Chapter 51

[ 1,090 words ]

Arabella Toussaint:

Shit.

What was I even thinking?

I wanted to return to my room to decode those damn numbers, and now I needed to think about that bitch who was a head warrior but for some reason enjoyed throwing challenges at untrained, wolfless slaves.

“If only you were here…” I whispered to Maya and placed the chit on Lucien’s study table. I ran my gaze and found a diary and a pen placed there.

“Uh huh. I need paper. Not a diary or I’ll be caught…” I muttered and found an old paper pressed right in between two of his books, “Perfect.”

Before I could start working on it, the door slammed open, and Lucien barged in. I jumped to my feet and stuffed Maya’s note into my hip pocket.

My heart was thudding in my chest, and I wasn’t sure if he had seen me hiding something. With that dark frown, he kept walking towards me and stopped so close that I had to tilt my head back to look at him.

Was he angry? Did Jasmine pour some of her poison into his ears?

“Y…your Highness…” I gave him a quick curtsy. He didn’t speak and kept looking at me. My fingers held the edge of the desk behind me, “Did… did I do something wrong again? D…do you want to… punish me…”

Without warning, his hand shot out and wrapped behind my neck as he pulled me into his warm embrace, “The only thing you are doing wrong is not speaking for yourself, Arabella. Why do I have to spell everything for you? Can’t you see what your presence does to me?”

What was he saying? None of it made sense at all.

His breath was hot against my cheek, reminding me what we did yesterday… or rather, what I did yesterday. And for some reason that unexpected heat pooled in my pussy.

Damn! Why does his closeness make me lose my control?

Divert your mind, Arabella, before he smells your arousal.

“Umm… your highness…” he at last moved back just enough to look at my face properly.

“Can you stop saying your highness, Arabella?”

“I’m sorry,” I thought hard for a moment, “How… about … My King?” I tried to bend my legs for another curtsy when he held my shoulders to stop me.

“How about… you call me by my name… Lucien…” He was looking into my eyes as he said that.

My eyes snapped to his face in shock, and I swallowed hard. Seriously?

Jasmine would fry me for breakfast, and his mother would probably season me first and then chop me in tiny pieces.

The king seemed to be out of his mind.

“Ah… I … don’t think so…” I curtsied again and saw a hint of annoyance on his face. Before I could wonder what I had done this time, his eyes suddenly glazed over; then he groaned under his breath.

“Damn it. Bradley sent me a mindlink.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back at me with irritation, “For Goddess’ sake, Arabella. You made me forget about the meeting.”

Me? I placed my finger on my chest in confusion. How can I …

I was taken aback when my chin was grabbed between his fingers, and he pressed a quick kiss to my lips.

“Now this is definitely your fault,” he muttered, sounding more annoyed with himself than with me.

Another kiss landed on my jaw, leaving me completely speechless. He walked over to the wardrobe so casually, like he had no idea what effect he had on me.

In a heartbeat, he shrugged off the shirt he was wearing and put on another one.

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I felt a slight burning in my palms. They wanted to touch his abs… that muscular chest.

He was perfect.

“Bradley will keep me longer than I’d like,” He said while fastening a few buttons, “Wait for me.”

He glanced over his shoulder as he adjusted his cuffs, “Have dinner with me.”

I had barely nodded, and he was already heading for the door. When the door got closed behind him, I tried to control my erratic breathing.

With a chuckle, I touched my jaw right where his lips touched me and closed my eyes.

It was a dream, right? It was all a dream, and once it ended, he’d pull me by my hair and take me back where I belong.

No, sir. I can’t trust you. Sorry.

I shook my head and turned to sit around his study table, reminding myself that I needed to decode Maya’s message.

***

It took me a while to decode it.

The letters ’A till I’ were assigned the numbers ’1 till 9’. Then again, ’T till R’ were assigned ’1 till 9’. After that, from ’S till Z’ it was ’1 till 8’.

I needed to come up with the correct letter with each number. After about half an hour, the words I got were:

’Let’s Run, Chipmunk.’

A thrill shot through me as my pulse quickened. Maya sometimes used to call me Chipmunk.

Now it was one hundred percent confirmed that the message was from her. My friend was waiting for me somewhere… to join her.

“Oh, Maya,” I rested my forehead against the desk as I tried to hold back my tears.

Wasn’t I just happy to be a slave? Then why was this flicker of hope tearing me apart? Why did I suddenly want to run away from this royal palace and live my own life? Away from these cruel people. Away from… Lucien.

My chest fluttered at the thought of him.

He was nothing to me, right? That mark was nothing but a binding factor to this palace and his family. No matter how friendly he tried to be… how caring he seemed. I knew the reality of this place.

The only reason he might be trying to get closer to me was to get me into his bed. I could never forget how the queen had planned to send me to the warriors’ quarters.

To make her stop, he marked me. Usually, an alpha or a king kept mistresses to fulfill their needs… to satisfy their desires. Once they were discarded, those women could be passed on to other men in the palace or the pack. However, no king or Alpha ever marked his mistress.

Whatever game Lucien Volkov was playing, I was not interested in knowing. I was just another piece on his board.

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