Chapter 171 Chapter 170
Her back prickled with guilt. She lowered her gaze back to the ground, her cheeks flaming.
"You didn’t even deliver the blanket properly," he added, leaning forward. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, but it soon faded away. Only then did Rayena notice the piece of clothing draped over his shoulders. It was the blanket she made for him. He had received the parcel, apparently.
Her mouth hung open. "I-I’m sorry."
The chair scraped the ground as he moved, leaning forward.
"I liked the gift. It was worth the wait." A pause. "Thank you."
"You’re welcome," she whispered.
"You should sit down," he said, gesturing to the couches in front of him. Rayena glanced at him, her heart still racing.
"Oh, I'm fine here..." she started to say when his eyes narrowed.
"Sit," he ordered. She swallowed the rest of her words and quickly rushed to one of the chairs, settling down on it, her heart pattering in her chest.
Fiddling with her fingers clasped in front of her, Rayena tried to keep herself occupied. The king went back to his work, the gentle scrawl of the quill moving over parchment filling the tense silence. In the past, she would have found this situation comforting, relaxing even, but now she just kept praying for an exit.
A knock rapped against the door, interrupting their silence. Rayena snapped her head toward it.
"Refreshments for Your Majesty!" a voice cried out.
"Come in," the king answered. The doors swung open and a tray filled with all sorts of assortments rolled in first, followed by a maid in chef’s clothes. The tantalizing scents wafted through the air, and her stomach grumbled to her chagrin.
"Place it on the table," the king commanded, and the man did so, arranging the variety of sweet treats and fruit juices in front of her.
"You're dismissed," he said without looking up. The maid bowed and walked out of the room, leaving them alone yet again.
"You're free to eat. Make yourself at home," he groaned. Rayena didn’t think she had any appetite, but not wanting to incur his wrath, she picked up a cookie, bringing it to her mouth and nibbling on it quietly.
Xenon glanced at her from where he sat, watching as she quietly ate the treats in front of her. Normally, her presence would have calmed the raging beasts within him, but it wasn’t working because it was mixed with the scent of fear—and that was getting to him even more.
A part of him wanted to growl at her to stop being so frightened, but he knew it would only make things worse. So he watched her, doing everything he could to stay calm and composed. Her gaze wandered everywhere except his side, her spine rigid. She looked tortured just sitting there. All he wanted to do was scent her, but with the smell of fear being so potent, she was starting to repulse him, and he wasn’t sure how much more he could take.
"Relax..." The word slipped from his lips before he could stop it. "I’m not going to bite you." He cocked his head to the side. "At least, not right now."
Her eyes widened, trepidation filling them. A growl rumbled in his throat, and from the corner of his eye, he noticed her stiffening—and he lost it.
"Your smell of fear is messing with me, and not in a good way," he said, his voice rough.
She balled her hands into fists, her face paling further. "I’m sorry..." He heard the whisper so faint, it took his wolf reaching out to pick up on it. Breathing out, he leaned back in his seat, dropping the quill. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at her again.
"I’m still the same person, you know? The same Lylall you’ve always talked with. I just happen to be wearing my ceremonial robes today. You’re free to ask any questions that are bothering you," he offered in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.
She looked away, fiddling with her fingers. "Why... why didn’t you tell me who you were when we first met?" she asked after a while.
"I didn’t see the need to," he answered simply.
"You didn’t see the need to?!" Rayena sounded shocked. "I thought you were a servant who worked in the palace!"
"And I played along," he countered softly. Clicking his tongue, he shrugged. "The blame can be shared equally."
Rayena didn’t look convinced. "I sent you on errands, snuck you into my room, and shoved you into a wardrobe! You should have never let it happen!"
Xenon furrowed his brows. Is that why she was so terrified? "Well, in my defense, it was cozy in there."
"Stop joking around, Lylall—I mean, Your Majesty." She shuddered in frustration, a faint blush of pink on her cheeks. "If I had been caught, I would have been beheaded."
"And who would do that to you?" he asked, amused. "You forget that I am the sovereign ruler of this realm. Everyone answers to me."
Her lips curled into that adorable pout, a disgruntled expression on her face. "Still, you should have said something. Not made me find out the way I did," she mumbled, folding her hands.
"I apologize for that," he mumbled, hoping it sounded sincere. "Better now?"
She didn't respond, but the sickening smell of fear emanating from her had greatly faded, and he felt more at ease. He allowed his lips to stretch into a smile. "Still, you should have seen the look on your face when you found out who I was. I would have laughed if I wasn't so busy trying to leave the castle."
Her face turned red, a slight tremor running through her. "You turned scary all of a sudden. I started to wonder if I'd made a terrible mistake," she muttered, glancing at him.
"That's not your fault. No need to feel so guilty," he muttered, leaning forward now.
She let out a sigh, and the smell faded completely, leaving only the sweet, floral scent he had come to associate with her. He dragged in a deep inhale, listening to his other halves growl and moan for more. So much more.
"Why did you summon me, anyway?" she asked after a while, pulling him away from his thoughts.
"I missed you. I wanted to see you."
"That's all?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Should there have been more?"
"Oh, I don't know. If I were to judge based on what I heard from other women in the harem, I'd think you summoned me because you wanted to... to lay with me."
That idea piqued his wolf's interest for sure. He chuckled, stealthily rising to his feet, his gaze pinned on her as he slowly made his way toward her. Rayena instinctively shrank back, averting her eyes.
"That's an interesting thought, Raye. Lay with you? Can I be honest?" he asked, now standing directly in front of her, staring her down.
She looked at him. Slowly, she nodded her head.