CHAPTER SEVEN

Elara’s POV

The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but the world around me was already awake.

The air outside our packhouse was thick with the faint scent of morning dew.

My things were already packed… two bags, one filled with clothes, the other with items, books and stuffs that I couldn't leave behind.

The black SUV waiting at the edge of the courtyard.

Its sleek form was almost ominous, and the sight of it made my stomach twist.

This was it.

I was leaving home.

One could only amaze how much power was in the mouth of just a Lycan.

My whole life was about to change because of just his words…

My mother stood beside me, trying her best to hold herself together, but her eyes were filled with tears that betrayed her calm expression.

My father’s arm was wrapped around her shoulders, his gaze set firmly on me.

The pain was just as clear on his face.

I had never seen them both look this fragile… like they were trying to memorize every detail of me before I was gone.

“Mom…” My voice cracked the second I spoke. The word came out small, almost like a child’s.

She smiled softly, brushing her fingers through my hair.

“You’re strong, Elara, stronger than you think. Don’t forget who you are, no matter where you’re going.”

Her voice trembled at the end, and that alone was enough to make the tears I’d been fighting finally spill. “I’ll try,” I whispered. “I promise.”

My father stepped forward next, his hand resting on my shoulder. “You’ll do more than try,” he said in that firm but gentle tone of his.

“You’ll make us proud, Elara. And we’ll come visit you, honey. I promise.”

I nodded quickly, afraid that if I opened my mouth again, I’d completely fall apart. “Okay, Dad,” I murmured.

I leaned in, and hugged them both, trying to hold on for as long as I could.

When I finally pulled away, it felt like tearing a part of myself off.

I wiped my eyes quickly and turned toward the SUV before I could lose my courage.

The driver was waiting with the door open, his head bowed slightly.

My pulse quickened as I took the first step forward.

This was it, the steps to a new and completely different life.

The moment I stepped inside, the air changed.

He was there…the Lycan King himself.

His presence filled the confined space of the car like smoke, thick and suffocating.

I could feel his aura before my eyes even met his. It pressed down on my chest.

He sat beside me, his posture impeccable, his gaze fixed out the window, almost like he was avoiding meeting my eyes.

The driver closed the door, and the car began to move.

A heavy wave of silence settled between us, almost oppressive, atleast for me.

I tried to breathe evenly, but my heart wouldn’t stop racing.

I was seated just a few spaces from the Lycan King himself.

Every few seconds, I caught myself stealing glances at him… the King whose name could make grown wolves tremble.

He looked untouchable from the way he kept his expression neutral to his sharp jaw…

I finally spoke, my voice almost swallowed by the hum of the engine. “I never got to say thank you.”

His gaze didn’t move from the window. His tone was clipped, almost bored. “For the money?”

I swallowed. “Yes… but also for saving my life.”

That got his attention, if only slightly. He turned his head, his piercing blue eyes cutting into mine.

“Saved your life?”

“Yes…” I continued, my voice trembling.

“Just before you hit me, I was being chased by some bunch of wolves, so thank you.”

“If I hadn’t appeared, you’d be dead either way,” he said flatly. “Don’t thank me. Just thank your luck.”

I blinked, unsure how to respond to that.

His words carried no warmth and no hint of compassion.

He said the truth, although he made it blunt and cold.

I looked away, pressing my fingers against the window glass, watching as we passed by trees on trees.

He didn’t understand what it meant to me. If he hadn’t intervened that night, I would’ve been nothing but a forgotten body in the woods.

The idea that he viewed saving me as mere circumstance stung more than I expected.

The silence after that was deafening.

He seemed content in it.

But me? My mind wouldn’t stop spinning.

Why had he chosen me out of all the girls in the pack? The question had been gnawing at me since last night when he siad those words.

When the car finally slowed, I realized I’d been holding my breath.

We pulled into what looked like an entirely different world.

The gates opened soundlessly, revealing an estate so vast and commanding it seemed to consume the horizon.

It had towering walls of dark stone, silver banners hung around it and it was all leading to… the Lycan Kingdom.

It wasn’t just a castle or a mansion; this was an empire.

The SUV stopped at the base of the grand steps.

The King was the first to move, pushing open his door calmly.

I hesitated, frozen for a moment as the reality of it all hit me. Then a servant appeared at my side, opening my door and offering a hand.

“Welcome to my kingdom,” the Lycan King said, his voice echoing faintly through the still air.

I stepped out, my boots crunching lightly against the cobblestone path. The wind here felt different… colder and much sharper.

My gaze swept across the massive courtyard, the towering spires, the endless guards standing like statues at each corner.

“Wow…”

I muttered realizing what true power was.

He turned slightly, his profile illuminated by the sunlight.

I realized then how truly inhuman he seemed… beautiful in the most dangerous way possible.

As he began to walk away, something in me snapped.

“Wait!” The word escaped me before I could stop it.

He paused, glancing back over his shoulder, one brow raised in curiosity. “Yes?”

I hesitated, my heart pounding. “You never told me why you brought me here, of all the ladies in the pack house… why me?”

For the first time since I’d met him, I saw something shift in his expression.

His lips curved faintly, but not a smile.

Then a low and dark chuckle escaped his lips, the sound sent a shiver down my spine.

“So,” he said, turning fully to face me, “you don’t know?”

Confusion flashed across my face. “Know what?”

He took a slow step closer, his eyes locking on mine.

His voice dropped, quieter but sharper.

“You’re a Lyanna.”

The name fell like thunder in my chest.

I'm a Lyanna..?