Unwanted Mate Of The Lycan Kings (by jessica hall) novel Chapter 45

Dropping it on my plate, I sit back down and cut into it. Blood oozes out as I slice the tender piece. Popping it into my mouth, I chew slowly and try to swallow, wincing when I do and clutching my throat. I glare at my plate, my stomach growling, yet I know it is going to be torture to eat it. Regan also won’t wait around for me to do so.

However, when I take another bite, Lyon drops his fork and Zeke gives me a strange look while Regan tilts his head to the side, watching me.

“What? Or have you changed your mind about what I can eat?” I snap at Regan, my voice coming out hoarse, and my eyes dart to my plate. I didn’t add that much, although it is more than what I would normally eat. There is enough here to last me a couple of days back in the cave if I rationed it, but Lyon is right. Zeke will probably give me a damn lettuce leaf to eat tomorrow, so I should try to eat what I can.

“But it’s not cooked, it’s barely even seared?” Lyon says, looking at me appalled, and I stare down at the plate.

“Yeah, I don’t know why they burned it,” I tell him, poking the outside with my knife before staring at the massacred meat on the platter in the center of the table. It reeks of burned flesh.

“But you’re human?” Regan says.

“Humans eat meat too, that doesn’t mean I’m vegetarian?” His eyebrows raise. Are all the servants on a vegetarian diet? Come to think of it, I have never seen a servant even eating.

“Apparently not!” He says, sitting back in his chair. Zeke’s brows raise and Lyon crosses his arms across his chest.

“Go on then?” He urges, nodding toward my plate.

Shaking my head, I cut off a piece, trying to chew it as small as possible, and have to reach for my glass of water. I can feel it scraping down the sides of my throat, my eyes burn at the pain, and my fingertips prod my neck. Sighing, I am about to give up. It’s not worth the agony it causes every time I try to swallow.

Using my fork, I try to mash up some potatoes when I hear Lyon’s chair scrape across the floor making me look at him. He bites the side of his hand.

“What are you doing?” Zeke demands when Lyon holds it over my glass of water. His blood leaks into the glass, turning it red, and I pull a face.

“She is in pain and my saliva won’t heal the inside of her throat unless I kiss her. Or would you prefer I did that, Zeke?”

“Let her suffer, maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll starve to death before father returns!”

“Drink it, Zirah,” Regan orders beside him, and Zeke turns his head in his direction.

“Zirah?” Zeke spits at him.

“Yes, it’s her name!” Regan growls and I quickly snatch up the glass, gulping it down if it means the pain would go. Surprisingly, it doesn’t taste bad. I half expected it to taste as crappy as their personalities.

“I can think of many others more suited.”

“As can I, for you, want to hear them?” I ask and I almost moan at the pain leaving, his blood making me feel tingly all of a sudden and I giggle. Lyon snickers.

“I dare you to speak them!” Zeke challenges. My head feels funny, clouded even, and his face morphs and twists. One minute he looks normal, the next his nose is growing bulbous. I blink at him before shaking it off when Lyon grips my shoulder, making me look at him.

“It’s just the high from my blood. You’re fine. It will pass in a few minutes.” He says, though his voice sounds musical when his face also warps and twists.

“I don’t think I like this feeling,” I tell him.

“Most humans like it. Some even become addicted to it.”