The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation novel Chapter 80

THE VAMPIRE KING

Blood splattered on the floor as muffled sounds of attempts to speak filled the room.

His eyes stared at me, full of disbelief.

“To be my General, you need balls, which you clearly lack. I don’t need a cowardly, slippery vermin by my side. Die happy knowing you served me,”

I said with disdain, continuing my path toward that damned prophetic witch.

She told me there was a woman who could read the Altars, but she never warned me it was the daughter of Gabrielle, the former Queen I once served as General and right-hand man.

How could that damned baby have survived all this time?

I didn’t nourish her with the powerful blood her mother left behind before sacrificing herself to seal the Lunar Gate, imprisoning the King of the Specters.

I was the one who plunged the dagger into her tiny chest and threw her into that deep abyss.

How many lives does that creature have? What kind of magic protected her from death?

The descendants of Juno are a pain in the ass, all pretending to be heroines, wanting to bring peace among the creatures of the night. I will not bow to that mangy Lycan King—no one will take my throne!

BAM!

I slammed the sanctuary door open, where that trick-filled witch awaited.

“Right now, you’re going to get every bit of information you can about the Lycan King’s maiden. Locate our spies and pass on my orders. If you mess up again, I’ll rip your heart out with my bare hands, you wretched hag!”

*****

QUINN

We ran swiftly through the foggy forest, shrouded in darkness.

Celine carried Valeria on her back. It would have been safer for me to carry her, but I understood the barriers she put up.

It was obvious she had already given her heart to Aldric.

They shared a special bond, and I was just the outsider.

Besides, I was starting to suspect something about Valeria’s origins, though I didn’t say anything to avoid further confusion.

Once, I saw a painting of the monarch of the Dark Realm, now ruled by the Vampire King.

I was struck by the beauty of that woman; I could never forget her. And Valeria—she reminded me so much of her. Gabrielle, the Merciful.

“Quinn, focus. We’re almost there, and this forest is treacherous, especially at night,” Celine’s words snapped me out of my thoughts.

I nodded, refocusing on what mattered.

The mist swirled around our paws as we advanced.

The moon shone through the twisted branches of the dark trees, but even with our enhanced sight, it was difficult to find the path.

We reached a rugged spot, a small hill with a lone tree at its peak.

Embedded in the tree’s trunk was what looked like an ancient astronomical clock.

Valeria slid off Celine’s back, and I stayed alert, scanning the ominous forest in every direction.

A massive spectral shadow emerged from within the twisted trunk, looming over her.

“Valeria, watch out! Run, get out of there!” I shouted, racing toward her. But the sharp claws of the creature were already too close to her.

I thought she was lost. I yelled for her to unleash her powers, but she froze in shock.

Celine acted faster. A pained howl echoed as my sister’s wolf was struck by the attack, pushing Valeria aside with her weight.

“Celine!” Valeria screamed in terror, thrown onto the stones of the hill.

I roared at the cursed specter and lunged at it, ready to fight. It was strong—far too strong. My claws dug into the dark shadows of its body without injuring it, while its attacks tore into me.

It began to emerge further from the tree, which seemed to be its deathly guardian.

I wasn’t going to wait for it to fully emerge. I leaped away, grabbing Valeria’s body and throwing her over my shoulder.

“I’m fine, Quinn! I can run! Don’t carry more weight—let’s go, let’s go!” Celine growled as I tried to carry her too.

She rose like the warrior she had always been, and we practically threw ourselves headlong down the hill.

The world seemed to have gone black. No light filtered through from the moon, and just as that horrible lullaby said, when the Goddess did not illuminate the sky, the specters—those creatures lurking in the darkest corners—came out to hunt.

Running toward the chimes, we spotted an old bridge in the distance. But before we could cross it, a specter blocked my path.

I trembled with fear as more of them emerged from the shadows of the forest, surrounding us.

We were trapped—five of them against us. If I couldn’t handle one, it was clear that certain death awaited us under the claws of the Goddess’s sworn enemies.