The Lycan King's Muse

Ep 35: Your Villain

"What?" The lycan king blinks for the second time. "It's your birthday?"

I nod, pleased that the distraction seems to work. Putting on my doe-liked eyes, I say, " I know it's not that important, but if I can just have cheese, I would be grateful."

He blinks again. Third time.

"If this is your way to distract me," his voice is low, yet it is not as intimidating as it was before, "it won't work. Though I applaud you for lying about your birthday."

My lips pucker, "Why would I lie about my own birthday?"

He softens his grip on my jaw. "To distract me from getting the name of the person filling your mind with lies?" One corner of his lips quirks upward. He is finding this amusing.

"Or filling my mind with truths you don't want me to know."

His amusement and small smirk, however, die down as soon as I say those words. I can see veins popping on his hands, yet his grip on my jaw doesn't tighten. "Do you believe what they said about me?"

My eyes widen, because... Lyall said it in such a broken voice. I am shocked to ever hear this kind of tone from Lyall. At that moment, I look into Lyall's eyes and I see shards of glass in them, making his emerald eyes glisten a bit in the dimly lit room. The way his eyes quiver strikes my chest deeply.

It's like he's hurt.

And I don't want him to hurt. So, I open my mouth, "I don't believe them... yet. That's why I asked Ganesh. I want to hear his opinion first before I decide on anything."

"Why not just come straight to me, Mars?" he asks, still in that broken voice. "Why don't you ask me instead?"

I stay quiet for a while, and that is enough to answer for him. "You don't think I will tell the truth."

"It's not that," I immediately say. "You wouldn't understand."

"Then make me understand."

I try to pull my jaw from his hand because I can no longer stare into his eyes. But he wouldn't let go of me.

"Make me understand, Mars," he repeats in a lower tone, with more authority. As if he is commanding me. And my natural instinct is to follow his words. Because he is the lycan king. Because in the language that werewolves understand, he is the Alpha.

"I don't want to cross you," I say slowly. "It was just some rumors I overheard somewhere." My mind goes to Sky, but I don't want to let Lyall know about him. Finding out that all this time, Lyall thinks Sky has died is already a tremendous shock for me. Moreover, knowing the possibility that Lyall tried to murder Sky has made me fear for my baby's life.

Maybe it's hormones, maybe it's not. But my anxiety has reached a level I have never experienced. Here I am, a werewolf girl, alone and pregnant, in a foreign kingdom with no solid allies as of yet. The only thing keeping me alive that allows me to dream of a better future for both my baby and me is the king's unpredictable affection towards me.

If people don't know the context, they would immediately assume that I am the king's whore. Maybe I already am, in a sense, a whore. The word "muse" is just a fancier name for a prostitute, right?

That's why I jumped at the opportunity to be a healer. But until I can shed my title as the lycan king's muse and make a title of my own, I don't feel safe to let down the walls guarding my heart. And with what I have been hearing, rumors or not, lies or not, I don't want to risk my baby's safety.

I only have myself to protect myself and my baby.

'But he's our mate,' Sasha protests.

'That's exactly why I am more afraid, Sash,' I hope my wolf will understand my hesitancy. 'If I was only a tool to break his curse, it would be a different story. But the mate bond... It can either bring the best or the worse of us canines. Possessiveness, domination, feral lust.'