Offered to the Lycan King by Misha K
Chapter 226
It was midnight and everyone was too tired. They had all retired to their bedrooms, including her vagabond brother, Lachlan. At first, she pulled her jacket, but then decided to dump it in favor of a shawl. She went to her closet and after digging through her clothes, she finally chose a black shawl. Covering herself with it, she walked outside. Bathed in the silvery glow of moonlight, the castle looked ethereal. Shadows danced and flickered across its stony walls. She walked swiftly towards the gardens that led to the dilapidated drawbridge. From there she could go to the old town, hoping that no one would be able to identify her. If they identified who she was, it would become big news on the TV tomorrow that Princess Keya was found lurking in the infamous shadows of the old town. However, as soon as she crossed the bridge, looking back towards the castle wondering if anyone was following her, she banged into something very h*ard.
Keya gasped as she whipped her head to see who it was, but a strong arm gripped her waist and supported her. The shawl covering her head slipped a little and she found herself gazing into the dreamy and dark eyes of Alpha Ranger.
She pressed her h*ands against his c*hest as she craned her n*eck to see his beautiful face that cast in the moonlight. Her breath lodged in her t*hroat. She was going to meet him only. Her heart thundered in her ears.
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and in a low, husky voice asked, “What’s a princess doing, sneaking out of her castle?”
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She was speechless, dumbstruck. His hair was tousled. Against his rock-h*ard c*hest, which was open on the top, she could smell his mist and pine smell. Her f*ingers brushed the skin on his c*hest right beside his n*ipple and her own n*ipples t*ightened and his c*hest vibrated with a rumble.
He leaned further to her side. His breath fanned her cheeks and she stifled a m*oan. “Were you coming to meet me?” he asked in a dulcet voice. His breath reeked of alcohol.
“No!” she breathed. She was never going to admit that she had come out to meet him.
“Then, in my opinion, you should go back to the castle, princess,” he said with a smirk. “It is dangerous to be out here at this hour of the night.”
She gulped. She had to find an excuse for this stupid venture she thought she was going to succeed at. Look what happened? She was caught the moment she stepped out and that too by the person she was going to meet, who she was avoiding, for whom she was tossing and turning in her bed. She really had to work on her emotions if she had to survive this tournament.
Pushing herself away from him, she said glibly, “I wanted to see the life in this part of the town. I’ve heard it’s colorful. Since no one would allow, I-” she pursed her l*ips as a blush rose on her cheeks. “I came all by myself!”
He took his f*ingers to her left cheek and traced her blush. “Then you need an escort and I would be more than happy to take you out there.”
“N-no!” she countered immediately. She circled past him to hide her stupid emotions and started to walk towards the town. “I can handle myself.”
“If you don’t go with me, I will reveal about you to the news channels,” he growled.
She turned sharply. “You won’t!”
“Try me,” he said, crossing his arms across his c*hest.
Gritting her teeth, she said, “Fine, but you have to show me all of it.”
“Then you have to give me something in return.”
“What? What do you mean?” she snapped.
He walked closer to her, rounded her and went to stand behind her. “You have to grant me five favors till I am here.” She jerked her head back. Narrowing her eyes on him, she realized that he was trying to bargain with her. Contemplating a while on his request, she said, “Fine, I will grant you five favors, but then you have to promise something in return.”
His eyes flickered an amber as if his wolf was pressing him to come out. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “And what do I have to promise?”
She took a deep breath in, not liking what she was about to say because it was like cheating. “You have to spare Ethan’s life.”
He took a menacing step towards her and when they were standing so close to each other that their breaths mingled and she craned her n*eck to look at his face, he said, “Don’t get into this, Princess Keya. You will regret it.”
“You have to promise me,” she repeated, her eyes searching the soul behind the coldness of his face.
“This is just a small deal,” she said in a low voice, scared of his Alpha aura. His muscles seemed to bulge and his fangs had slipped down because she could see a flash of them on his lower l*ips.
