Rescued by the Lycan King

Episode 5: LOCKED IN WITH THE LYCAN KING

The carriage started again and I finally came back to reality. The bronze, golden doors closed immediately, and I was locked in with the Lycan King. It was like a heavy weight was on me and everyone else, sucked in his authority around him.

I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, afraid to look up, afraid to see the full weight of the decision that had been made for me.

The sound of horses’ hooves filled the silence as the carriage rattled down the dirt road. I clutched my hands tightly in my lap, trying to keep them from trembling. The events of the auction still swirled in my mind, and I couldn’t make sense of any of it. Why had he bid on me? What could the Lycan King possibly want with an Omega like me?

I stole a glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He sat across from me, his posture relaxed, but his golden eyes were sharp, cutting through the dim light inside the carriage.

There was something dangerous about him—something that set my nerves on edge. Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t look away.

The tension in the carriage was suffocating. I shifted slightly in my seat, unable to bear the silence any longer.

“My king… I—” I started, my throat dry. “Why did you—”

Before I could finish, the King cut me off. “You ask why I did it?

I nodded my head, my legs being weak under me. “I did it to rescue you.”

I stared blankly for a second. “Rescue me?” I echoed. “From what?”

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he tilted his head as if he found my question amusing. “You know what exactly I mean… if those men ever got hold of you, they would have destroyed you.”

I swallowed hard, his words ringing in my ears. Rescue? It didn’t make sense. Why would the Lycan King, the man who is beyond every law, pay attention to an Omega like me?

He could’ve let one of those Alphas take me and not thought twice about it.

I looked down, my hands gripping the edge of my seat. “Why?” I asked in a soft voice, almost afraid to know the answer. “Why did you rescue me?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

He did not respond right away. Rather, he examined me with those sharp golden eyes, as though attempting to look past my query to the core of my being. I squirmed in my seat uncomfortable under the weight of his attention. We were silent for a while, and for a while, I believed he would not answer.

But then he leaned back slightly, his posture still commanding. “Why were you even there?” he asked, his voice low but firm. “In a competition like that? Do you not know the dangers you were walking into?”

His words stung, and a flush of shame crept up my neck. He thought I was naïve, foolish. Maybe I was. But what choice did I have?

“I... I didn’t have a choice,” I muttered, my throat tight with emotion. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

He raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “Then how was it supposed to be?”

My heart thudded painfully in my chest. The memory of Carter’s rejection surged up inside me, sharp and bitter, but I forced myself to speak.

“I was rejected,” I blurted out, my voice cracking. His eyes flicked toward me, but he said nothing. I continued, desperate to get everything out before I lost it. Bye, my mate. My pack's alpha, Carter. I was meant to be claimed by him. I thought that this would be my night, but he turned me down. He went with Maya, my cousin.

The words felt sharp in my throat, and I could feel my eyes burning, but I refused to let the tears fall. Not here. Not now.

“And now... everyone saw it. They all know I’m nothing. Just a weak, useless Omega. Even Maya, the one person I thought cared about me, betrayed me. And then Clara—she sent me to the competition as if I were some… something to be bought and discarded.”

For a long moment, the only sound was the rhythmic clattering of the carriage wheels over the uneven ground. I stared at my lap, my hands twisting in the fabric of my dress, afraid to look up and see his reaction. He was the Lycan King; he had no reason to care about my sob story. To him, I was just another problem to deal with.

But when he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. “And what did you do after he rejected you?”

I blinked, confused. “I—I didn’t have a choice. I stood there, humiliated in front of everyone, and then Clara—my aunt—forced me into that horrible competition.”

His gaze was still locked on me, his golden eyes narrowing as if weighing every word, I said. “And you accepted it?” His voice was cold, harsher than I’d expected.

I clenched my fists, the frustration bubbling up inside me. “What was I supposed to do? I’m an Omega! No one cares what I want, no one listens to me. I didn’t have the power to refuse. Even if I had tried to run, they would have dragged me back. I had no choice.”

His eyes flickered with something—something I couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t pity, but a deep consideration, like he was studying me, seeing me for the first time as more than just an Omega.

After a long pause, he spoke, his tone softer than before. “No one should have the power to make you feel like you don’t have a choice.”

I blinked surprised by how he spoke. He did not shout. Made no more judgments. His voice carried a weight of understanding that caught me off guard.

I disagree, you say you had no option, when in fact, you are completely wrong. You could have fought. You could have done something. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. "But it seems to me you’ve been conditioned to believe you are powerless. That no one would help you."

I swallowed hard, his words sinking deep into the parts of me I’d tried to ignore for so long. I learned to feel this way—powerless, useless, unseen. But how could I have fought back when the whole world taught me from my childhood that I was worthless?

He seemed to read the doubt in my eyes because his voice softened further. “I’ve seen wolves stronger than Alphas lose themselves because they let others define their worth. I wouldn’t allow that to happen to you not when you are under my watch.”

My heart skipped a beat. What did that mean? Was he telling me he would protect me? Help?

“You’re offering to help me?” I whispered unable to believe my ears.

“I am,” he answered, calmly, his golden eyes flashing with certainty. “But understand this, Aria”—the way he said my name made my pulse quicken— “I don’t give second chances lightly. You will need to fight. You will need to stand up for yourself. I can help you, but you must be willing to take control of your life.”

The words hit me like a wave, crashing over everything I’d been taught about my place in the pack, and in life. No one had ever spoken to me like this. No one had ever believed I was worth saving, worth fighting for.

“I—I don’t know how,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “I’ve never had to fight for anything before.”

His gaze softened for a brief moment, but his expression remained serious. “You will learn.”

I swallowed again, fear and hope warring inside me. Could I change? Could I truly stand up for myself after everything that had happened? And what exactly did he mean by helping me?

Before I could ask, the carriage lurched to a halt, throwing me forward in my seat. I looked up, heart pounding, as the door opened, and one of the King's guards appeared, bowing low.

“My King,” the guard said, “we’ve arrived.”

Arrived? I hadn’t even realized we were going anywhere in particular. Where was he taking me?

The King rose from his seat, towering over me for a moment. “Come,” he ordered, his tone firm but not harsh. “There is much for you to learn.”