Rejected Luna: Desired by the Lycan King

Chapter 7

The silence inside the luxury sedan was thick, broken only by the smooth hum of the tires against the asphalt. As we drove away from the boutique, I could feel Clara’s gaze on me. Through the rearview mirror, I watched her jaw clench, her knuckles turning white as her grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Finally, she let out a long, heavy sigh that vibrated with suppressed Lycan aggression.

"Miss Elena," Clara began, her voice tight.

"Why didn't you command me to step in? I was right there. While those... those people were mistreating you, I could have snapped their necks in an instant if you had just given the order."

I looked out the window, watching the city skyline blur past, and a soft, bitter smile touched my lips. "Thank you, Clara. But I didn't want you to."

Clara glanced at me through the mirror again, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"For twelve years in the wild, I had to fight for every breath," I murmured, my hand resting on my lap.

"But when I came back to my family, I became weak. I depended on them. I kept quiet, hoping they would love me. I'm done being that weak wolf. I need to stand up for myself now. If I hide behind you or the King, I’ll never truly be free of them."

Clara’s expression softened slightly, but her professional rigidity remained.

"I understand your pride, Miss Elena. But you must understand the weight of what you hold. That gold card does not just contain money; it carries absolute royal authority. Seeing you hold that card is like seeing the King himself. Disrespecting you, striking you... it is an direct offense against King Vardis. They said horrible things to you, and by law, that is a treasonous act. If you want, I can call the King right now and report them. He would have that entire pack brought to its knees before sunset."

"No," I said, my voice hardening. "Let them stay on their knees a little longer. For two years, I sat at their feet, begging for a crumb of their affection, begging for Caleb’s attention. I was a naive, broken girl. But that girl died under the blood moon tonight."

I turned my eyes to meet Clara's in the mirror. "I can handle them. When I strike back, I want to see the look on their faces myself."

Clara stared at me for a long moment before a ghost of a respectful smile appeared on her face. "As you wish, Miss Elena."

When we arrived back at the Grand Horizon, Clara didn't stop at the regular guest floors. Instead, she swiped a security key that took the private elevator straight to the top.

"The King has booked a private penthouse specifically for you," Clara explained as the doors slid open to reveal a breathtaking space even more private and luxurious than the suite from before.

"You will have total privacy here to prepare for tonight."

"Thank you, Clara," I said, taking the garment bag containing my midnight-black dress.

I walked into the penthouse, the sheer quiet of the room wrapping around me. I laid the dress out on the bed, admiring the way the dark silk seemed to absorb the light. I had just sat down on the edge of the velvet sofa when the brand-new smartphone in my pocket began to vibrate.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the screen. There was no name, just a string of encrypted royal digits.

I slid the bar to answer and pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"I heard what happened at the boutique."

King Vardis’s deep, gravelly baritone vibrated through the line, sending a sudden shiver down my spine.

The sheer dominance in his voice was undeniable, but beneath it, there was a low, dangerous rumble of fury.

"My assistant reports everything to me, Elena. You were disrespected. And as Clara should have told you, disrespecting my guest—someone holding my crest—is an insult to my throne."

I gripped the phone a little tighter, refusing to let his intense aura intimidate me through a speaker.

"I told Clara the same thing I will tell you, Your Majesty. I can handle myself. They are my past, and I will deal with them on my terms."

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end, the quiet hum of his breathing the only sound. Then, a low, amused chuckle echoed from the receiver.

"You truly are a bold creature," Vardis murmured, the dangerous edge in his voice smoothing into something heavy and entirely captivating.

"Very well. I will let you play your game for now. But do not forget our arrangement. Be ready by 7:00 PM. Clara told me you purchased a dress."

I looked across the room at the liquid-shadow silk resting on the bed. "I did. It’s beautiful."

A heavy, sudden pause stretched over the line. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The tension in the silence was palpable, thick with an unsaid energy that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

When Vardis finally spoke again, his voice was lower, darker, and laced with a possessive authority that left no room for doubt.

"Good," the King commanded softly. "I expect you to look exceptional tonight, Elena. Don't keep me waiting."

The line went dead before I could answer. I lowered the phone, my heart hammering against my ribs, a strange new fire igniting in my veins. Caleb wanted to replace me with a pastel-pink puppet. Tonight, I was going to show him exactly what kind of monster he had unleashed.