Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 127: You won the hunt.

Chapter 127: You won the hunt.

He lowered his head to the edge of the bed, resting it there as though in surrender. "This isn’t an order. It’s a plea."

A soft sound stirred the heavy silence.

"What are you murmuring about?" came a faint voice...barely more than a breath.

Dimitri’s head shot up instantly, disbelief washing over his face only to see Sorayah awake, her face pale, lips dry as tears rolled down her cheeks too.

"You’re awake!" he gasped, overwhelmed with relief. Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaned in and embraced her, pulling her gently yet desperately into his arms, as though afraid she might vanish. "You scared me."

"You’re suffocating me, Your Highness," Sorayah murmured weakly, her tone dry but not unkind.

Startled, Dimitri immediately released her from his grasp, flustered. "I’m so sorry," he said, quickly helping her sit up against the pillows.

Sorayah winced slightly as her fingers brushed her neck. It was still throbbing painfully from being bitten but it has been bandaged. She couldn’t even tell how bad the wound was beneath the plaster.

"I’m sorry," Dimitri said again, his voice raw, filled with sincerity and unspoken torment. "I’m truly sorry for hurting you."

"It’s fine, Your Highness," Sorayah replied softly, managing a warm, forgiving smile. "How are you feeling now? And... how did you end up in the pit? You don’t normally come out during full moons. But last night, you did. Why?"

Dimitri looked away, guilt clouding his features. "Because I had something important to do," he replied, his voice barely audible. "I didn’t have a choice. I had to be outside... but then my illness caught up with me."

’What could possibly be more important than one’s life, your reckless moron?’

Sorayah thought to herself, but chose not to voice it. She wouldn’t even dare and if she truly wanted, she would definitely remove the ’moron’ part but then she wasn’t interested in prolonging the conversation, not when there were more pressing matters to understand.

"You’re well now, though?" she asked instead, raising an eyebrow with quiet concern.

"Yes," Dimitri replied, lifting his gaze to meet hers. His eyes searched her face, filled with genuine worry. "My wounds have healed. But... how are you? Truly?"

"I’m fine, Your Highness," Sorayah said, exhaling slowly. Her gaze drifted away as she added, "It’s just... I didn’t win the hunt. So I didn’t get to make a wish. That’s... a real pity." Her voice trembled faintly, and sadness etched itself across her features. "I’ll have to keep serving in the palace afterall. How did we get home though? I was afraid o might actually wake up in hell as those guards chasing after me will make sure I’m dead no matter what but then I believe they didn’t find me."

"Well, actually... you did win," Dimitri said, a smile curling at the corners of his lips. "And Liam found us and those assassins chasing after you... it’s quite unfortunate that they all killed themselves to protect their master."

"Huh? How?" she asked in disbelief, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I only remember killing one rabbit before falling into that damn pit and yeah I know their master but even though she’s the empress and there’s no evidence against her."

Dimitri’s expression softened, and he chuckled gently. "Anyways when I tell you something, Sorayah, you should believe me. Liam helped you. While you were in the forest, he assisted you in catching more animals. It was meant to be a surprise planned so that once the guards presented all the hunted animals before the emperor, you’d see the count and realize what you’d accomplished."

Her eyes widened. "Really?!" she breathed, her tone filled with sudden excitement. "So I can really stop working under the Alpha Emperor? Be free of the endless drama with his Luna?"

"Yes, Sorayah," Dimitri confirmed, his voice warm and reassuring. "You’ve earned it."

Before he could say another word, Sorayah threw herself into his arms, this time with purpose and joy. The force of her sudden embrace sent a wave of shock and disbelief coursing through Dimitri. For a heartbeat, he froze...then slowly, almost reverently, his arms closed around her again.

This time, he held her not with desperation, but with quiet gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness," Sorayah said, finally letting go of the embrace...though Dimitri still seemed somewhat lost in the moment, his arms lingering before he cleared his throat and sat upright, his expression now laced with solemnity.

