrified of us? Of you?"

Rhaegar finally shifted his amber eyes on his aide, his look filled with a blend of annoyance and frustration. Gian added, "And if she does––why do you care?"

"Because she might be my mate."

The lycan king's words almost made Gian drop his jaw to the marble floor. Never even once in his time of serving his king has he heard him mentioning the word "mate", refusing to acknowledge such a notion.

Rhaegar had always believed that the human in him prevailed and that he could control his animalistic urges unlike pureblooded beasts or the beasts who had chosen to accept their mates and imprint on them.

Eventually, his body began to rebel, causing him a great deal of pain, but no matter how much time had passed, his mate was nowhere in sight.

And now, it seemed like it finally happened.

But why did it have to be the human princess, of all creatures? Gian saw no logical explanation for it. And most importantly...

"I know what you are thinking, Gian," Rhaegar interrupted his train of thought. "I am still not sure about her anyway. I need to check it again."

"Again? You have been suppressing your instincts for so long that you cannot tell just by her scent? You have even slept with her!"

Rhaegar opened his mouth with a prepared retort but decided against voicing it.

Perhaps he was simply getting delusional. Yes, his aide was right, he had been suppressing his urges for a long time and could have lost a good part of his connection with the wolf inside him to the point that he could not recognize his fate right away.

Or perhaps he simply refused to.

After all, it was never easy for a human to be mated with a beast. Rhaegar knew it. And Gian knew it even better.

"I know things have changed," Gian suddenly said in a somewhat quiet tone, "but if it turns out to be true... Think carefully before making your decision."

Rhaegar rose from the tub, and Gian offered him a towel right away, turning his orange gaze away from his king's body. As he wrapped the towel around his waist, the lycan king placed his hand on top of Gian's shoulder and nodded. "I will."

***

Lorelai stood in front of the tall mirror, deep in thought, while Marianna and a few other maids sent by the queen were busy adjusting her new dress.

Today, she did not care about the way she looked. Whenever Marianna would ask her about a particular garment or a piece of jewelry, the princess would simply nod or say something meaningless just so that she could be left alone.

No, she could not think about anything else today. Anything else but the previous night.

'He broke the sword's blade in half and then cut a man's neck with it...'

The nonchalance of that action along with the gruesome scene that followed right after it left Lorelai sleepless for the bigger part of the night.

But what troubled her the most was not the merciless assault she had witnessed, but the fact that instead of fearing it, she felt exhilarated and thrilled.

She imagined Duke Kalder getting beheaded instead of his knight and it made her very soul shiver with a strange emotion. Did she really hate that man so much that she felt no remorse even for his people? Or was it her very nature that made her feel that way?

Whatever it was, there was still that glowing pair of bright amber eyes that haunted her even more.

'Was he trying to protect me from witnessing the bloodshed or was he simply worried that I would be scared of him or his people?'

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A persistent knock on the door jolted Lorelai back to reality. The palace's butler stepped inside her bedroom, carrying a folded note on a small silver tray.

The princess accepted the message, her eyes widening as they ran through its contents.

'It cannot be!'