The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 109: Against a Lycan

"Let’s leave. When he discovers that he has no spectators, he’ll stop the show of glamour."

Claire couldn’t help but smile.

The King’s aim was impressive.

They rose up and left the table.

"You don’t know how to shoot an arrow?"

A smirk curved his lips.

"There’s nothing the King’s first man can’t do. But sometimes, the King is indomitable. And this, is one of those situations."

She coloured.

"I never knew you to admit defeat so easily."

"Defeat?" He let out a mocking laugh. "Was it a contest?"

She shook her head.

"But there’s a bounty on your head."

Andon burst into laughter, causing the passing maids to glance at them.

"A bounty." He chuckled. "Who knew you had a sense of humour?"

"I didn’t know myself." She giggled as well.

They went through the formal receiving rooms, starting from the ball room and main hall.

There was a chandelier hanging from the large vaulted ceiling in each of the formal rooms.

She kept imagining what it would feel like to be the Lady of such a manor.

After exploring the house like two little children, commenting on the paintings of patriarchs that hung along the stairway, they went down to the cellar.

Claire’s jaw dropped at the endless rows of wine that filled the cold room.

"It’s no joke." She murmured.

Andon grinned, stepping forward to randomly pick one of them.

"Would you like a taste?"

She began to shake her head but he was already opening it.

The wine tasted sweeter than anything she’d had before.

After emptying the contents, they went upstairs, visiting the towers. All except the King’s tower.

But she’d already been there.

The gardens were the next logical destination after having been to every inch of the castle.

Andon stole some cake from the kitchens before heading outside with her.

The gardens were still breath-taking well into the afternoon. The air was saturated with the sweet scent of the rose petals.

"What actually happened between the two of you last night?" He finally asked.

Claire glanced up from the petal she had been admiring.

"This matter has already been discussed."

"Am I supposed to believe that the two of you spent the night like Father and nun?" His eyes glinted.

Claire pretended to sniff the flower, avoiding his gaze in the process.

"Believe what you want, Lord Andon."

"I have no other choice as it is." His shoulders slumped dramatically.

Claire smiled. He was manipulative at best.

And he couldn’t mind his business where the King was concerned. If Yeren hadn’t told him, it wasn’t her place to tell him.

The back of her neck tingled.

"Claire." The voice was so soft, almost as if she had imagined it.

Her head snapped to the direction of the whisper.

The black wolf with green eyes stood at the edge of the forest, looking formidable yet inviting.

She saw it again.

Did it call her?

She waited to hear the sound of her name again, but nothing came.

Then, it turned and ran into the forest.

Not this time.

Without wasting a second, she hunched her dress up to her knees and ran after it.

The forest was dense, twining roots and branches clawing through the path.

Footsteps sounded behind her but she didn’t pay them any heed.

The wolf ran ahead, close enough to still be seen, but far beyond her grasp.

Was it playing games with her? Why didn’t it want to be caught?

She stepped on a twig, wincing when it snapped loudly. But it didn’t deter her chase.

"Claire!" Andon’s voice called out to her.

"Come back!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice laced with despair. "Don’t run away from me." Her voice fell to a whisper.

The wolf had disappeared from sight. She looked around her.

Alone.

She was alone in a darkening forest.

Why had she even come? There was no point in going after the blasted wolf, was there?

A twig snapped behind her.

Andon. Warmth washed through her as she turned around.

But it wasn’t his dark, reassuring eyes that looked down at her.

The eyes were pale yellow, the body covered in thick grey fur.

Her blood ran cooler than ice.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then, it bared its teeth with a spine-chilling growl.

She stood as stiff as a log, praying it would see she meant no harm and turn the other way.

But that wasn’t the case. It advanced towards her slowly, growling low in its throat.

Then, it began circling her.

What was going on? If it planned on killing her, why didn’t it just do so?

Where are you, wolf? She cried within.

Realizing that no one was coming to her immediate aid, she decided to run for it. Calculating its sluggish moment, she sprinted the second she could.

But her feet were just too slow. Coupled with her heavy dress, it was a recipe for disaster.

The ground vibrated beneath her as it ran her down.

The last thing she saw before crumpling to the ground was the orange glow of the sun above the tall trees.

The fall was brutal. She crashed head-first into the ground, sustaining bruises in more places than she could count.

As if that were not enough, it held her down with its huge paw, lowering its drooling mouth to her neck.

Claire felt its teeth sink into her flesh. Everything was numb at first, before white-hot pain exploded in her shoulder.

She let out a loud scream.

Just then, there was a rumble through the woods.

"Get off her!" Andon’s angelic voice came through to her.

The Lycan was thrown off her with surprising force. The moment its teeth left her skin, the pain heightened.

Was this it? Was this her cold and deserving end?

Her limbs refused to cooperate with her. She just laid there limply, waiting for Andon to lift her up.

Through the corner of her eyes, she saw their combat. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Andon was fierce, giving the stunned beast no chance to recover.

Everything ended when he ripped its head off. Blood splattered everywhere.

The head landed with a sickly thud and rolled close to where she laid.

"Are you alright?" He knelt beside her.

She managed a stiff nod.

Then, he brushed her hair aside and glanced at the marks that had been bitten through the fabric of her dress.

"Oh, Gods." He muttered under his breath.