Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Not On My Hands

"You tried to kill me." Kira stood in the cold, drafty cell of Dravengard’s dungeon, staring at the woman who had poisoned her. "Why?"

Clapped in silver chains and chained to the floor of the cell, a young lady named Lara met Kira’s words with a flat stare and stubborn silence.

"Answer your Queen," Derek growled behind Kira.

Lara looked up then, her eyes igniting with a brand of hatred Kira had never seen before.

"She is not my queen," Lara spat, "and she will never be. I would rather die than bow to the daughter of the enemy who betrayed my people."

Lara was a local farmer from the lower villages who regularly supplied the palace with fresh herbs. That was how she had gained access to the servant quarters and kitchens without raising suspicion.

Kira recoiled, staring at the woman in total disbelief. She had known the Lycans hated and distrusted her kind. She had known about the long war between Lycans and werewolves. But she had never imagined this level of personal, seething hatred. She had come down here hoping to pull some confession about Ruby’s involvement, but this kind of venom didn’t need any outside instruction. It was a fire that fed itself.

Lara’s lips curled into a sneer. "Yes, I poisoned your tea with Somnara Bloom. I used enough to make sure you would never wake again to bless our crops. You are not worthy of our soil." Her eyes gleamed with malice. "And do you know what I wish for you? I wish you would rot alive from the inside out. I wish—"

A low growl erupted in the dungeon, making Lara flinch for once as Derek moved in a blur, stepping between Kira and the cell bars as if to shield her from Lara’s venomous words with his large body. Lara gave the king a blank, innocent stare — one that reminded him he was guilty of the same crime.

A small, dark part of him understood Lara’s rage. That part of him that still hated Rolf and everything connected to werewolves. He wasn’t just angry at Lara. He was angry that she had voiced the very thoughts he had been trying so hard to suppress. Her father and brother had also died in that werewolf ambush years ago, and just like him, she had never been able to let go.

Had his plan to marry a revenge bride been more disastrous than he had realised? How many more of his people carried this same fierce conviction against Kira? If he didn’t punish Lara because he felt guilty himself, how many others would think it was acceptable to harm the queen? How many more lives would he have to take for committing treason against her? What would that make him? A traitor to his own people?

However, Derek had a plan, one that required Kira to be alive and whole until he got what he truly wanted.

"You have committed treason against the Queen," he finally spoke, his voice low and cold. "Any slight against her is an act of treason against me. You will not go unpunished, and this will serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can take the law into their own hands."

He turned to the guards standing at attention outside the cell. "Take her deeper into the cells. Torture her with silver until she confesses who her accomplice is. Leave her with no food and no access to anyone until the queen decides her fate."

He knew someone inside the palace had helped her. Otherwise, those security footages wouldn’t have conveniently gone missing.

"Yes, Your Grace," the guards replied in unison.

Derek turned to Kira, who was standing there, still looking dazed. For the first time since he had brought her to Dravengard, he saw a raw vulnerability in her eyes that he had never witnessed before. It made his beast stir. Without a word, he gently took her arm and led her out of the dungeon, followed by Declan, Kai, and Connor, who had remained completely silent throughout the exchange.

When they returned to the palace, Kira quietly requested to be left alone. Derek respected her wish, even though his beast urged him to stay close and comfort her.

***

When Kira came down for breakfast the next morning, the two maids who had served her on the day of the blessing ceremony were already standing by the table. Derek was already seated, nursing a coffee. The maids bowed low as she entered.

She was relieved that Nana wasn’t at the table; Kira didn’t have the strength to play the role of the blushing bride today. Without a word, the maids each took a small bite from the platters before Kira could even reach for her fork. She looked up at them with a raised brow, then her gaze settled on Derek, puzzled.

"From now on, they will taste any meal before it enters your mouth," he provided, not looking up from his cup.

"Are they poison-proof?" she asked.

His eyes flicked up to meet hers. "It will encourage them to give more accurate accounts of what they see next time."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify