Marked by the Lycan King

31

Myra hid beneath the bushes, her body covered in dust and dry grass to help her blend into the surroundings. She had originally planned to leave quietly at midnight, but the sudden alarm ruined everything. Left with no choice, she buried herself deeper into the dirt, trying to hide both her scent and presence.

The sound of approaching footsteps made her heart tighten instantly. “Gather reinforcements and proceed to the east wing,” a stern voice ordered. “Make sure the ginger-haired girl doesn’t escape unless you’re prepared to face His Majesty’s wrath.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the soldiers shouted in unison before rushing toward their posts.

Myra whimpered softly. Looking at the speaker, she recognized him immediately. It was the same man who had been hostile toward her the other day. Ever since arriving at the villa, she had subconsciously avoided him. Dante rubbed his brows tiredly before responding through the mind link. “We still haven’t found her yet.”

A brief silence followed before he sighed again. “Why don’t you just tell her the truth? I think she’s terrified you’ll imprison her because of her past experiences.” Matteo rubbed his temples in frustration and worry. “Finding her is the first priority. Nothing else matters right now.” Dante sighed softly. Sometimes he truly did not understand Matteo, he wondered where he got the guts to withstand the mate bond and still regain his sanity.

Meanwhile, Myra had overheard part of their conversation from her hiding spot. Seeing Dante standing in a daze gave her a chance to escape. Slowly, she turned around and noticed the guards in this area were fewer compared to the others. She let out a sigh of relief, that made things easier. After all, she was still an Alpha’s daughter.

Dante suddenly heard the rustling of leaves nearby. His eyes sharpened immediately as he followed the sound. In the distance, he spotted a dark figure fighting off several guards effortlessly. Then he noticed the ginger hair flowing behind her. His eyes widened instantly. “I found her,” he informed Matteo quickly through the mind link.

The guards were already subdued by the time he reached her. “f**k! She’s stronger than I thought,” he admitted inwardly. “Stop right there!” Dante shouted loudly. Myra paused for only a second. Dante slowly approached her before grabbing her shoulders to force her to face him.

Then he froze completely. s**t! She was naked. His gaze immediately shifted away awkwardly, but unfortunately for him, the image had already been burned into his brain. He had a mate already so he didn't feel much reaction, but thinking this woman was their queen, he didn't feel right looking at her.

Seeing an opportunity she suddenly twisted his arm harshly before driving her knee directly into his stomach. Dante groaned painfully, clutching himself slightly, but before he could react, Myra slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed loudly. Her five fingers immediately became visible on his cheek.

A sense of satisfaction filled her chest. After all, this i***t had been hostile toward her for absolutely no reason ever since she arrived. Before Dante could recover, Myra transformed into her wolf and bolted deep into the forest.

Matteo arrived only seconds later while Dante was still trying to recover from both the slap and the kick. “She went that way,” Dante said quickly, pointing ahead.

Matteo immediately chased after her without hesitation.

The path eventually led toward the cliffside. Years ago, Matteo had considered building barriers around the area to prevent accidents, but later changed his mind because it would restrict the land too much. Instead, everyone within the territory had simply been warned internally that the place was dangerous and off-limits, but Myra did not know that. Matteo’s expression darkened as he increased his speed. Myra ran desperately through the forest before abruptly stopping at the edge of the cliff.

Her heart nearly stopped. It was too high to jump. She stared downward in horror before quickly turning around, desperately searching for another escape route, but Matteo had already caught up with her. Panic immediately filled her eyes. She transformed back into her human form, though her eyes still glowed amber with anger and fear.

The soldiers soon caught up behind Matteo and instantly raised their weapons toward her, but Matteo immediately lifted a hand, silently ordering them to stop. Myra’s breathing became uneven as she glared at him furiously. “Stay away from me!” she screamed. “You promised me! You promised I would be safe here! You promised nobody would hurt me!”

Matteo slowly stepped forward, trying to calm her down despite the tension in his chest.

“You’re not my prisoner, Myra—”

“Liar!” she shouted angrily before suddenly lunging toward him. Everything happened too fast. One of the soldiers panicked after seeing her charge toward Matteo.

“Your Majesty!” he shouted before firing instantly. The wolfsbane bullet pierced directly into Myra’s leg.

A painful cry escaped her lips as she collapsed to the ground. The amber glow in her eyes disappeared immediately. Matteo’s expression turned terrifying. Slowly, he turned his head toward the soldier who fired the shot. The man immediately stumbled backward in fear before falling to the ground completely.

Blood continued staining Myra’s leg as her body trembled violently. The fierce look in her eyes disappeared completely, replaced only with fear and pain.

Matteo cautiously tried approaching her. But Myra immediately dragged herself backward frantically, avoiding his touch like he was poison. “Get away from me!” she cried, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. “All of you, stay away from me!”

Her voice broke into painful sobs. “You want to throw me back into that cell again…” she whispered shakily. “If that’s the case, then I’ll jump before I ever go back there.”