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Chapter 8
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2023-01-21 05:52:43
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Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 9
Adrian's POVI went too far out into the woods, so itโs already sunrise by the time I make it back to the rectory and I'm late for my appointment with Pippa.The priests are still in their rooms, doing their morning prayers so my return goes unnoticed, but when I leave the bathroom after taking a shower, Father Abraham corners me in the hallway. โYouโre back?โโYes, Father,โ I say. โAn old parishioner texted me last night and asked if Iโd go see them.โโWhy?โI pull my phone with the fake text from Joseph out of my pocket and hand it to Father Abraham so he can read it. โHis wife is dying, and he wants me to deliver her last rites.โAbrahamโs eyes fly over the text. I have no idea why the man is so suspicious of me โ Iโve never run into this problem before, but in a few hours this will all be in my past. He nods and gives me my phone. โHow did you get back?โโThe bus,โ I lie smoothly. โAnd a very long walk.โThis, for some reason, pleases the old priest. He smiles and nods. โYou are v
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-01-23Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 10
Adrian's POV I take Pippaโs packed suitcase and carry it out to the car. Iโm hyper-vigilant and on high alert, ready to run back to grab her and leave if I have to. I load her bag into the trunk of my beat-up old 4 x 4 and cover it with a blanket just in case someone comes by and looks inside. Sheโs dressed and ready to go by the time Iโm back. She looks adorable and thorougly edible in her khaki shorts, an oversized black t-shirt and hiking boots. I tuck all my lustful thoughts away, and try to concentrate on the matter at hand. โGrab a sweater or something,โ I say. โItโs cool outside.โ โIโll be fine.โ โDo you always have to argue?โ โNo.โ She sighs and pulls her long tresses back, tying them up in a high ponytail. My heart jumps in my throat and my mouth runs dry. I wonder if she has any idea what sheโs doing to me. โI really donโt know why Iโm doing it. I never used to be soโฆbelligerent.โ She fetches a jumper and returns with her keys dangling from her finger. โWhere do I leav
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-01-25Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 11
Pippa's POVI must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I know, Iโm in a dark room, lying on an uncomfortable bed that smells badly of dust. I am tucked into a sleeping bag, and my boots are gone. Groaning softly, I unzip the bag, and unwilling to put my feet bare feet on the filthy floor, I sit on my knees and lean over the edge of the bed, searching for my boots.Adrian put them right next to the bed. I slip my shoes on and finally allow myself to look around. I canโt see much in the dark, and thereโs no moon tonight, so there's no light coming in from outside, but I can make out something that may or may not be a dresser, a single chair and an open door on the opposite side of the room.The bed, if you can even call it a bed, groans and squeaks loudly when I get up. I freeze. Holding my breath, I prick my ears, and wait to see if Adrian heard me, but no one shows up.Everything in this place is noisy though. The floorboards squeal with each step I take, and every tim
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-01-27Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 12
Pippa's POVAdrian made a fire and somehow managed to cook an entire breakfast on it: eggs, bacon, even toast. โWhen did you get supplies?โ I ask when I sit down on a flat log that serves as a chair.โJoseph brought it last night.โโOh. Where is he?โโHeโs around.โโHeโs not going back?โโNo. I need him. His place is by my side now.โThatโs a little arrogant. โHe doesn't mind?โ"No." Adrian hands me a tin plate with a big helping of everything and sits on the opposite side of the fire to eat his own food. โIn our society, we have a hierarchy. Joseph has a lower rank than I do, and I told him to stay. He won't leave unless I give him permission."That explains why he bowed to Adrian last night. "And what is your rank?"โThe highest there is. I am a king, but I'm a king without a kingdom, so it doesn't mean a whole lot.โโA king?โ I ask in disbelief. โSeriously? You really have quite the opinion of yourself donโt you?โHe just laughs. โItโs not my opinion, it is what I was born to be. M
