The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 94: Little Picnic

Why did he just tell her that?

She fell silent.

"Are you done?" He asked, trying to breach the uncomfortable silence.

"How is that even possible? I’m not a wolf." She whispered.

Not a wolf? He never felt like that when he was around her. She was just... Claire.

He heard the rustle of fabric and a long string of unladylike curses.

When she was done, she just walked past him.

That was what he wanted, wasn’t it?

He followed quietly behind her, watching the swish of her skirts.

When they reached the carriage, Andon was spreading out a picnic blanket and laying food on it. The guards had dismounted, leaving their horses to graze the field.

Were they stopping there? When would they reach Glenwood if they encouraged all the setbacks?

"What are you doing?"

Andon looked up from his work.

"Preparing a nice meal. This is long past noon and we’ve been travelling without a break. I’m hungry, and I believe Miss Stenly is as well."

Both men turned to her, their eyes expectant.

"I... I am hungry as well."

He looked between them as one would look at two conniving children.

"Fine. But make it quick."

Andon settled down on his expertly laid blanket.

"Won’t you be joining us?"

Yeren shook his head.

Claire sat down at one end and folded her legs under herself.

Andon raised a brow at him as he unloaded two baskets of food.

He gave each guard a warm loaf of bread and a slab of cheese while he delicately served himself and Claire some fruit sauces and cakes.

The aroma was enough to make him drool.

He just stood there like an impatient fool.

Drawing in a deep breath, he joined them on the blanket.

He wasn’t doing himself any good by remaining hungry - even the guards weren’t starving themselves.

Claire pushed a plate of cake and sweets towards him, not meeting his gaze.

"I’m glad you decided to Grace us with your presence, Your Grace." Andon said, a grin forming on his impeccable features.

Yeren gave him a half-hearted glare.

The woman beside him was alarmingly silent, barely eating anything. She only spoke when Andon asked her about something, then returned to nibbling on her cakes.

He had said something to upset her, hadn’t he?

"I feel like I’m talking to myself. You both can just go into those bushes and have at it so your faces will stop being so long." Sighing, he added, "I can hear my voice echo."

Claire coloured despite herself.

"Stop saying such things, Andon."

Oh. She calls him Andon now?

"Then what is disturbing the both of you? The silence is deafening."

Yeren pushed a plate of cake towards her.

"You’re not eating."

She looked down at it and shook her head.

"I have no appetite for some reason."

And what was that reason?

"You have to eat. We won’t stop again for a meal, Miss Stenly."

"And I would be just fine, Your Grace."

A battle of wills, aye? She should know she’d lose, he thought with a smirk.

"You can either eat, or, you find some other carriage to convey you to Glenwood."

Andon was content to just watch.

She folded her arms across her chest.

"If I start walking back to the castle, I believe I’ll get there before nightfall."

She met his gaze without flinching.

"I see you’re determined to tempt me."

"I’m determined to not eat if I don’t want to."

"I won’t have you faint on the way there."

"I’m not the type to faint."

"What makes you so certain of that? You’re so thin." The way he said it made it sound more like an accusation than a description.

"Do you want to find out? I’ve stayed whole days without eating. My uncle used to feed me limes as punishment - I’m not one of the born and bred ladies you’re used to."

He leaned back, blinking at her admissions.

That was the first time she’d actually told him something about herself, even if it was to challenge him.

"Just eat. Please." His tone softened.

To his surprise, she picked up a slice of cake and plopped it into her mouth.

Andon raised his goblet to her.

Yeren stopped eating altogether, making it his mission to ensure that she emptied the plate before her.

After the first, she picked up another one and innocently licked the cream that dripped on her fingers.

He immediately averted his gaze.

Gods!

Perhaps there was no need for him to linger.

"I’ll wait for both of you in the carriage."

"Thank the heavens I came along." Andon was saying as he walked the short distance to the carriage. "I can’t even imagine what would have happened if I left the two of you to your fate, Miss Stenly."

There was a brief silence. Then, he heard her say, "Nothing would have happened. The King despises me now."

Despises her? Does she know what it means for a man like him to despise someone?

He entered the carriage and sat down, clasping his hands as he leaned back against the chair.

Thunder struck overhead again.

That could mean only one thing - a storm.

A storm was the last thing he needed. His men would have to find shelter and they’d have to pause their journey.

Almost immediately, rain started pouring down from the gloomy sky.

The sky had been bright a few minutes before that, hadn’t it?

Both of them struggled to pack up the blanket and rushed into the carriage.

They entered, filling the space with the smell of damp clothing and rain. And wet soil.

Claire sank down beside him.

"I’ve instructed the driver to take us to the nearest shelter. We might have to spend the night wherever that would be."

Yeren nodded. It couldn’t be that bad, although his plans to arrive before dusk were stuck in limbo.

"I hope you don’t mind having to stay all night with us, Miss Stenly. I understand that you women like to have night baths and evening routines..."

She pulled her wet hair out of her face.

Her ears were pink from the cold, her skin prickling with goosebumps.

She looked... human.

And why did that seem to fascinate him more?