The Ruthless Lycan King Fell For His Slave Mate novel Chapter 58

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Lyra told Anna, feeling bad for her. So, even if the witches had not turned her into a mindless tainted wolf, she was still just an object for them to use as they pleased.

“A part of me is happy that the Lycan King captured me,” Anna said. “The witches’ camp is like hell for me. Since they brought me there, I've been treated worse than trash. Even though their leader wanted to make use of my magic powers and thought I was useful, nobody treated me like one of them. From the day I stepped foot there, I was considered an outsider, an enemy. The day I was assigned outside the camp, it was like getting a breath of fresh air.”

As Anna narrated her story, Lyra realised they had many things in common. The way Anna had been treated by the witches reminded her of the treatment she received in Devon's pack. As long as she was there, she was considered an outsider and never accepted as part of the pack.

“At the witches’ camp, I had no freedom or choice. As soon as I was done with my classes, I had to go straight to work like a slave. Every night I would go to bed tired, only to be woken early the next morning for more chores. Some of them bullied me because they thought I was favoured by the leader, and that I was taking a place that belonged to them. I wish they had been right because then, she would have at least protected me.”

Lyra could not help reaching for Anna’s hand and stroking it gently. The sadness in Anna's eyes and voice was too much, as if she was reliving the horrors she went through at that camp. “It's okay now, that's all in the past. You'll never go back there.”

Even if Julian did not allow Anna to stay at the palace, she now had Zero. No matter what, Lyra knew that Zero would not allow his mate to be in trouble.

Anna gave a shaky smile, dropping her eyes. “Do you know the male I met that day? My mate?”

“Yes,” Lyra answered. “His name is Zero. He is an Alpha and also a cousin to the king.”

Anna's smile became even sadder. “I guess that means he'll never accept me since I grew up with witches.”

“No!” Lyra denied immediately. “He would not hate you for something like that. They kidnapped you and you had no choice. Zero is not the kind of person who would hold that against you.”

“But…you saw the way he was that day,” Anna said. “He avoided me.”

“I don't know why he did that, but I can assure you, he is a good male,” Lyra told her. “If it was not for him, I would not have survived my early days in this place. I came here as a slave, you know.”

Anna's eyes widened. “Really?”

Lyra nodded. “I was working as a maid, and the other Omega's were picking on me. I could not shift, so they overpowered me. If Zero hadn't showed up and stopped them, they would have injured me seriously or even killed me. He even punished them. After that, he helped me several times. I consider him my benefactor and the first friend I made here. He will definitely be a great mate, I know it.”

“I don't know,” Anna said in uncertainty. “The king once came to question me, and Zero was with him. He was very cold towards me, like he hated me. I understand if he hates me because of my connection to the witches.”

“It must be a misunderstanding,” Lyra said. “I'm sure once he knows that you were not willingly part of the witches’ plans, you two will be able to grow close. Maybe he is simply being vigilant until the investigation is done.”

Lyra's words filled Anna with new hope. The few times she had seen Zero, she had been convinced that he would never accept her. It had been such a blow to her, since she had been so happy to find her mate. But if what Lyra said about Zero was true, there was hope. All she had to do was show him that personally, she held no ill will towards werewolves.

***

After leaving Anna's room, Lyra went back to see Julian. After hearing Anna's story, she could not bear to have her confined in that small room any longer.

Also, she did not want to waste any time and wanted to get straight to dealing with the witch behind everything. That meant cooperating with Julian, no matter how much she wanted to avoid him.

Julian's reply was not very encouraging, though. “No. You'll not get involved in this. I'm working on it, and that's all you need to know.”

“I can help,” Lyra said. “I'm no longer a powerless Omega. I want to help find her and take her down before she causes any more trouble.”

Julian stopped what he was doing and looked at her. He would never allow her to join the investigation against the witches. They had already targeted her once. His goal was to keep her as far away from danger, not invite her to it.

“You must think you are all that now since you qualified to become my guard,” he said, his voice harsh. “Do you think this is child’s play? Do you know what these witches are capable of?”

“Yes,” Lyra replied firmly. “I’m the lone survivor of an attack on my pack, so yes, I know what they are capable of. I don't want to stand by anymore while they keep creating chaos.”

“You don't have what it takes,” he told her. “Go back to your room, Beryl is worried about you.”

“Even if you don't involve me in your investigation, I'll do it on my own,” she told him.

“You can't do that,” he said.

“Why not?” she challenged.