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-01-29Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 13
Adrian's POV I lie on my sleeping bag, listening to Pippaโs even breathing and the rustling pages of the book she's reading. Sheโs adapting quickly to her new reality and keeping herself occupied. I asked Joseph to sneak into town to get her some books and magazines. Most days sheโs out and about, exploring our surroundings, and at night she reads by the dim light of the oil lamp. When she's outside, I always stay close by, just in case she needs me or gets lost, but no matter how far out she goes, she always finds her way back. Sheโs one with nature, as her kind often are, and doesnโt need me at all while sheโs out there. Joseph was wrong. Sheโs not a Halfling. Sheโs definitely half Lycan, but her other half is demon. Cambions we call them. Although Iโm not even sure we can call Pippa a Cambion. As far as I know, a half-Lycan, half-demon Cambion has never existed. The old people called them changelings because they are so adaptable. Like chameleons, they can change their whole pe
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-01-30Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 14
Adrian's POV โWe come in peace!โ Wyatt shouts at me. โDonโt hurt us.โ Oh, I don't believe that for one second. I stare at Wyatt's blue-black, and misshapen face, try to take in the multitude of silver burns across his neck and arms. Someone had given him a sound beating before they wrapped him in silver to prevent him from healing properly. I look over at Walter. The twinโs right arm dangles uselessly by his side, and heโs trying his best to hold it in place with his left hand โ he has the same silver burns as his brother. Caspian really is a piece of shit. โWhat happened to you?โ โAlpha Caspianโฆcorrected us and bound us in silver on the full moon. Weโre not healing as fast as we should. I donโt know why.โ Walter says. โItโs because you didnโt shift on the full moon,โ I say. โIt slows down the healing process.โ Not to mention that it tears the wolf apart if they canโt shift on the full moon. Itโs a miracle they survived it at all. Behind me, Pippa gets up and stands closer, but
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-02-02Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 15
Caspian's POV I veer off the road and into the forest, following the beat-up old car as far as I could, running until I almost launch myself off a cliff. I reroute back to the road, but there are too many cars for my comfort. Frustrated, I roar as I lose sight of Adrianโs car. I turn and run back to the cabin, hoping my mages were able to put out the fire and find some of Pippaโs or Adrian's DNA. Theyโve used everything they could gather from her flat and the rectory and they need fresh material to work with. โNothing,โ Niall says when I reach him two hours later. โDid you check at the stream?โ I ask. โYes, Alpha. Nothing. It's very strange. Not even a strand of hair.โ โNot so strange for her kind. What about Adrian" I ask, knowing it's futile. "Did you find any of his DNA?โ Niall shakes his head woefully. โHe knows better than that.โ โFuuuuck!โ I scream and turn my rage on the nearest target - a young warrior who just joined our ranks. His eyes widen in fear and he spins arou
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-02-03Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 16
Pippa's POV Adrian sinks to the bed and rests his head in his hands. Heโs absolutely shattered, but if I didnโt insist that he pull over at this little no-tell motel out in the middle of nowhere, he would have kept going until he crashed us into a tree or something. We drove the rest of the night and all day, only stopping for petrol and food. I tried my best to stay awake so I could keep him company, but I dozed off a few times. Even so, Iโm so tired that I can't even stand straight. When we checked in, the man behind the desk gave us a sick grin. โWe donโt get many of your kind here,โ he said while looking me up and down. โMaybe if youโre done servicing this one, you could-โ Adrian grabbed him by the front of the shirt, cutting him off and dragging him halfway over the high counter. โThink carefully about the next words that come out of your mouth.โ โWhy do you care?โ the man croaked. โSheโs just a prostit-โ โSheโs my wife, you fucking animal,โ Adrian said and shoved the clerk
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-02-04
