The Lycan King and His Dark Temptation Novel

---- 189, GETTING TO KNOW THE LORD OF THE WOLVES "Rousse, are you okay?" | got up from the ground, still dizzy. That sensation of falling and spinning endlessly had been horrible. "Yes, Miss Victoria," His rough voice answered. He stood up to his full height, towering over me with his intimidating shadow, like everything else about him. The black hood he always wore had fallen back, revealing his grayish hair. His eyes, nearly white, stared straight into mine.

I'm more than used to the undead, but Rousse is still imposing, even for me. Always dressed in black, strong, serious, with those deep scars cutting through his pale body. "Where do you think we are?" | asked him, scanning the alley we had landed in. The stench of garbage piled in small mounds. Flanked by black, grimy walls. ---- "I've never been anywhere like this in our realm." "| don't think we're home, Rousse," | said, frowning. "Let's explore. | decided, pulling my hood up as well.

We walked to the street the alley opened into. "Ew, rats," | made a face, kicking one of the little beasts away. To my complete surprise, it didn't last a second. "Catch it quick!" "It's huge, nice!" | stood frozen at the corner, watching a group of kids throw themselves on the animal. They caught it between the three of them, tearing it apart instantly. With filthy hands and dressed in rags. The layer of grime barely let me see their real skin color.

They devoured it, ripping off the skin and drinking its blood. They were vampires. ---- | knew it the moment | saw them drinking eagerly, with tiny fangs and red eyes. Goddess, where the hell had we ended up? "Don't wander off. | don't know this place, and | don't like the feel of it." Rousse told me, his almost-white eyes gleaming under the dark hood. We advanced down the black cobblestones, the night heavy with choking smoke.

Through puddles of muddy water and narrow alleys The buildings looked ready to collapse, and in every corner there were gathered shadows, suspicious faces. They gave us strange looks, but Rousse's size and bulk scared them off. The more | saw of this gray city, the more | was convinced of its extreme poverty. Until we saw a group of people running toward a place. "The Lord's coming this way! They might throw some food- hurry, hurry!" We heard them say.

"Rousse, let's go check it out," | said, moving in the direction ---- they were running | pulled my hood tighter and we slipped into the maze of houses to climb onto a rooftop. Below, a crowd was already gathering. | could feel it-they were all vampires. Some pure, some mixed. But vampires nonetheless. The wide street was left clear. They were waiting for something. And hidden in the shadows of a blackened chimney, we finally saw what was causing the frenzy.

The pounding of horses suddenly rang out. A group came riding at full speed, recklessly charging ahead. My eyes narrowed on the men appearing. They were like day and night compared to these poor people. Wolf warriors, wearing suffocating black armor. Clean, handsome, muscular, and dangerous in every sense of the word As they passed, people dropped to their knees, bowing and begging for food and alms. It was all so pitiful.