Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle-Chapter 29: Check Into Her Background.

It was Dimitri.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice laced with anger. His piercing gaze bore into her as he took a step closer. "What did I tell you about the palace?"

Sorayah's heart pounded in her chest. Huh? He doesn't know about me disguising myself as a dancer, right? That's good then.

"I... I..." Sorayah stammered, scrambling for a believable excuse. "I was just admiring the palace structure and got a little carried away. I couldn't resist looking around. I'm sorry."

Dimitri tilted his head slightly, as if considering her words. Then, his lips curled into a mocking smirk.

"Oh, really?" he drawled. "You keep forgetting what I told you... only I get to kill you. And yet, here you are, tempting fate, wandering around in a place where anyone could slit your throat before I get the chance. Do you want to die at someone else's hands? Because if that happens, trust me, I'll hunt your soul down and kill you again. And just to be thorough, I'll make sure your body is torn apart by wild animals."

Sorayah clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her nails bit into her palms, but she forced herself to keep her head bowed. Anger coiled in her gut, burning hot, but she had already pushed Dimitri's patience too far by raising her voice at him, walking out on him. Testing him further was a mistake she couldn't afford to make.

"I lost my way," she murmured through gritted teeth. "It won't happen again."

Dimitri's gaze darkened. "No, it won't," he said flatly. "Now, let's head back to my mansion. Your punishment is still waiting."

Sorayah's stomach twisted. Punishment? Her breath hitched as she swallowed hard.

Oh, this bastard is definitely going to make me pay for what happened tonight.

"Hurry up," Dimitri snapped, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Reluctantly, Sorayah fell into step behind him, her mind racing.

~•~

Back at the Mansion

Sorayah stood before Dimitri with her head bowed, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the dimly lit room.

She had been standing there like forever, her legs aching, yet Dimitri had not uttered a single word. Instead, he remained seated, his eyes fixed on the piece of parchment in front of him as if she weren't even there.

Her patience wore thin.

"Can I go to my room now?" she finally asked, her voice controlled but firm. "It's late... or do you need me to do something else before I leave your highness?"

Dimitri remained silent for a moment longer, then finally looked up, a slow, lazy smirk stretching across his lips.

"Are you tired of standing?" he asked.

Sorayah's jaw clenched. Is that even a real question? Who wouldn't be tired after standing for this long?

Dimitri leaned back in his chair. "You were supposed to stand beside me back at the palace, serving me," he continued. "But instead, you raised your voice at me. Then you walked out." His voice dipped lower, each syllable deliberate. "So now, you're simply making up for the standing you refused to do earlier."

Sorayah's eyes widened slightly before she quickly masked her expression. Of course, she should have expected something like this from him. He was cruel, petty, and enjoyed exerting control over her.

"And as for raising your voice at me..." Dimitri paused, his smirk widening as he tapped a finger on the table. "What punishment should I give you for that?"

Sorayah's breath hitched. Before she could respond, Dimitri's eyes sharpened, his expression darkening.

"Or," he murmured, "would you rather explain to me why you were crying at the palace... and why your gaze was fixed on the Alpha Emperor?"

Sorayah's stomach dropped.

She lifted her head slightly, meeting Dimitri's gaze. What is his business with that? Had he seen her staring at Lupien?

"Don't even bother lying," Dimitri said smoothly, cutting off her thoughts.

Sorayah's mind raced. Think. Think!

She forced a scoff. "Why else would I cry in the palace?" she asked, her voice carefully measured. "Wouldn't it be for the same reason every other human cries after being brought here as a slave?"

Dimitri arched an eyebrow, his gaze flickering with amusement. "Oh? Is that so?"

He rose from his seat, moving with a slow, effortless grace. His steps were light, controlled, yet each one sent an unspoken warning. When he finally stopped in front of her, Sorayah tensed.

His scent, earthy, dark, and dangerously intoxicating filled her lungs, and before she could step back, his fingers tilted her chin upward.

Sorayah's breath caught. A sharp jolt of energy surged through her, racing down her spine at his unexpected touch.

Dimitri's eyes bore into hers, gleaming with something unreadable. "The way you looked at the Alpha Emperor," he murmured. "Yes, it was filled with hatred..." He leaned in just enough for his breath to ghost across her lips. "But there was something else there, too."

