Page 35 of Lycan King’s Claim (Lycan King’s Reign Duet #2)
I t's late at night by the time I return to the castle. Anita thankfully didn't manage to escape since they were separated, but King Vin, is on the run, and we have no clue where he went. Carina, thankfully, is safe here, still hiding out in my kingdom.
Yet, it makes me wonder what he has planned. Knowing King Vin, he will retaliate, it's just a matter of when. Laying down in bed, Sienna is asleep, apparently she wasn't feeling well after returning from her lunch date with her friend and spent the rest of the afternoon napping.
Glancing at her, the moonlight casts a soft glow over Sienna's delicate features, her eyes closed in sleep. I can't help but admire the way her violet hair frames her face as she rests beside me.
As much as I want to reach out and touch her, I know better than to push my luck. Sienna is a force to be reckoned with, and the thought of her waking and kicking me out of the room makes my heart race in ways I hadn't experienced before.
“Xandros…” Her voice is barely a whisper, weak and strained as she stirs in her sleep. I lean in closer, watching as her brows furrow and beads of sweat form on her forehead. I press my hand to her forehead, worried it’s our fragile bond.
“Sienna, love? Are you alright?” I ask, my concern growing as she grips her stomach and moans in pain.
“Ugh… I don't feel well.” She groans, opening her eyes and meeting mine for a brief moment before she bolts from our bed, rushing towards the bathroom. The sound of retching echoes through the room, and my heart clenches at the thought of her suffering alone.
Getting up, I follow her and push the door open, only for her to snap at me.
“Stay away!” She shouts between heaves, her voice raw with desperation. I hesitate by the door, torn between wanting to care for her and respecting her wishes. My instincts scream at me to go to her, but I know all too well that pushing her boundaries would only drive her further away.
“Sienna, I'm worried about you,” I say softly, clenching my fists as I fight the urge to barge in. When she doesn't answer, after a few seconds, I push the door open to find her laying on the tiles. I crouch beside her, her face clammy and sweat beads on her neck.
“You're burning up. I need to call for a doctor.” I tell her worried she may be going into another heat.
“Fine,” she gasps, her voice barely audible as she rolls on her side, clutching her stomach.
I reluctantly stand, leaving her on the floor, while I send for a doctor, my thoughts racing with concern.
Could she be going into heat again? If so, I know she won't want to mate with me, no matter how strong our bond gets.
The very idea of forcing her into submission makes my stomach churn.
But if she is going into heat again, I will have no choice.
As I pace the room, waiting for the doctor, Sienna emerges from the bathroom, her face pale and her body trembling. She avoids my gaze as she takes small, shaky steps back to the bed, her stubbornness shining through despite her weakened state.
“Xandros, please,” she whispers, her voice barely holding back a sob.
“Just go, send your mother if it makes you feel better.” she tells me.
I growl wanting to stay with her, but I can also feel her anxiety at having me close as she strips off her top trying to cool down.
“Can you open a window?” she groans, falling on the bed and laying on her side.
“Of course,” I reply, swallowing the bitter taste of rejection that lingers in my mouth. I send for my mother, praying that she can convince Sienna to let me stay.
“Thank you,” Sienna murmurs before curling up on the bed and burying her face in her pillow. Only, the moment she does, she is up and racing for the bathroom again.
Once my mother arrives and checks on Sienna, she comes out. “She thinks she has food poisoning, she said she started feeling sick not long after coming back from lunch,” I sigh. “I'll wait with her,”
“Please let me know what the doctor says, and also ask him for those blood results, it's been weeks,” I tell her and she nods. “Of course,” my mother answers.
I retreat to my office, the weight of my chest is heavy as I leave her in the capable hands of my mother.
My thoughts are a whirlwind of worry, and frustration, each emotion crashing against the others like waves upon the shore.
It seems nothing I do works, nothing has changed, and I worry it won't.
“Damn it,” I mutter, slamming my fist onto the desk. The sound of shattering glass echoes through the room. I know I have to tread carefully with Sienna, but the fear of losing her haunts me like a ghost.
“Forgive me, Sienna,” I whisper to the empty room, my voice thick with anguish.
“I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if it means keeping my distance.”
And so, with that, I wait for news of her condition, desperate to go back to the room when Javier walks in.
“You got kicked out too?” I ask. I had sent him to eavesdrop.
Javier nods, she doesn't want me witnessing her throw up, like It's something I haven't seen before. I exhale, I guess all I can do is wait.
Sitting in the dimly lit office, I rub my temples, trying to dispel the tension that had settled there.
In a futile attempt to distract myself from Sienna being sick, I decided to focus on the other threat looming over our lives – King Vin Dresden.
The bastard is still at large, and I can't afford to let my guard down.
I reach for the phone and dial the number for the Council, my fingers trembling with barely suppressed rage. “Connect me to Ridion,” I demand as soon as the call is answered.
