All Chapters of Claimed By The Lycan King: Chapter 91 - Chapter 99

The dance floor had become a battlefield of a different sort. For hours, Theo and I had navigated the treacherous waters of diplomacy disguised as celebration—trading partners, exchanging pleasantries that doubled as political maneuvers, our bodies moving to music while our minds remained alert to every nuance, every implied request. My feet ached in Elena's borrowed shoes, though I'd never admit it. The weight of the crown, though lighter than it appeared, had begun to press into my scalp, a constant reminder of the role I now played. Queen, wife, werewolf among Lycans—titles that clung to me like the delicate lace of my gown.I caught Theo's eye across the room where he stood cornered by three ministers, their hands punctuating the air with urgent gestures. The slight tightening at the corners of his mouth told me his patience was wearing thin, though none of the ministers would notice such a subtle tell. They didn't know him as I did. Didn't recognize the precise moment when diplom

Layer by layer, the dress surrendered its hold on me. The delicate lace overlay, the structured bodice, the voluminous skirt with its embroidered stars—each element had been designed to transform me into a vision of royal elegance. Now, under Theo's patient hands, I was becoming simply Emma again. When the dress finally pooled at my feet in a cloud of white silk and silver thread, I stepped from its circle, dressed only in the delicate undergarments that had been hidden beneath.I turned to face Theo, suddenly shy despite our months together. "Your turn," I said, reaching for his tie.My fingers worked at the knot, loosening the navy silk until it slid free from his collar. The formal clothes that had made him look every inch the king now seemed like unnecessary barriers between us. I unbuttoned his waistcoat, pushing it from his shoulders, then moved to his shirt, revealing inches of skin that I had mapped countless times yet somehow felt new tonight.He remained still beneath my han

We ate in companionable silence for a time, occasionally feeding each other bites of food—a particularly ripe strawberry, a forkful of fluffy eggs, a morsel of buttery pastry. The intimacy of these small gestures felt profound, as significant in their way as our more passionate exchanges."Christian will be insufferable," Emma said eventually, laughter threading through her voice. "Did you see his face when you carried me out of the reception?"I grinned, remembering my brother's exaggerated cheer at our departure. "He told me afterward that he won a substantial wager. Apparently, there was a pool among the younger nobility about whether I'd follow the tradition of carrying the bride to our chambers.""And he bet that you would?" She raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her eyes."He bet that I'd do it before midnight, with a dramatic announcement beforehand." I shook my head ruefully. "My brother knows me too well.""I don't mind," Emma said, her expression softening. "I rather en

The viewing room in the Northern Containment Facility was deliberately austere—bare concrete walls painted an institutional gray, recessed lighting that cast no shadows, and a large screen mounted on the far wall that reflected the prisoners' scowls back at them before it flickered to life. Five men and a woman sat rigidly in metal chairs bolted to the floor, their wrists and ankles bound by silver chains that gleamed with a dull malevolence in the harsh light. Benjamin Thorne's jaw clenched so tightly that a muscle jumped beneath his skin, his eyes never leaving the blank screen as the guards positioned themselves at the exits. This was to be today's special torture, courtesy of Duke Christian Lykoudis himself—a viewing of the royal wedding that had taken place just yesterday, a ceremony that each person in this room had conspired to prevent."Gentlemen and lady," announced the head guard, a broad-shouldered Lycan whose uniform bore the new insignia of the integrated prison service.