Curves And Claws: The Lycan King's Relentless Claim novel Chapter 118

**Fireflies in Winter Rain — Neil A. Varma**

**Chapter 118**

Cassian,

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As I stepped into the room, the familiar scent of her lingered in the air, thick and palpable. It should have been acrid, a reflection of her distress. In the video I had watched, her expression was fierce, her demeanor charged with an unsettling anger. Typically, her scent would turn sour when she was upset, but now, it bore a bitter edge—a fragrance steeped in heartbreak.

My jaw tightened involuntarily, and I felt an uncomfortable pressure in my chest, as if my ribs were constricting around my heart. Each step I took further into the room revealed a disheartening sight: boxes lay strewn across the floor, untouched and abandoned. Not a single edge had been disturbed. The tape remained firmly sealed, as if time itself had conspired to keep them closed.

My gaze darted to the nightstand, where the small box I had placed remained in its original position, neglected and forlorn. A sense of dread washed over me as my fingers curled into fists at my sides.

With a heavy heart, I approached the box, lifting it gingerly and opening the lid. The moment the light struck the contents within, a wave of realization crashed over me, folding my thoughts into a singular, oppressive weight.

“She didn’t even open it,” I whispered bitterly to myself. “Not once.”

I closed the box slowly, swallowing hard as the motion scraped against my constricted throat. I had longed for her to look inside, to confront whatever emotions lay buried within. Even if her anger was palpable, I had hoped she would at least take a glance. She was aware of so much, but her understanding was flawed, twisted by the circumstances I had crafted. I couldn’t cast blame on her for her reactions; I had played my cards close to my chest, seducing her without truly revealing myself.

I sank onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above. The sheets were cold, stripped of the last remnants of her warmth. Inside me, Cyrus was eerily silent, a darkness that felt more like a wounded beast than a source of comfort.

“I should have gone after her,” I murmured, a whisper filled with regret. “I should have dragged her back myself. I promised I wouldn’t let her slip away.”

The thought of abandoning everything—my duties, the weight of leadership, the expectations of the Pack—flashed through my mind like lightning. “If only I could leave it all behind and just go to her…” My fingers clenched the sheets, the fabric crumpling beneath my grip.

Anger surged within me, a fierce blaze that threatened to consume everything in its path. It was the kind of fury that could ignite a firestorm, a force of destruction. But then, a voice sliced through the chaos in my mind.

“Your Majesty!”

Lorenzo’s mental link struck me like a dagger. I shot upright, spine rigid, shoulders taut with tension.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded, my voice steady yet edged with urgency.

“I don’t know. Please, meet me in your study. Something is definitely amiss!”

My eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping in. “What do you mean?”

“About the information… It’s fake.”

For a fleeting moment, my heart stopped, an icy chill spreading through my veins. Then, a rush of heat surged within me, a rapid, violent pulse that clawed at my insides. I stood abruptly, leaving the room in a storm of heavy, dark thoughts.

The door to my study was ajar, and as I entered, I found Lorenzo inside, his posture rigid, his face a mask of distress.

“Your Majesty.” His voice carried a weight of defeat.

“What do you mean the information was fake?” I asked, my tone low, laced with an underlying threat.

He hesitated, then turned his laptop toward me. “The IP address is fabricated. And the location is within this Pack.”

My brow furrowed in disbelief before fury surged, slamming my features into a scowl. My jaw clenched so tightly that pain radiated to my temples.

Someone within our ranks had dared to toy with this situation. With us.

“What about Elle’s medical report?” My voice was flat, yet the danger simmered beneath the surface.

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