Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 61: The Gambling Room, Part II

'Sex slave...' Lorelai swallowed dryly, her big green eyes still firmly glued on the young man's appearance.

She shifted uncomfortably on Rhaegar's lap, leaning closer to his face so that she could whisper into his ear.

"They always start with sex slaves," she explained, whispering. "Sex slaves are normally cheaper than the fighting slaves."

It was true, sex slaves were cheaper than the gladiator ones. However, their price still depended on their lineage.

Rogue half-beasts of the lowest breed like the one currently standing before the guests, usually went for the lowest price. It was due to the fact that their "unclean" origin granted them a "weaker" heat cycle, and that, in turn, affected their "service capacity".

The lucky half-beasts that had never had a chance to mate and possessed an appealing exterior, could be sold for a higher price, however, the ones that possessed real value were the pure-blooded beasts, especially the wolves.

"They can perform better," the princess continued her explanation, still whispering. Rhaegar arched his eyebrows, his lips curling into a knowing smile. Lorelai blushed. "That's... what I've heard."

The princess swallowed dryly, struggling to maintain her composure under the king's intense gaze, and added. "Pure-blooded slaves... are usually presented last. They are the most expensive ones."

Rhaegar looked at the young man standing before the gambling table, his eyes darkening as he scrutinized his appearance. "Do they have a lot of those?" He finally asked, his voice completely devoid of emotion.

Lorelai watched him carefully for a while but the mask on his face made it impossible to discern any emotion. Perhaps it was for the best.

"They don't have a lot of male sex slaves," she answered, "there are not so many female nobles who can buy them after all. Additionally, since the slave hunters are only roaming around the border, most of the time, they catch the older rogues, which makes them good only as the gladiator slaves."

Rhaegar frowned and Lorelai could feel tension soaring within his body. He was clearly upset; or rather, he was extremely angry.

'Rumors have it he used to be a slave as well... Could that really be true?'

"Five thousand gold," the host finally declared the price. "Please place your money on the table for this round."

The lycan king threw the gold coins in the middle of the table and took the cards dealt to him for the current round. Lorelai caught a glimpse of his cards, her heart trembling with hope.

'He got it. We won this slave!'

The princess attributed it to Rhaegar's luck, however, after almost a dozen successful rounds, she had to admit that there was more than that to his winning streak.

She recalled his little tricks of retrieving coins out of nowhere and could not help but wonder––was he really cheating?

"You are on a roll!" The man sitting next to them blew his long mustache away from his mouth, pointing playfully. "If I was not sure that all the guests present here were of high noble status, I would suspect you of cheating, My Lord!"

He laughed, slapping his female companion on the back. "I guess you were right––that pretty lady on your lap is indeed your lucky charm!"

Rhaegar did not care for the man's ridiculous remarks. Surprisingly even for Lorelai, he was unusually focused on the games, his attention directed exclusively toward the slaves.

At last, it was finally the turn to present the fighting slaves.

The first man brought into the gambling room was already impressive in terms of appearance.

Almost as tall as Rhaegar, his hard muscles seemed to be bursting from underneath his dark skin. The intricate map of scars all over his body indicated long years of rigorous training, preparing him for his imminent fate.

"The gladiator slave," Lorelai whispered into the king's ear. "Their price depends on their age and stamina. Unlike sex slaves, whose presence usually remains concealed inside the noble mansions, the fighting slaves are a proud possession. In fact..."

Suddenly, Lorelai stopped, biting her tongue. Rhaegar locked his dark eyes on hers, demanding a continuation but the princess only shook her head, averting her gaze. "Never mind. It's nothing."

The lycan king groaned, shifting his glare back to the slave.

The host cleared his throat, pointing his gloved hands at the gambling table. "Twelve thousand gold. Please place your money in the middle of the table."

Carelessly, Rhaegar pushed his coins to the middle while the man sitting next to him twisted his mustache, grinning. "You've won all the sex slaves tonight, My Lord. It has given us all a clear understanding of what kind of company you seek. Now, let the rest of us win too. After all, we all gathered here to have some fun, won't you agree?"

The king's eyes narrowed, his eyebrows knitting together in annoyance as the man's words settled in his brain.

"Fun?" He grumbled, his voice turning colder. His big hand clutched the cards between his fingers, almost snapping them as his lips stretched into a menacing grin. "You are right, My Lord," suddenly, his tone softened, his body relaxing once again. "After all of this is over, this should really be fun."