Sorayah stiffened.

"Don't fool me, little maid," he said, his voice a velvet whisper. "I know that look. I know exactly what was in your eyes."

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

There was no way Dimitri could have recognized what she was feeling.

She had looked at Lupien with hatred, yes. But there had been more, so much more. A storm of emotions she could barely contain. Love. Betrayal. Anger. Longing. Pain.

It was the look of a woman who never expected the man she loved to betray her.

But he already had.

And if Dimitri had truly seen all of that...

Then he was far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.

"You don't know anything," Sorayah finally said, her voice firm, her expression unreadable.

Dimitri studied her with that same sharp, calculating gaze, waiting for her to crack under his scrutiny.

"And yeah," she continued, her tone shifting ever so slightly, "your emperor is handsome. What woman wouldn't want to be his?" A small smirk ghosted her lips as she added, "At least if I were his, I'd be free from this slave life, wouldn't I?"

Dimitri let out a low chuckle, tilting his head as if considering her words. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he turned her face away from him, his fingers firm but not bruising.

"You've got a sweet tongue," he murmured. "But your mouth is full of lies."

His thumb grazed the underside of her chin before he let go. "You keep getting more interesting by the day."

Sorayah forced herself to remain still, masking the shiver that ran down her spine.

Dimitri exhaled as if finally bored of their little game. "Anyway, you can leave now."

Sorayah didn't hesitate. "Thank you your highness," she said quickly, her voice measured.

And before he could change his mind because Dimitri was the kind of man who would, she turned on her heel and walked out of his chamber, keeping her pace controlled despite the urge to run.

The moment Sorayah left, Liam stepped inside. The soldier's posture was rigid, his head slightly bowed in respect as he approached Dimitri.

"Your Highness," Liam greeted. His voice was low, steady, efficient. "Everything has been handled. The others in the organization have been burned to ashes as well. All evidence has been wiped out."

Dimitri's lips curled into a smirk.

"I trust you on that." He leaned back against his chair, rolling his wrist as though dismissing the matter altogether. "That was just a warning to Lupien. A reminder that even though he's the emperor, he is not safe." Dimitri chuckled, a dark amusement glinting in his eyes. "He was never safe. But I wanted to toy with him a little first and I did."

Liam remained silent, accustomed to his master's way of thinking.

After a brief pause, Dimitri's smirk faded, and his gaze sharpened. "Anyway, look into that maid," he ordered. "She doesn't seem like a common citizen from the human kingdom."

Liam's brows furrowed slightly. "What do you mean, Your Highness?" he asked, confusion evident in his tone. "Every noble household from the human kingdom was wiped out. None survived. The only ones left were farmers, hunters, uneducated peasants."

Dimitri's fingers drummed against the armrest of his chair. "Someone without education wouldn't be that clever," he said, almost to himself. His mind replayed every calculated move Sorayah had made, every flicker of emotion she had masked, every sharp retort she had dared to throw at him.

If anyone else had insulted or disobeyed him even once, he would have killed them before they had the chance to do it a second time. But with Sorayah, it was different. It was as if she knew that he wouldn't kill her right away. Instead, she seemed to understand that he found a strange fascination in studying her, and because of that, the day of her death kept being postponed.

And then there was the way she had looked at Lupien...

"That look she gave the emperor," Dimitri murmured, his eyes narrowing. "It wasn't just hatred. There was something else."

Liam remained silent, awaiting further orders.

Dimitri exhaled, shaking his head slightly as he refocused. "Check into her background," he commanded. "We spared some of the old ones from the human kingdom, assuming they'd die soon anyway. Question them. See if any of them recognize her."

Liam nodded. "Understood, Your Highness. I'll begin immediately."

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Dimitri waved a hand in silent dismissal, and without another word, Liam turned and strode out of the chamber, disappearing into the darkened corridors of the mansion.

Left alone, Dimitri leaned back in his chair, his thoughts circling like a predator stalking its prey.

He had never been this curious about anyone before.

But her?

She was different.

And for the first time in a long, long while... Dimitri found himself genuinely intrigued.