All Chapters of Claimed By The Lycan prince : Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

Scarlett pov By the time we crossed the last stretch of Oakwood territory, the sun was bleeding into the horizon.Reed said we could push through and reach the Lycan capital by dawn. I said I didn’t care. He still pulled the car into a small, discreet hotel on the edge of the trade road. “You’ll rest better here than cramped in the backseat,” he said.We booked separate rooms.At least, that was the plan.The moment I stepped into mine, I knew sleep wasn’t happening. Not with the lingering scent of him still clinging to my skin from the close quarters of the car. Not with the bond humming low and hot, refusing to let me forget the feel of his hands on me two nights ago.I paced. I showered. I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling.And still… I could feel him.The knock came just after midnight. Quiet, but not tentative.I opened the door to find him leaning against the frame, hair slightly mussed, shirt undone at the collar. His eyes swept over me slowly, like he was cataloguing every

scarlett pov The woman who had just wrapped her arms around Reed finally stepped back, though her hands lingered on his shoulders a moment longer than necessary.Up close, she was striking.Tall, elegant, with pale golden hair that fell in soft waves down her back. Her dress was clearly expensive—deep blue silk that shimmered faintly under the palace lights. She carried herself with the kind of quiet confidence that only came from belonging somewhere powerful.Her gaze shifted to me.Curious. Measuring.Then she smiled.“You must be Scarlett,” she said.Her voice was warm, though something beneath it felt deliberate.I straightened slightly. “And you are?”“Ione Solace.”The name meant nothing to me—yet the way she said it suggested it should.I offered a small nod. “Scarlett Monroe.”For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. The silence stretched thin between us while Reed stood beside me, unusually quiet.Before anything else could be said, a soft voice spoke from behind us.“Your H

Scarlett’s POVNo one spoke after that.The dining hall felt suffocating.Servants continued bringing food like nothing had happened, but no one was really eating.I could feel the eyes.Watching.Judging.Waiting to see what the disgraced ex-convict would do next.Across the table, Ione lifted her wine glass slowly, her gaze never leaving mine.Satisfied.Like she had just reminded everyone exactly where I belonged.Not here.Not at this table.Not beside him.I set my fork down carefully.The small sound still echoed louder than it should have.“I believe that will be all for me tonight.”My voice was calm.Too calm.Several heads lifted.I pushed my chair back and stood.For a brief moment, the entire room watched me.Ione’s lips curved faintly.“Leaving so soon?” she asked smoothly.“I find I’ve lost my appetite.”The King placed his glass down.“Scarlett.”I paused.Slowly, I turned back.King Alaric studied me with the careful gaze of someone weighing a political problem.“You s

Scarlett’s POVSleep did not come easily.When it finally did, it was shallow and restless — filled with half-formed dreams and the constant, low hum of the bond in my chest.I woke before dawn.For a moment I didn’t remember where I was.The unfamiliar ceiling above me, the heavy velvet curtains, the faint scent of polished wood and something sharper — like cold stone after rain.Then everything rushed back.The dinner.Ione.Reed’s silence.The King’s offer.First Consort.I sat up slowly, pressing a hand to my sternum as if I could physically still the restless pull there.The bond felt different this morning.Not weaker.Just… strained.Like a rope pulled too tight.I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, moving toward the tall windows.Outside, the palace gardens were washed in pale silver light. Dawn hadn’t fully broken yet, and the world looked soft and distant — like it belonged to someone else.For the first time since arriving here, I allowed myself to wonder if