Page 31 of Lycan King's Claim
Suddenly, a man announces for us to begin, or I think he does because Carina suddenly swings at me.
I barely duck in time. The fight begins, and our movements are sloppy at first when I realize Carina isn’t as trained as I believed. That doesn’t mean her hits hurt any less, though. Each blow lands with a fierce intensity, the clash of our claws and teeth echoing through the arena.
A shriek escapes me when she catches me across the stomach, her nails slicing my skin like razors. She may not be a Lycan, but her nails are as sharp as my claws.
“Sienna! What are you doing? Shift!” Rehan yells out. But as the fight progresses, I find that I can’t shift into my Lycan form; the only thing I manage is my claws, and not even my teeth elongate.
17
Panic surges within me, my heart pounding in my chest. Why can’t I shift? What’s wrong with me?
Carina’s foot connects with my thigh when a commotion off the side catches my attention; the arena is thrown into chaos as Xandros fights with about ten of the Council guards, trying to enter the arena to stop the fight. The Council guards prevent him from intervening, and I catch glimpses of him arguing with them and rag-dolling them around. Despite my worry for him, I know I must stay focused on the task. Carina lunges at me, but I scoop up some dirt, spraying it in her face, which gives me enough time to get to my feet.
Carina’s attacks become more aggressive, fueled by a desire to win at any cost. But I refuse to be caught by her claws or her fangs again, the first slashing of my flesh reminding me how painful they are.
The thunderous clamor coming from the crowd crashes through my veins like an unrelenting wave of fury. Vin and Rehan are both yelling at me, their voices merging and blurring into one. Adina stands back, her eyes wide with shock. But I hear nothing they are saying because all I can think about is Carina and the fight in front of me.
Carina barrels towards me with unstoppable force; her face twisted with rage. She swings wildly as she attempts to take me down, but I dodge each of her strikes. Fury pulses through my veins, and when she pauses for a breath, I lash out. My foot catches her on the chin. Her head snaps back, and she stumbles to the side.
I pounce on her before she can recover, pinning her down as I straddle her waist with my legs. Taking advantage of the momentary surprise, I raise my claws to end it, all prepared to plunge them into Carina’s chest — when a flash of clarity washes over me like a wave of icy water.
No matter what happens in this fight—whether I win or lose — there will never be a real winner because either way, one of us will lose something important in the end: Carina’s blue eyes stare upward, her body limp on the ground.
Her delicate features are marred by a deep gash in her cheek that I gave her, her blood mixing with her shiny blonde hair that’s now covered in dirt and blood, hers and mine. Her breath comes in pained gasps. Peering around, the sharp whistle of the wind, the screams of Adina and Rehan, and the thunderous shouts of the crowd blend into white noise.
For what?
The world becomes quiet, and all I can hear is my own heartbeat. My pulse is pounding in my ears. “What am I doing?” I whisper, staggering back onto my feet; suddenly, my hearing returns in time to hear the gasps from the crowd. Queen Adina stands, hands clutching the barrier, urging me to finish the fight.
Carina looks up at me with confusion. “You had me! What are you doing?” But something inside me shifts. Why am I fighting for a man who never fought for me? Why am I risking my life for a kingdom that has caused me nothing but pain and suffering? Is this the life I want?
The crowd gasps, Queen Adina’s head drops to her hands, and Xandros’ face morphs into a mix of confusion, shock, and anger. His hands grip the railing until his knuckles whiten, like he’s just waiting for Carina to rip me apart.
I look around at the faces peering back at me, the Council, the guards. It’s all too much. It’s at that moment I realize I am not fighting for myself because if I was, I’d be walking away. Not fighting to stay with the man keeping me prisoner.
Turning to look down at her in the dirt, Carina stares up at me.
“You can have him,” I tell Carina, who gapes at me in shock.
“No, finish it,” she pleads, glancing nervously at her father. The crowd is roaring, chanting, calling for blood, and urging Carina to finish the fight if I won’t. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears and feel my body shaking. I shake my head. Carina looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, and I’m sure I have.
Carina’s face is pained, her breaths are labored, and her lips are pulled back in a snarl. “You had me!” She retorts, her voice tinged with bitterness. “And what is the use of fighting for a man who never fought for me?” I turn to Xandros, who has stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with surprise and confusion.
“He’s all yours,” I whisper before turning on my heel and walking away.
I know they’ll hate me, but I don’t care. If Xandros truly wanted to fight for me, he could have stepped down as king. But instead, all he’s done is fight to keep his kingdom and the treaty while claiming he wants me. I can’t do it anymore.
Every so often, you need to see everything from a different perspective, and looking down at Carina and witnessing the defeat on her face, I realize how futile it all is. She didn’t even want to win, still she couldn’t afford to lose either.
The crowd boos and scream around me, but it’s all a distant hum in my ears. I walk away slowly, feeling the freedom that comes with leaving behind something you never wanted to do, leaving behind everyone who hurt you.
But I’m not the only one feeling relieved. As I look back at Carina and Xandros, their bodies are still frozen in shock from my sudden refusal to fight. Xandros looks relieved I’m okay, while Carina just stares, relieved to be still alive.
She doesn’t love him, and he doesn’t love her. So why are they fighting to keep the peace instead of fighting to end King Vin’s tyranny together? It’s all become so clear to me now, and as I walk away from the arena, I feel a mix of relief and sorrow wash over me. I don’t want to do this anymore. And I won’t.
18
The words echo in my mind, “He’s all yours,” Sienna’s voice resounding like a siren’s call. I can’t believe what I just witnessed. She had Carina defeated, victory within her grasp, and she walked away. I wanted to stop her, to ask her why, but the guards held me back, and my heart pounds in my chest. What is she doing?
