The Lycan King

Lyra’s POV

Branches hit my arms as I ran, and my feet moved without stopping, tears blurred my eyes, and I could not see the path clearly, but I kept running.

My chest hurt, and the broken mate bond burned inside me like fire.

“Why…?” I whispered while running.

“Why did you do that, Kael?”

The forest grew deeper, and the pack borders disappeared behind me, and then I slowed down after some time.

My legs shook, and my breathing became ragged.

I stopped near a large tree and held the trunk. My hands trembled, my mind returned to the ceremony, and Kael’s voice echoed in my head.

“I reject you as my mate.”

My wolf whimpered inside me, and the pain spread again through my chest. I sank to the ground, and tears fell down my face.

“I was ready to accept everything,” I whispered.

“I was ready to stay by your side even if you did not love me.”

My voice broke

“But you still pushed me away.”

The forest answered with silence, but one heard me and no one cared, but suddenly a low growl broke through the air, and my body froze, and then another growl followed, then another, and I lifted my head slowly.

Five wolves stepped out from the trees. Their bodies were large, and their fur was dirty.

Their eyes shone with hunger. They were Rogues.

One of them laughed.

“Look what we found.”

Another wolf circled me.

“A weak little wolf wandering alone.”

The third wolf sniffed the air, and his eyes shone brighter.

“A rejected mate.”

They all laughed, and my heart beat fast, and then I pushed myself up slowly.

“I don’t want trouble,” I said, and my voice shook.

“Please… let me pass.”

The first wolf then tilted his head.

“Did you hear that?”

He grinned.

“She is begging.”

The others then laughed again.

“There is no pack mark on her,” one said.

“That means she belongs to no one.”

The first wolf then stepped closer.

“Which means she is free prey.”

Fear rose inside me, and I took a step back, and my legs still felt weak.

“Stay away,” I whispered, and my wolf lunged, and I tried to move, but my body was heavy, and his claws came toward me, and then something happened.

Pain exploded inside my chest, and my wolf roared inside my head. It was not crying and not weak, but it was roaring.

Power then spread through my body, and my eyes widened.

“What…?”

The wolf attacked again, but this time my body moved before I thought, and my claws struck forward.

Blood splashed across the ground, and the rogue wolf collapsed. The others froze, and for a moment no one moved.

Then one snarled.

“Kill her!”

They rushed toward me together, and something inside me broke free, and my wolf took control, and then I moved fast.

Faster than I ever moved before, and my claws slashed across fur and skin, and a wolf fell, and then another jumped at me.

I turned and struck, and he dropped to the ground.

The third rogue bit my arm, and pain shot through me, but my wolf growled and threw him away.

I slashed again, and the fight ended within moments.

When I finally stopped moving, the ground was covered in blood.

The rogues lay around me, none of them moved, and my breathing became heavy.

I then stared at my hands as they shook.

“My wolf… did this?”

My wolf had never been this strong, never.

The power inside me faded, and my legs began to shake. Then the pain from the broken bond returned, and my vision became blurry.

“I cannot… stand…”

My body fell to the ground, and the trees above me spinned and then darkness slowly moved closer, and just before everything faded, I heard footsteps.

They were slow and heavy, and someone stopped near me.

I forced my eyes open, and a tall man stood above me, silver eyes glowed in the night, and power flowed from him like fire, and his voice filled the air.

“Who dared hurt my mate?”

Then darkness took me.

—-

I woke to a strange ceiling, and my eyes blinked slowly, the bed under me felt large, the air smelled different, and I sat up quickly.

“Where am I?”

A deep voice answered.

“You are safe.”

I turned my head. The man from the forest stood near the bed. He was tall with broad shoulders, and his silver eyes watched me carefully.

“Who… are you?” I asked, and he walked closer; his presence filled the room.

“I am Ares Draven.”

My heart stopped.

The name spread through every pack in the north.

The ruler of the Lycans.

“The Lycan King?”

He nodded once.

“Yes.”

Shock filled me.  “What am I doing in the Lycan kingdom?”

“You collapsed in the forest,” he said.

“Dead rogues surrounded you.”

I lowered my eyes.

“My wolf…”

A woman in a healer's robe stepped into the room.

“Your Majesty,” she said while looking at Ares.

“I finished checking her condition.”

Ares nodded.

“Speak.”

The healer then looked at me, her eyes widened, and she gasped.

“Your Majesty… she is pregnant.”

The room spun, and my breath stopped.

“Pregnant?”

My hands moved to my stomach.

“No…”

My voice shook.

“No… that cannot be…”

But I knew the truth: the last 3 nights before Serena returned, the night Kael held me close, my chest hurt again, and Ares watched me carefully.

His expression changed, and his eyes grew darker, and he turned toward the healer.

“Leave us.”

She then bowed and walked out, and silence filled the room.

I could not look at him, and my hands still rested on my stomach.

“I didn’t know,” I whispered.

“I swear I didn’t know.”

Ares said nothing for a moment, and then he walked to the window, and he looked toward the south, toward the direction of my old pack, and his voice filled the room.

“Prepare the army.”

My head lifted quickly.

“The army?”

He turned toward me again, and his silver eyes shone with anger.

“We will visit the Stormclaw Pack soon.”

Fear ran through me.

“Why?”

His voice became dangerous.

“And when I arrive…”

His eyes burned with promise.

“Someone will die.”