Chapter 5: Blood On The Stone

Azrik's POV

Becoming the new Lycan King of Velgrath was never part of my plan.

My father’s death sudden, and cloaked in mystery, changed everything. For years, I lived in the shadows as the bastard no one acknowledged.

Then they came for me. Dragged me from the fringes and placed a crown on my head, not because they believed in me, but because there was no one else left.

Both of my father's legitimate sons were gone, claimed by the same strange fate that took him. It felt deliberate, and orchestrated. As though someone, or something, was determined to erase the Lycan bloodline from existence.

That's why my coronation was done in secrecy, no phones, no party. Only the Royal Alphas and a select few pack Alphas even know I sit on the throne. The rest of the world still believes Velgrath is in mourning.

Before all this, I had spent years searching for a mate, hoping the bond would ground me. But after I became king, the council grew impatient, they didn't care about the bond they wanted stability and heirs.

So I married Cassara. Royal Alpha bloodline, daughter of a neighboring pack’s ruler. She moved into my court, and for a brief moment, I tried to make it work.

But she constantly undermined my authority, sabotaging plans, countering my commands behind my back, manipulating council decisions to favor her whims. Instead of partnership, she brought chaos.

The bond never came, our connection was hollow, political, and sterile. Within months, the marriage crumbled. I never marked her, and for that, I’m grateful. Still, Cassara refuses to let go. She lingers, always watching, always hoping.

“You know I’m the only one who can handle you,” Cassara purred, her tone laced with seduction one evening.

I exhaled slowly, trying to hold back the irritation boiling beneath my skin. “Cassara, you need to move on. I’ve given you a house, royal guards, servants, What more do you want?”

Her eyes gleamed with stubborn desire. “I want to be your queen. I want you.”

I laughed bitterly. “We both know if I weren’t an Alpha, you wouldn’t give me a second glance. So why pretend?”

“That’s not true,” she snapped, stepping closer. “You’re my mate.”

“No, I’m not,” I said coldly. “Our wolves don’t align, remember? Mine can’t even stand your presence.”

And it was true, from the beginning, my wolf had recoiled from her. Her scent made him restless and uneasy. There was no bond, no fire, no pull, just silence, and yet she clung to the title like it was oxygen.

Still, I held out hope for my true mate. I searched relentlessly, attending every gathering, summit, and ceremony. Every time, I thought, maybe this time, but the bond never came.

Eventually, my search took me to the distant corners of the kingdom, beyond the familiar borders. So when I heard that Kellan, Alpha of the Duskwind Circle Pack, was getting engaged, and I happened to be nearby, I decided to attend. Who knew what fate had planned?

The moment I stepped into the reception hall, a scent sweet, warm, and fruity, wrapped around me like a silken rope. My wolf stirred instantly, restless, alert. Mate.

Then I saw her. Held back by guards, her wrists gripped as if she were a threat. Fury surged through me so fast I almost lost control. My vision darkened, my wolf snarled inside me, demanding I tear through anyone who dared touch her.

But I restrained myself, barely. She was breathtaking, not just in beauty, but in spirit. There was something radiant about her, something pure. My wolf recognized her, every fiber of me recognized her, but hers didn’t respond.

No spark, no pull, nothing. It was as if her wolf couldn’t feel me. Still, I didn’t push. I told myself she would feel it eventually, the bond was real, I could feel it pulsing in my veins. So I waited.

And that night… Goddess, that night. It was like tasting destiny. I had never known such overwhelming love or pleasure. I held her close, heart pounding with a truth I couldn’t deny: she was mine. My mate, my soul.

I had planned to tell her everything by morning, but in the middle of the night, my Beta called me. Our pack had been ambushed.

A rogue king and his soldiers had launched an attack while both my Beta and I were absent. We were exposed, vulnerable. I couldn’t leave the entire burden to my Gamma, not with lives at stake.

I had to go, but how could I leave her? I didn’t want to wake her, didn’t want to see confusion or fear in her eyes. So I did the one thing I had to, I marked her while she slept.

My mark glowed faintly on her skin, a promise, a claim, a bond. Then I left a note beneath the lamp by the bedside, explaining everything. I prayed she’d read it. I prayed she’d wait.

Now that my pack is safe, and protected, I returned without delay. It was late when we arrived at Duskwind Circle, but I didn’t care. I went straight to Kellan, heart racing.

“Where’s Lunessa?” I demanded.

He hesitated, and then he said it.

“She’s in jail.”

My hands slammed down on the table with such force that it shattered in half, the long oak slab splintering like dried bark, crashing to the floor.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN LUNESSA IS IN JAIL?!”

“I’m sorry… I can explain,” Kellan stammered, his face pale, his hands visibly shaking.

“TAKE ME TO HER. NOW!” I roared, my voice echoing like a storm tearing through the halls.

He didn’t hesitate. He turned and bolted outside, leading me toward the dungeon. My steps were heavy, thunderous, as the fury inside me coiled tighter with every breath.

Then I saw a trail of blood, dark and fresh, smeared across the cold stone floor. My heart slammed against my ribs. My wolf clawed at my insides, wild and howling.

The dungeon door stood wide open, she wasn’t there. Lunessa was gone.

I froze, my entire body vibrating with primal fury. My fists clenched so tightly my claws burst through my skin, dripping blood onto the stones. The rage boiled over, searing hot and uncontrollable.

And then I snapped. A roar tore from my chest, raw and thunderous, a sound that shook the very air around us. The foundations of the dungeon trembled beneath my feet, dust rained from the ceiling, stones cracked. Wooden beams groaned as if they, too, were afraid of me.

The ceiling began to crumble, chunks of rock crashing to the floor around me, guards scattered. Kellan backed away, terror frozen on his face.

I stood there in the chaos, trembling with fury and grief, the echo of my scream still lingering like thunder after a lightning strike.

They took her, and now everyone will pay.