Lust on the Lycan King

their footsteps on the polished marble floors. An unsettling tension hung thick in the air, putting Madison on high alert. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were

his throat, his expression grim. "It seems the Prime Minister Douglas has gone missing. One of our scouts reported seeing him fleeing the castle grounds earlier this evening." A collective murmur of shock and alarm rippled through the room. Madison's eyes widened slightly, her heart leaping into her throat. Has her deception been uncovered? Had Douglas betrayed her, realizing she had no intention of carrying out the assassination? Wald's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Explain." Baros lifted a weathered hand. "It appears the Prime Minister has... turned traitor, Your Highness. Our sources have uncovered evidence that he has been conspiring with rebel factions, plotting to overthrow your reign." Madison had to fight to keep her expression neutral, her mind racing. So, the prime ministers had been the ones behind the plot to assassinate Wald all along. And now, it seemed, Douglas had fled, perhaps fearing retaliation from the prince. Wald's lips curled into a menacing sneer. "I knew that the snake could not be trusted. He's been eyeing my father's throne for years." He slammed a fist down onto the table, making Madison and several others flinch. "Damn him! Where is he headed?" "We don't know for certain, Your Highness," Baros replied, his voice carefully measured. "But our scouts tracked him heading towards the border, likely fleeing to the rebel stronghold in the northern mountains." Wald's eyes glinted with barely leashed fury. "Then what are you waiting for? Assemble a battalion and hunt him down! I want that traitor's head on a pike by sunrise!" "At once, My Lord." Baros bowed deeply, quickly ushering the other Gamma and Delta officers out of the room to carry out Wald's orders. Soon, the hall was nearly empty, save for Wald and Madison. The prince stood there, his chest heaving with barely contained rage. Madison dared a glance upwards, startled to see the naked fury etched across his chiseled features. "Damn that cowardly snake," Wald growled, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "After all I've done