All Chapters of The Lycan king Forbidden Mate: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Sergio's POVA servant came to my room the evening after my conversation with Elara, and she was not carrying the usual tray of bread and cheese. She stood in the doorway with her hands folded in front of her, and she would not look at me when she spoke, like the message she was delivering might get her in trouble if the wrong person heard."The king requests your presence at dinner," she said. "In his private dining room. Just the two of you."I wanted to say no. I wanted to press my back against the headboard and pretend I had not heard her, the way I had pretended so many times when I was a child if something scared me. Hiding had kept me alive, and had been my shield for as long as I could remember.But Elara's words were still fresh in my mind, and they echoed in my ears like a bell that would not stop ringing. "You will need to be more than a weakness if you want to survive this place."Hiding in my room, avoiding the king, and avoiding whatever was happening between us, that w

Sergio's POVThe morning after Leandro stayed in my room, I woke to find him gone.The space beside me was still warm, and the indent of his body was still pressed into the mattress, and I could smell him on the pillows, like snow and smoke and something wild that I was starting to recognize. I lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling, and I tried to remember the last time I had woken up without fear pressing down on my chest, but I could not remember.But this morning was different. The nightmares had come, and they had been worse than before, but Leandro had been there. He had put his hand on my back, he had stayed, and he had not left even when I fell asleep again. I did not know what that meant, but I knew that something had changed, and I did not know if that change was good or bad.The fire had been relit while I slept, and the room was warm. The tray of food on the table was fresh. There was bread and cheese, a cup of tea that was still steaming, the honey pot was

Sergio's POVI spent the night drifting in and out of sleep, with my body fighting off the cold that had seeped into my bones. The fire burned high in the hearth, and the blankets were piled thick on top of me, but I could not stop shaking. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the boy sinking beneath the ice, and every time I opened them, I saw Leandro's face hovering above mine, his golden eyes wide with fear. The memory of his hands on my face and his forehead against mine stayed with me long after he left.He had stayed until I fell asleep. I remembered his hand on my face, the warmth of his palm, and the low rumble of his voice when he said, "Do not ever do that again." Then he was gone, and I was alone, and the room was quiet except for the crackling of the fire and the distant howl of the wind outside.I woke to a knock on the door.It was not Leticia's rare soft knock, and it was not a guard's heavy fist. It was something in between, hesitant but determined, like the person o

Sergio's POVThe morning after I moved into my new room, Elara came to visit me.She tried to walk inside without knocking as usual, like she had lived in my room for years instead of just visiting. But the door did not open and she had to knock.When I opened the door, she had a face of surprise, because she must have expected the room to be the same as the previous one. But it was not.She walked in, with her silver braid hanging over her shoulder. Her grey eyes were sharp as always, but there was something softer about her today, something almost gentle. She carried a small wooden box in her hands, carved with symbols I did not recognize, and she set it on the table by the window before she sat down.She looked around the room, at the big fire burning in the hearth, at the window looking out over the mountains, and at the bed with its soft blankets and plump pillows. She nodded, like she approved of what she saw, and then she sat down in the chair by the window and looked at me.

Sergio's POVLeandro finally broke the silence.“Let's go back now. We've done enough tours for today.”I nodded. Because I was already exhausted both from walking and seeing this dungeon.Leandro walked me back to my room, stood for just a bit at my door, as if he was thinking hard whether he should stay or not. I could feel his eyes looking down at my body with strong desires and needs. But his facial expression showed that he was fighting to push his desires down, and he had to move before they took control over him.He said goodnight, turned and left in quick steps.I walked into my room, sat on the bed, and pressed my hands to my chest that was pounding so hard.I thought of how he looked at me. Like he was tired of holding back his desires, and he was ready to feel every inch of my body, and claim me as his fully.I thought of how his lips had claimed mine, the first night he touched me, before he stopped himself. I touched my lips, and I imagined his tongue on mine again.The