Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 121: Bring me the best painter in the pack.

Chapter 121: Bring me the best painter in the pack.

"The locket?" Rina repeated, her brows furrowing in confusion. Her voice dropped with disbelief. "What foolishness... What could she have possibly exchanged for her lost senses? What kind of reckless, heartbreaking act did she perform?"

Kisha went silent, her gaze dropping to the floor. She clenched her fists, fighting the urge to speak. Anaya had already warned her to keep quiet about the incident surrounding the locket, and she had promised to honor that. But Rina was already observing her too closely, sensing the change in her demeanor. With a sharp tilt of her chin, she gave a silent command.

One of Rina’s trusted female warriors stepped forward without hesitation, grabbed Kisha roughly by the arm, and yanked her to her feet. The woman’s blade was unsheathed in an instant, its cold edge pressing against Kisha’s throat.

"Have mercy, Your Highness!" Kisha cried, terror shining in her eyes. Her legs trembled, and her lips quivered as she dared not move.

Rina’s voice was low but heavy with fury. "Anaya can’t see what’s happening right now. She can’t hear us. She can’t even speak. So, you will tell me what led to her losing her senses... or you will die with the secret and carry it to your grave." Her gaze hardened. "And when she asks about you, I’ll simply say you returned to your hometown."

Kisha broke. The pressure of the blade, the weight of guilt, and the desperation in Rina’s voice all tore at her resolve. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as she whispered, "All this happened because of a man. A man she fell in love with."

Rina’s face twisted in outrage.

"To save his life," Kisha continued, voice cracking, "she gave up her senses. Now, her life hangs by a thread. As long as this man continues to forget her...especially if he..." She hesitated, choking on the words. "If he sleeps with another woman, her soul begins to unravel. There’s a set number of times it can happen before... before she dies. The fact that she’s already started vomiting blood means...means she doesn’t have much time left."

Rina reeled back, her face a storm of disgust and fury. "A man?" she echoed, the word leaving her lips like venom. "A man is responsible for my niece’s condition?! And this man....this cretin is out there having sex with other women while Anaya suffers?! While she wastes away?! Is this a joke?!"

Kisha sank to her knees, trembling. "Yes. He has forgotten all of his memories of Princess Anaya. I believe... I believe if we can find him, make him remember her...make him fall in love with her, she may regain what she lost. But..." She hesitated, her voice trembling. "We don’t even know where he is. The Princess refuses to use her locket to locate him. And to be honest, I doubt the locket would even work anymore."

There was a long, tense silence. Then Rina’s voice rang with authority.

"Bring me the best painter in the pack. Now."

One of her attendants bowed and rushed out.

Rina turned back to Kisha, who was still kneeling on the floor, shaking. Her eyes softened only slightly. "You know what this man looks like. Even if he doesn’t love her...doesn’t remember her...he will marry her. I don’t care if they start off strangers. If they’re together long enough, maybe love will follow."

"Yes, Your Highness," Kisha whispered hoarsely. "But... please, Princess Anaya mustn’t know. She’s made it clear that even if Master Rhys appears, she won’t marry him by force. She said she’d rather die than force herself on him."

Rina scoffed, her lips curling with disdain. "So dumb," she muttered, brushing Anaya’s hair back gently as the girl wept silently in her arms, completely unaware of the conversation unfolding around her. "I wonder how such a weak and naive girl ended up being my niece. But it’s all right. Just make sure you give a perfect description to the painters. I want to see the face of the man she sacrificed everything for."

With a lingering kiss on Anaya’s forehead, Rina stood and left, her robes sweeping behind her. Kisha remained by Anaya’s side, gently holding her trembling form.

She reached out and began to trace words softly on Anaya’s back with her fingers:

"The Luna is still angry about your condition, but she said you’re welcome. She promised to do everything in her power to make sure you survive."

Anaya gave a small nod, tears still falling silently from her eyes. Kisha smiled gently and brushed a strand of hair from the princess’s cheek.

"Let’s get you some rest... and have a little breakfast. You haven’t eaten yet.,"

Anaya shook her head weakly, allowing Kisha to guide her away.

*****

Back at Lupien’s pack ~

The half-moon hung in the sky, casting a silver glow over the land.

Meanwhile, just as Sorayah was preparing to sneak out of the palace to meet Dimitri... per his instructions...fate took a cruel turn. She had barely stepped past the outer garden walls when a rough sack was suddenly thrown over her head. She let out a muffled scream, but it was too late.

