Curves And Claws: The Lycan King's Relentless Claim novel Chapter 143

Chapter 143

Roana,

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I knew that Keane’s feelings were nothing but obsession. However, the personality shift still appalled me. Losing trust in people had always been hard for me, but seeing their true colors was heart-gripping in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

“You have lost your mind!” Keane’s voice rose as he kicked the scattered first aid box across the floor. The metal clattered loudly before hitting the wall. “I have been there for you from the beginning. It was me who defended you from Carolyn. It’s me who warned Carolyn not to mess with you. But-” He rubbed his forehead in frustration, fingers digging into his skin as his jaw clenched tightly. “You are saying Cassian is better than me?”

I didn’t say anything. I had no strength left to fight, not even verbally. My throat felt dry, my chest tight. I closed my eyes, trying to gather whatever strength I had left to heal myself, to steady my breathing. But my eyes snapped open when he suddenly threw something toward me, the object hitting the wall beside me with a sharp, echoing thud.

Something sliced my cheek. I sucked in a sharp breath as warm blood rippled down my skin, dripping onto the cold floor.

“Goddamn it!” he snarled. “I have been trying to make sure you don’t get hurt. And here you are, trying to piss me off?” He sat down again, his movements abrupt, his eyes locking onto mine with unsettling intensity.

“You deserve better than Cassian. And it’s me. He can’t love someone properly. He won’t love you either. So

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“Can you shut up?” I whispered. My voice came out sharp despite how weak I felt. My head throbbed relentlessly. “My head hurts.”

“Head hurts?” He stood up abruptly, closing the distance between us in a few steps. “Where? Did you get hit?” He grabbed my hair out of nowhere, yanking my head back as pain exploded across my scalp. “Let me check.”

“Enough!” I snarled, Rye almost shifting beneath my skin as my body tensed instinctively. “Get your hand off

me.”

He backed off immediately, his face draining of color. His breathing faltered as if he had just realized what he’d done. I never thought he would turn out to be nothing but a lunatic.

“Sorry. Did I hurt you?” His voice softened abruptly, uneven, desperate. “Sorry. You should understand that I am desperate for you. I love you, okay? So… can you just-!”

I stayed silent. My lack of response only seemed to irritate him more. His lips curled, his eyes darkening.

“You know what?” he snapped. “You fucking deserve it. Being abandoned by people is all you deserve. You can’t understand how I feel about you. But if I can’t have you willingly-” He turned sharply, grabbing the first aid box. He dumped the contents out again, rummaging through the tools before pulling out an injection.

“What are you doing?” I asked. My voice shook uncontrollably as dread pooled in my stomach.

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Chapter 143

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“Wolfsbane,” he said calmly. Too calmly. “Not strong enough to kill you or your wolf. But strong enough to handle you quietly. I don’t want you going back to that bastard. If I can’t have you, nobody can.”

“N-No! Don’t you dare! Stop it, Keane. This isn’t like you!” I struggled violently, trying to tear the rope binding me, but only succeeded in wounding myself further as the rough fibers dug into my skin. “Stop it. Please-!”

“Then love me, Roana.” His voice dropped, sickeningly gentle. “I will love you more. I will kiss your curves. I will please you until you forget that bastard. I will mark this pale neck. My teeth will dig into your flesh until it carves our symbols. So… be a good girl and wait until I claim you.”

My heart sank, then spun wildly in my chest. My breathing turned shallow and erratic. Keane had become something far more dangerous than I ever imagined. He was unhinged. I trusted him, and this was what I got in return.

“Don’t do it, Keane. I will never forgive you!” I tried to move away, dragging myself across the floor, but he grabbed my leg and pinned me down effortlessly.

“Just stay quiet, Roana.” His weight pressed against me, crushing the air from my lungs. “I know whatever happens after this will be bittersweet. But once I’m done marking you as mine, you will eventually be mine. So-” He pressed the tip of the injection into my arm.

I shrieked, thrashing desperately, tears blurring my vision as panic took over. But I had no strength left t fight a He-Wolf in this state.

Just as I gave up on the thought that I might never be able to protect myself, a loud thud echoed through t room. Keane was thrown sideways, crashing onto the floor.

“What?” I whispered weakly, lifting my head with effort.

A man stood there, holding a fire extinguisher in his hand.

“Finally found you here, Your Highness!”

I blinked repeatedly, my vision swimming as I tried to recognize the man standing before me.

“Wh-who are you?” I asked, forcing myself to stay conscious.

“I am one of the elite servants who works for His Majesty. Sorry for taking so long. I needed to get out of the truck after everyone settled down.”

“Cassian sent you?” My voice trembled despite myself.

“He asked me to get you free while they were fighting. But I couldn’t get close because of some guards. I hid.”

“Is Cassian coming?” I asked, my voice unusually hopeful, betraying me.

“I can’t tell you for sure,” he said with a sigh. “Because of the distance, we can’t connect through the mind- link.”

“So he didn’t abandon me?” I whispered.

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Chapter 143

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A soft chuckle escaped him as he untied me carefully. “He isn’t that careless. All the Alphas of our region are on the move, Your Highness. Two teams of us are tracking their movements.”

“I see,” I whispered, staring down at my wounded wrists as the blood smeared against my palms.

“Can you run right now? I can’t contact any of our people.”

“Do you know this place?” I asked, grabbing a painkiller from the first aid box with trembling fingers.

“Unfortunately, no. The location seems a bit odd.” He finished tying Keane up and glanced toward the door warily.

I looked around, a dull pressure forming in my shoulder. “I think we’re in some secret valley, surrounded by Estelle’s barrier.”

“You mean that witch?”

“Yes.” I tried to stand, but my legs buckled immediately. My body was battered, every nerve screaming.

He held my hand firmly and helped me up. “About the antidote… I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“What? Why?” I narrowed my eyes, suspicion flickering despite my exhaustion. What if he wasn’t actually Cassian’s man?

“I don’t think His Majesty would have chosen her if she wasn’t pregnant.”

“I know,” I said softly. “I know Cassian more than you think. He’s a kind person. And I’m positive he’s regretting it—or worse, beating himself up for making that decision.”

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