The 5-time Rejected Gamma & the Lycan King novel Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Lucianne’s eyes met her brother’s, and she declared, “Betrayal.”

The room started to simmer down. Lucianne knew that word better than anyone else there. Every bond-snap before she met Xandar was excruciating. She felt the anguish from the rejections and the betrayal from two of her past mates. She also felt betrayed by the Moon Goddess, who was not supposed to hurt her if she didn’t do anything wrong, and who was not supposed to bond her to creatures who would hurt her. On many nights, she wished that she would just wake up dead. It was no secret that it took her many weeks and even months before she started being okay again. 1

Every creature in the room was really listening now. Lucianne went on, “Torture and death are merely a consequence of betrayal. W e punish criminals because they betrayed the system and its people. We take care of creatures who display loyalty to defend the system and the people in it.”

With suppressed anger, Christian noted, “Greg doesn’t fit into the second category, my Queen’

“Are you saying he fits perfectly well into the first, Christian?” Lucianne asked

Like Xandar, Christian averted his eyes from her because he couldn’t deny that Greg had been helping them. After taking a deep breath, he stared at the table and asked, “So, what do we do? What should we put in the monarchy’s recommendation?”

Lucianne’s voice tumed soft and doubtful when she uttered, “I don’t know. But there’s no way he should be let-off scot free.”

Toby then suggested, “Lower prison sentence? Maybe lighter punishments, too? You know, less whipping compared to the rest?”

“We could also strip him of his dukedom.” Xandar said, and when all eyes fell on him, he only locked his onyx orbs on his mate and explained, “No royal member in history has ever had their title stripped from them. The punishment is severe enough to make up for what he did.”

“And what’s the balancing factor?” Lucianne asked

Xandar responded, “Lower sentencing?”

“How low?” Lucianne’s eyes burned into his when she detected that he had no intention to balance things out.

Xandar breathed heavily in jealousy before his murderous onyx eyes fixed on Lucianne as he asked in a slow, low voice, “Why are you defending him?”

Registering his jealousy, Lucianne emitted a low, angered growl and declared, “Because it’s what’s right. He helped us. Throwing him under the bus does NOT serve the Kingdom in the long-run. If you even THINK that I’m doing this because I am in love with him, I’d suggest you check the mark on your neck AND mine, your Highness.”

His hand immediately moved to gently push her hair to the back, and his fingers traced the mark he made on the most beautiful and amazing creature in the Kingdom. She was his. Only his. The sight calmed him, and the sensation he made on her skin calmed

her

Between his calamity, he felt something else. Hurt. But that wasn’t his emotion. When his partially lilac eyes returned to Lucianne’s teary orbs, she spoke in a whisper, “How could you not trust me to stay with you? How could you even think that I would want someone else? We’ve marked each other. Should I be worried that you would want someone else despite what I did on your neck?”

He instantly pressed her into his chest and uttered, “No. Never. There’ll only ever be you.” After planting a deep kiss on her hairline, he muttered, “I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry.” Her hurt cut right through him, and his animal was having a hard time coping with their mate’s pain knowing that they were the ones who caused it.

After a few quiet, awkward moments, Annie’s voice rang through the room, “Stripping the dukedom may be taking it too far” Her statement even made her own mate surprised, Annie went on to say, “It’s like Lucy said. He helped us. He did a lot of unforgivable things in the past but what he has been doing recently…changes things. The severity of our recommendation should probably weigh in how sorry he feels about everything he did.

Christian pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke to his Duchess as gently as he could to avoid starting a scene like his cousin,” How are we supposed to assess how sorty one is, Annie? There’s no scale for that.”