Chapter 148 Chapter 147
It had been three days since King Xenon's last episode, and now he was getting restless again, his wolf seething to be let out and his repressed sexual urges rearing their ugly head once more, a terrible headache assaulting his skull. Sweat beaded his forehead, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths, the steady thrum of his pulse pounding loud enough that it hurt. A growl vibrated in his throat before he caught it, swallowing it back down and he moved around on his seat, clenching his jaw in frustration.
Even his tiger, that used to share in the discomfort plaguing him, seemed to have retreated to the back of his mind, leaving him alone in this torment. The suppressants Ladrian had delivered were definitely not working, but it would take a while before he came up with another potion that could.
Morvan stood in the corner of the room, arms folded, his ever-vigilant gaze on him. When Xenon struck his chest for the umpteenth time in the past hour, he snapped.
"You can't keep living like this, your majesty," he growled, eyes flashing as his beast inched to the surface. "You need to sate yourself. You're reaching your breaking point."
Xenon looked up from the scroll he was struggling to read, his face a perfect mask of icy indifference, despite the storm raging within him. "Need I remind you of what happens whenever I mount a female?"
Morvan’s jaw tightened, lips pressed into a thin line.
When Morvan didn't respond, he offered to answer. "My tiger gets disgusted, takes over, and kills the woman, sometimes while I'm inside them." He let the words hang, drawing out the air in the room "I can't keep waking up to the corpses of women beneath me. It's not a pleasant experience."
Besides, he'd never achieved true satisfaction from the act. It would take him hours of relentless sex with multiple women to relieve some of the pressure, and that barely scratched the itch, leaving him always craving more.
Still, Morvan pressed.
"It's better to have this all happen in a controlled environment than have a repeat of what happened three nights ago. We can't keep blaming such incidents on Feral Ones. We all know there are no Feral Ones within the vicinity of the palace. It's only a matter of time before people put two and two together."
Xenon sighed as he dragged his hands down his face. The headache throbbed sharper, splitting through his skull. No doubt, there was some sense in Morvan's argument, but they'd been down that road multiple times, and it never ended well.
"Fine," Xenon groaned, glaring at Morvan. "You win. Prepare me some ladies from the harem. And I need a run before I lose my mind."
A flicker of relief crossed Morvan's eyes, a corner of his lip twitching upward, but he soon sobered up. "Wolf or Tiger?"
Xenon’s eyes flashed golden, a growl ripping from his lips. "Wolf. It needs to let off some steam. Make sure no one is following after us," he murmured, rolling back the scroll in his hands.
Morvan bowed deeply. "As you command, your majesty."
.
.
.
The next day, a report from the king reached the harem from an official. Dozens of women gathered together in front of the official and he opened the seal, reading out the instructions for everyone to hear.
"The king is summoning a group of women to the castle. Interested women should please apply, and the most eligible will be selected to serve the king."
A gasp of excitement broke out, and they began murmuring to themselves, digesting the news. For the first time in a long while, the king was finally summoning them to be with him. It was the best news they had heard in a while. Rayena stood together with Soraya, a distance away from where the women had gathered, watching as they made more inquiries and even began putting down their names.
"Wow... They seem so happy about this," Rayena muttered, taking in the scene before her. "Will you be applying too, Soraya?" Rayena asked, turning to her.
Soraya hesitated, then gave a small nod. “I think I will. What about you?”
Rayena instantly shook her head. "I'm sitting this one out. My wounds have yet to heal and I don't think it'll be sensible to partake in that."
"You're probably right," Soraya conceded, glancing back at the excited crowd. Rayena's brow furrowed.
"I don't get why this is something to be excited about though. Won't the king just be sleeping with them?" Rayena asked slowly, folding her hands. Soraya tilted her head to the side, thinking it through.
"Well, yes. But there's also the possibility one might discover they have high compatibility with the king and end up mating with him and becoming queen. It's that chance most women are excited for."
With a chuckle, she added, "I probably won't get selected. This is just an opportunity for me to enter the main castle and meet my crush." Her eyes turned wistful as she said that. "They usually go for more beautiful and strong women, the likes of Lady Ysolde."
"Really?" Rayena asked, glancing at Ysolde, who was standing in a corner of the hall, watching as everyone fought to have their name written, her face the expression of calm. Even from across the room, she seemed untouchable, radiating the poise of someone who knew she didn’t need to fight for attention. Soraya nodded.
"Still, good luck. You never know what might happen," Rayena said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Thank you," Soraya responded and went ahead to join the crowd. Rayena watched her go before turning around and heading straight to her room.
Later that day, Lady Ysolde came to visit. Rayena was curled up on her bed, a novel opened in front of her, when a knock came on the door, and without waiting for her response, it opened and she stepped in.
"Good evening, Rayena," she greeted with a smile that felt fake. "I apologize if I interrupted anything," she said, making her way towards her.
"Oh no, it's fine. Although I have to ask, to what do I owe this visit?" Rayena asked as she straightened.
"I just wanted to know if you were applying to meet the king. A good number of us have revealed our interest, and I don't think I saw you there."
"Unfortunately, I won't be doing so. I don't think I'm the right candidate for that. Besides, I'm still healing from the wounds I sustained from the last wolf attack," Rayena explained.
Lady Ysolde's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in understanding and maybe, condescension. "That's true, you're human. I forget it takes you longer to heal. You truly won't be a good fit. Forgive me for that," she muttered.