Mark of the Lycan Queen

Chapter 9. A demand for answer

TAHLIA~

"We need to talk." I heard the Lycan King declare firmly as he stormed into the room.

His raven locks glistened with dampness as if he was just fresh out of the bathroom, yet his attire remained unchanged. And for some reason, he seemed to have worked up those himself.

"Talk?" I almost scoffed, rising from the window ledge where I have been sitting. So, now he wants to have a discussion. I wouldn't vocalize my thoughts, not out of fear, but rather because I wanted to avoid escalating the situation; provoking him would only invite more pain, and I was already enduring enough suffering at the moment.

My back already felt as though pain itself was etched into it.

Maybe I could just get this over with and return to flesh out my plan. I needed to leave this place as quickly as possible, and being rebellious would not get me there any faster.

His expression grew graver, and I sensed my wolf getting defensive as he took a step forward, but I knew I needed to restrain her and listen to what the King, I suppose, had to say.

For now, there was no victory for me.

He stood there, his eyes piercing into me. "The day before wasn't the first time you crossed into my territory," He stated, his sudden accusations filling my mind with confusion.

"W-what?" I asked, making an effort to maintain my composure.

"Why were you at the lake the night of the Blue Moon?"

My face creased with confusion at the new accusation, and my anger mounted up at his audacity.

Where were all these coming from? What lake was he referring to? And what the hell is he chasing?

“Believe me, I've no idea what you're talking about," I replied calmly, I suppose. Holding my anger in, preferring not to engage until I had a clearer understanding of the situation.

His eyes narrowed in response to my words, but I paid little heed to his reaction. "Oh, you surely do," he asserted, his voice turning icy, demanding an explanation for an action I do not have. "And I need to hear them... now," he added coldly.

"Why were you at the lake that night?"

I felt my temper flare, the rebellious fire within me intensifying. I wasn't going to erupt—at least I'm trying not to—so I balled my fists as tightly as possible, my jaw searing with pain as I grit my teeth so hard to hold back my words.

Inhaling deeply, I maintained my resolve. "I am unaware of what you're implying," I upheld, my voice unwavering, determined not to give in to his accusations. "Nor have I ever laid eyes on any lake."

His glare penetrated my defenses, scorn dripping from his sneer. "You cannot deceive me," he spat, his voice filled with disdain. "You were there, and I demand the truth."

"I wasn't there!” I shot back even though I was making an effort to keep calm. “I have no idea what you're accusing me of.”

It was fleeting.

Like a flash was the unfamiliar glare in his eyes.

His patience waned, and a sudden burst of rage propelled him to shove me against the window, causing me to wince from the pain, given my already injured back. He leaned in, his fingers gripping my jaw tightly in anger, and for an instant, I feared he would strike me.

Yet, just as swiftly as anger had engulfed him, he pulled away, his expression conflicted. Releasing my jaw, he instead seized my arm forcefully, dragging me out of the room.

I stumbled along, trying to keep up with his brisk pace, my heart pounding with frustration and confusion. "Let go of me!" I yelled, attempting to break free from his vice-like grip, but his strength proved overpowering.

No one dared intervene as we traversed the castle's hallways, passing curious onlookers that instantly turned away.

Perhaps, from the fear of being caught up.

Down the stairs, we went, and as we reached the bottom, Leona appeared a few distances away, her eyes darting to him in confusion.

"What are you doing, King Archibald?” she demanded. Her voice was firm and challenging.

He never slowed.

And his response was one I had expected the last time she had dared stood before him, though this came off to be more dreadful – a monstrous growl, “Stay out of this, Leona!” he roared.

The harshness of his words and the ferocity in his eyes, as he shunned her, sent a shiver down my spine. It was terrifying to witness. And for a moment there, I lost control of my senses.

Leona's eyes widened, and she took a step back, cowed by the harshness of his strength.

Without uttering another word, he pulled me through a back exit. A gasp flared from me at the deft pull and before I knew it, we were in the night woods.

The scant moonlight barely illuminated the path ahead. The night embraced a profound silence, occasionally disrupted by the sharp cracking of leaves beneath our feet and the haunting howl of a distant owl. Dread grew within me, uncertain of his intentions.

Run.

Run.

The single rumor continued to rumble in my head as though I could reach it if I dared.

Finally, he halted and forcefully shoved me toward the supposed lake, releasing his grip on me. I stumbled, confused and fearful, my eyes darted between the shimmering silver lake and his stern visage.

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, my voice trembling, this time, of both fear and steaming frustration.

His glare intensified, and at that moment, it dawned on me why his hair appeared damp; he must have vented his anger on something, as he was now emanating an intense heat that made sweat trickle down the side of my face.

“You continue to defy me,” he accused, his voice seething with frustration. "You claim ignorance of any lake, yet you were present here that night. Why do you deny it so vehemently?"

No. The question should be, why was he insisting I was here?!

My fists clenched, and no matter how much fear resided in me, I had enough. "Enough of this charade!" I retorted, my voice charged with frustration and ire. "I know not your intent with these baseless accusations, but I swear I've never set foot in this place!"

“How dare you keep lying to my face!” He growled.

The glimpse of his emerging fangs and claws evoked a fear that even my wolf cowered.

He advanced, and I retreated, desperately seeking distance between us. Yet, his rage fueled his advance, an unstoppable force bent on my destruction.

Though desperately, my mind couldn't help but speculate what truly happened here. What made him this vicious? I pondered.

“Answer me!" he roared, each step drawing him closer, his fury eclipsing reason. I scrambled backward, movements frantic, fear clutching my heart.

Then, unexpectedly, he retrieved a broken pendant from his pocket, dangling it before me. Gasping, I instinctively touched the remaining pendant hanging from my neck.

It was a Phoenix pendant, a cherished gift from my grandmother, shattered long ago. The lower part, adorned with a tiny moonstone, now rested in his grasp, leaving me with the essence of the Phoenix.

Confusion and shock engulfed me, attempting to comprehend how he came to possess it.

His grip tightened on the broken pendant, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a rush of heat through me, one that made every fiber in me yearn to be anywhere else than here.

“Explain this then!” he demanded, the chilling growl reverberating from his throat, his snarl a symphony of malevolence.

My mind raced as I tried to grasp the situation, attempting to fathom how he came to possess the shattered heirloom. It had been my grandmother's cherished keepsake, and I regretted its loss when it broke at the Brook long ago, regardless, I never found the other half despite my exhaustive search.

"I-I don't know how you obtained that, Arch–” I stammered, my voice shaking as confusion mingled with the fear of almost losing my tongue.

Words may not have reached my ears much about the Lycan King before now. But one phrase was too well said – The king would cut off any tongue that dared speak his name.

"Stop lying!" he growled and I sucked in a harsh breath. His grip on the pendant tightened even more. "Then, tell me how this got to this place if you were never here as you claim.”

"I don't know," I insisted, my heart thundering loudly in my ears. "Please, believe me.” The plea tumbled from my lips, desperate and sincere, in the hope that he would see the truth in my eyes.

Despite every emotion that surged within me, they all paled in comparison to the overwhelming fear I felt in his presence. He seethed with wrath, poised to unleash his fury upon me, his eyes ablaze with hatred of an origin I could not fathom.

It was heartbreaking to accept that this might be the way my life would end.

"Archibald, enough!" Leona's voice suddenly thundered, causing my head to instinctively turn in her direction.