Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 124: And don’t you dare glare at me like that.

Chapter 124: And don’t you dare glare at me like that.

Startled, Sorayah spun around in alarm, her body acting purely on instinct. Without thinking, she raised her bow to release an arrow.

"Easy now, my lady," a familiar voice called out with a light chuckle.

Dimitri stood there with both hands raised in the air, an amused expression on his face.

Sorayah lowered her bow, her shoulders still tense. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that," Dimitri replied, his tone turning more serious. "This place is dangerous. The hunting grounds are always risky....traps everywhere, beasts on the loose, and worse. If someone were killed and tossed into that massive pit just a few steps from here, no one would even know."

He let out a heavy sigh and continued, "I already told you there’s no need for you to come out here alone to practice."

"Yeah, yeah," Sorayah muttered, brushing off his concern with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I didn’t expect to run into those burly men out here. But I do know this area is full of traps."

Before she could say another word, Dimitri stepped closer and lightly knocked her on the forehead with two fingers.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, frowning as she rubbed the sore spot.

"Are you even making sense right now?" Dimitri scoffed, shaking his head. "And don’t you dare glare at me like that. If you keep it up, I might just poke my fingers into your eyes."

Sorayah’s glare faltered, softening slightly at his teasing threat.

"There are traps out here," he reminded her more firmly. "Which means you could fall into one too. You have to be careful, Sorayah. You’ve got plenty of enemies...don’t give them an easy win."

"I know, I know," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I’ll be careful, alright?"

She turned away with a huff. "Anyway, let’s get out of here," she added, beginning to walk ahead. Dimitri fell into step beside her without another word.

*****

The full moon hung high above the sky, casting a silver glow over the vast forest below. It wasn’t red yet....that ominous transformation would only happen once the hunt began in earnest, once blood had been spilled. For now, both animals and humans, previously released into the wild for the ritual, remained hidden in the shadows, waiting.

Werewolves, now dressed in their hunting attire, stood alert in formation, bows and arrows in hand. Their faces were stoic, their eyes reflecting the moonlight. Sorayah stood among the line of humans....servants, volunteers, and hopefuls those who had chosen to risk it all for a single chance at freedom.

Dimitri, as usual, was nowhere to be seen. He had long since retreated to the safety of his chambers, avoiding the spectacle of blood and sport.

Meanwhile, Mira, Arata, and Melisa....three of the most prominent werewolves were among the elite group preparing to hunt. Unlike the servants, who were expected to run on foot through the dangerous terrain, the werewolf nobles were seated atop majestic horses, towering above the crowd. Their armor was minimal but elegant, designed more for mobility than defense, and their expressions bore the calm confidence of seasoned predators.

"The hunt starts now!" a burly man bellowed, his voice booming across the forest as he beat a massive drum with furious strength.

Without hesitation, the mounted werewolves surged forward, galloping into the depths of the forest with incredible speed. Behind them, Sorayah and the other human servants....those desperate enough to risk their lives for a chance at freedom took off running, feet pounding the forest floor.

The night was cloaked in darkness, save for the pale light of the moon that filtered through the canopy above. It wasn’t much, but it was just enough to see by.

Sorayah crouched behind the trunk of a gnarled tree, her breath held still in her lungs. She had spotted a rabbit not too far ahead....small, twitching, unaware. With careful aim, she drew her bow and released.

Thwip!

"Got you," she murmured with a satisfied grin as the rabbit collapsed instantly. There was no need to retrieve the animals hunted down as burly forest guards stationed throughout the area would collect the game.

She wasn’t here to kill humans. Her strategy was simple, rabbits, deer, and any other animals she could strike down. According to the rules, a hundred small game were equivalent to a single human kill and that was enough to win her freedom. It was a brutal system, but one she intended to survive.

Still, the clock was ticking. Everyone had to return to the Alpha Emperor once the allotted time expired.

Sorayah pushed forward, darting between trees and bushes with her senses on high alert. Her gaze locked onto another rabbit, and she didn’t hesitate. Another clean strike. Another point toward freedom.

"If only there were twenty... or fifty rabbits at once," she muttered under her breath, releasing a heavy sigh. "Then I could finish this faster."

All around her, the air was filled with the screams of humans being hunted and the snarls of beasts being brought down. The sounds twisted her gut, but she forced herself to focus. She couldn’t afford to grieve for others. Fighting back against powerful werewolves would be suicide.

Then, movement caught her eye....a deer.

"There you are," she whispered, heart leaping. A single deer was worth twenty points. This could be her breakthrough.

She knelt low again, bow drawn, arrow notched. Her breath slowed as she steadied her aim.

But just as she loosed her arrow, another flew from the shadows, intercepting hers mid-flight....and the second arrow pierced the deer instead.

"What the actual hell?!" Sorayah snapped, whirling around in disbelief.

Her eyes widened when she saw Luna Empress Melisa atop her white horse, dismounting with practiced grace. Her regal robes shimmered under the moonlight, and her face wore a look of cold superiority.

"Greetings, Your Royal Highness," Sorayah said evenly, dipping into a respectful bow, though her jaw clenched.

"You’re still alive, bitch?" Melisa sneered, her lip curling. "Oh, right....sluts don’t die easily, I suppose. Just like the rest of the concubine trash polluting the palace."

Sorayah didn’t take the bait. "I’ll be leaving now to continue my hunt, Your Highness," she said calmly, bowing again. She turned to leave.

Thwip!

The sharp hiss of an arrow cut through the air. Sorayah ducked instinctively, just in time to see it embed itself into a tree inches from her head.

"Your Highness?!" Sorayah shouted, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and disbelief.

Another arrow was already flying toward her.....she narrowly dodged it, though this one grazed her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

Melisa stood there, a triumphant smirk spreading across her face as she slowly approached. Sorayah’s limbs began to feel heavy, her balance slightly off.

"You feel it, don’t you?" Melisa said with a vicious grin. "The weakness creeping into your bones? That arrow was laced with poison. Even a scratch is enough to slow you down. It’s the kind of death a filthy little whore like you deserves....slow and agonizing."

Sorayah chuckled, her lips curling into a defiant smile even as her skin paled. "You’re laughable, Your Highness."

"What?" Melisa scoffed, her brows drawing together. "What nonsense are you spewing?"

"It’s amusing," Sorayah replied, keeping her composure. "You’re here, fighting a servant...a maid when your real enemies are far above my station. You act before you think. Emotion rules you, not strategy."

Slap!

Melisa’s palm cracked across Sorayah’s cheek. "How dare a lowly maid speak so arrogantly to me?" she screamed, eyes blazing. "Do you have a death wish?!"

"Funny," Sorayah growled, the pain sharpening her tone, "how this lowly maid managed to do what an empress never could."

Melisa’s eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"

But Sorayah merely smirked and stayed silent. Her magical powers was already neutralizing the poison from within anyways and she Melisa stew in her own insecurity. Let her wonder. She’s definitely not going to let Melissa hear about her inability to birth a child from her. It’s better for her to find out by herself if she’s wise but unfortunately she’s not.

"I mean," Sorayah said, voice laced with venom, "the Alpha Emperor still wants me....even after I was pregnant by another man. He’s willing to elevate me, to make me an imperial concubine. Meanwhile, you? You’re like palace furniture. Beautiful, expensive... but utterly unwanted."

Slap! The second blow sent Sorayah’s head snapping to the side.

"Shut up, you slut!" Melisa screamed, her voice cracking with rage. Her hands trembled as she raised her bow again. "I will give birth to his heir! I spent the night with him! He doesn’t need you or any other slut in this palace!"

"Oh, please," Sorayah said with a laugh, blood trickling down her cheek. "You think one night means anything? You weren’t even in heat, and he wasn’t either. The odds of pregnancy are low. For all you know, he didn’t even release inside you. What now? Planning to drug him again?"

"Shut up!!!" Melisa shrieked, loosing an arrow with trembling hands.

Sorayah rolled to the side, barely dodging it. She retaliated instantly, her own arrow flying past Melisa’s face, grazing her cheek and drawing a shallow cut.

Melisa gasped, stunned as her hand flew to her bloodied cheek.

"You... you dare...!" she hissed.

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