Chapter 2

Darius’s POV

I stood frozen, watching Lily getting dragged forward, her wrists bound in iron shackles. I could see that she was in pain but she did not fight, nor did she scream. She simply stared at me, her silence more damning than any curse she could have spoken.

I could have stopped this.

I could have fought for her.

But to do so would mean defying my father, the King. It would mean breaking my arranged marriage to Princess Selena, abandoning my title, and forfeiting my claim to the crown. It would mean disgrace upon my family, my honor, my birth, my future. 

So I did nothing. 

My heart gripped as the palace guards led Lily down, the love of my life was gone and I had to let go. 

  

Selena and I finally got back to the chambers to celebrate our marriage night but my mind was away, it was still on Lily’s ordeal. 

  

Selena leaned in, her breath warm against my ear as she whispered, “You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”

I stiffened. “I don’t know what you mean.”

She chuckled, though there was no amusement in it. “Don’t insult my intelligence, Darius.” She picked up her goblet and took a sip. “You never looked at me the way you looked at her.”

I remained silent.

“You lost her because of me, didn’t you?”

The words were a blade to my chest but she was not wrong. My father had given me no choice but to marry Selena, for alliance's sake.

I clenched my jaw. “Enough of this discussion.”

Selena tilted her head, examining me. “Why?”

I didn’t answer, I just stood and left.

—

That night, I was still very much awake beside a sleeping Selena, tormented by guilt, when I heard howls. I shot upright in bed at once.

Those weren’t our wolves. I recognized those howls. They were not from my pack. 

The palace bells chimed in alarm, and within seconds, chaos erupted. I leaped from bed, throwing on my tunic and grabbing my sword from the bedside. Selena bolted upright, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“What’s happening?” she whispered.

Before I could answer, the chamber doors burst open. A guard stumbled in, blood pouring from a wound in his chest.

“My prince,” he gasped. “The palace is under attack! The enemy has breached the gates!”

“What?” I wasted no time asking for details, so I turned to Selena, who looked frightened. “Stay here, do not think of stepping out!” I ordered her before storming into the halls.

Screams. Clashing steel. The stench of blood.

My heart thundered as I ran through corridors, past guards who were already engaged in the fight. The war wasn’t what bothered me, I had only just thought and that was Lily.

I barely managed to slip past the guards, who were too occupied protecting my father to notice me walking into the dungeon.

I reached the iron-barred cell at the end of the hall, my heart beating when I saw her.

Lilly sat curled against the wall, she was shaking. 

I gripped the bars. “Lily.” My voice was hoarse. “Are you hurt?”

Her head lifted at the sound of my voice, and her eyes widened. “Darius?” She scrambled to her feet, chains rattling around her wrists. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be..”

“No time,” I interrupted, frantically searching for the keys. “I have to get you out.”

“What about your father?” she began, voice breaking.

I clenched my teeth. “The Pack is in a war and we are losing.”

Her breath hitched.

My gaze darted around until I spotted the ring of keys hanging on the wall. I lunged for them, hands shaking. My fingers barely brushed the iron before there was a loud explosion that made dust and stone rain from the ceiling.

“Faster, Darius!” Lilly cried, her eyes wild with panic.

I cursed, fumbling with the keys until I found the right one. I shoved it into the lock, twisted it, and the door creaked open. Without hesitation, I pulled her into my arms.

She felt so small. So fragile.

“Stay close,” I ordered, gripping her hand as we slowly walked through the corridors.

We got into the grand hallway and froze.

The sight before us was hell itself.

The walls were all designed with blood, and the ground was filled with the bodies of soldiers and guards. 

“Darius,” Lilly whispered, clutching my arm. “Your father.”

I turned my eyes to the direction she was looking and then I saw it.

At the far end of the hall, I saw my father’s body sprawled lifeless on the ground. His chest was torn open and his heart missing.

Beside him, my mother’s crumpled form lay still, her throat slashed.

A broken gasp escaped me.

“No,” I breathed, stepping forward in a daze.

My entire world had shattered right before me.

The strongest Alpha to ever rule and the kindest Luna to ever love were gone.

“Darius, we've got to go! ” Lily begged me, lugging my arm. 

My breath came in shallow pants, my heart slamming against my ribs. I barely registered the movement behind me until a sharp pain exploded at the back of my skull.

The world went black.

——

I woke to a pounding headache, my body aching as if I had been through a brutal battle. I shifted, attempting to sit up, but a firm hand pressed against my shoulder.

