Chapter 39: The Tyrant''s Obssession


    Chapter 39: The Tyrant''s Obssession


    Killian''s POV


    This was the third night I chose not to visit Ruby.


    Not because Icked the desire-no, if anything, I relished the thought of being in her presence, hearing her sharp tongue, watching her struggle so hard to feign indifference. But absence was a far crueler game, one I yed with expertise. Let her feel the weight of my missing presence. Let her realize that without me, the world felt colder, emptier.


    After all, I was her anchor-whether she admitted it or not.


    I poured myself a ss of my finest brandy, the rich aroma of oak and spice filling the air as I leaned back in my chair. The screens before me flickered, each disying a different corner of the Ravenhold Pack. I barely paid attention to the insignificant movements of its members-Dominic parading around with his pathetic excuses about Cami, Nathaniel grumbling at his men like a decrepit old mutt. None of it interested me.


    But then, something did.


    One screen caught my attention-a dimly lit grand room, its architecture


    magnificent, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and ancient books. And in the center, seated before an elegant ck grand piano, was her.


    Ruby.


    My fingers tightened around my ss as my gaze locked onto her. I had never seen her y before. This was something


    new.


    "Ah, so you''re skilled at this too?"


    I spoke, despite the fact that my intended audience was nowhere near. She was far beyond these walls.


    It seemed the woman missed me so much that she had taken to ying the piano to chase away her loneliness.


    Dominic had chosen to spend the night in his concubine''s chambers.


    And his supposed vengeful mate had note to him tonight.


    “I almost feel cruel now," I murmured before chuckling to myself. “But it''s okay. I''ll give her one more gift. Perhaps that will make up for my wickedness these past few nights."


    Her fingers glided effortlessly across the keys, each movement precise, each note seamlessly flowing into the next. The melody was familiar-a song meant to celebrate the fleeting joy of youth, the lighthearted essence of freedom.


    I had a particr appreciation for the arts, music included. I enjoyed it, often spending my scarce free time attending operas or musical performances. It helped soothe my nerves when I had to deal with the endless sycophants or the royal imbeciles who possessed barely a quarter of a functioning brain cell. And that wasn''t even counting my duties as King.


    So, of course, I recognized the tune this broken Luna was ying. It was meant to bring joy to its listeners, to capture the very essence of happiness and freedom. Yet, under Ruby''s touch, the song became something else entirely. The notes still danced, but they carried a weight they were never meant to bear. They spoke of longing, of sorrow carefully concealed beneath a beautiful facade.


    Captivating.


    I exhaled slowly, the drink in my hand momentarily forgotten as I listened-truly listened.


    The way she yed, the way she poured unspoken emotions into every note-it stirred something unfamiliar within me, something I had long considered beyond my reach.


    For a brief moment, my heart, cold and lifeless for centuries, clenched. It was a foolish sensation, and I crushed it just as quickly as it surfaced. Whatever it was, it was merely anotheryer of the intricate puzzle that was Ruby Lucienne.


    "You''re watching her again."


    Leonidas'' voice shattered my thoughts. He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, an infuriating smirk ying on his lips.


    I hadn''t even noticed him enter.


    "If you ask me, you''ve been behaving rather hicallytely," I replied disinterestedly.


    Leonidas, my ever-trustworthy Beta, merely shrugged. "I knocked, but you were too busy with your new hobby." "And to what do I owe this visit, Beta? Wouldn''t your night be better spent with one of your chosen women?"


    My biting tone only seemed to amuse him further sighed unwilling to resort to violence tonight, so I simply ignored him.


    Sessfully unlocked!


    "I''m abstaining, Your Majesty. I hear it''s good for the soul and body, he answered with an innocence that did not suit him in the slightest.


    I scoffed. "Please. Are you drunk on something?"


    "No, though perhaps I''ve been spending too much time with an old friend who likes to ramble about gods and sins," he


    Chapter 39: The Tyrant''s Obssession quipped.