“Xandros,” Ridion greeted me, his voice a steady balm that soothes some of my inner turmoil. “What can I do for you?”
“Ridion,” I began, my voice low and desperate, “Tell me you have news about Vin. Have you caught him yet?”
There is a brief silence on the other end, the kind that speaks volumes. I know what it means even before Ridion replies. “I'm afraid not, Xandros. We've been following leads, but he seems to be one step ahead of us.”
I slam my fist against the desk again, this time the wood groaning under the force of my anger. The image of Vin's smirking face fills my mind, taunting me, mocking my inability to protect Sienna from him.
“Damn it all!” I growl, frustration and fear clawing at my insides like rabid beasts.
“He's biding his time, Ridion. Have the scouts at his Kingdom mentioned anything?”
“Just that they are checking the old tunnel systems,”
“Believe me, Xandros, we have every possible resource out looking for him,” Ridion assures me, his voice firm and resolute, “we will find him, we won't let him near Sienna. But you need to take care of your mate right now. She needs you more than ever.”
His words struck a chord within me, and I realize just how true they are, yet Vin's threat that he left on the body of one guard lingers in the back of my mind.
“Keep me updated on Vin. What about Anita?”
“Unusually quiet, she knows something, but isn't speaking.”
“Of course she isn't.” I reply. There was a brief pause, and then Ridion adds softly, “Focus on your mate, I will ring as soon as I have any more information for you,”
His words linger in the air, and I hung up the phone.
Sienna
I clench my stomach, the nausea overtaking me as I heave into the bucket placed hastily at my bedside.
Adina stands nearby, her face a mixture of concern.
As if it weren't embarrassing enough to puke in front of him, I have his mother to bear witness to my misery. However, I prefer Adina to Xandros.
“Must be food poisoning,” I mumble between retches, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks from both the embarrassment and the exertion.
Queen Adina watches me with worried eyes until the doctor arrives, sighing heavily as if his coming here is nothing short of an inconvenience to him as he steps into the room.
“Queen Adina, Queen Sienna,” he greets us. I cringe internally, hating the title he's bestowed upon me. I'm no queen, not by choice anyway.
“You're wasting your time, just leave. I'm sorry Xandros called you in, I am fine, I think it's just a bit of food poisoning,” I tell him, trying to dismiss his concern.
“Food poisoning? He should have brought you straight in given your condition,” Doctor Rami says sternly. He takes my temperature, and checks my pulse. His brows furrow in confusion.
“Seriously, Doctor, I am fine.” I try to sound reassuring, but it only makes him click his tongue.
“At least let me get my doppler,” he states, rummaging through his bag. Adina clears her throat, clearly confused, and I find myself sharing her bewilderment.
“Did you say, doppler?” Adina asks him.
“Yes, for the baby. Why didn’t your son bring her straight in? If it's food poisoning, she needs to be monitored.” he explains while I stare at Adina horrified. Baby? What baby?
My heart pounds wildly in my chest, and a cold sweat breaks out on my forehead. Surely, he can't mean that I'm pregnant. The thought is absolutely horrifying, something I never even considered possible.
“Doctor, there must be some mistake… I can't be pregnant,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. The room seems to shrink around me, the air growing heavy with the weight of this revelation.
“Queen Sienna, I'm afraid there's no mistake. I'm sorry you had to find out this way,” he says, genuine regret in his eyes. Did he not tell you when I sent the results, though, this explains why you missed your first scan?
My mind races, trying to process the information. Adina stands frozen, her expressions mirroring my own shock.
“Wait,” Adina rubs her temples, attempting to process this shocking revelation.
“You need to slow down… Are you telling me she is pregnant?” She glances at me, her eyes filled with worry.
I stare at the doctor, my heart pounding in my chest like a wild animal trying to break free. His words echo in my mind, and I struggle to comprehend them. Pregnant? Me?
“He seriously didn't tell you?” the doctor asks, his brows furrowing as he looks between Adina and me. His confusion only adds to the chaos swirling inside me.
“Tell me what?” My voice cracks, betraying the terror that courses through my veins. Hoping I just imagined this entire thing.
“That you're pregnant. I mailed the results two days after you fainted, along with your check-up schedule,” he says, his tone matter-of-fact.
Adina seems taken aback by the revelation, but her surprise pales in comparison to the torrent of emotions threatening to drown me. “No, I'm on…” my voice trails off. Wait, Xandros never put me on birth control. It must have slipped his mind.
My eyes widen as I look at Adina, searching for answers in her expression.
Her thoughts must go to the same place mine did because I've been training, I challenged Carina, and I've drunk alcohol.
What would be the chances of a fetus surviving all that?
And with so many Lycans and vampires around, couldn't they tell, wouldn't that be something they can hear or smell?