Marked by the Lycan King

25

The voice on the other side of the phone replied calmly, trying to reassure her.

“Don’t worry. There’s still no sign of her. She’s probably dead already. She couldn’t handle the rejection.” Lyka bit her lip anxiously. “Are you sure?” “Why are you suddenly panicking?” the voice asked lazily.

“You already got everything you wanted. You got your man, your status, your perfect life. Besides, lots of people dye their hair ginger these days. Stop overthinking, nothing bad is going to happen. Everything is still going according to plan.” The calm voice slowly eased the fear in her chest, but after the call ended and the room became quiet again, the uneasy feeling returned. Lyka stared at her phone for a long time. That picture kept replaying in her head no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. Restlessly, she stood up and headed toward the dungeon beneath the mansion. The deeper she walked, the colder the air became. The sound of chains echoed faintly through the dark hallway. A disgusting smell filled the place immediately, making her scrunch up her nose in irritation.

The cell was filthy, stained with blood, dirt, and old traces of urine. A figure lay weakly on the floor, barely moving. Lyka smiled softly as she approached the cell. She lightly kicked the man with the tip of her shoe.

“Hello, Kendall,” she said sweetly. “I brought you food today. Rice and seafood sauce. We hired a new chef recently and honestly, he’s amazing. Want to try some?” Kendall didn’t move. He remained curled up on the floor silently.

Lyka sighed dramatically before signaling one of the guards nearby. The guard quickly entered with a tray of food. She collected it from him and slowly crouched beside Kendall, a dangerous smile playing around her lips. “Actually…” she muttered softly. “I changed my mind.” She placed the tray beside him. “Why don’t you get on your knees and beg properly first? Like a good dog.” Kendall’s jaw tightened instantly. Even after rejecting him, Lyka still refused to leave him alone. He no longer recognized the girl he once knew. The Lyka from before used to smile brightly and speak kindly to everyone. The woman standing before him now felt cold, cruel, and completely twisted. Sometimes he genuinely wondered if the Moon Goddess had cursed him by making Lyka his mate.

“Why won’t you beg me?” Lyka suddenly snapped, her voice turning sharp. “Is it because I’m not as beautiful as Lyra?” Her breathing became uneven as her emotions spiraled again. “Is it because I’m not as charming as her?” she screamed, her voice echoing through the cramped dungeon. “Answer me!”

Kendall slowly lifted his head and looked at her weakly. His body hurt badly, but the hatred in his eyes was still obvious. Lyka felt a strange pang in her chest when she saw the hatred in Kendall’s eyes. It irritated her deeply. Was she really that disgusting to him? Even after everything she had done for him, he still looked at her like she was some kind of monster. The more she thought about it, the more twisted her emotions became.

“You’re looking at me like that again,” she muttered softly, her voice trembling slightly. “Why do you always look at me like I ruined your life?” Kendall stayed silent, his weak body barely moving against the cold floor. That silence only made her more furious. Without warning, Lyka grabbed the whip beside her and lashed it across his back again and again. The sharp sound echoed through the dungeon. Kendall tried to stay quiet at first, gritting his teeth through the pain, but as the strikes became harsher, broken cries escaped his lips.

Lyka suddenly stopped. A smile slowly spread across her face, like she had finally gotten what she wanted. She crouched in front of him and gently brushed the sweaty hair away from his forehead as if she hadn’t just beaten him moments ago. “There now,” she whispered softly. “That’s better.” Her fingers caressed his pale face lovingly. “I’ll tell them to clean you up. You’ll look handsome again.” She smiled sweetly at him. “See? I treat you so much better than Myra ever did. Better than that b***h Kylie too. I’m the only one that truly loves you. Only me.”

Kendall’s vision became blurry. His lips moved weakly, trying to say something, but no words came out before his body finally gave in and he fainted from exhaustion and pain. Lyka’s expression changed immediately. “Kendall?” she called quickly, shaking him lightly. “Hey… wake up.” Panic flashed through her eyes for a second before she turned toward the guards outside the cell. “Get in here now!” she snapped. The guards rushed inside immediately. “Treat his wounds at once,” Lyka ordered sharply. “And what kind of filthy place is this? It stinks in here.” She covered her nose in disgust while glaring around the dungeon. “Even prisoners are still human beings. Look at these scars on his body. What if he gets infected? What if he dies?”

The guards lowered their heads silently. None of them dared remind her that she was the one who ordered Kendall to be treated worse than an animal in the first place. “Understood, my lady,” one of them answered quickly. Lyka suddenly realized she had been talking too much. Her breathing became uneven as she fixed her expression again. She couldn’t let anyone think she cared too much. She turned around and began walking away before stopping at the dungeon entrance. “If any new scars appear on his body, you’re all dead,” she said coldly without turning back. “And if anyone speaks about what happens here, I’ll make sure your families disappear too.”

The guards immediately bowed lower, fear filling their faces as Lyka finally left the dungeon. Meanwhile, Bria and Myra had just returned from shopping. Bria complained the entire ride home about how hungry she was while Lyra sat quietly beside her, listening to her nonstop chatter. Somehow, she found it funny. Bria talked so much, yet her energy never seemed to run out. The car finally stopped in front of the villa. “Papa! I’m back!” Bria shouted excitedly the moment she entered the house, kicking off her shoes carelessly. She rushed into the living room before suddenly freezing in place.

“What the hell?” Her eyes widened so much that she almost stumbled backward. She rubbed her eyes quickly, thinking she was hallucinating. The entire living room was filled with shopping bags and luxury boxes. Dresses were spread everywhere. Chanel. Dior. LV. Limited editions. Some of them hadn’t even been released publicly yet. Bria looked completely horrified. “Why did I even go shopping today?” she cried dramatically while holding her chest. “This place literally became a luxury store without me!” Thinking about all the money she spent earlier suddenly made her heart ache. At that moment, Butler William walked out from the kitchen. Bria immediately rushed toward him. “Papa, what is all this?” she asked in shock.

William looked at Myra for a second before smiling warmly. “It’s for His Majesty’s guest.”