Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 32: The Gypsy Kiss

Lorelai did not know how long she had spent sitting on the bench with her head low and her eyes glued to her toes.

A sudden gust of wind made her flinch as she sensed a distinct and very delicious smell of something meaty and when she turned her head to its source, she saw Rhaegar standing next to her with a bottle of wine and a wooden plate filled with different smoked meats.

"You look like a dead tulip, Princess," he smiled, taking a seat beside her and extending the plate so that she could take her pick.

Lorelai did not appreciate his sarcasm.

She frowned and turned her face away from the plate, pouting. "I can't... I am on a diet, remember?"

Rhaegar measured her with a long, silent stare, then let out a long sigh, and shook his head disapprovingly.

"You will not gain weight just by having this tonight. It pains me to see you like this."

'It pains him?' Lorelai could not believe his words. Why would he even care?

Somehow, her attention shifted back to the tall woman from before. She spotted her right away; how could she not?

Even dressed in such a plain dress, her curvy figure attracted the attention of almost every single man around.

She was dancing. Her long, curly hair was bouncing up and down with every move while the gold jewelry all around her body cast a soft glow over her smooth, tanned skin.

Compared to Lorelai, that woman was the epitome of beauty. And her bright gray eyes were fixed on Rhaegar.

"You seem to be more interested in that woman, than me," the man's voice sounded strangely close and when Lorelai turned her face around, she realized that he leaned closer to her once again, his lips curled into a sly grin.

"What is so fascinating about her?" He asked as if he did not know the answer.

The princess lowered her eyes again. What could she even say to that?

"She... has a lot of gold on her!" Suddenly, the words left her mouth on their own volition. Lorelai felt immediately embarrassed. Why would she even say something like that?

The king could not suppress a fit of laughter.

"I guess you can say that," he started, "we treasure gold more than anything. It is the only thing that pays for all of our needs."

Lorelai arched her eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Hmm... How do I explain it? Since Gypsies are a nomadic tribe, they earn their living by working menial, temporary jobs and, of course, entertaining others with their unique performances. So many things keep changing during their time, but the only thing that still remains a constant is their pay––gold. Gold is recognized everywhere we go. Thus, the only thing we really treasure is gold."

"Then... all of the trinkets––"

The princess could not finish her sentence as she was cut off by Rhaegar's loud laughter.

"Gypsies are not criminals, Princess. Most of the things you see on them are gifts––or more accurately, the pay. Sometimes those who want to compensate them for their services prefer to use jewelry instead of coins."

He shrugged and threw a piece of smoked meat into his mouth, chewing on it with a satisfied smile on his face as he looked back at Lorelai. He was teasing her; seducing her to give in and start eating too.

And it was working.

Slowly and timidly, she snatched a slice of meat from the wooden plate and, after examining it for a few moments as if in an attempt to find a flaw in it, took a small bite which then prompted her to swallow the entire slice almost instantly.

Lorelai's green eyes sparkled with a newfound excitement.

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'It's delicious!'

Captivated by its incredible taste, she reached for another slice and before she knew it, she had emptied half of the plate while the lycan king simply watched her with a delighted smile on his gorgeous face.

Rhaegar chuckled as he noticed the princess' appetite but decided to remain silent.

Instead, he pulled out a small golden cigar case and brought one of the black cigars to his lips, lighting it up with a small wooden match.

With a generous drag of its fragrant herbal smoke, he closed his eyes, feeling the familiar slight relief spiraling across his aching body.

Lorelai, too, smelled the familiar smoke she had discerned from the man's innate scent and widened her eyes. "It seems you smoke these a lot."

Rhaegar let the gray puff of smoke escape his lips, then sighed, and nodded. "They help me with... a particularly annoying pain."

The princess' face turned dark with understanding. She knew all too well what it felt like to be constantly in pain, however, in her case, she had no real remedy to help her through it.

Just like with everything else, she simply had to endure it.

"I'm sorry," she started, but the glaring glow in Rhaegar's eyes made her stop. She realized he did not need her pity.

"Don't you have it too?" He asked all of a sudden as if he knew everything about her. "With your leg and all..."

He jerked his head in the direction of her legs and the princess shifted awkwardly on the bench, covering her thighs with the black fabric of the cloak.

Yes, he was right, she was always in pain. But what could she do?

Suddenly, she winced as a pair of warm, long fingers caught her chin and pulled her face to the side.

Her deep green eyes locked on the man's amber orbs that were emanating an almost hypnotizing glow.

Rhaegar leaned closer, his sharp nose almost touching hers, then took another drag of his cigarette and pressed his lips against Lorelai's, forcing her to open her mouth.

In an instant, hot, bitter smoke filled her mouth and she could not help but swallow it all as if it was a natural thing to do. The fragrant substance filled her lings and quite unexpectedly, the princess felt a slight relief in her entire body; the nagging throbbing in her right hip decreasing as if by magic.

In a brief moment of relief, Lorelai failed to notice that their lips were still joined together, and when she finally understood that, she quickly pushed the man away, her voice rising, "What-what is it?!"

Rhaegar laughed, then slid his thumb over Lorelai's parted lips, and said calmly. "It's called the "Gypsy kiss", Princess."