The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation (Valeria) novel Chapter 249

SILAS

Every day, we woke up filled with fear, like cattle hunted by vampires, witches, and lycans.

My poor parents would tell me, this new Queen will change the balance, we just need to give her time, we just need to have faith in her.

And I did. Even after being kidnapped from my home, taken far away, chained, humiliated, and broken.

I always clung to those words of encouragement. One day, everything will change… it will get better… just endure… trust in the Queen, and you will be rescued…

But on the verge of death, I saw her true face.

Just like those witches, she erased her sin.

She too used us in secret, like animals, to try and breed her race.

I hate them. I despise them. But I loathe the Selenias even more, for their hypocrisy and lies, for giving us hope while allowing us to be slaughtered.

At least Lucrecia showed me the monster she was from the very beginning.

I want to destroy this world. I want to destroy every last one of these wretched beings. So I fought, with all the hatred in my heart, to free myself and become their worst nightmare.

*****

SILAS IN THE PRESENT, WITH SIGRID

At some point, I lost consciousness.

A low growl escaped me as I pushed myself up from the hard forest floor, disoriented, my hand pressing against my temple.

I thought I had dreamed something disturbing, but I no longer remembered it.

I looked around. What the hell…?

It looked like a tornado had ripped through the dark forest, uprooting trees, breaking branches, and leaving craters scattered across the ground.

I stood up, eyes wide, staring at the open horizon.

All I could see were the distant mountains, the night sky above me, and the moon… the full moon, speckled with traces of blood.

I remembered my battle. My hand flew to my chest, now surging with power. I looked down in shock.

Where were my wounds, my scarred skin, my burns and marks?

I lifted my fingers into the air and examined them, dumbfounded, my heart pounding.

I could feel it—the furious, maddening energy roaring through my veins.

Those specters obeyed my commands. I could sense them in my mind, waiting in a magical space I had created for them, lingering, ready to be summoned into battle.

I felt no pain. I was overflowing with magic, with strength. My face…!

I ran toward the well where those poor souls had been drowned.

I hesitated, almost afraid to hope in vain, my hands tightening over the cold stone rim.

A reflection stared back at me with euphoric eyes. A complete man. The man I once was.

Golden eyes, radiant.

Hair, silver like the moon.

Strong, sharp features, a shadow of a beard framing my jaw, thin lips curved into a smile—something I hadn’t done in so long.

Being handsome had once been my greatest curse. When I was ruined, I saw it as a blessing.

I stared at the building before me. The lights were out, no sound of servants or slaves moving within.

Night had fallen. During the day, I had visited my old friend Grimm at the inn where Alessandre had taken him under my orders.

Before dying, he confessed what I had always known—that he worked for Morgana.

But now, he swore his undying loyalty to me.

Idiot. His head rolled across the floor.

I felt sorry for the innkeeper, though. The blood had stained his carpet.

I climbed the wide staircase and pushed open the double entrance doors.

My footsteps echoed in the seemingly empty, dimly lit hall.

Raising my hand, I sent flames toward the chandeliers anchored to the walls.

Before they could light up, the doors behind me slammed shut with a sharp bang.

I knew exactly who it was.

And I knew she was waiting for me.

"Dear Electra, did you enjoy yourself at Lucrecia Silver’s party?" The voice, cold as a serpent, came from behind me.

"Oh, so you were expecting me, dear sister," I said, turning to face her, my smile dripping with sarcasm.

Our gazes locked, filled with dark intentions. The air thickened with suffocating magic.

"Why don’t we drop the hypocrisy and get to what you really want to ask me, Morgana?"