The Lycan’s Queen by Laila is now available to read on Galatea, a reading app recognized by BBC, Forbes and The Guardian for being the go-to place for explosive new romance novels. Keep scrolling to read the first chapters or download the app for the full uncensored version.
Nineteen-year-old werewolf Aarya never considered herself to be a hopeless romantic until the boy she loved left her for his mate. Freshly heartbroken, she reluctantly attends the Lycan Ball, where she meets Lycan King Dimitri Adonis—and their connection is instant. Now the fiery couple must navigate the dangerous world of imperial intrigue while facing spurned ex-lovers, jealous underlings, and more.
Scroll down for a sample chapter, or read the full uncensored book on the Galatea app!
The Lycan’s Queen
Chapter 5
All of the werewolves murmured in excitement, eager finally to see the mysterious lycan king.
I stuck by Carter and my cousins. We didn’t spend long talking as the crowds quieted down. I glanced up and saw a lycan standing there, waiting for silence.
Above us was a balcony with two thrones; this would be where the king and Savanah would be sitting.
For some reason that didn’t sit well with me or my wolf. I didn’t want to risk my wolf going crazy, so I quickly thought about something else.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming here today. On behalf of the king, I welcome you to the Lycan Ball. I hope this will be an enjoyable evening for you all. Very shortly, the king will be joining us, and he will be accompanied this evening by Savanah Willows.”
I watched as the man tried not to cringe after saying Savanah’s name.
My eyes found Sophia and Luke, who also looked super uncomfortable. My wolf suddenly stirred again, the anger building up.
Oh no, not again. The king was coming; I couldn’t afford to lose control. To distract myself, I found Hunter and Lana, who were holding hands, and I watched as Hunter kissed Lana on the cheek.
Even though I hated seeing that, it was the only thing that distracted my wolf, so she calmed down.
“I can’t wait to see the king,” Diya gushed.
“The king has a certain aura about him that makes everyone want a glance of him,” Carter said.
A certain aura? Maybe my wolf desperately wanted to see the king then? No, that didn’t add up. I was certain I was going to go crazy before this night was over.
There was no time to dwell on that fact as everyone suddenly went quiet yet again. Guards came and stood on the sides.
The king was coming.
I clutched Niya’s hand just as the announcer shouted, “Introducing his Royal Highness, King Adonis Dimitri Grey, accompanied by Savanah Willows.”
I watched in awe as the king confidently walked past the announcer. Everyone bowed, and I followed suit, my eyes glancing up to see his dark brown hair that was styled to perfection.
He nodded to the crowd and sat down on his throne, his cape pooling around him.
My gaze snapped to Savanah, who was behind the king. She was about to sit down on the second throne but was stopped by the king.
I watched as Savanah’s face dropped slightly as the king motioned for a guard. The guard escorted her to stand next to the king instead.
My eyes found their way to the king’s hair again, and I found myself thinking what it would be like to run my hands through it.
My eyes widened, and I tore my gaze away. Jeez, Aarya, stop thinking dangerous thoughts; it won’t end well.
Instead, I looked at my shoes. That was a safe bet, couldn’t do anything to embarrass myself by looking at my shoes.
“OMG, look what the king is doing?” Niya whispered to me.
No, Aarya, don’t look, I told myself. Don’t do it, you’ll regret it.
Urgh, damn it, I couldn’t help myself. I glanced up to see the king sniffing the air.
Well, that was not what I expected to see. What in the world was he doing? Savanah was looking at him weirdly, but the king clearly didn’t care.
In a split second, his hazel eyes connected with mine, and I gasped. Holy shxt, I had never seen eyes that beautiful before. I was lost in them.
The king quickly stood up, causing me to jump out of my trance. Oh no, please tell me this wasn’t happening.
My wolf was jumping up and down, and I knew exactly what that meant, but that didn’t mean I wanted it.
As the king stood up, the crowd began to push past me as they went toward him. Clearly they thought he was going to greet them. His hazel eyes never lost mine, his gaze was firmly locked onto me.
The air felt heavy as we stared at each other; it felt like there was no one else but us in this moment.
Temporarily I forgot about all my troubles, my heartbreak as I found myself lost in the captivating hazel eyes.
The connection was broken as more and more people moved in, causing me to stumble back and break the eye contact. Niya was also gone; so was Carter and Diya.
I was by myself at the back. Only a few wolves remained here. Everyone wanted to see the king. Everyone but me.
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I was breathing heavy and racked my brain. Should I run? This is the perfect time to do so; I won’t get another opportunity.
My wolf protested, but I didn’t listen. I ran outside. This time I ran past the bench and into the gardens.
Shivers went down my spine as I heard a powerful roar. Shxt! That was definitely the king.
Groaning, I rushed toward a row of bushes and sat down, catching my breath.
Those movies where the female characters run in heels is false. You can’t run in heels without tearing your feet off; it just wasn’t possible.
As I caught my breath, I heard the palace door fly open. My eyes widened, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
I was in trouble, and I knew it. My wolf was simply smug, like she knew this was going to happen. She probably liked to see my struggle. How annoying.
“You can run, little mate, but I’ll always find you,” a deep voice said, sending my wolf into a frenzy.
He said it, that word that I was dreading. “Mate.” My mate was the king. I mean, of all people, I had to be mated to the king.
The same king that had been looking for a mate for ten years. Why? I didn’t want a mate; I don’t need a mate.
I am happy by myself, but for some reason a little voice inside my head told me that I would never have been completely happy.
Holding my breath, I prayed that he wouldn’t find me. I wasn’t really religious, but I found myself praying.
All I wanted was for him not to find me and then I can leave this ball. There was no way in hxll that I was going to risk going back in there.
I would go back to the hotel and tell my parents I was feeling so sick and had to leave. Yes, that was a solid plan.
My thought process was broken when I was suddenly lifted from my position behind the bushes.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I found myself standing face-to-face with the king, his hazel eyes piercing into my own.
My heart started racing as he bent down and whispered in my ear, “Because now that I’ve found you, I have no plans on letting you go. Ever.”
Well fxck.
Read the full uncensored version on the Galatea app!