“Okay,” he said after staring at her intensely for a few seconds, “but in that case, I will not disclose the favors I will ask you in future and make that as ten favors.”
“What?” she snapped with disbelief. “You are taking advantage of the situation!”
He c*ocked his head and chuckled. “Would you want me to go and expose you to all, that you are asking me to save my competition?”
“You-” she clenched her tiny fists as he brought them down on his c*hest that only seemed to ripple under her t*ouch.
He laughed and grabbed her wrists against his c*hest. “What do you choose, Princess Keya?” She knew she was deep down in this web of secrets. She pursed her l*ips and looked away. He goaded her. “If you like you can walk away from all this and go and sleep in the comforts of your castle.”
“If I leave, there’s no guarantee you would keep shut.”
He gave her a one-shoulder shrug. “There isn’t any.”
“Bastard!” she rasped. He burst into a deep laughter that vibrated through her b*ody and she felt shivers running down to her toes. “I will grant you six favors.”
“Seven.”
She let out a rough exhale. “Okay. But why do I feel-” She mumbled the remaining words in her m*outh when he placed a k*iss on her l*ips. Goddess. Her knees went weak as all her thoughts bounced out of her head. What was she thinking?
He pulled away and she stifled a reluctant cry. Something was very wrong with her or this Alpha had genes of a witch in him. “So you grant me seven favors which I will divulge at a later stage.”
“Okay…” she muttered, his k*iss still lingering on her l*ips.
He jerked his head towards the old town. “Come, let’s go.”
When he grasped her h*and and tugged her towards the old pack territory, she let herself… go. This was going to be either very good or very bad. Why did she feel that she was holding the short end of the stick?
Just before they stepped into the busy streets, he came to stand in front of her, halting her. He covered her head with her shawl and then brought it over her m*outh and nose, creating a mask so that no one could identify her. He grabbed her h*and and kept to the pedestrian walks as cars zipped across with blinding lights. There was a cacophony of horns, engines and bells. They walked towards the narrow, cobbled streets where only pedestrians were allowed. Warm lights and rich aroma of food spilled on the streets. Male and female she-wolves shouted on top of their lungs to invite the customers to taste their culinary delights.
Clubs and bars and other entertainment venues had opened their doors from where thumping music flowed out. Street vendors had set up colorful stalls, selling an array of sweets and food and other items.
She had never seen this side of the town, always very cautious to step here. It was mostly because of her aunts who were overprotective of her as Betas of her fathers. She chuckled at the sight of the bustling markets that added liveliness to the whole market.
He pulled her to a street performer who was playing such heartful music on his violin that she was moved to tears. She didn’t know that there was so much talent in her pack. She didn’t realize that she had moved closer to him and her head was resting on the side of his c*hest. He curled his arm around her tiny waist and patiently let her listen to the music. When the violinist stopped, he dug his pocket to give him fifty dollars.
He bowed to him with a smile. “I know who you are. You are Alpha Ranger,” he said, grinning. “I hope you win.”
“Thank you,” Ranger said, surprised.
“We all see you in this part of the town, unlike other Alphas who remain in the confines of their luxurious hotels and cottages,” he added. He looked at her and pursed his l*ips. Before he could say anything about her, Ranger tugged her away from there and mingled into the crowd.
As she walked, her stomach grumbled loudly. He stopped immediately. “You are hungry.”
“No!” she breathed. “I’m fine.”
“Stay here,” he ordered her and without waiting for a reply, he went to buy two bacon and cheese burgers from a street vendor and bought two cans of beer. “Come, I know a place where we can have it without anyone’s interference,” he said and pulled her out of the old town.
She didn’t ask any questions because she knew that he didn’t want to reveal her identity. Soon they had crested a hill that overlooked the whole pack. “Goddess!” she rasped. “This is so beautiful!” The pack beneath was twinkling like stars on earth.
He took his shirt off for her to sit on. When she sat down, he removed her shawl and she took a deep breath in.
And then her eyes landed on his n*aked c*hest.