All Chapters of Banished By The Alpha King:Claimed By The Cursed Lycan Beast: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lucian’s POVI stood at the window of my study, arms crossed, watching the dust from Darius’s horses settle on the forest road. The gates had barely closed behind him and Liora before the silence in the palace felt heavier than usual.Kylan dropped into the chair across from my desk without waiting for an invitation. He stretched his legs and let out a long breath. “Well, that was pleasant. Nothing says ‘old friends’ like showing up unannounced with your venomous Luna and asking roundabout questions about glowing girls and healing powers.”I didn’t turn around. “He knows something. Or at least he suspects. The training field incident reached him. He was fishing. ‘Illuminating lately.’ ‘Rare things tucked away.’ ‘Light that could heal old wounds.’ He wants whatever power is hiding in my palace.”Kylan snorted. “Fishing? He was practically throwing a net. I wanted to laugh in his face. The only wound Darius wants healed is the one to his pride after you stopped his little border grab ye

Elara’s POVI left Kylan in the corridor with a quick thank-you and a smile I didn’t feel. My steps stayed steady until I reached my chamber door. The moment it clicked shut behind me, the mask slipped.The breakfast tray still sat on the small table by the window. The bread had gone hard, the fruit looked sad and brown at the edges, and the tea was long cold. I had abandoned it the second I spotted Darius and Liora in the entrance hall. Now the sight of it made my stomach turn for a completely different reason.I had no desire for any of it.I kicked off my shoes, crawled under the covers fully dressed, and pulled the blanket over my head. Sleep. That was what I needed. Just rest. My body felt heavy, my mind even heavier. The nightmare from the east wing, the voices of the Fate Sisters, Darius walking the same halls as me — it all pressed down until my eyes finally closed.I woke with a violent shiver, gasping for air.The nightmare had been the night of the rogue attack again, only

Lucian’s POV I didn’t wait for Kylan to finish his sentence. I was already moving, shoes echoing down the corridor like drumbeats. Kylan fell in step beside me, his usual grin nowhere in sight. “Straight to the infirmary?” he asked, matching my pace. “Straight there,” I said. “If Gaius has answers, I want them now.” We took the shortest route, cutting through the servants’ passage so no one would slow us down with bows or questions. The narrow stone hallway smelled of damp moss and old wax. My mind kept replaying the same words: the royal physician might have found something to explain Elara’s origins. Kylan glanced sideways at me. “You’re walking like the palace is on fire. Relax, she’s safe in her room.” “Safe doesn’t mean I’m not going to lose my mind if this takes another day,” I muttered. “Darius just left our gates, and now we might have an answer about what she is. I’m not relaxing until I know how to protect her from whatever comes next.” Kylan chuckled once, low. “The

Elara’s POV Two days. I managed to avoid both Lucian and Kylan for two full days. I stayed in my room, claiming headaches, claiming I needed rest, claiming anything that sounded believable enough for the maids to nod and leave me alone. Every time I heard footsteps in the corridor I held my breath until they passed. Every time a knock sounded I pretended to be asleep. The embarrassment from that morning still burned under my skin like a brand. Lucian’s smirk, Kylan’s amused eyes, the way I had almost shamelessly kissed him while he pretended to sleep — I couldn’t face either of them without turning into a tomato. But the palace walls started to feel like they were closing in. I needed air. I needed to move. I needed to stop hiding. I had previously sent a made to get me comfortable gym wears with very specific instructions and a note to the shopkeeper. When the package arrived I locked the door, changed, and stared at myself in the tall mirror. The gym outfit was pink, fitted, a

Lucian’s POVI hadn’t seen Elara for two full days.I knew she was deliberately avoiding me. Every time a servant mentioned her name or I caught the faint trace of her scent in the corridor, I forced myself to turn the other way. She was probably still embarrassed by what happened in her room — the kiss, the way I had pinned her against the wall, the things I had growled against her mouth. I didn’t blame her. I had pushed too far, too fast.I wanted to make up an excuse to see her. Something simple. A question about the garden. A report from the physician. Anything. But every idea sounded ridiculous even in my own head. She had been here barely three months. Three months of chaos, rejection, rescue, power surges, and now this… whatever this was between us. Telling her how I truly felt right now would be too sudden. Too much.So I buried myself in pack duties instead.The study table was covered in scrolls and maps. Border reports, supply lists, complaints from minor alphas, training s