TO TAME THE BRUTAL LYCAN BEAST-Chapter 47: A SPARK OF HOPE

VALORIA WILDEROSE

"Y-you didn’t ha-have to f-follow me all t-t-the way back to m-my room."

Yara’s tired gaze finds mine with a half-glare.

"If I didn’t, Calliope wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. You really have her wrapped around your finger, don’t you?" There’s a hint of sass and disappointment in her tone, and it nudges me painfully with more guilt.

I continue to match her quick, long strides from those long legs, struggling to keep up—and end up looking like a bumbling fool right next to her bold, confident, tall self.

Even if I’m not jogging to keep up with her, I stand out like a sore thumb right next to her, just because we’re like night and day—her glorious, overpowering aura and beauty right next to my plain, underfed frame.

And just like the rest of her friends, I don’t belong or fit in next to them. And yet, these new feelings of greed and desire burn painfully in my chest after last night—wanting things I could never have.

Things I shouldn’t dream of.

It’s been grace and luck each time I’ve found myself hanging out with them. I should cut my losses while things are still good.

Yara’s cold, brooding silence beside me is all the signal I need. It’s only a matter of time before the other two look at me with disinterest too.

"I re-really d-idn’t know sh-sh... she would make you c-come all this way. I can tell her n-not to next time. A-and if you want, I won’t honor anym-more invitations to c-come over again." I force a tight-lipped smile to show I’m unaffected by it.

I won’t bother her anymore so she’d have no reason to hate me too.

She scoffs. "Don’t do that. Not when they just started liking you."

"I don’t un-underst-and."

She stops abruptly, facing me directly with a firmer look in her eyes.

"Don’t pull that ’I’m depressed and lonely so no one can ever like me’ bullshit. It’s annoying—especially when you have someone who’s already attached themselves and genuinely cares about the shit you wind up in."

I stand speechless for a few seconds, staring blankly at her, searching for my voice.

"B-b-but—"

"No buts. You’ve already got yourself mixed in, so deal with it."

With that, she turns around and stalks off, never looking back once—leaving me confused, but a part of me gets it... I think.

I can still hang out with them. It doesn’t have to end now.

My heart flutters, unable to hide the small smile forming on my lips while watching her retreating back disappear around the corner.

Those few words fill me with more than I’ve felt in weeks—maybe even most of my life.

As a force of habit, I try not to get excited, terrified by the ever-present expiration date of everything—but for once, I indulge in the happiness of the moment.

I turn around, realizing our conversation had distracted me enough that I hadn’t noticed I was already at my door.

I reach for the handle, barely making contact before it opens on its own—Yue stepping out with a solemn look on her face. Her eyes meet mine, and she freezes.

"Lady Valoria."

"H-Hey," I respond with a small smile, guessing she’s been waiting for me all night as always.

Suddenly, her hands are thrown around me in a small, sudden hug I don’t expect, squeezing me tightly before she pulls apart and stares at me with moisture in her eyes.

All of it fills me with a new wave of guilt—seeing for the first time just how worried she actually is over me, and the many times she’s shown these emotions.

Yara’s words, like magic, open my eyes to see that while I assumed I was alone and didn’t need to rely on anyone, someone was here all the time—waiting for me, worrying when I didn’t get back on time, and when I had to face someone so terrifying.

Someone else cares too.

"Are you okay?" she asks the second we’re inside, shutting the door behind us.

I move to my bed first, sitting down and taking a deep breath as I’m forced to recall memories of last night again.

"I’m f-fine," I whisper.

"I heard what happened."

I look at her, suddenly confused, wondering how she could know something I hadn’t told anyone—but the look on her face, the concern, puts the pieces together.

My shoulders slump, understanding what she means by knowing. Not everything, but merely a portion of what had transpired.

"The rumor just began spreading this morning. The servants are talking about how His Majesty has lost favor for you already and is spending his nights with someone else—Lady Alice." Her tone turns foul at the mention of her name, and I’m oddly comforted by it momentarily. "They’re going on about how you’re completely worthless now."

Well, it’s not like it’s anything new. The gossip and hate are what I’m used to, and for that reason, I know just how fickle it always is.

"It w-works out w-w-well for me," I reply, burying all thoughts of it aside, wanting nothing to do with Azrael again—or seducing him.

He can spin his stories and get his minions to taunt me for all I care. All my focus is on something else now.

I admit that last night has opened up the realization that I can’t attempt to seduce Azrael. I don’t think I’d be able to stomach much of it anymore.

Kisses that used to leave me breathless now fill me with dread—memories of his mouth between my thighs, devouring me until I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t fight back because my body betrayed me and begged for more.

And not to forget, he’d brought another woman into his bed just to punish me, making sure I heard every moan.

Reminding me what kind of monster Azrael truly was—the kind who could make me come apart on his tongue and then use someone else to break me all over again.

I can’t see myself coming back from that.

I give up. And now I’ve moved on to other methods—like finding the dagger on my own.

"Do you know about the tale of the death god?" I ask Yue with a hopeful gaze, changing the topic.

"I’ve heard many versions." She muses on the question with curiosity.

Her positive response has me sitting on the edge of my seat again, desperate for new information—more than just stories.

"D-Do you ha-ve anything m-more detailed on it, l-like where the ba-b-battle happened? Wh-at became of the d-d-dagger?"

"Ehhh... not particularly. The story always ends with the god’s defeat. Why?"

My hope dies as quickly as it had flickered to life. My shoulders slump, and I let out a deep, disappointed exhale.

"N-No reason. Ne-never mind."

I fall back on my bed, sighing deeply. So much for finding the dagger, right? What was I thinking, getting my hopes up on a mere story that could be fictional—on finding the dagger.

I may have had better chances at seducing Azrael than finding it myself.

"If you want to learn about details pertaining to its history, the royal library is the best place to start. It’s rumored to have knowledge and secrets on everything ever known to man," Yue continues, lighting another spark.

I sit upright again, looking at her. "Really?"

"The only downside to it is that it’s accessible to a few personally given access. You have to receive permission from the chief librarian in the general library. But I could take you there... maybe with your fame of being favored by His Majesty once, he could grant a request to look through some books for a few minutes...?"

"M-aybe... I ha-have to try." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

I have to try anything, by every means possible, if it means having a chance—and that my dream of finally being free of Azrael and my family can be truly realized.

The fading hope resurfaces again, stronger, brighter, burning through my chest with an uncontrollable flare.

"Thank you, Yue. You’ve j-just saved m-my life." I spring to my feet, rushing to my closet to change, unwilling to waste another second.