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Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Thank you
Dear Readers, And so we have reached the end of Adrian and Pippa's journey. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it - although this was a painful and difficult story to write at times. I am always short on words at the end of a book. I never know how to properly thank my dear readers for all your support and kindness. A 'thank you for reading' always seems inadequate to me, but please know that it means so, so much to my dark little heart. Your love for Adrian and Pippa brightened my days, and more than once your comments made me smile. Thank you for every gem, comment, review and word of support. Much love as always,Celice
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 67
Adrianโs POV In the weeks and months that followed Caspianโs death, the kingdom was in turmoil. No one knew what to expect from the new Lycan king, and everyone went on as if Caspian was still alive. They feared me as they feared him. After the execution of the traitors, Bryce and Terrance went back to their families and lives as pack Alphas. It was what they wanted and they deserved to live free and happy lives. Slowly, but surely, people started to realise that things are changing. One day, the Lycans started coming home. I thought the ones that were at the palace were all that was left of our kind, but I was wrong. Over the months, dozens showed up, including Thespian โ Pippaโs father. They had been in hiding all this time, waiting for their true king's return so they could come home. We tracked down Deniseโs family, and her sister came to fetch the Berger children. They asked for leave to change their names, which I granted, and they left. Their pack had been devastated like so
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 66
Pippa's POV For a long time, no one moves. Itโs as if the world itself is holding its breath. I can scarcely believe it. After all these months of running and hiding, after all the years of torment Caspian wreaked upon the wolves, itโs over. Just like that it all comes to an end. I can't quite place myself in their shoes. I only had a glimpse of the suffering they have suffered, and that was bad enough. How immense their relief must be. How complete. Adrian gets to his feet and pulls back his aura. The terrified warriors donโt move. Even Bryce canโt seem to find the words, and simply stands there, staring at Caspian's lifeless, headless body. It's a fitting end for a man who kept two heads in a jar for more than a week, I suppose. Adrian looks up at me with eyes that are filled with tears. I canโt sense his emotions as strongly as he can sense mine, but I know that despite his remorse for killing Caspian, heโs relieved, overjoyed, and a little scared. I donโt know if he truly wants
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 65
Adrian's POVWith Ryker by my side, we sneak across the overgrown land bridge. Far below us, the ocean churns and smashes against the cliffs, signaling the incoming tide.We swing to the left, keeping to the palace walls until we reach a hole in the fence. We crawl through it into an unkempt garden. I suppose at one time it might have been beautiful, but the fountains are crumbling and ivy is growing out of control, strangling the rest of the garden to death.โGlad to see he took such good care of the place,โ I say.โThe last year or so, things started to unravel quickly. Thatโs why I left. He began to look at me in the same way he looked at the Stonefang twins.โโYeah, that sucks,โ I say. โMaybe you shouldnโt have helped him to kill his father, hm?โโHindsight is a luxury many can't afford. The two of us included.โI decide it's better to shut up. He's right. As we make our way through the eerily quiet gardens, I ask, โWhy did you do it?โโCarter was going to name Damien his heir. At
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 64
Pippa's POVI open the window and inhale deeply. I have never seen the ocean. The rising sun glitters on the deep blue water and the air smells fresh and clean. I lick my lips and taste salt on my skin. Smiling, I have to resist the urge to stick my head out of the window like a dog.The cold wind wakes Tammy and she scoots over to my side to look out of the window with me. โItโs so big,โ she says in awe.Lucille looks over her shoulder at us. โHave you two never seen the ocean before?โโWhat yeh be talking about woman?โ Monty asks with a smile. โIโve never even seen the sea, have I? We lived where we was born, we did.โBeautiful as the ocean and the surrounding coastland are, Iโm eager to get to Adrian. There's no time to slow down and enjoy it. Time is growing short, and for all we know he might have already invaded. โHow much longer?โ I ask.โAnother hour or so.โI glance at the clock on the dashboard. Itโs already seven. Weโre not going to make it at this pace. "Can you speed up,
