Chapter 246 Chapter 245
Soraya's throat tightened, but she forced herself to speak.
“When I left the shifter realm, I took heat suppressants with me. They helped me while I settled in the human kingdom. But after I ran out, Rayena’s parents made arrangements with men. It wasn’t enough, but it took the edge off." She explained.
“I couldn’t get more suppressants after returning here, and now that I’ve been moved to the hideout… it’s nearly impossible.”
Her lashes fluttered up as she glanced at him, nerves pounding under her skin.
“So… what do you say, General Morvan?” she asked quietly, reading the conflict in his eyes.
“I’ll…” he began, then stopped himself. Soraya’s breath snagged.
He exhaled slowly, forcing composure into his posture. “I’ll help you during the full moon. Just be here when the time comes.”
Soraya’s heart swelled with relief, though she kept her expression composed. “Thank you. Truly,” she murmured, offering a small bow.
“I’ll take my leave now.” She slipped past him. He moved to open the door for her, gesturing her out.
“Have a great day… Miss,” he said, voice softer than before.
She nodded and disappeared down the hall.
Once the door shut, he rested his forehead against the wood. His hand drifted to his chest—and paused.
His heart was pounding. He swallowed hard, confusion flickering across his features.
He was nervous.
And for the life of him… he didn’t understand why.
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Rayena stayed in the room she shared with Soraya, thinking about everything Morvan had said, confused about some parts. If the king was truly mindless, why did he keep rejecting female touch like he did in the past? Shouldn't that not matter anymore since he'd lost himself?
Maybe there's still hope, she thought to herself.
She had to see him again. She just needed to. Morvan or the other weretigers wouldn’t let her go, but it wouldn't stop her.
While the thought took root, Soraya returned to the room, all smiles.
"Hey there, Rayena!" she greeted in an unusually chirpy tone, going ahead to remove the embellishments on her dress.
Rayena rose from her seat, peering at her. "What has got you so happy?"
Soraya turned to her, a huge grin on her face. "I have splendid news for you, Rayena! I just went to see General Morvan concerning my heat that will be occurring during the full moon and asked if he would help me with it. He agreed!!"
"Wow…" Rayena said, awed by her friend's excitement. "I see why you're so happy. Well, congratulations!"
Soraya soon tried to play it off as nothing. "Oh, I know it's not a big deal. It's just heat sex."
"No, I don't mean it that way," Rayena said, instantly waving her hands. "I'm genuinely happy for you. Even if it's just heat sex, you're having it with someone you've always liked and wanted. You should be excited."
Soraya stared at her, then gave a small sigh of relief, the smile still on her face. "Thank you for saying that."
"You're welcome," Rayena murmured, then looked forward, waving her toes. "At least one of us has things going well for them. I have to watch my feral mate be with another woman because being with me might be too dangerous."
"About that, I'm genuinely sorry. I know I haven't been the most helpful during these situations."
"It's alright, I can't blame you. There's not much you can do," Rayena said, looking forward as she wrapped her hand around her knees. "Besides, I'm aware that all of this is to protect me, so I understand."
Soraya tilted her head to the side, eyeing Rayena suspiciously. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. I'm not a child, you know."
"Still, don't go and do anything reckless," Soraya warned, staring at her best friend.
"I won't."
"Seriously, don't."
"I won't. I promise!" Rayena cried, and they both chuckled. Soraya grabbed her hands, squeezing them reassuringly. "Okay. I've heard you."
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Dorian lay awake in his chambers, staring at the ceiling while Ysolde slept peacefully behind him. He still felt restless despite the sex he'd had, his mind racing so hard. He didn't like this new development at all, and he didn't know what to do to stop the crises that were brewing.
His mind went back to the past when they had tried to kill the former king. Not many people were aware of it, but it had been a spectacular failure. Even after Xenon had been heavily poisoned, that rascal still had the strength to fight. They never got to behead him, as he vanished into the forest and was never found again.
Not only that—after the breakout of the civil war, most of the weretigers that resided in the capital also disappeared, leaving very few people left. Till today, no one knows how they had escaped, and now seven years later, they were appearing when the realm was in shambles?
Damn them all!
He rose from the bed, pacing around the room once more. He has to find and kill them all. He just has to.
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The full moon finally arrived and in the capital, most of the werewolves—if not all—had submitted to the pull of it. Every mature male wolf shifter had taken a female to burn, whether willing or not, and cries of women filled the air as they reached their release.
The palace wasn’t much different. Everywhere one turned, there was a werewolf male pinning a woman to the wall and having his way. It was the night most slaves dreaded, because the werewolves showed no pity when it came to satisfying their carnal desires.
A much different tale was playing out in the weretigers’ hideout. To them, the night was just like any other night—except for one room.
Soraya had gone to General Morvan in the early evening and was nervously waiting for him.
Fire had begun to simmer beneath her skin, and she resisted the urge to scratch her body to alleviate the pin-like sensations she was feeling all over. Doing that only made the symptoms of her heat worse.
She studied the room again, a feeble attempt to distract herself. It was simple, yet clean—typical of him. The cot had more stuffing, making it comfortable, and the walls were thicker. It might even be soundproof. The air was cool too, so cool that Soraya couldn’t tell if the goosebumps scattered across her skin were caused by her nerves or the chilly air swirling around her.
She lost track of time, but even as she waited, Morvan was taking longer than expected to show up.