Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 158: The Picnic

Trigger warning: sexual assault.

Lorelai might have dwelled longer on the strange intrusion into her thoughts if not for the persistent throbbing in her hip, which had grown nearly unbearable.

Thankfully, Kai brought the horse to a stop and dismounted with ease. Offering her his hand, he gently helped her down, his touch steady but careful as she winced in pain.

With a broad smile, he led her toward the shade of a sprawling apple tree, his gaze flickering to her face every few steps, searching for signs of joy or approval.

What he saw instead unsettled him. Lorelai’s pale face was clouded with an expression of discomfort, her delicate brows knitted in frustration. Her vivid green eyes seemed distant, taking little notice of their picturesque surroundings.

Was she unhappy again? Did she truly need him to tell her how to think, feel, and act at all times? A flicker of disappointment passed through him, though he quickly buried it.

He planned all this in advance, Lorelai thought absently, her eyes falling on the elaborate spread beneath the apple tree.

A large, soft quilt covered the patch of fading grass. Autumn’s golden hand had already begun its slow takeover, the vibrant greens and bright blossoms wilting into subdued hues of amber and brown.

On the quilt lay an impressive array of snacks and delicacies, flanked by an assortment of wines and juices stored in crystal-clear bottles resting in buckets of chilled water. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

What a waste, Lorelai mused bitterly as Kai helped her sit down. I can’t even eat much before my wedding anyway.

Noticing her sour expression, Kai poured a generous amount of plum wine into a cup and handed it to his fiancée, his pale eyes fixed intently on her blank face. "What’s wrong? Don’t you like it? I ordered the servants to bring all your favorite foods and drinks."

Lorelai accepted the cup but hesitated to take a sip. Instead, she gazed at the dark liquid, watching as the sunlight played on its surface, shifting the deep purple into flickers of black.

Her eyes drifted to the spread before them, but strangely, she felt no connection to it. Do I even like all of this? she wondered, her brow furrowing slightly. I can’t seem to remember...

"Lorelai," Kai’s voice broke through her thoughts, sharp with impatience. "What’s wrong?"

The princess shook her head dismissively and finally raised the cup, drinking the wine in one smooth motion before responding. "It’s nothing. I just... Mother will be angry if I eat too much."

"I won’t tell her," he said, his voice softening as he reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Eat as much as you want today. I’m the king, remember? She can’t say anything if I allow it."

Somehow, his words soothed her, even if only a little. Tentatively, Lorelai reached for a slice of dried raisin bread. She was about to ask Kai to refill her cup when, without warning, his hand shot out, slapping the bread from her grasp.

"No!" he barked, his face flushing as red as his hair. With a sudden burst of fury, he gathered the rest of the dried bread and flung it onto the muddy path. "Not this bread. Eat something else!"

The princess’s eyes widened as she stared at her stepbrother, her expression perplexed. Kai, still struggling to rein in his unreasonable anger, glared back at her and barked, "Eat something else."

Without protest, Lorelai reached for a slice of pear and slipped it into her mouth. The pleasant sweetness melted on her tongue, igniting her appetite and easing the tension in the air.

One by one, she sampled the dishes and snacks, while Kai silently refilled her cup with wine each time it emptied. By the time she was full, her body felt heavy, and a long sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back against the sturdy trunk of the apple tree. The orchard around her began to blur and spin in a kaleidoscope of greens and reds.

She realized, with a pang of humiliation, that she’d gotten far too drunk.

"Lorelai." Kai’s voice tugged at her drifting consciousness, grounding her. Slowly, she turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Are you happy with me here?"

Finding it hard to breathe, Lorelai managed only a faint nod in response. That was all it took for Kai’s lips to curve into a satisfied smile. He shifted closer, leaning down, the faint sweetness of peach wine on his breath brushing against her senses.

"Then," he murmured in a low and intimate voice, "kiss me, Lorelai. Show me how happy you are. Show me that you love me."

Her heart pounded erratically as if her body no longer belonged to her. Perhaps it was the wine clouding her mind, or perhaps it was something else entirely. Before she could comprehend what was happening, her eyes fluttered shut, and her lips met his in a hesitant, unthinking kiss.

Don’t do this to me, Lorelai. Please.

A loud gasp escaped Lorelai’s lips as she jerked away, slamming her back painfully against the tree trunk.

There it was again—that unfamiliar male voice, pleading with her, begging her to stop.

"What is it?" Kai demanded, his words laced with impatience. The hot frustration bubbling inside him grew as he took in Lorelai’s confused, almost frightened expression. Her wide, unfocused eyes refused to meet his, and it only served to stoke the fire in his veins.

Irritation spilled over, and Kai’s restraint shattered. He grabbed her face roughly, pressing his lips against hers, his tongue forcing its way between them despite her muffled protests.

Relentlessly, he continued, his tongue darting and exploring, his breath hot and ragged as Lorelai’s hands pushed weakly against his chest. Her resistance, though feeble, enraged him further.

With a sharp, frustrated growl, Kai threw her down onto the quilt beneath them. He straddled her hips, pinning her arms above her head as his weight pressed her into the ground, rendering her helpless.

"You were jealous, weren’t you?" he hissed, his pale green eyes burning with a dangerous light. "You saw those ladies-in-waiting and wanted to be in their place! You were jealous! Admit it!"

"I..."

How can you be jealous if you don’t love him? The male voice echoed in her mind again, loud and clear, as though it were speaking directly into her thoughts. Lorelai almost repeated the words out loud, but she stopped herself just in time.

"Say it, Lorelai!" Kai growled, his voice sharp enough to cut through her hesitation.

"I love you," she finally whispered, her voice trembling as tears spilled from her tightly shut eyes.

"Good." Kai’s voice softened, his anger dissolving into something more sinister. A wicked grin curled at the corners of his lips as he stared down at her, triumphant.