Seriousness settled over his tone as he spoke. "But Sorayah... the drug I gave you. the one that causes hallucinations.....it has to be given to the Alpha Emperor tonight."

"Oh, right," Sorayah replied quickly, a determined glint flashing in her eyes. "I should put it in his tea. I’ll do it tonight, Your Highness."

Dimitri nodded in approval. "Yes. But you should know....once you make a wish to be freed from the Lupien Palace, you’ll still be required to stay for at least another month. By then, Lupien will have taken multiple doses. He’s not going to die by my sword this time. No... this time, poison will do the work."

His lips curved into a smirk.

"And since he likes you," he continued, "you’re the perfect tool. Even if he suspects something, he’ll never believe it’s you. Not when the punishment for harming him would be your immediate execution. He knows you can’t be working for anyone from inside or outside the palace. He knows you hate every werewolf, especially him. And yet..." Dimitri’s smirk deepened. "He doesn’t see you as a threat. That will be his greatest mistake."

"Yes, Your Highness," Sorayah replied with a matching smirk. "He sees me as timid. He would never imagine that the Beta Lord would conspire with a mere maid especially a human maid."

Then her expression turned thoughtful, serious. "By the way, who killed Lily, Your Highness? You said you’d tell me if I won the hunt."

Dimitri’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned back, a wide smirk playing on his lips. "But you didn’t win with your own effort... did you?"

Sorayah narrowed her eyes, clearly irritated. "I did win the hunt. That’s what matters. Whether I killed the animals myself or someone else did on my behalf, I won. So, you should keep your word. A gentleman always keeps his word."

Dimitri arched an eyebrow and slowly leaned toward her, until his breath brushed against her cheek. His voice lowered, laced with something far more dangerous.

"Oh really?" he murmured. "But I’m not a gentleman."

Their eyes locked. Sorayah’s body tensed, her breath caught in her throat. The space between them felt too close.

"You’ve seen that other side of me in many ways already," he said, his voice deep and unwavering. "While others only know that side of me on the battlefield... only the women know the other side of me in the inner room."

A wave of discomfort and shock rolled down Sorayah’s spine as she instinctively pulled back, but Dimitri reached out and gently pulled her closer instead.

After a moment, he released her, the air between them thick with tension. Both their faces were flushed a soft pink, awkwardness settling between them.

Sorayah cleared her throat, turning her face away. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

Dimitri didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at her with a strange, unreadable intensity.

"I will... but not yet," he finally said.

Her eyes darted back to him, now sharp with frustration. "You...."

But before she could finish, Dimitri pressed a finger lightly to her lips, silencing her.

"I’m afraid you’ll feel disoriented once you know the truth," he said quietly. "So I’ll tell you when we’ve completed our tasks. And I promise you this....when the time comes, the person responsible for Lily’s death will die... by your hand."

There was a solemnity in his words that made Sorayah still.

He softened his tone once more. "Sorayah... I’m glad you’re alive. You should rest a little more. I’ll go check on the servants, and once the food is ready, I’ll have it brought here for you."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word.

Sorayah watched him leave in silence.

’Bastard,’ she cursed inwardly, her fingers tightening around the blanket.

’But do I really trust him?’ she thought bitterly. ’The possibility that he could frame me for the emperor’s murder can’t be ignored...’

Her thoughts spiraled, her chest tightening with growing uncertainty.

’He’s cunning. A master manipulator. There’s no way a man like him would change for someone like me. I’m just a pawn in his elaborate game.’

Her eyes darkened.

’But I won’t stay a pawn. If I’m tasked with drugging Lupien... I might as well drug Dimitri too.’

Her mind raced with possibilities.

’And the Empress Luna... I haven’t even begun to take revenge on her. What if I frame her for Lupien’s death instead? That would be more believable, wouldn’t it?’

Well that’s crazy.

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