TRADING MY CHEATING HUSBAND FOR THE LYCAN KING novel Chapter 82

CHAPTER 54: TWILL HUNT YOU

KNOX’S POV

The impact reverberates through the chamber–a crack of his old, empty skull against the hard wood is deeply satisfying in a way I don’t have the bandwidth to examine.

“Call her trash again.” My voice barely sounds human. My beast, Phantom, has taken over almost

completely, and I’m operating on pure predator instinct–the instinct that says a man who threatens your

woman is a threat that needs to be eliminated immediately and permanently. “Call her worthless. Call her

used. Say one more word about the woman I love, and I swear by my name, James, I will tear your throat

out with my teeth and watch you bleed out on this floor.”

James’s face is darkening. Blood supply cut off. Oxygen deprived! His eyes are bulging, his hands clawing

uselessly at my arm, his mouth opening and closing like a fish dragged out of water.

I’m killing him.

I know I’m killing him, and I’m not sure I care.

“She’s not trash,” I snarl into his purpling face. “She’s not damaged goods. She’s the strongest person I’ve

ever met. She survived things that would have broken you in half, and she did it without anyone’s help,

without anyone’s protection, without anyone giving a single damn about whether she lived or died. And

you–you worthless piece of shit sitting on your council throne judging people who are better than you’ll

ever be–you don’t get to speak her name. You don’t get to form opinions about her. You don’t get to exist

in the same universe as her without her permission.”

I squeeze tighter.

James’s struggles are getting weaker.

“If you rule against her,” I continue, and it’s a low, terrifying growl, “if you send her back to Gale, I will destroy everything you’ve ever built. Your reputation. Your position. Your pack. Your bloodline. I will hunt your children and their children I will burn it all to ash and salt the earth so nothing ever grows again. I will make sure the last thing anyone remembers about James Blackthorn is that he was stupid enough to threaten the mate of the Lycan King and I ended him for it.”

The door explodes inward.

Warriors. Council’s personal guard. Elite wolves who answer only to the elder body, not to any individual

king.

They move with mechanical precision, trained killers operating on protocol, and before I can react, silver chains wrap around my wrists.

The burn is immediate and complete.

Silver doesn’t kill werewolves. It just makes us weak. But for a Lycan, silver coated in a killing quantity

CHAPTER 54–PWILL HUNT YOU

wolfs–bane is the only true way we could be drained of strength, which is what they use.

+25 Points)

+ feel my strength draining out of me like water through a sieve, feel my beast retreating, feel every ounce

of power that makes me dangerous disappearing under the relentless agony of the metal against my skin.

James collapses against the wall, gasping and choking. Blood streams down his face where my claws

caught him–three parallel gouges that will definitely scar.

His expression is pure venom.

I just gave him exactly what he needed.

“Assaulting a council member,” James rasps, his voice destroyed but his satisfaction intact. “During an

active hearing. In a private chamber. With witnesses.” He coughs, spits blood on the floor. “The Lycan King

has committed a serious violation of council law. Remove him.”

“Your Majesty,” one of the warriors says formally. “You are released with a warning. Any further violence will result in immediate sanctions and possible removal from your position.”

They escort me out with my wrists burning.

Nathaniel is waiting in the corridor. One look at my face and he knows everything–knows I lost control,

knows I made things worse, knows that whatever slim chance we had of winning this is probably gone

now.

“How bad?” he asks quietly.

“Very.” I don’t bother pretending otherwise. “I assaulted Elder James in a private chamber with council

guards present. Left visible wounds on his face. Threatened to kill him in explicit detail.”

Nathaniel’s expression doesn’t change, but I can feel his disappointment.

“Knox-”

“He called her trash.” The words come out raw. “He called her worthless. Used. Damaged goods. He said a

real Lycan King would have fucked her and thrown her away. He said even if the hospital records prove she’s telling the truth, it doesn’t matter because the Traditionalists have already decided. How the fuck

was I supposed to ignore that?”

“You gave him exactly what he wanted.”

I know.” The admission tastes like defeat. “He was never going to rule in our favor regardless. But now he

has justification for sanctions. Maybe worse.”

We stand in silence for a moment. The silver burns on my wrists are already healing. For a lesser man, it’d

take days.

“We still need to verify the hospital records ourselves,” I say finally. “Before the council does. If there’s any

chance James is wrong about the outcome-”

“I’ll make the call tonight.”

CHAPTER 54–WILL HUNT YOU

Inod, already knowing it won’t matter. James was clear. The Traditionalists have already decided.

Evidence is irrelevant when the jury has been bought.

+25 Points

But I have to try. I have to do something other than stand here feeling helpless while the woman I fucking want waits to find out if she’s going to be sent back to her abuser.

Ember is waiting in the private room, pale and anxious, her eyes searching my face the moment I walk

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