The Lycan king-Chapter 18

*Leonora*

I sluggishly walked to the mansion, this time with Bethany. Shirley changed our roaster this morning and swapped one girl out for Bethany. Her words were ’incase anything were to go wrong.’ I knew she couldn’t go against Jax’s orders for me to work at the mansion. That was one thing I loved about Shirley. She always gave everyone her support no matter how little it was.

Last night was the most humiliating night of my life. I wanted to be alone and cry it out, I didn’t think Bethany would come looking for me. Well, that was a stupid idea. I was trying to shift and run around the forest, maybe also scout out the barricades or something but I couldn’t because of the pain searing through by body. It made me feel so useless, the fact that I could not do the one thing that was natural of me. I didn’t think I would be able to shift, seeing as I had kept my wolf side dormant for such a long time.

As I got to the door, I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was to come. I felt a light tap on my shoulder. "Don’t worry, I’m right beside you." Bethany assured me as we stepped into the house. We quickly made our way over to the kitchen for our task. We were in charge of cooking the meals for today. That was the simplest thing to do, seeing as it would keep me out of Jax’s eyes for a while.

All I could think about was how Jax was a lot calmer in the kitchen with me. Well, up until I said I loved Noah, which was in fact true. There was no way I wouldn’t be in love with Noah. It just wasn’t the kind of love Jax thought. Noah had been my best friends since as long as I could remember. He had taken care of me, helped me, did everything a best friend would do. When we were exiled, he let me cry on his shoulder and saved me from being attacked, which resulted in his death. So yes, I was very much in love with Noah.

If things were different, maybe we would have been mates. Maybe.

"Leonora, you’ll serve the king’s food in his room. Don’t enter his room." The head of the mansion staff said earning a few giggles. I sighed in defeat and nodded my head. I looked over at Bethany, who had a pitiful look on her face. She felt bad for me and it was because Jax was a cruel human being. He was a monster and very soon, everyone would know. They would all lose their trust in him after hearing what he had been doing to his mate. Well, I hope they would. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

I picked up the tray of food on the table and began my journey to Jax’s room. As I got to his hallway, I spotted a girl leaving his room and adjusting her clothes. My wolf growled in anger and I stopped walking. This was torture and I was hurting myself. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep it up but I was determined to fight to the very end.

I continued walking until I got to the door. I placed the tray on the floor and knocked. I quickly walked away, trying to avoid Jax at all cost. "Leonora." I heard him call my name and I stopped in my tracks. "Come back here." He said and I turned back around and walked over to him. No please, no thank you. Just nothing. That’s Jax for you!

"I was punished for entering your room last time and I do not want to be punished again." I quickly said in case he wanted to tell me to do anything other than leave. He looked down at the tray of food and I quickly picked it up, stretching my hand out for him to take it.

"Drop it on the table and you’re not going to get punished for entering my room." He said and I sighed before going in to drop the tray of food. "Why would you think I would punish you for entering my room?" He asked and I scoffed. I had spent a better part of my evening washing dishes as my punishment and he’s asking that question?

He must be delusional.

"Jax. I don’t have time for your drama today." I said as he shut the door behind him. He walked over to his dresser and picked up a bottle. He dropped it on the center table. I looked at it then back at Jax. "What is that?"

"For your back and your stomach." He casually said and I scoffed. Did he think this would make up for the way he hurt me? He slapped me when I first got here, he beat me just yesterday because I tried to leave and he gave me an extra punishment because I entered his room. He had done a lot already and I wanted to leave. "I know our mate bond is very weak but I felt a bit of your pain and I’m sorry I did that to you. I was so angry that you tried to leave and- "

"Can I go now?" I asked and he nodded. I turned around and walked out of the room. I didn’t take the bottle because I wanted him to feel every single pain I felt. I wanted him to see me and know that there was someone who would have genuinely loved him.

Wait a minute!

I did not feel that way towards Jax. I would never be able to love a man as cruel as he was. He had taken a part of me that I could never get back. Old Leonora was gone and this new one was going to show Jax that she wasn’t the girl he can mess with. The rejection he so badly craves, he would never find it.