A pair of muscular arms lifted her off the ground as though she weighed nothing. A sharp blow struck her head, and darkness overtook her senses.

Her eyelids soon began to flutter open, slowly adjusting to the golden hue of the room. Then, like a crashing wave, the memories of her abduction surged back. Panic seized her, and she attempted to scream....but a thick cloth gag muffled her cries. Her wrists and ankles were tightly bound with coarse ropes, making any movement impossible.

Sorayah’s gaze darted around her surroundings in growing dread. The room she was in was nothing short of extravagant...exquisite tapestries hung from the walls, golden furniture and the air was thick with the scent of burning incense.

Her eyes finally landed on a figure seated regally on a golden feathered chair. The sight made her blood run cold.

There, sipping calmly from a steaming cup of tea, sat the Luna Empress herself....Melissa. Her long raven-black hair cascaded freely down her shoulders, and she was dressed in elegant white sleepwear...simple in design, but undeniably regal. The contrast between her relaxed posture and the fury in her cold, calculating eyes sent a chill down Sorayah’s spine.

I’m screwed, Sorayah thought, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. I’m truly screwed.

Melissa didn’t even glance at her at first, taking another sip of tea before finally speaking in a venom-laced voice.

"You’re finally awake?" she drawled, her tone dripping with loathing.

At a silent nod from the Empress, one of her most trusted maids stepped forward and yanked the gag from Sorayah’s mouth.

"A lowly slut like you doesn’t deserve to breathe in Her Majesty’s presence," the middle-aged maid hissed, her face twisted in contempt. The movement had been so abrupt that Sorayah coughed violently, gasping for air as her throat burned.

Still regaining her composure, Sorayah bowed her head slightly.

"Greetings, Luna Empress," she said softly, her voice strained and trembling. "Why have I been brought before you, Your Highness? Did I do something wrong?"

She knows why she’s here. But she also knew better than to confess outright. Ignorance might be her only weapon right now.

Before Melissa could answer, the head maid stormed forward and slapped Sorayah across the face so hard her head snapped to the side while blood trickled from her split lip.

"You dare pretend you don’t know?" the maid spat, scoffing with disgust. "You really think you can fool Her Majesty with that innocent act?"

Melissa raised her hand, halting the maid before she could strike again. Her calm was more terrifying than rage.

With eerie grace, the Luna Empress stood and approached Sorayah. She looked down at her, her expression unreadable.

Then, without a word, she tipped the hot tea in her hand forward.

Sorayah gasped. The scalding liquid missed her face by inches, instead splashing across her exposed neck. The pain was immediate and searing. Her pale skin turned red as steam rose from the burn. She instinctively tried to reach for the wound, but her restraints held her firm.

Good, her instincts whispered bitterly. Touching it would’ve made it worse.

Melissa’s voice turned icy. "You’re clever, aren’t you? Arrogant enough to seduce the Alpha emperor. Daring enough to play coy now." She let out a sharp laugh. "Let’s see how clever you are after this."

The head maid reappeared, this time holding a pouch. She opened it and revealed a fistful of dried, crushed pepper. Without hesitation, she applied the burning powder directly to Sorayah’s raw wound.

Sorayah screamed.

The pain was blinding. Her vision blurred as it feels like her skin was on fire, her cries echoing through the room.

But the torment didn’t stop there.

The maid turned her attention to Sorayah’s eyes. With practiced cruelty, she smeared more of the pepper into them. The agony was indescribable. Sorayah thrashed, unable to escape, her cries now hoarse from the sheer force of her screams.

She had expected punishment. The moment the Luna caught Lupien lying atop her, she had known there would be hell to pay. But even this....this was monstrous.

Still, they weren’t killing her.

Not yet.

Melissa returned to her chair, calm once again, as if nothing had happened. But then she rose once more, this time lifting something from a nearby table....a whip.

It wasn’t just any whip. It was long, thick, and soaked in dried animal blood.

Melissa held it with reverence, like a priestess wielding a sacred instrument.

"If you don’t know your place," she said coldly, "then i’ll teach you. You are nothing but a maid. A servant. You do not look at the Alpha Emperor. You do not speak of him. And you do not exist in his thoughts. But you? You tried to take what isn’t yours. And for that, you will learn respect."