Page 19 of Lycan King’s Captives (Lycan King Reign Duet #1)

T he sound of the door opening makes me sit up. Despite being angry with him, excitement bubbles up thinking it is him. Disappointment floods me when I notice it is just a servant. After a few moments, and tidying up on her way, she moves to the door.

The faint sound of her footsteps echoes in the silence, and I feel a sudden ache in my chest. She slips out, turning at the last second and noticing me watching her.

She bows her head, giving me a sad smile before slipping out the door and locking it.

I peer around. Xandros is nowhere to be found, and I wonder if he’s coming back.

My gaze scans the room, and I spot a tray of food positioned on the coffee table by the fireplace. My stomach growls, despite this the thought of food makes me nauseous. What I really need is him, but he’s not here. The mate bond aches with his absence, and I feel empty and lost.

I get out of bed, my bare feet touching the cold floor, and make my way back to the window. The curtains are still drawn, and I hesitate to take my seat on it. The view outside is no longer breathtaking, but a reminder of my captivity.

The vibrant colors of the flowers in the garden, the fluttering of the leaves in the gentle breeze, and the chirping of the birds only serve to taunt me.

I miss my old life, even though it was far from what I would have chosen for myself.

At least it was mundane and predictable back then, at least I was free and not confined.

I slump against the windowpane. The room feels suffocating, and I need out of it, my panic growing more the longer I am trapped here without any distractions.

I get up and head toward the door, hoping to find a way out.

It’s locked, and I’m trapped. The realization hits me harder despite knowing this already, and I feel a lump forming in my throat as I yank on the handle, twisting it and shaking it, trying to break the lock.

I sit on the bed, my back against the headboard, and wrap my arms around my knees.

The silence is deafening, and my thoughts are consuming me.

I miss my uncle, which is ridiculous, at least he was someone to talk to—well to yell at me— right now I would take that familiarity over this silence; my friends, the few I had, and I miss my old job, the routine of my mundane old life.

I miss the freedom to make my own choices, to live my life the way I want.

Now, I’m nothing more than a prisoner, a possession of a man who only wants me for his pleasure.

The tears start to flow down my cheeks, and I can’t hold them back. The sobs wrack my body, and I feel like I’m falling apart. The pain in my chest intensifies, and I clutch at it, hoping to ease the ache. It only gets worse with each passing moment.

Hours go by, and I’m still sitting there, lost in my thoughts. The sun has shifted, casting a different light in the room. The door creaks open, and I peer up, hoping to see Xandros. It’s once again one of the maids, carrying a tray of food.

“Are you hungry, miss?” she asks, her voice gentle as she notices the full tray still sitting where she left it at lunch.

I shake my head, feeling sick to my stomach. She places the tray on the nightstand and retrieves the old one, then leaves without another word. The smell of the food makes me nauseous, and I turn away from it.

The room is still silent, and I’m alone with my thoughts again. The ache in my chest has subsided a little. I wonder where Xandros is, what he’s doing, and if he even cares I’m here. Or, perhaps he has simply forgotten me?

My thoughts go to Carina. Is that where he is?

With his wife? While I rot here. I shouldn’t be jealous, but I am.

He is hers and I want him too, even though I shouldn’t.

She is more suited to him, and it’s clear she hates me, and why wouldn’t she?

She should hate my guts! I am her husband’s dirty little mistress, and nothing more.

As the night falls, I crawl back into bed, feeling the emptiness of the room; it makes the room colder, hollow, every movement, twitch, or sound echoing in the darkness.

I close my eyes, trying to shut out the thoughts.

They keep coming. The memories of my old life, the pain of my captivity, and the ache of the mate bond.

It’s all too much, and I wish I could escape it all. Wish I could escape this life.