Page 5 of Lycan King's Claim
Xandros's attention locks onto Toby, and before I can process the situation, he lunges toward him without hesitation. Toby, in a swift and fluid motion, shifts into a murky gray Lycan, his thick fur standing bristly on end. The room erupts into chaos as they clash. Xandros is larger and stronger while Toby is quicker and more agile. They tear at each other with brutish ferocity, slashing and snarling with fury as their claws rip through flesh and fur.
The ferocity of their fight is brutal; fur and blood filling the air, the room transformed into a battleground of violence and destruction. Xandros manages to break away from Toby's grasp momentarily before lurching back toward him with ferocious intensity.
I can barely keep up with the rapid movements as Xandros lands blow after blow on Toby, who dodges and parries expertly despite being overwhelmed by his opponent's strength.
Xandros delivers punch after punch, and him fighting Toby appears to be child's play for him. He flings him around like a rag doll, and the few jabs Toby manages to get in only seem to fuel him more.
Panic courses through me when I hear Toby groan. I try to pull Xandros off, my voice filled with desperation and fear, "Enough, please, Xandros, stop!" I cry, and he backhands me, his rage unyielding. I hit the wall with force before landing beside the bed. Toby's head turns to look at me and I gasp, the way his snout is bent, not having enough time to heal between blows.
"Sienna, Run," his voice filled with pain. I refuse, determined to stop the violence unfolding before me. Xandros grabs him, flinging him across the room and I jump on his back before sliding off when he moves swiftly. I might as well be a small child; his Lycan form towers over me and I know the only way to stop him is to get help. The sheer brutality becomes too much to bear, and I turn and run, my heart pounding in my chest.
As I burst through the door, I collide with Javier, bouncing off him in my frantic state. Javier grips my arms and steadies me; I don't even care that I'm naked, all I care about is someone helping Toby.
"He's going to kill him, he's going to kill him!" I scream, my voice filled with anguish. Javier reacts swiftly, rushing into the room with a sense of urgency, only for Carina to grab a hold of my arms, her grip firm. "What were you thinking, Sienna?" she asks, her tone laced with both concern and frustration. I shake my head, and Carina looks at the open door. We have managed to draw a crowd. People stare out windows, others line the balconies to see what the commotion is.
Tears spill from my eyes, and I shake my head, my voice choked with emotion. "Please, help him. Help Toby," I beg Carina, my plea filled with desperation. She looks toward the room, where commotion and snarls continue to emanate. Javier is suddenly tossed out of the room, and Carina's gaze hardens as glass shatters.
"Fuck, you owe me one," she mutters before rushing into the room, leaving me standing here, trembling.
Turning, I see Javier trying to peel his body off the ground; I race over to help Javier, who is slowly getting up. My heart pounds in my chest as I glance into the room where Carina stands stunned, her eyes fixed on Toby, who stares back at her with the same expression, "Carina!" I yell, trying to snap her out of her daze to help Toby instead of just staring at him. Carina blinks, her focus returning, and she rushes to Toby's side just as Xandros grabs him. She knocks him out of the way using her body as a shield.
Carina holds her hand out, to cover and protect Toby's bloody body. "Enough. No more," she tells Xandros, her voice firm and unwavering. Xandros moves to grab her. Carina's fangs slip free, a warning sign of her determination. It's followed by a growl and any other time I would enjoy a good fight against rival species, but all I can think is if he kills them both it's my fault.
"Xandros!" I yell out, trying to draw his attention away. I glance around, wondering where to go, before spotting the surrounding forest across the road.
My breath hitches in my chest as Xandros freezes, his entire body turning rigid. Slowly, he turns to face me, his eyes locking onto mine. Panic claws at my insides, and without thinking, I bait him further.
"I am not your mate," I tell him before I run. My sheet, the only cover I have, slips away, falling to the ground as I run for the coverage of the trees. His growl reverberates through the air, marking my skin raised with goosebumps, every hair on my body standing on end. His snarls are loud as he gives chase. I don't dare look back, knowing I have mere seconds before he catches me.
The forest looms ahead, and I sprint toward it, twigs scratching at my skin as I desperately run for my life. Deep in the forest, I try to remember where the drainage system is, looking for the tunnels and praying one is open.
However, when I stumble across the place, I am met with the cold steel bars. I clutch the bars of the locked gates and yank on them. "No, come on, open!" I scream in frustration. The gates rattle as I yank and pry at them. They don't budge, not even a centimeter.
"You betrayed me," Xandros' voice reverberates through the air behind me, my entire body tenses as I turn around.
As I face him, the weight of his presence bears down on me. "You truly are the mad king, the monster they claim," I declare, my voice laced with a mix of fear. Xandros steps closer; I step back only to hit the steel bars, and his gaze pierces into my soul as he takes calculating steps toward me.
"Your monster," he growls, stopping in front of me. Tears slip down my face when I feel his warm claws hand cup my cheek. His thumb brushes the tear away, his claw skimming below my eye.
"You have no idea how badly I want to hurt you, right now," he tells me.
I lift my gaze to meet his. "There is nothing you can do to me that hasn't already been done, Xandros, not unless you kill me. By all means, do me the favor and end my fucking life," I snap. He laughs before leaning down. "Your death will never be that simple, nor will you ever escape me again," he growls before sinking his teeth into my neck.
Agony courses through my body, and I let out a scream that morphs into a moan, the bond between us flaring to life. Darkness envelops my consciousness as Xandros scoops me up in his arms, his form shifting back into human form.
"You're mine, Sienna, one day you'll accept that. I don't mind waiting for that day because you forget, we have eternity together," he growls before his voice fades away to static and so do my surroundings.
4
I stare at Sienna's limp body in my arms, her neck bleeding, her face pale, I'm consumed by conflicting emotions. The bond that once connected us now feels like a cruel joke. The hope and trust I had in her have been shattered.
She played me and ran off with another man. The mate bond meant so little to her. The rage and betrayal surge through my veins, threatening to consume me. Every instinct screams at me to hurt her, to rip her apart for what she has done. I resist. I can't give in to the urge. I can't become the mad king.
Taking a deep breath, I pull myself together and start trudging back through the forest, carrying her fragile body in my arms.
As I emerge from the shadows of the tree line, Javier and Carina are locked in a heated exchange. Her face seems to contort with every word she hisses at him, while her finger jabs sharply into his chest.
Javier snatches her wrist swiftly, not caring for her sharp gleaming fangs inches from his face, he, too, appears angry. However, their altercation ends abruptly when they notice my presence. Javier straightens, casting a glance my way before his eyes fall on Sienna in my arms.
