Page 48 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings
“You were the one who wanted to punish her for ruining yourpants.”Zeke jerks my head to the side, and my scalp burns, but I grit my teeth, refusing to cry out.
“Yes, and I will when I feel like it.We are done with dinner.She is free to go.”A screeching chair behind me makes me tense, wondering if I am going to have to escape the clutches of one of his brothers, too.
Lyon comes into my line of vision and claps a hand on Zeke’s shoulder.
“Come now, brother.We can’t kill her the first night she’s here.Father would have our heads.You can have your fun with her soon enough,” Lyon tells him.Zeke’s eyes flicker oddly as he shoves me away, and my ass hits the table.
“I give you a week before you’re hanging from the rafters.”Zeke laughs, and as he spins to follow Lyon, he stumbles.
When Lyon and Zeke are out of sight, Regan finally speaks again.“You need to be careful around, Zeke.He’ll find any excuse to punish you, and his punishments are brutal if not lethal.”
I glance at him before staring back at the entryway.“Well, get it over with, then.I want to go to bed!”
“Get what over with?”he asks as his chair scrapes against the floor.Each step he takes toward me makes my heart rate spike.
When he finally steps in front of me, I roll my eyes.“Mypunishmentfor ruining your pants,” I say sarcastically, wanting to get it over with so I can go to bed and sleep.
“You want to wash my pants now?I was going to make you wash them tomorrow, but if you insist, I can show you where the laundry is.”He chuckles.
“That’s the punishment?”I ask, a little shocked.I was expecting something horrid and possibly painful after the way Zeke treated me.
“They’re pants.Though I have killed people for less, I don’t believe my father would accept death as a suitable punishment for ruined pants.”He purses his lips and scratches his chin, looking thoughtful.
Regan laughs softly before a hint of a smile ghosts his lips.“Maybe you’re not the only one wanting to go to bed,” he tells me before leaning down to whisper.“I only stayed to make sure they didn’t kill you!”He shakes his head with a laugh before turning on his heel and walking away from me.
My brows furrow, and I watch him leave, waiting for him to turn around and tell me that my real punishment is to sleep in the stables or something.When he doesn’t, I move to catch up with him, having to run up the steps to match his long strides.
He glances down at me but says nothing as I follow him, partly because I still don’t know my way around and spent a good hour lost while trying to find the maid quarters where Shelley lives.
“But you were angry.”I remember the way he stormed off to hunt me down when he realized what I did.
King Regan sighs.“Yes, most people would be in that moment, but I’m not a complete monster, despite what my brothers and father think of me.”
“And why do they think that?”I ask, having to power walk to keep up with him.
“Because they also aren’t wrong, either.”He shrugs, and we turn the corner to find the enormous double doors leading to their quarters.Regan pushes the doors open and slips through, and as I slide through behind him, the lock clicks behind me as the doors swing shut.I stop, glancing at the doors, which were open all day.
Do they lock them at night?
Regan keeps walking, and I turn to tug on the door handles.The door rattles but doesn’t open, and I hear laughing behind me.Turning around, I spot Zeke leaning against his door, and he holds up a key, jiggling it in the air before placing it in his pocket.
“Can’t run from us now, human,” he snickers.
Regan groans and keeps walking, while I hesitate, knowing I have to walk past Zeke to get to my room.Exhaling, I stride toward him, and as expected, he steps in my path.
“Move!”I snap at him.Zeke chuckles, and I go to move around him, only for him to sidestep.I roll my eyes at his childish antics and move to the opposite side, only he grabs my arm in a bone-crushing grip.
His claws slip free of his fingertips and pierce my arm, making me cry out.I grit my teeth, angry that I let him know he is hurting me.He smiles in response and tightens his grip.
“One week!”he purrs.I glare at him and try to jerk my arm from his grip, but he smiles sadistically, tugging me closer.
Blood streams down my arm from where his claws are embedded in my flesh.I bite my tongue against the agonizing burn, trying to conceal how much pain I’m in.His claws lengthen—something I didn’t think they could do—and slice deeper.My lips part with a gasp, and I suck in a sharp breath to stop from screaming.
A second later, he smiles, letting me go, and I stagger back.Before he has the chance to do or say anything else, I turn abruptly and race to my room, blood still dripping from my fingertips.Shelley is right.I have to get out of here!
Opening my door, I slip inside and try to lock it, but the door handle on the inside is still broken by Regan.My eyes burn with tears that I refuse to let fall.Instead, I walk to the bathroom and flick the light on.
Stepping inside, I examine my wounds.Five deep puncture marks leave a bloody trail down my arm, dripping from my fingertips onto the tiled floor.I snatch some tissues off the counter and wet them under the tap, dabbing at them while my eyes scan for something I can use to apply pressure.
