Page 39 of Lycan King's Claim
“Sienna,” he murmurs, and I flinch at the sound of my name on his lips. The memories come unbidden, a tidal wave of pain that threatens to swallow me whole. I feel like I live in a permanent state of fight or flight with the man.
“Javier left,” I manage to say, my voice coming out strained. My eyes dart around the room, seeking comfort in familiarity but finding none.
“Carina signed the divorce papers,” Xandros announces, his voice echoing in the room. “We can be together now, Anna,” he says, tapping the paper he gave me. I stare down at it in my hand. I can’t help but laugh bitterly, the sound harsh and guttural. His use of that nickname feels like a punch to the gut, each syllable a haunting reminder of all the times he called me that when I was whole, only to use the same nickname when I wasn’t.
“You really think it’s that easy, don’t you?” I ask, my voice barely more than a deadly whisper.
He believes we can pick up the pieces of our bond and start over as if he didn’t cause me so much pain, he reaches for me, but I step back from him. My movement earns me a growl, and my gaze lifts to his.
The room seems to shrink with Xandros’ presence, a suffocating atmosphere that leaves me gasping for air. My focus is solely on him. I feel the heat of his gaze on me, and it makes my skin crawl.
“Sienna,” he begins, his voice laced with determination.
“I know I hurt you. But we can pick up the pieces and start over. We can move on from all this mess now.”
My nails dig into my palms as I clench my fists, the pain grounding me for a moment. “Anna, I never meant to hurt you,” he insists, taking a step closer. I flinch, instinctively retreating from his approach.
“Stop calling me that!” I snap, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Sienna, please,” he pleads, reaching out for me. His fingers hover inches away from my arm, aching to close the distance. “Just give me a chance to make things right. Let me show you how much I love you.”
“I know I fucked things up before, but--” he starts, but I refuse to let him continue.
“Don’t!” I cut him off, raising a hand. “Don’t dare justify your actions. Don’t give me excuses; please leave me be for a while; just let me process this…. Mess.”
He sinks onto the couch, his eyes wide with shock. I’m not the woman he remembers, the one who let him manipulate her, who allowed him to torment her.
“Look at what you did to me, Xandros,” I challenge him, forcing myself to confront the truth of his actions. “You broke me, took everything from me. And I won’t bleed anymore for a love that brings me nothing but pain.”
He reaches for me, his fingers brushing against mine. I recoil, a fresh wave of anger washing over me. “Don’t touch me,” I warn, my voice laced with venom. He pauses. His jaw clenches, and I get the first glimmers of emotion through the bond, anger, and rejection, but what does he expect?
Finally, he speaks, yet his gaze is at the window. “Let me make it right,” he pleads, desperation in his voice. His gaze returns to me, and as much as I want to believe the words he speaks, I won’t risk him hurting my bond. Just him standing this close causes it pain, let alone being thrown away by him again. “Give me a chance to prove myself to you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“Prove yourself?” I repeat, my heart pounding in my chest. “You’ve had your chance, and you failed spectacularly. You chose to hurt me, to break me, time and time again. What do you hope to achieve, Xandros? You’ve already broken me beyond repair.”
“I--” He stops, clenching his fists. “I was planning to call off the wedding if Carina hadn’t. I wanted to choose you.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you would have eventually selected me? It doesn’t change how much you’ve hurt me, Xandros!” My chest heaves with every ragged breath, the weight of our past crashing down on me.
His eyes are haunted, reflecting the torment within. He is a tall, imposing figure—the embodiment of strength and power. Now, he stands before me, a broken man.
“I know I messed up royally. But I need you, Sienna. We’re mates, bound together by destiny. You can’t just throw that away. I love you,” he whispers, vulnerability etched into his features.
“Love?” I spit out, bile rising in my throat. “What you did to me wasn’t love, Xandros. It was cruel, plain, and simple. And as for destiny…” I pause, shaking my head. “Destiny doesn’t justify the pain you’ve caused. Destiny doesn’t give you a free pass for your actions,”
“Anna, I know that and--” he begins, gripping my face in his hands and leaning in closer. A second later, his purr slips out, but instead of the sound calming me, it has the opposite effect. Instead, it angers me that even after everything, he would try to make me submissive using the bond, subdued so that he gets his way like he always does.
“Stop trying to manipulate me, Xandros!” I hiss, anger coursing through my veins like liquid fire. “I refuse to be your plaything any longer, to be discarded and picked up whenever it suits you. Not anymore.”
A shocked silence follows, punctuated only by our harsh breaths. His eyes narrow, anger flashing in them. He lunges at me, his fingers closing around my throat. I gasp, my vision blurring. His grip tightens, the darkness at the edges of my vision creeping in.
“Go ahead, Xandros,” I challenge him, my voice barely a whisper. “That’s what you want, right? A broken doll, someone to bow at your feet. Do you think you can scare me into submission? You’re wrong, Xandros. I don’t fear dying anymore. I fear living with the monster who made me long for my death.”
His grip falters at my words, and he releases me, staring at his hands just as black spots dance at the edges of my vision. I gasp for air, my chest heaving as I struggle to regain my composure. Xandros stares at me, a complex mixture of anger, regret, and something akin to fear in his eyes.
“Sienna,” he breathes, his voice barely audible. “I never meant for things to end up like this.”
“But they did,” I tell him before walking out of the room to go do my chores.
