Page 24 of Lycan King’s Claim (Lycan King’s Reign Duet #2)
I awoke to the first rays of the morning sun peeking through my window and bathing my bedroom in a golden hue.
My heart was heavy with uncertainty and dread—what would the day bring?
After I asked him to leave, I glanced at the empty spot in my bed and realized that Xandros had not returned last night.
Some part of me is relieved because I won’t have to see his face or feel his bond before the fight.
My mind raced with possibilities, and I tried to shake off the unease in my heart that is making it palpitate.
I force myself to start my morning routine, pulling on a pair of leggings and a tank top.
Then I quickly grab my brush and run it through my hair when the door opens and in steps Javier.
Xandros is nowhere to be seen, and a sense of restlessness gnaws at me and disappointment.
However, Adina has also come to escort me down, and I can’t help but ask, “Where is Xandros?” Javier glances away, but Adina answers.
“He’s trying to stop the challenge from going ahead, but it won’t work.
I’m guessing he’s gone to argue with King Vin or Carina to see if Carina will forfeit,” Adina explains with a knowing look.
The weight of the upcoming challenge hangs heavily in the air, and I feel a strand of anxiety tightening in my stomach, twisting like a knot.
Today I could die, yet was I really living in a way for my life to warrant fighting for?
“Are you ready?” she asks softly, her voice full of concern.
I nod silently, not trusting myself to speak, and Javier motions for us to follow him. “Does Xandros know you’re with us?” I ask Javier, and he hastily shakes his head. I nod once, following them downstairs and stepping into the foyer.
As we step through the door, I suddenly become aware of how many people are here. Cars line up along the driveway leading all the way to the front gate, and a small crowd gathers around the enormous fountain. I can feel their eyes on me as we walk down the path toward the side gardens.
We follow Javier to the side of the stables, and I stop in my tracks, stunned at what is waiting for us.
A makeshift arena had been set up sometime during the night—an octagonal ring with waist-high walls of wood had been thrown together just for this occasion.
The sight sent a chill through my body. This is where I will have to fight Carina, the girl who is my mate’s wife—and who may very well rip me to pieces before I even have a chance to swing at her.
The crowd of onlookers grows larger as more people come to watch. My heart races faster—it seems like the entire city is here, eagerly awaiting the bloodshed they know will come from this match.
Behind us are two rows of chairs that had been set up for the Council members, all dressed in their shining robes. Most of the Council Elders were already here except a few stragglers that pulled up as we stepped outside the castle.
They take their seats with the others, sitting in their elevated chairs with piercing gazes that make me feel like a mere pawn in a game I don’t fully understand. But I steel myself, determined to show they don’t scare me, even if I’m not sure what I’m fighting for anymore.
It feels like all eyes are on me as I take my seat between Javier and Adina in the front row — without a doubt, I look quite small compared to them all.
Once everyone had seated themselves and prepared for what was about to begin.
One of the Council Elders stood up. “That’s Elder Ridion,” Adina leans into me to whisper, and a second later, his booming voice echoes throughout the huge empty space as he announces: “Today we gather here for a challenge between Sienna Draven and Carina Dresden for King Xandros Zeppelin’s hand.
” He continues speaking about how this would be a fair fight with each combatant having an equal chance of winning before calling forward both of us to stand within the octagon ring of wood walls—it was time.
Glancing around, I don’t see Xandros anywhere, and before I know it, some Council guards force me into the arena.
As Carina and I step into the arena, a hush falls over the crowd.
My heart beats like a drum in my chest, and bile burns the back of my throat.
Yet, looking at Carina, I am shocked to see her face resembling the fear I feel inside.
A few times, she casts nervous glances at the side of the arena, and I steal a glance to see her father and mother watching eagerly.
Shoving my thoughts aside, I pay attention to Carina. We circle each other like predators stalking their prey, our eyes locked in fiercely, trying to gauge what the other will do. The tension in the air is palpable, and I can feel the weight of everyone’s judging gaze bearing down on me.
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.