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 63
Adrian's POVWhile Iโm busy talking to Pippa, the scouts I sent out to get the lay of the land return. As quickly as I can, I end our conversation so I can pay attention to my wolves. โThere are no guards,โ the first scout says."Are you sure?"โYes,โ another agrees. โIt's strange. No guards, no children laughing, people talking, not even the scent of food cooking. There's nothingโฆthe place looks deserted.โI donโt know if thatโs a good or bad thing. When everyone told me that Caspian was alone, I didnโt think they meant that he is completely alone, but that seems to be the case. โWhat about lights?โ Bryce asks.โOne, Beta,โ the scout says. โAt the topmost tower overlooking the land bridge.โI side-eye Bryce. I can already see which way his head is turning. โHe wonโt be there. Itโs like a beacon.โโA trap?โ he asks.โPerhaps.โ I answer. โOr maybe someone forgot to switch off the light before they left.โ I turn back to the scouts. โAnything else?โโNo, King.โโThank you. You may go.โI
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 62
Pippa's POV โWho are you?โ โI was a friend of your motherโs.โ At that exact moment, Adrian decides that itโs a good time to stop blocking me. โPippa? Whatโs wrong?โ โNothing,โ I lie. Thereโs nothing he can do anyway. Heโs too far away. I wish I knew how to block him so he wouldn't feel my emotions. There must be a way - if he can do it, so can I. โTell him that you are fine,โ Lucille says as if reading my mind. โI am not going to harm you.โ โI already did,โ I tell her, โbut he wonโt believe me.โ Lucille gently squeezes my upper arm. โItโs true. You will be just fine.โ โPippa?โ Adrian asks in my head. โYou need to talk to me.โ โIโm fine,โ I reply. Even if Iโm not, I get to talk to him one last time and just hearing his voice makes me a little less afraid of what's to come. โWhere are you?โ I decide to change the subject, and perhaps buy myself a little time so I can talk to my mate just a while longer. โOn the border of Azuria. We invade tomorrow.โ โAre you scared?โ โScared
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 61
Pippa's POVI didnโt think it was possible to feel this bad and live to talk about it.When I woke up, I thought I was just tired and not used to an all-night sex session, but I feel sicker and sicker as time moves on.At first, I try to ignore it so I can help the Omegas to break the camp, but after an hour, Tammy stops me. "Have you tried to shift? Maybe that will heal you."I haven't even thought of that. With Tammy by my side, we go back to tent where I attempt to shift, but I can't. I try to talk to River, but she doesn't answer me. I don't tell Tammy, but she's not stupid and I can see the concern on her face. "Maybe you just need some sleep," she says.โI canโt let you do everything by yourselves,โ I disagree.โNo offence, my queen,โ Tammy replies, โbut you are just in the way. We have enough hands. You are sick. You need to rest.โI donโt have it in me to keep fighting with her. I thought I had been sick before, but the monthly sniffles I used to get before my wolf woke are no
Curse of the Lycan Kingsย ย ย Chapter 60
Adrian's POVFor once, no one bothers us, but I wish they would. It would make me feel better. I feel as if I failed these people. I should have done something sooner, instead of hiding in the church like a fucking coward.Tonight, the campfires are cold, the wolves are quiet, the children are softly sobbing in their tents. โWhere are the Berger kids?โ I ask Pippa.โMonty gave them their own tent. Brendan didnโt want to stay with us. He says heโs old enough to take care of his own sisters.โโHeโll be a good Alpha.โโAre you sure?โ she asks. โConsidering hisโฆlineage.โโDo you think people are born cruel?โ I ask as I unzip our tent flap and usher her inside. โDenise raised Brendan. He has his mother's kindness and his father's strenght. It's a good combination. With a little guidance, he'll make a great leader.โโA leader without a pack,โ Pippa says, her voice reflecting all the sadness I feel.Sheโs not wrong. If everything the mage told us is to be believed, Caspian wiped out his own
