007

Silence filled the air, punctuated only by the rhythmic ticking of the enchanted clock on the wall.

Katei paced the elegant chamber back and forth, eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

His best friend had just discovered his mate—after 900 years of searching.

And he just let her go without pursuing her?

Ridiculous.

He stopped pacing and turned toward Lillian, who sat in his magical throne-like chair, eyes closed, white hair fluttering softly with the wind, his aura cloaked in darkness.

“Wait... You just let her go? Without even chasing her?” Katei snapped, his eyelids twitching with restrained annoyance.

He inhaled deeply, struggling to calm his rising temper.

He couldn’t afford to yell at Lillian—he valued his head.

Lillian slowly flicked his eyes open.

His expression darkened as he turned sharply in Katei’s direction.

“I didn’t see her,” he said curtly, “But I felt her presence.”

When he’d stood atop the dais, he felt it—his wolf had stirred with wild excitement. After 900 years of emptiness, he had finally sensed her.

He had attempted to use his witch-born mind mage abilities to communicate with her—but something blocked him. A strange force had interfered, shielding her from his conjuration.

He rose from his chair and strode toward the large window.

The wind teased his hair as he looked beyond the towering walls, eyes distant.

His mind swirled with memories—centuries of mockery, loneliness, and relentless searching.

Years of being feared, misunderstood, and tested.

After the death of their parents, he and his brother had discovered they were no ordinary Kyrethi. They were hybrids—with the rare power of magic and the blood of demons.

He had even ventured into the afterlife in search of answers.

But despite their strength, wisdom, and conquests—both he and his brother shared one devastating weakness;

Their mates.

The absence of them.

When Lillian stepped on that dais and felt her, hope had ignited within him for the first time in centuries.

But that hope was laced with something else—worry.

There was more to her. Something... different.

Katei’s voice cut through the silence, dragging him from his thoughts.

“So how do you plan on finding her? What species is sh—”

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes locking with Lillian’s, dumbfounded.

His mind reeled with a terrifying possibility.

Lillian's sharp gaze narrowed coldly.

“What are you trying to assume?” he asked, voice like ice.

Katei hesitated for a moment—then finally broke the silence.

“What if she’s... another species?”

Meanwhile…

We stood helplessly beneath the scorching sun, waiting in vain for the Lycan King to continue his speech.

My legs ached, weakened from the mental war I’d just fought with Lyla.

The crowd buzzed with confused murmurs, restless and bewildered.

“What could’ve made him vanish like that?” Rita muttered, her forehead wrinkled with confusion.

I brushed imaginary dust off my clothes and scoffed.

“Maybe he felt nauseated by the crowd.” I half-yelled into her ear through the noisy chatter.

She chuckled and gently punched my shoulder.

For a moment, I felt victorious. But what if I had been discovered during Lyla’s outburst?

My hands trembled faintly as a surge of panic rushed through me, imagining the consequences.

“Stop joking during a serious dilemma like this,” Rita snapped.

Before I could respond, the crowd suddenly hushed.

A line of Moon Soldiers marched forward, splitting into formations with robotic precision.

I jolted backward slightly.

What now?

Were we about to be executed one by one?

The odd separation felt suspicious.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, his voice slicing through the silence.

“Demarcate yourselves into straight lines. You will now be led to your respective rooms.”

He repeated the order as the crowd slowly formed six separate lines.

Rita giggled and quickly cut through the line to stand in front of me.

I turned and found Eric behind me, his lips curved into a soft smile.

Our group was soon led away from the blistering sun, toward an ancient cluster of grey, enchanted buildings, their cold walls steeped in forgotten magic.

As we were guided through a dim hallway, our footsteps echoed loudly against the polished marble floor.

Dust swirled with each step, rising like ghosts of the past.

We halted as the soldier stopped, his dark aura rippling with authority.

He pointed toward a narrow corridor shrouded in murky darkness.

I gasped quietly as I caught sight of rooms—old, mysterious, and arranged like shadows.

He turned to us, eyes sharp.

“You are to pair off—two per room. When the bell rings, assemble in the Galley. Be prepared for tomorrow’s task.”

With that, he vanished into the shadows.

We stood in stunned silence.

Slowly, people began shuffling toward the rooms, the corridor filling with whispers and giggles.

I turned to Rita, who was already looking at me.

At the end of the corridor, a final room stood vacant.

Our eyes flicked toward Eric. He had already paired with another male werewolf.

He noticed our gaze and smiled softly, giving a small wave.

Rita smiled back dreamily.

I rolled my eyes and snapped my fingers in her face.

She jolted back into reality.

“Ma’am—our room,” I gestured.

She nodded nervously, then approached the door. Just as she reached for the knob, she stopped and looked at me.

“Lead the way,” she said, stepping aside and nudging me gently forward.

My heart pounded against my chest as I placed my hand on the doorknob, bracing myself for the worst.

I slowly turned it. The door creaked open with a ghostly moan.

We stepped inside and were greeted by a cold, gloomy atmosphere.

The room was layered with dust and cobwebs, dimly lit by an old, flickering lamp on a side table.

Then we froze.

Our eyes locked on a shape.

Narrowing our gaze, we saw—

Someone was already lying on the bed.