Chapter 13
He didn’t say anything but I saw the way his jaw clenched. His fists tightened.
Thummed
Reactions. Guess he wasn’t that indifferent afterall
A long silence stretched between us.
Finally, he turned his head slightly, just enough for me to catch the sharp glint in his blue eyes.
“Go inside. Liana.”
And then he walked away, disappearing down the corridors.
I stood there, my heart pounding, watching the place where he had vanished.
The cursed king.
No one knew the curse of the Lycan king, we just knew he was
sed.
I stared at the place he had disappeared to. Acting nice and all, now he is just downright cold.
And then he walked away, disappearing down the corridors.
I stood there, my heart pounding, watching the place where he had vanished.
The cursed king.
1 stared at the empty hallway, frustration bubbling inside me. Acting nice and all, now he was just downright cold.
One moment, he was holding me, telling me not to listen to the rumors. The next, he was shutting down, giving me nothing.
What the hell was his problem?
I let out a sharp breath, rubbing my arms as if I could shake off the strange tension that still clung to me.
I needed to stop thinking about this. About him.
But my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a voice whispering way too close to my ear
“Peekaboo.”
Iyelped, spinning around so fast I nearly tripped:
Knox stood there, arms crossed, smirking like he’d just caught me doing something embarrassing, Which, considering how lost I’d been in thought, was probably true.
-You looked so deep in space I thought you were about to astral project,” he teased. “Figured I’d bring you back before you wandered into another dimension.”
I scowled, shoving his shoulder. “You scared me, idiot”
He laughed, clearly unbothered. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy my charming presence.“
I rolled my eyes. “Is there a reason you’re here, or do you just turk in dark hallways for fun?”
Knox placed a hand over his chest, mock–offended. “I do lurk, but only with purpose.”
I gave him a flat look, and he chuckled. “Alright, alright. I saw you standing here looking all intense, figured you needed company
He raised an eyebrow “Yeah! You looked like you were about to start a fight with the air.”
I huffed, crossing my arms. “Alaric’s just confusing”
9:21 AM
Chapter 13
Knox smirked. “That’s an understatement.”
“He took me to some ruins in the forest,” I muttered, still not sure why I was even telling Knox this. “We found some inscription warning about a ‘cursed king! And the way he reacted-
“Cold and distant?” Knox guessed
I sighed. “Exactly
“Yeah, he does that,” Knox said, leaning against the wall. “Gets all broody when something bothers him. And trust me, that inscription? Bothered him.
I frowned. “What does it mean?”
Knox shrugged, though his smirk had faded slightly. “Who knows? Maybe it’s just some old warning meant to scare people.”
“But what if it’s not?” Tasked
Knox studied me for a second, then sighed. “Look, Liana, if you start digging too deep, you’re not gonna like what you find.”
I hated that answer. But before I could push further, my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl.
Knox blinked. Then grinned.
“Well,” he said, amused. “That’s one way to change the subject.”
I groaned, covering my face. “I forgot to eat.”
Knox chuckled, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “C’mon, little wolf. Let’s get you some food before you start chewing on the furniture.”
“Why would I chew on furniture?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
Knox grinned. “Because you look starved, and desperate people do desperate things.”
I rolled my eyes. “I would rather eat dirt”
“Dirt might taste better than half the food in this palace,” he muttered under his breath.
I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Knox didn’t answer. Instead, he led me through a side hallway, away from the main dining areas. The palace kitchen was probably off- limits at this hour, but Knox moved like he had every right to be there.
Soon, we entered a smaller, less grand kitchen tucked into a quieter wing of the castle. It wasn’t the main kitchen used for preparing elaborate feasts, but it had everything necessary an old stove, well–worn counters, and shelves stocked with ingredients
Knox pulled open a cabinet and started grabbing supplies. “Sit,” he instructed, nodding toward a stool by the counter.
I raised an eyebrow. “You know how to cook?”
He scoffed. “Of course I do.”
I narrowed my eyes. -No offense, but you d
don’t exactly seem the cooking type.”
Knox smirked as he rolled up his sleeves. “And what type do I seem like?
“The kind that steals food rather than nukes İL”
He barked out a laugh. “I have stolen food, but only when necessary. But no, I can actually cook”
Trrossed my arms. “Where’d you learn?”
1 blinked. “AlaricTMTM
Knox smirked at my obvious shock. “You look like I just told you he moonlights as a jester”
Chapter 13
to cook
“I just–1 shook my head, still processing. “The cold, brooding king of Lycans knows how to
Knox started chopping vegetables like this was a completely normal conversation. “Yeah. Grew up learning how to hunt fight, and cook. His father didn’t believe in raising a spoiled royal”
That was… unexpected. I’d never imagined Alaric doing anything as normal as making food. He always seemed like someone who had servants doing everything for him
“Didn’t expect that, huh?” Knox said, throwing some chopped onions into a sizzling pan
“No, I really didn’t,” 1 admitted. “I figured he’d rather starve than step foot in a kitchen.”
Knox snorted, “Oh, he hates it now. Won’t admit it, but he does. Still, when we were younger, before he became king, he used to make the best roasted meat. And soups. Guy could make a meal out of scraps
The image of a younger Alaric, standing over a fire, cooking with the same intensity he carried into battle–it was hard to picture.
1 rested my chin on my hand, watching Knox move with ease around the kitchen. “So, what’s on the menu?”
Knox smirked. “Something edible, hopefully.”
Not exactly reassuring.”
“You’ll live.” He tossed a few more ingredients into the pan, the air filling with the rich scent of garlic and herbs. “What about you? Do you cook?
I
I shrugged. “I can manage. Mostly simple things. I never really had the luxury of experimenting
Knox shot me a knowing look. “Because you were too busy surviving”
I didn’t respond
After a few moments, he placed a steaming plate in front of me. “Eat”
I eyed the dish–some kind of stir–fried vegetables and meat over rice. It smelled better than anything I’d had in days.
I took a hesitant bite, and my eyes widened. “This is actually really good”
Knox grinned. “Surprised?”
“A line.” I took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Maybe you should be the palace chef instead of a Beta.”
“Tempting,” he said. “Less bloodshed, more compliments.”
I chuckled, for the first time in a while feeling something close to comfortable.
Maybe Knox wasn’t so bad after all.
AD
