Chapter 4

The rain hit my face, cold and sharp.

Every breath was like swallowing razor blades.

I ran barefoot on the muddy mountain road, falling more times than I could count.

My knees were scraped raw, my palms torn by gravel, blood mixing with the muddy water.

But I couldn't feel the pain.

There was only one thought in my head: Faster. Go faster.

"Hey! Isn't that the future Luna?"

A few werewolves stepped out from the trees, blocking my path.

I recognized them. Arabella’s thugs.

"Move," I gasped.

"It's dangerous to be out here alone so late," the leader grinned. "Why don't we escort you back?"

"I said, move!"

"Such a temper," another man stepped forward. "I hear you're becoming Luna soon. Why not practice how to obey an Alpha?"

I tried to run past them, but they immediately surrounded me.

"Don't be in such a hurry."

"Play with us for a while."

Arabella's voice came through the comms on their necks, "Careful now. You can play with her, but don't kill her. I want to watch her kneel at the ceremony."

My sanity snapped.

I roared, slamming my palm into the nearest man's chest. He screamed as he flew backward.

The others froze.

I took the chance to break through their circle and kept running.

The rain fell harder.

The road became a river of mud, and I almost slipped several times.

Blisters formed on the soles of my feet, but I didn't dare stop.

Mom was waiting.

Finally, I saw the mountain road leading to the sanatorium.

But just as I turned onto it, a deafening roar came from above.

A mudslide.

A torrent of earth and rock crashed down toward me.

I scrambled to the side of the road, but my foot slipped, and I went tumbling down the mountainside.

The world spun.

Sharp rocks tore at my skin, branches whipped my face.

The back of my head slammed against a rock, and everything went black.

Am I going to die?

Just like last time, a meaningless death?

No! My baby! My mom!

Just as the darkness was about to swallow me, a powerful hand gripped my wrist.

It was a large, warm hand.

Then, a flash of gold sliced through the darkness, forming a shimmering barrier against the crushing wall of mud. This was no mere Alpha. This was the power of a Lycan King.

I was pulled from the mud and into a solid chest.

The rain blurred my vision. All I could see were his eyes—deep pools of liquid gold. They held no contempt, no indifference. Only raw, heart-stopping concern.

"Hold on to me."

The man's voice was deep and strong, a lighthouse in the storm.

He held me with one arm, while the other created a shield out of thin air, blocking the falling debris.

After what felt like an eternity, the shaking finally stopped.

He carried me to a black luxury car waiting in a safe spot.

The moment the warm air from the heater hit my skin, I started to shiver violently, my body finally succumbing to the shock.

The man wrapped a soft blanket around me, but he didn't let go.

His hand remained pressed against my back, his gaze growing impossibly deep.

“This power…” he murmured, his voice tight with disbelief, as if he’d just stumbled upon a sacred relic. In that brief moment of contact, the raging storm inside me quieted, soothed by his touch.

It was a perfect resonance between our powers.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Lucia..." I answered weakly. "Please... take me to St. Mary's Sanatorium... my mom..."

He glanced at me, asked no more questions, and gave the order to his driver.

"To St. Mary's. Full speed."

"Yes, Lord Maxim."

The car shot through the rain like an arrow.

Maxim.

The name exploded in my mind.

The legendary Alpha King who ruled the strongest pack in Europe?

What was he doing here?

When we reached the sanatorium, the hallway was silent.

A long, piercing beep came from the heart monitor.

The flat line on the screen was a knife, severing all my hope.

"Mom!"

I threw myself at the bed, gripping her hand. It was still warm, but she was gone.

Her eyes were half-open, but the light was gone.

A crumpled note lay on her pillow. The handwriting was shaky.

"Lucia, my daughter... leave this place. Go out into the world... be the healer you want to be... you must be happy..."

"Aaaahhh—!"

I collapsed to the floor, a heart-wrenching sob tearing from my throat.

The healing energy inside me spiraled out of control from the grief.

A raw, golden power exploded from my body. It shattered the windows. The lights in the hallway burst. And still. I couldn't save her.

I was a healer, and I was utterly useless.

Just as I was about to pass out, that warm power enveloped me again.

Maxim knelt in front of me, ignoring the flying glass, and enveloped me in his power, forcibly taming the storm that was tearing me apart.

He looked at my tear-streaked face, a flash of pain in his eyes.

"You're not useless, Lucia."

He gripped my shoulders, his voice cutting through my grief.

"Your power could shake the entire continent. The Silver Moon pack is blind. They don't deserve you."

He looked directly into my eyes and made an offer that would change my life forever.

“Come with me,” he commanded, his voice a lifeline. “Be my Royal Healer. And I will give you the world you deserve.”