Chapter 19:
Makenna’s POV
The clash in the training room was escalating to the point where it seemed the building itself might collapse under the force of the three princes’ fury. Just when it looked like the building would crumble into chaos, Leonardo made his dramatic entrance.
We bowed our heads and stepped aside, offering a synchronized salute. Yet, Leonardo seemed too preoccupied with the storm of combat to notice us. He stormed into the training room, and upon witnessing the pandemonium within, his anger erupted like a volcano.
“Enough! How dare you engage in battle here!”
Relief washed over me at the sight of Leonardo, hoping he would be the calming force needed to quell the princes’ tempestuous fight. The princes were too absorbed in their conflict to pay any heed to their father. Their skirmish only grew fiercer.
“Insolent wretches!” Leonardo bellowed, his voice booming with the power of a storm. He unleashed a terrifying wolf howl that seemed to darken the very sky. I winced as the howl pierced my eardrums, the pain nearly overwhelming.
The princes, finally snapping out of their frenzy, halted their clash and reverted to their human forms. Bryan, brushing the blood from his lips with a casual air, barely acknowledged his father’s presence. “What brings you here, Father?”
His nonchalance was astonishing. He seemed to disregard the king’s wrath entirely. How bold! Naturally, this attitude stoked Leonardo’s fury further. His roar shook the room as he grabbed the nearest object and hurled it toward Bryan.
Bryan dodged with a casual shrug, seemingly unfazed. “Relax, Father. It’s bad for your health to get so worked up.”
“You’re deliberately trying to infuriate me, aren’t you?” Leonardo’s voice dripped with irritation. “Explain this madness. Why fight in front of so many? You’ve disgraced our Lycan clan.”
Bryan’s reply was laced with disdain. “It’s no secret we don’t get along. Why the surprise at our brawl?”
Your escape begins with gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․𝓬𝗈m
His defiant words made me glance nervously at the princes, realizing why they had rarely been seen together. Bryan’s audacity only served to heighten Leonardo’s rage. He turned his fierce gaze toward Clayton and Dominic. “Speak up. What’s the story here?” he demanded.
“Please, Father, try to stay calm.” Clayton stepped forward to provide an account. “We came to observe the practice of the sex slaves. One of them must have irritated Bryan, causing him to lose his temper and start a fight with us.”
My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t help but dart a look at Clayton before quickly averting my gaze. Clayton had conveniently left me out of his explanation. Was he trying to shield me? The thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it almost immediately. In this harsh world, I was just a lowly sex slave, and Clayton, being a Lycan prince, had no reason to cover for me.
Moreover, Clayton had also shifted the blame away from himself. It was not a matter for me to get tangled up in the princes’ conflicts. Clayton’s explanation only fueled Leonardo’s ire. He snapped, “Where is that woman? Get her out!”
Not me! It wasn’t Latonia, who trembled in fear, trying to retreat into a corner. Her voice shook, “It wasn’t me!”
Before she could escape, two burly servants seized her and dragged her into the room, forcing her to kneel before the king. Leonardo looked down at her with an icy gaze. “Are you the one responsible?”
Latonia shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face. “No, it wasn’t me. I swear…”
Ignoring her pleas, Leonardo’s voice was frosty as he decreed, “Since you are the cause of this turmoil, you will be punished.”
“It wasn’t me…” Latonia’s face went pale as she clung to her words.
Leonardo’s gaze shifted from her to us, his eyes sharp with authority. “Expel this woman! No pack is allowed to take her in.”
The gravity of his words hit me hard. Did this mean Latonia would be cast out, left to wander as a rogue? The severity of the punishment was more than I had anticipated.
Latonia’s despair was palpable as she sank to the floor, her face a mask of hopelessness. Watching her, I felt a tangle of emotions. The palace was indeed a treacherous place where one could be cast into the abyss at a moment’s notice if not careful.
Lost in thought, I suddenly felt Latonia’s gaze searing into me, filled with venom. My instincts flared with unease. In the next moment, Latonia scrambled toward Leonardo, wailing louder than before, “Your Majesty, I had nothing to do with this! I swear!” Her finger jabbed in my direction as her voice turned vicious, “Makenna Dunn is the one to blame.”
