บททั้งหมดของ The Lycan King Faceless Mate: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Margot The back seat of the Mercedes was quiet, but my mind was loud.Through the tinted glass, the trees along the road blurred into a dark green wall. We were getting closer to the Lycan King’s palace, and every mile made my throat feel tighter.What would happen once we went through those gates? What if Dorian asked me about Ashmere? What if he expected me to know things only my twin sister, Margaux , would know?I only had small pieces of the truth. I did not know enough about how Margaux had lived during the last three years.I took out the phone Dorian had given me. My fingers pressed the screen as I typed a message to Lucien. I did not need to look up his number; I had memorized it years ago.I am okay. For now, I will be away on business. Do not worry. When I return, I will have investors and sponsors to help silverwood pack grow. But I need a favor. Tell me everything you can about Ashmere. The people, the daily life, the local politics. Anything I should know.Lucien replie

Margaux Grey stone turrets rose high above manicured gravel paths, and men in dark uniforms stood at the intersections of the driveway, their eyes tracking the car as we passed. The scale of the grounds made the sedan feel small and out of place, like a beetle crawling across a massive stone terrace."It is a palace," Celia said, her voice quiet as she steered around a wide, circular fountain. "But you won't be in the main halls. Your work is strictly for the outer estate."The tightness that had been building in my throat began to ease. I looked away from the high, arched windows of the central building. If I was kept to the margins, there would be no formal dinners, no guests to look me in the eye, and no risk of a familiar face from Ashmere spotting me through a crowd. The fewer people who saw me, the longer I could keep the name Mara.Celia brought the car to a stop in front of a low-slung, stone-faced building set back against a row of high hedges.I opened the passenger door an

Margaux The alarm on the small touchscreen phone cut through the dark before dawn. I rolled off the narrow mattress, the stone floor biting cold through my socks, and quickly pulled on my grey uniform. My neck still throbbed with a residual, dull heat from the night before, right where Margot's old burn mark sat. It was a lingering warning I couldn't shake.Remembering Garrett's warning about the five o'clock deadline, I left my room and navigated the dim, quiet corridors.Near the laundry wing, I ran into Cherry. She was shuffling along, her shoulders slouched and her eyes barely half-open. She let out a yawn so wide her jaw clicked."Good morning, Cherry," I said quietly.She rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand and blinked at me. "Morning, Mara.""You look exhausted.""I am." She leaned her head against the cool plaster of the wall for a second, letting out a heavy sigh. "I didn't get to sleep until past two.""That explains the yawn."Her eyes drifted down to the empty canvas

Margaux The hallway outside the Lycan King’s study had been too close for comfort. After that quiet encounter in the corridor, I kept my eyes on the floor and walked quickly back to the servants' quarters. I closed the wooden door of my small room, leaning my back against it until my breathing slowed down. The silent instinct inside me was highly alert, warning me that I was playing a very dangerous game. I had come to this palace to disappear, yet I had somehow caught the attention of the Lycan King himself.For the next four days, I made sure to remain completely invisible. I memorized the times Dorian usually walked through the main halls, and I took the longest, most out-of-the-way paths to do my chores. When other servants spoke, I only nodded or gave short, polite answers. I spent my mornings in the furthest corners of the gardens, keeping my head low. It seemed to work, and the tension in my shoulders began to ease slightly as the days passed without another surprise.On the f

Four days of staying in the shadows had worked. I had memorized the guards' steps, the clean-up times, and the quietest corners of the palace. I thought I was safe. Then, the rhythm broke.I pushed the wooden door of the sitting room open with my shoulder. I was balancing a silver tray with a cup of hot black coffee and a small plate of toast. I kept my chin down, looking only at the edge of the tray.But the room was not empty.Dorian was there. He was standing by the large window, his back to me.I stopped for a fraction of a second, then forced my feet to move forward. I walked to the small table near the wall and set the tray down. I made sure the cup did not slide against the metal. It took every bit of my energy to keep my hands steady.Under my uniform collar, the skin on my neck grew suddenly hot. A sharp, warm pulse flared right where my old mark was. The deep instinct inside me woke up, pulling me toward him with a strange, heavy urgency. I fought it down. I kept my shoulder