The Lycan King and His Dark Temptation Novel

---- 190. BARELY ESCAPING VICTORIA Without waiting for his response, | started running over the rooftops, tiles falling off in patches beneath my feet. Always keeping a safe distance from the riders. We stopped on top of a building, and | could finally see where they were headed. Massive, thick black walls divided this decaying area from another.

| couldn't see beyond them, but when the huge, oppressive gates opened to let those wolves through, the scent that drifted from the other side was nothing like the stench here. | spotted a few houses behind those walls-a thriving city nestled inside, protected by high barriers. While people here were dying in filth, it was obvious life on the other side was good. The separation was crystal clear-between vampires and werewolves. What the hell was going on here?

---- "It looks like they're handing out food over there," Rousse pointed toward a spot where people were crammed in a never- ending line. Sure enough, they were giving out scraps of old meat to the vampires, who stared greedily at the low-grade pieces. | didn't know what to do. | had no idea where to even begin looking for a way home. Because one thing was certain-my kind wasn't welcome here, and | sure as hell wasn't going to beg that son of a bitch Lord to survive.

"Let's find some information, Rousse," | sighed, my head aching. "Maybe a tavern... if those even exist here." But just as | was about to turn away, my sharp eyes caught something | couldn't ignore. Those same kids who had eaten the rat were now teaming up to steal a piece of meat from one of the baskets. From my elevated spot, | could see it all-unfortunately, so did one of the werewolves distributing the rations.

"Stop right there, you filthy little vermin!" He shouted, chasing after them as they bolted into the narrow streets. ---- "Miss!" Rousse roared when he saw me running after them. | could feel the general's worry, but | didn't stop. | had a terrible gut feeling, and it turned out to be right. No matter how quick they were, those kids-barely ten or twelve -were skin and bones. The male cornered them in a dead-end alley.

"| don't care if the Lord's generous and gives you more food, you filthy thieves just can't help yourselves!" He yelled, pulling the whip from his waist, eyes full of hatred as he forced them against the wall. "ll beat you good so you learn your place!" He raised the whip, cracking it in the air. All it took was a second for me to leap off the roof and land silently behind him. | raised my hand and caught the leather strap mid hard.

ir, gripping it Pain shot through me, but it only fueled my fury. "The only disgusting abuser here is you," | growled, yanking the weapon with all my strength and tearing it from his hand. ---- "What the hell?!" He spun around, caught between shock and rage. When he saw my red eyes and realized | was a vampire, hatred oozed from every pore. "How dare you challenge me, you filthy monster?! Want to die that badly?!" He screamed, fangs out, lunging at me to tear me apart.

"You're the one who won't live to see tomorrow," | hissed, swinging his own weapon and wrapping it around his neck, strangling him. | didn't even give him time to shift into his wolf. With one pull, | dragged his body forward, right into my claws, which had turned sharp as steel. | went straight for his throat-one brutal, merciless strike. Hot blood splattered across my face, and his eyes stared back at me in disbelief. Looks like these flea-bitten mutts had forgotten what it was like to go up against a well-fed vampire.