When Tables Turn

LUCY

Being stuck in a room is the pits, no matter if it’s a fancy, oversized bedroom or a dank dungeon. When the guard tossed me into the alpha king’s bedroom, the first thing that struck me was its sheer size.

At first glance, I didn’t even peg it as a bedroom until I spotted the king-size bed near a massive window. Everything was oversized, including the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. I’m a fan of big things, but this was a bit much, even if it was stunning.

The walls were a soothing light gray. A huge window spanned the entire left wall. I figured he must have a thing for scenery, given the breathtaking view of fog-shrouded mountains.

I wandered around, checking out his stuff. He was an enigma. Most people have photos of family or friends, but this guy had zilch, not a single picture.

The room felt lonely, lacking that cozy, lived-in vibe. Who was this lycan king?

I must’ve been lounging on his bed for hours, but no one came except for the guard who’d brought me here; he only showed up once to deliver food.

I was thankful for that. I didn’t think anyone cared if I lived or starved to death. I sighed, watching the sun dip below the horizon, replaced by the beauty of a full moon.

I stood up with a sigh. Now I had to hunt for a light switch. The task proved trickier than I’d anticipated.

The room was so vast, I kept searching for the switch as the room darkened, but the moonlight helped light the room.

At least I wasn’t stumbling around in the dark. I headed toward the door, hoping the switch was somewhere on the wall.

Luckily, the switch was right there, and just as I flipped the lights on, the door swung open with such force it smacked me in the face.

“Ouch!” I yelped as I stumbled backward. I nearly toppled over, but whoever had hit me with the door caught my arms to keep me upright.

I clutched my forehead, which had taken the brunt of the impact; I was sure a bruise was going to form there. “Who opens a door like that? What are you, the NYPD?” I scolded without even looking at the culprit.

I was fuming. Who the hell opens a door like that? “Ouch. Damn it, that hurts,” I complained, trying to wriggle free from the grip of whoever was holding me.

“Let me see that,” he said, and my eyes widened, realizing it was the lycan king. I looked at him and let him examine my forehead.

“You’ll be okay, but there’s definitely going to be a bruise,” he said, looking back at me. I nodded quickly and pulled my arms from his grasp. This time he let me go.

I took a few steps back and let him walk past me. He strolled toward the window and stood there, gazing at the full moon.

“What were you doing so close to the door, anyway? Planning an escape, are we?” he asked, his deep voice dripping with sarcasm. He knew I wouldn’t get far if I tried to escape.

I rolled my eyes behind his back. “Of course not, Alpha. I wouldn’t dare. I was just looking for the switch,” I said, my tone flat.

I was really ticked off that this creature thought I was an idiot. I was planning an escape, but I knew it was too soon to make a move.

“I see,” he said, turning to face me. “Maybe you should be more careful with your words when you’re talking to me or any other wolf. I’m your king now, and I’m starting to lose my patience with you.”

I swallowed hard. This was going to be tough. I have a big mouth—I can’t help but blurt out some snarky comments without thinking when someone annoys me.

“Yes, Alpha King, I’ll try to watch my words and my tone.”

“Good, you’ll sleep on the floor right here in this room every night from now on. I expect you not to disturb me when I’m asleep. My beast doesn’t like to be disturbed, especially on a full moon,” he said, heading toward his dresser.

I couldn’t help but notice his graceful stride. Every move he made was so elegant, he was true royalty. I quickly turned my back to him when he started to undress without a care—damn wolves.

“Yes, of course, I wouldn’t dare disturb the great lycan king while he sleeps,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

He was really getting under my skin, telling me to sleep on the floor, sit on the floor, and not to disturb him, as if I’d want to disturb a sleeping lycan. What did he take me for, honestly?

“Are you being sarcastic with me, human?” he said from behind me, making me jump a little. He was really fast—I could feel his breath tickling my ear.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare…” I replied, laying the sarcasm on thick. I don’t know why I was acting like this. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it. He was pushing my buttons and I was failing miserably.

I heard him scoff behind me, but I didn’t dare turn around. “You’re quite defiant, little human.”

“That’s not my intention, King.”

“Well, then what are your intentions, little human? What do you hope to gain by being defiant?” he asked, his hand brushing my hair away from my neck, leaving it exposed to him.

My heart started pounding. What was his deal with my neck? For all I knew, maybe he was some sort of lycan vampire like in the movies.

“I have no intentions,” I said, taking a small step forward away from him, but he gently grabbed my right arm, holding me in place. I gasped at the sparks ignited by our skin-to-skin contact.

“Is that so? Then I’ll have to keep you in this room for the rest of your life, so you won’t get brutally torn apart by my pack. Unlike me, they’re not very tolerant—any rude remarks from you and they’ll rip you to shreds.”

A shiver ran down my spine. The idea of being ripped apart by wolves was terrifying. I’d seen it happen to my family and friends. It was a nightmare.

But the thought of being trapped in his room forever wasn’t exactly appealing either. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but you can’t seriously plan to keep me locked in here forever, Alpha King,” I said, turning to face him. That was a mistake. He was way too close for comfort.

His smirk widened when I gasped at his proximity. I hadn’t expected him to be so close. “I can do whatever I want, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“But...but I promised I wouldn’t be rude to any of your wolves!” I protested, my voice rising in frustration.

His eyebrows shot up at my tone. “Don’t raise your voice at me, human.”

“I’m sorry…” I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

“I’ll decide what to do with you. Until then, you’ll stay where I tell you to. No questions, no begging. It’s really annoying how pathetic humans can be. I can’t fathom what the Goddess was thinking, giving me a human for a mate,” he said, walking away from me.

He was shirtless, wearing only white sweatpants. I watched as he climbed onto his massive bed and lay on his back, staring at the white ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes. I couldn’t help but admire his intricate tattoos.

They were so artistic, so meaningful. I would have asked about them, but I was sure he’d just lecture me about how I shouldn’t question him, being just a weak human with no rights in his home.

I sighed, settling down next to the window on the floor. My plan was to watch the moon until morning, then catch some sleep on his couch in the afternoon when he’d be out doing pack business or something.

As the night grew colder, I shivered and my eyelids grew heavy. I tried to stay awake, but eventually, sleep claimed me.

I let out a soft moan, reveling in the comfort and warmth of the soft bed. Wait. Bed!

I opened my eyes slowly, realizing the king must have turned off the light. It was still night, and the full moon bathed the room in a soft glow.

I felt a large hand on my stomach and turned to my right. I was in bed with the king. He looked so peaceful in sleep, his snores barely audible. I wanted to laugh at his soft snoring, but I held it in.

He must have taken pity on me and moved me to his bed, but I knew I should go back to the floor.

One thing I’d learned about the king was that he was unpredictable. He might wake up and kick me out of his bed, regretting his decision to show me mercy.

I sighed deeply, carefully trying to remove his muscular arm from my stomach. I managed to free myself without waking him and slowly sat up.

But just as I was about to pull the covers off, he suddenly pushed me back down onto the bed.

“What did I say about disturbing me when I’m sleeping? If you move again, I won’t be pleased. Now stop being stubborn and go back to sleep,” he said, his voice filled with boredom, his eyes still closed.

“Okay,” I whispered, staring at the ceiling, my eyes wide with shock.