Page 97 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings
“Zirah!”he bellows, his voice echoing through the grand foyer, making me stop in my tracks.“Where are my sons?”he demands, his eyes narrowing as he looks at me expectantly.
I stand there, panic rising in my chest for Zeke knowing that ifhe dies, he will kill his brothers, torn between answering the king and continuing after Gnash.I glance at the way Gnash ran off, knowing that time is running out, but also aware of the consequences of disrespecting King Theron.
Before I can decide what to do, Gnash returns and whines at my side, his eyes pleading with me to follow him.He seems to sense the urgency of the situation, and his loyalty to his master overrides any fear of the king.
With a deep breath, I make up my mind.
Ignoring the king’s furious expression, I turn and rush off with Gnash, leading the way to the dungeons.I can hear King Theron shouting after me, his anger clear in his voice, but I don’t let it stop me.I know that if I don’t find them in time, the consequences will be far more severe than anything the king can do to me.
As we reach the dungeon door, I can feel the weight of the king’s anger heavy on my shoulders, but I push it aside, focusing on the task at hand, and I grip the handle while Gnash scratches at the door.Shoving the door open, I rush down the stairs, only to stop halfway at the scene before me.
Zeke is strung up by chains from the dungeon ceiling, his clothes torn and tattered, with deep wounds that still bleed.The stench of blood fills the room, and the floor beneath Zeke is coated in blood.
“Regan!”I shout, trying to make my voice heard above the chaos and the sound of the cracking whip.“Stop!You’re hurting Lyon, too!”
Regan’s face contorts with conflict, but the rage in his eyes doesn’t subside.Rushing toward him, I see Regan is in the same state.Like Lyon, his body is covered in marks from the whip that he holds in his hand.His anger is so potent, he doesn’t even appear to acknowledge that while punishing his brother, he’s also punishing himself.
He’s struggling to regain control, as he raises the whip again, and I realize that I have to act quickly.My eyes flick to Zeke, who hangs limply from the ceiling, his back carved to pieces.Zeke doesn’t seem to even be fazed by the whip.It’s almost as if he craves it.“More!”Zeke rasps out, which seems to only infuriate Regan as the whip slashes his back again.
As much as I despise Zeke for what he did to me, I can’t let Regan kill him, not if it means losing Lyon and Regan too.So, without thinking, I run toward Zeke and throw myself in front of his body just as the whip comes down again.The stinging pain is immediate as it hits my skin, and I cry out, tears welling up in my eyes.My scream is deafening as my back arches.
The whip felt like a thousand razors cutting through my skin.I could feel it slicing through the back of my shirt, and the thin fabric provided little protection against the sharp sting of the whip.I clench my teeth, trying to fight back the wave of pain that is surging through my body.Tears stream down my face as I try to stay standing, but my body shakes from the agony, and my knees give out, leaving me in a heap on the floor.
My cry of pain is enough finally to snap Regan out of his blind rage.His eyes widen with horror as he realizes what he’s just done.Before he can react, though, Gnash mauls him, his teeth tearing into Regan’s arm, forcing him to let go of the whip and defend himself.
Regan backs away, shock and guilt etched on his face.He looks at me, at Zeke, and then at Gnash.The realization of what he was doing sinks in, and the anger slowly drains from him.“Zirah...”Regan stumbles toward me, then stops dead in his tracks.Peering up at Zeke, I reach for the pulley and yank on it.Zeke crashes to the ground beside me in a heap when I feel a draft from the door opening.It’s at that moment that I remember my shirt and the way it tore under the crack of the whip.I gasp, turning to peer at Regan to find his eyes on my back.
A sudden silence fills the room.Both Regan and I freeze.I instinctively try to cover the runes with my hands, but it’s too late.
King Theron’s voice echoes through the basement as he enters, demanding to know why the Vampiric King has declared war.However, his words trail off when he catches sight of me on the floor with Zeke.He takes in the scene surrounding him and follows his son’s stunned expression, to the runes on my back.
“Litha?”King Theron murmurs, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.He looks at Malachi and Shelley.“Did you know?”they don’t answer but both look guilty as sin.
King Theron nods, his lips lifting to show his sharp canines have elongated.“Of course you did!”he roars.
Regan, still reeling from his actions, looks at me with newfound confusion and curiosity.The anger that had consumed him moments before has vanished, replaced by something I can’t decipher.I can feel the intensity of his stare as he tries to process what he’s seeing.
Regan’s confusion only grows, but before he can say anything, his father snarls, his gaze fixed on me.He believes I’m the witch who cursed his sons, and his anger is palpable.With a blindingly fast movement, he steps toward me and roughly tears off the rest of my shirt, revealing the runes that run down my arms as well.
King Theron staggers back and his face twists.“Witch,” he sneers, his eyes burning with hatred.He turns to the guards who had accompanied him into the basement.“Kill her!”he orders, his voice filled with venom, and I gasp, my eyes desperately turning to Regan.
The guards’ expressions are a mix of fear and determination as they advance on me.My heart races, and I try to back away, but there’s nowhere to run.Just when I think my fate is sealed, Regan steps in front of me, blocking the guards’ path, and Zeke rips me back against him, finally finding the strength to sit up.
“No one fucking touches her,” he growls, his voice booming loudly, the threat behind his words clear.Peering up at Regan, there’s a fire in his eyes, a fierce determination to protect me despite the confusion he’s feeling.Gnash also growls, dropping his head and baring his teeth, daring them to come closer.
The guards hesitate, glancing at one another in uncertainty.They know that defying the king’s orders is treason, but they also know that crossing Regan would be a grave mistake.They’re caught between loyalty to their king and fear of Regan’s wrath.
King Theron’s face turns an ugly shade of red as he realizes Regan is defying him.
“You would protect this...this witch?”he snarls, his voice dripping with venom.
Regan stands his ground, his eyes never leaving his father’s.“She’s not the one who cursed us, Father.And I won’t let you hurt her.Not like you did Litha!”
As tension fills the room, I can’t help but feel a mixture of fear and gratitude toward Regan.He’s risking everything to protect me, even though he doesn’t fully understand the truth behind the runes that cover me.
The standoff between Regan and King Theron seems to last an eternity.The air is thick with tension and uncertainty.The guards shift uneasily, clearly unsure of how to proceed.They can sense that they’re standing on a precipice, and one wrong move could tip the balance and send them all spiraling into chaos.
Regan refuses to back down, his jaw clenched, and his eyes locked on his father’s.
