Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 69: Just In Time

Both happy and surprised, she turned around, her eyes widening with hope. "Sir Alim!"

The tall man with golden eyes emerged from within the shadows of the large tree, his face dark with a blend of worry and exhaustion. He looked like he hadn't slept or eaten for several days, his clothes torn and dirty.

"What in the world happened to you?!" Lorelai shouted, unable to suppress her emotions.

Alim let out a long sigh and shook his head. "I could not make him shift back."

"I beg your pardon? What does that––do you mean King Rhaegar?!"

Alim nodded. "I managed to catch up to him after a while but no matter what I did, he refused to shift back. I... am not sure what is happening to him right now. He escaped once again but what worries me the most..."

He suddenly paused, offering the princess a look full of genuine concern. "Your Highness, what exactly do you know about werewolves?"

Lorelai's brows shot up, she was not sure what kind of an answer the man was expecting. "Well... I know what the rest of us know––"

"Never mind," he caught her off, sliding his large hand over his short brown hair. "Beasts like Rhaegar... Well, to be precise,––beasts that have never mated before, are dangerous when they shift. They awaken their true animalistic nature and the beast inside them receives the freedom to take over."

The princess felt her heart drop all the way to her feet. 'He has never mated before..?'

Alim continued. "I don't know what kind of a relationship you two share, but I must warn you... I can sense his scent all over you which means that his wolf has already tried to imprint on you. Which also means... that he will try and find you sooner or later."

"What... what does that mean? What will he do if he finds me?"

The man sighed again, his features softening as if he pitied her. "I do not think it will come to this, but it's the last day of the moon cycle. A beast in his true form... will be guided by nothing but his basic instincts. Just... be careful, Your Highness. Lock your windows and doors. And no matter what happens, do not let him in. I promise you, it is for your own good."

With that, he offered her a quick nod and disappeared just as suddenly as he appeared, leaving her completely stunned as his warnings lingered inside her mind.

***

Having returned to her chambers, Lorelai could not help but replay the brief, yet alarming conversation she shared with Alim back in her gardens.

'He said that Rhaegar's body and mind are now taken over by his beast... Does it mean that he is nothing but an animal now?'

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Somehow, she could not really comprehend that. Yes, she knew that Rhaegar had a beastly and uncontrolled side of him, it was desperate to come forth every time they made love, but to think that it could be something even greater than that... Perhaps Alim did not exaggerate his warnings after all.

'I should follow his advice,' Lorelai nodded as she left her bed and fastened her robe. 'If he is really set to come back to me tonight, then both of us might get into big trouble again.'

The princess marched to the window next to her door and turned the lock, ensuring that the frame could not be opened from the outside. She repeated the same series of actions with the rest of the windows in her bedroom, letting out a long sigh of relief as the last lock was secured.

Now, she thought, she was safe.

As that reassuring thought calmed down her racing heart, Lorelai walked up to the doors of her room, determined to lock them from the inside as well. 'If the maids get alerted in the morning, then I can easily pretend that I was simply scared about King Rhaegar still being on the run. After all, it's not really a lie, isn't it?'

She grabbed the round ivory handles but before she could turn the locks, a powerful force grabbed the very same handles from the outside, pulling them away in one swift motion.

Startled, Lorelai's lips parted in an attempt to release a loud scream but were immediately silenced by a large, warm hand that smelled like herbal cigars.

"Looks like I am just in time, princess."