Page 27 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

“She is so pretty and sweet,” I say quietly. “That’s the problem. She is easily the prettiest here, and she looks so young. It fuels their creepy tendencies.”

We sit silently for a moment, contemplating. “We need to get her out of here,” he says nervously.

“I know.” I put my finger to my lips. “But we can never talk about it.”

He nods. “Our code will be to go and collect herbs.”

“Good.” I sigh. “I’m planning to…collect herbs, but I need a little more time to plan everything.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s you,” he admits. “Your body is strong, even with your wolf weakened. You would be the best to collect herbs and get help.”

“Should I tell Ludovica about it?” I ask.

“The less we all know about it, the better,” he whispers. “Ludovica will always be on our side, but you never know what the alpha makes her do. If he…you know…”

“You think they are…”

“It’s just a wild guess,” he says, shaking his head. “What a monster. Who treats their mate that way?”

“She’s remained strong for us,” I add.

He nods. “We shouldn’t give her more trouble than necessary.”

“Right. Then I won’t tell you any more about it, either,” I say with conviction. “One day you’ll wake up, and Ryllis and I will be…gon- collecting herbs. And you won’t know anything.”

“Ok, but if you need help, tell me,” he says.

“Alright, I will. Now rest.” I check over his wounds briefly, sad that healing takes so long for him. But, with our wolves so weak, it can’t be helped. “I’ll take your kitchen shift,” I say with a smile.

He squeezes my hand. “You are the light,” he murmurs, “and the hope.”

I don’t know what to say to that. He’s given me way more credit than I deserve. Instead of answering, I grab my things and make it to his shift on time. Ludovica is expecting me already, offering a warm and welcoming smile. “There’s lots to do,” she tells all of us. “We’re expecting guests tomorrow and there are things we need to prepare.”

“And we’re short on staff,” I mutter a little too loudly.

She sighs. “That too.”

“Thanks to a certain someone throwing a party…”

“Freya,” she warns me. “Don’t talk about it.”

I sigh. “Alright. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I’m not worried for myself,” she mutters. “I don’t want you facing any problems.”

I don’t argue with her. Ludovica has always been so good to us, and I truly don’t want her to have to face off against any warriors on my behalf. I decide to be obedient for once. “What can I do?”

“We are going to prepare the desserts today.”

“Dessert?” I beam. We hardly ever have anything sweet here and making desserts means we can secretly taste-test some of the special stuff we make.

We’re in the middle of preparing everything for tomorrow when I hear noises approaching. I pause, frowning. I can make out the voices of the warriors accompanied by a scent I now recognize and am thankfully not affected by. Benjamin is no longer my mate, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Nick, one of the head warriors, storms into the kitchen and grabs a bowl of fruit crème we were preparing. He grins slyly, groping one of the girls standing close to him. She squeaks in both surprise and fear, but it only spurs him on. “What’s wrong, kitten?” he sneers. He puts the bowl aside, grabbing her with both hands and pulling her into him. Other warriors have stopped to watch his disgusting behavior and are goading him on.

Dickhead, A.K.A. my former mate, leans against the door to watch the show. Goddess, I hate these guys so much.

“It’ll be easier if you don’t struggle,” Nick sneers. “Or do you like to challenge me?”

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