    Rubbing my face, I took another slow sip of the brandy I had just poured. I would lose my sanity if I had to listen to Leonidas preaching again. I was half-convinced he was drunk. I inhaled deeply, but there was no trace of alcohol on him. "You should go back to your quarters. I don''t want to see you until tomorrow." Beta Leonidas took another step closer.


    "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I came because I needed to confirm something," he stated.


    "As your cousin or your king?"


    His lips curled into a faint smile. "Both."


    "How ttering," I drawled, half-mocking.


    He exhaled, shaking his head. And what he said next irritated me more than it should have-more than it usually did.


    "You look like a man deep in thought, Your Majesty. Dangerous. Are you actually trying to understand your own feelings?" My hand froze mid-motion as I swirled the brandy in my ss. I scoffed, finally taking another sip before responding.


    "You''re talking nonsense."


    "Am I?" Leonidas tapped the edge of my desk. "What you''re doing with her-it seems a little too familiar, doesn''t it? Possessiveness, intrigue, dare I say... affection?"


    He chuckled. "If I didn''t know better, I''d say the mighty Lycan King is feeling something dangerously close to love."


    I turned my gaze to him, my expression void of amusement.


    "Love?" I echoed, letting the word settle on my tongue like something forbidden. "You forget who I am, Leonidas. I do not love. I do not need love."


    Leonidas merely shrugged. "You''re still watching her."


    I ignored him, my eyes drifting back to the screen where Ruby continued to y,pletely unaware of my obsessive gaze. This wasn''t about love. It wasn''t about beauty or desire. It was something else entirely.


    Ruby was no ordinary woman. She was sharp-exceptionally so. When I tested her in intellectual conversation, she didn''t just keep up; she challenged me. She spoke of business, war, and administration as if she had spent her entire life mastering them. She had even corrected me once-exining theponents of an antidote for Lycanthropy.


    And she had been right.


    That antidote had saved one of my finest soldiers after he was attacked by King Lucius''s forces. The poor Northern King still held a grudge against me for killing his wife. Not that I med him. She had been a dangerous temptress, and I had never been interested in her-not until that final day. I smirked at the memory and shook my head. Lucius could wait.


    "See? You''re thinking about her again."


    I shot Leonidas an irritated nce. "Why do you keep bringing this up? Do you have feelings for that woman?"


    Leonidas hummed, unashamed.


    "I do. Even now."


    His admission sent a spark of irritation through me, only to be reced by mild confusion.


    "But I figured this infatuation-this admiration-would onlyst a season. Because, Your Majesty-"


    He paused, his unreadable gaze locking onto mine.


    "Ruby Lucienne... suits you better as a mate."


    For a few moments, the room was so silent that one could have heard a pin drop. Then, slowly-bit by bit-a soft chuckle broke the stillness, growing into the loudestughter of the night.


    I couldn''t stop myself. My shoulders shook violently, and for the first time in ages, tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.


    "Mate?"


    Iughed again, utterly amused by what my Beta had just said. Wiping the moisture from my eyes, I took a deep breat. regain control of myself.


    "Beta Leonidas. Do I seem like someone destined for a mate?"


    And then, with a colder edge to my voice, I added-


    "No, I don''t, do I?"


    Leonidas remained unfazed, still bold enough to spout his nonsense.


    ."On the contrary, Your Majesty," he said, shifting back into hisposed stance- ever the dutiful Beta, his broad shoulders squared with conviction. "There''s no harm in having a loyal mate by your side. I believe you, too, deserve happiness." Chapter 29 The Tyrant''s Obsse66407


    I fell silent, watching as Leonidas bid me goodnight, ced his report neatly on


    my desk, and disappeared behind the grand doors


    A cold, dark chuckle escaped my lips.


    "What utter nonsence."


    Shaking my head, I brushed off Leonidas'' words with ease. For now, I had


    something far more intriguing to focus on.


    I let the music-still flowing from Ruby''s fingertips-pull me in once more, my gaze


    locked onto the screen that disyed the woman who, unknowingly, had ensnared my attention in a way no one else ever had.


    Dominic was a fool who had traded a diamond for filth in the gutter,


    And me?


    I had always been drawn to things that shined.


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