"Easy, my king," a deep voice rumbled beside me.

I turned my head, my vision still adjusting, and found Rowan standing there. My Beta. My most trusted warrior. His face was lined with exhaustion, but his eyes held relief.

"You’ve been unconscious for days," he said solemnly. "We feared we might lose you."

King.

The title resounded in my mind, but something about it felt off. Wrong. As if it didn’t quite belong to me. I tried to recollect my last memories, but all I found was a haze of pain and darkness.

"What happened?" I rasped. My throat was raw, I didn’t even recognize my voice.

Rowan’s jaw tightened. "Your father was assassinated. You were attacked and struck in the head during the battle. You survived, but you’ve been unconscious for a week. The kingdom needs you now more than ever."

This news shocked me greatly. My father was dead. The crown and the responsibility were now mine. I clenched my fists, feeling frustrated and grieving at the same time. I had no memory of the attack, no recollection of what had brought me here. 

Rowan hesitated before speaking again. "There’s something else. A woman. She’s been asking for you."

I frowned. "Who?"

"Her name is Lilly."

The name didn’t sound familiar to me.

"Should I bring her in?" Rowan asked carefully.

I hesitated. Then nodded.

The door was pushed open a moment later, and a woman stepped in.

She had long, wavy auburn hair, and her blue eyes filled with something between hope and heartbreak. She was bound in shackles, her wrists bruised from captivity. Guards flanked her sides, but she barely acknowledged them.

"Lilly," I repeated, testing the name on my tongue.

Her lips parted slightly, as if waiting for recognition, for something but I gave her nothing.

"You don’t remember me," she whispered. It wasn’t a question.

I shook my head.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain composed. "You told me you’d free me," she said, voice tight with emotion. "You promised to set me free, that I wouldn’t have to serve my sentence. But before we could reach your father, you were attacked."

"Sentence?" My eyes narrowed.

Rowan stepped forward. "Lilly was imprisoned by the former king."

"For what crime?"

Lilly met my gaze, her blue eyes dark with something I couldn’t decipher. "I was accused of seducing you," she said.

My brows lifted. "Then why would I promise to free you?"

"Because you loved me," she said.

The words hit me like a physical blow.

Loved her?

I searched my mind for any trace of that love, any memory of her, of us. But all I found was a hollow void.

"I don’t remember you," I admitted, my voice lower this time.

Lilly inhaled sharply. I could see the fight in her eyes, the way she wanted to argue, to beg me to remember. But instead, she straightened her spine.

"Then I suppose there’s nothing left to say," she murmured. "I will serve my full sentence."

And just like that, she turned and walked away, leaving me with a strange emptiness in my chest.

—

Two years later time had changed everything 

I was no more the kind-hearted prince, I was a King who ruled with an iron fist. My heart which was once capable of love, had hardened into something strong. They claimed I had traded my soul for power.

My mind shifted to Lily, who was moving around the dining table, pouring wine into my cup, suddenly my wolf began to stir.

This wasn’t the first time something like this was happening and it made no sense because I couldn’t understand why she had such a strong effect on me.

She was a servant. Nothing more. I had no memory of her, no reason to be drawn to her. And yet, my muscles tensed at her presence, and I always perceived her scent, which was quite familiar.

My wolf growled inside me, it was restless.

I clenched my jaw, gripping the armrest of my throne.

Why?

Why did she make me feel this way?

Lilly kept her head bowed, never meeting my eyes.

Later that night, when I retired to my chambers, I thought I had finally rid myself of these cursed thoughts. But fate had other plans.

A knock sounded at my door.

"The king’s meal is ready," one of the servants informed me.

"Send someone to bring it in," I said, waving dismissively.

A moment later, I heard footsteps in my room. I looked up and my breath caught when I saw Lilly.

She hesitated at the threshold as if debating whether to drop the tray and run.

"Bring it here," I ordered, my voice was sharper than I had intended.

She obeyed, moving with careful precision as she set the tray down. My wolf growled the moment she drew closer.

The attraction, the pull, I had spent years ignoring it. Denying it but tonight, something snapped.

As she turned to leave, I stood in a hurry, and in a blur, I had her pinned against the wall.

"Who are you? Tell me!" I demanded, my voice was raw and desperate. My hands clenched at her arms, holding her in place as my wolf howled inside me. "Why do I long for you

so much?"

Her breath hitched and her eyes went wide.

I didn’t wait for an answer, instead I crushed my lips on hers.