Marriage Alliance With The Lycan Monarch
Chapter 72: Desire

Chapter 72: Desire

For as long as I could remember...I’ve always been alone. I never found comfort in anything, not even Father’s estate. I was a stranger in his home, an outcast, and I was his daughter, a daughter he never once gave a thought about.

My life never had meaning...the only meaning I could find was in the books I read when I snuck into Father’s Library.

I would burn the midnight oil to escape my reality, read about strong heroines, the minds, and the games. I loved games. No one ever played with me, though, and I made my peace with that a long time ago.

At night, I imagined myself a scholar with all the knowledge I could achieve in a single day. At daybreak, I was the whore’s daughter, the unwanted person my stepmother felt deserving of maltreatment.

I was always alone. Until Drevon.

Osha’s revelations not only made me wander into deep thoughts but also made me consider Drevon’s actions altogether. The time when we were apart, the emptiness that came back, and when he was with me, I have never felt more alive.

Drevon saved my life. He took it upon himself to make that decision and believed he could heal me even when the chances were slim. Such a selfless act, and I didn’t hear that from him.

It’s not like he kept it a secret, but he acted like it was something anyone could have done for me. But that was wrong. No one has ever considered me a priority; I was never on anyone’s mind.

It’s utterly funny when I get to experience such change, it was from the beasts I’ve heard horror stories about my entire life.

Beasts. Humans. There was not much of a wall between those existences; humans are beasts, and beasts are humans, vice versa too. It proves how much our nightmares can change into a daydream.

I kept my eyes on Drevon, unable to look away. The light streamed in from the window like rays, reflecting on the table dressed with different cuisines, the golden plates shining, but I was too engrossed to even think about the fine dishes.

Drevon watched me, even though he should be eating.

I should be eating too, but I wasn’t.

This should be a simple game of stare, but I’d be a fool to think of it as just such. There was nothing simple about locking gaze with this man. The intensity, the loud silence, the desires stirring in our eyes were unhidden, bare for us to see.

My breath shuddered as my grip against the napkin tightened.

It’s been like this ever since I woke up. Those subtle feelings of attraction had intensified, and not even I was ashamed to admit the truth.

I want Drevon.

This is insane, I shouldn’t. But where was the logic? There was none, not when it came to Drevon Balthar. I wanted him in ways I couldn’t explain, and I’m losing my mind just thinking of it. His eyes have set me on fire. I’m burning, and I’m not sure I want the fire to go out.

"Eloise..."

The way he said my name, not just like he owned it, but like it was the sweetest noun he had ever tasted, and he wasn’t afraid to show it. He was never afraid to show anything, nor his affection or warmth.

"Yes," I replied, dazed with ogling him like I’d just met him for the first time.

It always felt like the first time. At a glance, I’m trapped in a sweet daydream.

"Your food is getting cold."

So is yours.

"Are you not hungry?"

I’m hungry. I bit my lip as a heat swept between my legs.

I cleared my throat. "J-Just a little," I replied, grabbing my fork.

"Do you feel out of place?" He asked worriedly, but in a far more serious tone.

I blushed. "N-No."

"Cold?"

I shook my head, leveling my gaze at the fine meal in front of me.

I’ve been nervous the entire time since Drevon invited me to have lunch with him. I have never been to the dining hall in the monarch’s wing. It was very grand, everything was so luxurious, and for the first time, I didn’t feel out of place; I felt like the princess I was. I felt enough, not just because of the title but because of the way Drevon has planned this to the last detail.

Only my favorite pastries and meals were on the table. A vase of tulips is at the center, as well as decorated on the windows. Everything here was more me than his.

I don’t think anything was to Drevon’s liking. It made me realize I haven’t gotten the chance to know more about him.

"Are you perhaps not eating because nothing is to your liking?" I asked, taking a bite from the steak on my fork.

"Hmm..." he murmured, clutching the fork. "It is to my liking, little wife."

"But these are just my favorites."

"Your favorites are mine."

My cheeks burned hotter, and I quickly took a crystal goblet of water to somehow ease the burn.

"Liar," I mumbled.

"I’m not lying."

I took one look at him and realized that he wasn’t. Gosh! He’s serious!

"When we finish lunch, would you like to join me on an outing?"

"Outing?"

His smile broadened. "I’ve a little business to attend to on a more personal level. I have to go into the city."

Personal? Yet he wants me to come with him?

"That’s..."

"Are you scared of going into the city?"

"Maybe."

"Don’t worry, I have that planned out. There is a design of perfume you can wear to mask your scent."

"Why are you eager to take me with you?"

"Because I promise I won’t leave your side again."

My eyes trembled at his words, but I quickly collected myself. "If you say so."

"I’ll love to take you that hill too, just as I promised that day of our arrival in Valkanor."