Curves And Claws: The Lycan King's Relentless Claim novel Chapter 30

**Fireflies in Winter Rain — Neil A. Varma**
**Chapter 30**

Cassian,

After a relentless day filled with back-to-back meetings, dining with various influential business owners, and patrolling the dungeons to mete out justice to those who had wronged, I finally trudged home, my body aching with fatigue and my mind clouded with irritation.

All I desired was a peaceful night in my own sanctuary, a respite from the burdens of leadership. I didn’t even require Roana’s presence to find solace; the very essence of her scent lingering in the air was enough to offer me a semblance of comfort.

As I crossed the threshold around six in the evening, the weariness of the day pressed heavily upon me, and a sour mood enveloped me like a dark shroud. My footsteps echoed in the quiet hall, each step a reminder of my exhaustion, and the servants instinctively kept their distance, their breaths shallow and hurried, as if my mere presence cast a shadow of impending storm over them.

Butler Mathew entered my chamber with the utmost caution, bearing a tray adorned with damp towels and juice. His hands trembled slightly, and his pallor spoke volumes of the anxiety that gripped him. It was as if fear had siphoned the color from his face, leaving him a ghost of his former self.

As I took a sip of the juice, my gaze drifted toward the bed. It lay untouched, the sheets smooth and pristine, as if no one had dared to disturb them. The scent in the room was faint—too faint. A chill slithered down my spine, and my jaw clenched tightly, a dull ache forming as I fought to suppress my growing unease.

“Where is Roana?” I demanded, placing my glass down with a controlled click that reverberated through the stillness, making the air feel thick with tension.

Mathew’s expression shifted from confusion to a cautious wariness, as though he were weighing each word with the utmost care. “She went for a ride shortly after you left. I assumed she would return by now.” His fingers tightened around the tray, and I could see beads of sweat forming at his collar.

“You mean to say she didn’t even stop for lunch? You haven’t seen her at all?” My voice dropped low, slicing through the air with an edge that could cut glass. Mathew’s face drained of color, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, struggling to articulate an apology that felt more like a feeble defense.

Suspicion darkened my gaze. I had departed this morning, and she hadn’t returned since then. My guard had informed me she had ventured into the woods earlier.

I narrowed my eyes slowly, a dangerous pressure coiling behind them. “Are you telling me you don’t even know if your Luna has eaten today?”

Mathew flinched, his eyes glued to the floor as if it were the source of his shame.

“What did I order you?” I snapped, the words falling from my lips like ice shards. “You will treat her with the same care you show me!” Each syllable was precise, clipped, and sharp, suffocating the air around us.

“I… I’m sorry, Your Majesty! But Miss Carolyn specifically instructed us not to—” He stammered, the mention of her name igniting a cold fire within me.

“Who is the master here?” My hand moved almost instinctively, deliberate and unforgiving. I grasped his collar between my fingers, lifting him just enough to make my intentions clear. “Since when do you defy my orders and place hers above mine? Are you courting death?” My lips curled in contempt, the twitch at the corner of my mouth barely a semblance of a smile.

Mathew whimpered under my intense scrutiny; his body went slack, and the tray clattered to the floor, the sound harsh and jarring in the stillness.

“She runs the household, but that doesn’t mean she owns this place. Here, my word is law. Did you forget that?” I growled, barely managing to contain the fury simmering within.

“Your Majesty!” Butler Taylor’s voice sliced through the charged atmosphere, thin and panicked. “Two guards are here to see you. It’s about Her Highness!” I released Mathew’s collar as Taylor hurried in, Mathew collapsing to the floor, gasping for breath, his eyes wide with desperation.

“Send them in!” I commanded coldly, turning towards my study, my voice a chilling decree that allowed no room for hesitation. I dispatched men to track Roana’s whereabouts. They would find her.

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