Too Tempting for the Lycan King のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

Give Her BackDamien’s POV“That’s my child.”The words left my mouth before I could stop them, and the moment they hung in the night air, something inside me shattered completely.I then stared up at the balcony where Ariana stood frozen, her hand still pressed against her stomach, her face pale even from this distance.Every second I spent looking at her felt like a blade twisting deeper into my chest.“Ariana!” I called out, taking another step toward the gates. “Come down here, please.”But she didn’t move.Kael stepped directly into my path, and his silver eyes were hard as steel.“She’s not going anywhere,” he said.My wolf snarled inside me, and rage boiled up so fast that I nearly lost control of my own voice.“That is my mate.”“She was your mate,” Kael said coldly. “You rejected her, remember? In front of your entire pack.”The words hit harder than any physical blow could have.“I made a mistake.”“A mistake.” Kael’s voice stayed level, but something dangerous simmered be

Ariana’s POVThe elder rose slowly from his knee, and his old eyes were still fixed on me like he could not quite believe what he was seeing.“My King,” he said, and turned to Kael. “We must speak. Alone.”The courtyard remained frozen, every warrior, every noble, every guard staring at me like I had suddenly grown a second head.“Everyone leave,” Kael ordered, and his voice carried across the stone grounds. “Now.”Warriors began filing out slowly, and they whispered among themselves, and also Damien pushed himself off the ground, and his eyes never for once left my face.“Ariana, come inside as well,” the elder said gently, even though his eyes flicked toward Kael, something unspoken passed between them.“Wait.” I stepped forward. “If this is about me, I deserve to know.”“Ariana.” Kael’s voice softened as he walked closer, and he took my hand carefully in his. “Please trust me.”“Kael…”“Please.” His thumb brushed gently against my knuckles, his eyes pleaded in a way I had never see

Ariana’s POVSleep refused to come.I lay in bed, and stared at the ceiling, and my mind spinned in circles that led nowhere good. Damien’s question still echoed inside my head.“Has he made you happy?”I never answered him, I couldn’t. The silence had stretched so long that Damien finally walked away without another word.And he left both Kael and me standing there, staring at the space where the answer should have been.I then turned onto my side, and pressed my face into the pillow, and I tried to force my thoughts into some kind of order.Damien was my first love, my husband. The man I had given three years of my life to, the man whose child grew inside me now, the man the mate bond still pulled me toward even after everything he had done.But Kael.Kael had become something else entirely, something I didn’t fully understand yet, something that felt less like fate and more like a choice I kept making every single day without realizing it.I sat up slowly, and frustration and co

Ariana’s POVMorning light poured through my window, it was warm and golden, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I woke up without the heavy weight of fear pressing against my chest.Then a soft knock came at my door.“Come in.”Kael stepped inside, and carried a tray himself instead of sending a servant, and something about the sight made my heart flutter unexpectedly.“You didn’t have to bring this yourself,” I said, and sat up slowly.“I wanted to.” He set the tray down and pulled a chair close to my bed, and he settled into it with an ease that made this feel completely natural. “Besides, I wanted to see your face when you tried the honey cakes. The palace cook outdid herself this morning.”I laughed despite myself, reaching for the small golden cake resting on the tray.“You’re spoiling me.”“You deserve spoiling.”I then took a bite, and the sweetness melted across my tongue perfectly.“This is incredible.”“I will let the cook know her hard work paid off.” He wa

Ariana’s POVI followed as fast as I could, one hand pressed against my stomach, and my heart rang with fear and desperation as I hurried down the corridor after everyone else.By the time I caught up, a crowd had already gathered near the palace bridge, torches lighting up the night sky, and voices shouted over each other in chaos and confusion.The maid stood at the edge of the bridge, and her back were pressed against the stone railing.Guards approached slowly from both sides with their hands raised in caution.“Don’t come closer!” she screamed, and tears streamed down her face.Kael stepped forward carefully, and his voice were calm despite the tension that radiated through his entire body.“Nobody wants to hurt you,” he said. “Just tell us who gave you the poison. That’s all we need.”“You don’t understand,” she sobbed. “If I talk, she will kill me. She already killed the first maid to keep her quiet.”“We can protect you,” Kael said. “I promise you, whatever she threatened,