The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation novel Chapter 149

CELINE

I swallowed hard at his words and his hypnotic gaze, but I didn’t feel as euphoric as I had imagined I would.

Maybe because he was a vampire, and I didn’t like that arrogant, snobbish race at all.

"Mía, are you sure this man is our mate?"

"It seems like he is."

"What do you mean ‘seems,’ Mía? Wake up!"

"Yes, yes, I can feel the bond’s chemistry, but… I don’t know. I don’t want him to touch me. It’s only connected to your vampire side."

“You’re distracted. It’s rude to talk to your inner wolf while I’m asking you something.”

“Can you hear her?” I asked, feeling a flicker of hope. He let go of my chin and straightened up.

“How could I hear your animal side? We haven’t even performed any ceremony,” he replied in a slightly mocking tone, walking toward a nearby table.

He did hear her, I thought, and once again, my mind drifted to that man in the castle. Was he real?

“We have a lot to talk about, you and I. It’s unexpected that my mate is a hybrid. Honestly, it’s not very pleasant for me,” he said, approaching again. My eyes locked onto the dagger now in his hand.

Was he going to kill me?

“You don’t have to end my life to break the bond. You can just reject me. In fact, I don’t like this bond either.”

I kicked my feet and tried to stand, but he moved at an incredible speed, pressing the tip of the dagger to my neck, tracing it softly along my skin.

“Who said we can’t both benefit from this bond?” His low voice poured into my ear, and I didn’t dare take a deep breath.

“Tell me what you need from me, and I’ll tell you what I need from you.”

I stood there, stunned. Did I need something from him? Of course, something crucial—something life or death.

Even though I resisted the idea of having a vampire as my mate and wanted to fight it, the Goddess had screwed me over with this bond. And honestly, I didn’t want to die—who would, when the solution was right in front of them?

But just the thought of him marking my neck made my stomach turn. Why, if he was my mate? Then again… if it were another vampire...

“I need your mark to stabilize my vampire side. Once I’m healed, we can dissolve the bond. That’s all I ask. What do you want from me?”

“I want you to tell me what trick you used to get into the castle. How did you manage to pass through the forbidden lands?” He seemed very interested.

“Forbidden lands? I just climbed over that gate. Can’t you?”

“Don’t play dumb, hybrid! I mean…” he recomposed himself from his sudden outburst. “What’s your name?”

“Celine,” I replied, annoyed and frustrated—this wasn’t getting us anywhere.

“Look, I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about. I just passed through the gate, that’s it…” But then I remembered he had told me only I could enter.

“You didn’t hear a man’s voice? A vampire? What’s your connection to Prince Zarek?” he asked, visibly anxious. The mention of that name stirred something deep inside me, but it faded quickly.

“Yes, I… I saw a man. He told me he could let me into the palace. Who is he? Is his name Zarek?”

And then I heard the story of that vampire imprisoned in the dungeons, and suddenly, everything made sense.

He had been locked up there by one of the first Selenias, punished for his crimes. Now that none of them ruled and no one controlled the castle, he was merely looking for a foolish, unsuspecting girl to seduce and use to set him free.

A pang of disappointment throbbed in my chest, a dull ache that soon faded in the storm of my thoughts.