5: King’s Claim

Elara Moonstone

My breath hitched as I stood there frozen. I didn't know what else to think. My words reverberated in my mind and for a moment, I only tried to calm my racing heart. What Rowan had done was find a way to escape my mind for a while as the thoughts of being mates to the lycan king filled my mind. The voice of whoever was talking to him caught my attention and I paid attention to what was being said.

"The arrangements had been made to meet with the alphas." He said. There was a pause and I wondered why. At this point, I just could not stop myself from turning around to look at him. I wanted to see the expression on his face so badly that I didn't realise when I turned around. He had a bit of a surprise on his face.

"Alphas? I don't remember having any arrangements to meet with any of them. What could I possibly want to discuss?" He asked and waved at the person, as if he were trying to dismiss the person he was talking to. I took a deep breath looking away from him as I didn't want to maintain eye contact with him.

With the delicate political balance between Lycans and the various Alpha packs, that was less a statement and more a declaration of indifference, perhaps even contempt. It was audacious. It was... him, the lycan king. He didn't take much time before he started to prove me right about the things that I had heard about him.

Then, he lowered the device and turned, his gaze sweeping the gathered shifters, and for a terrifying, world-stopping moment, it landed squarely on me. My blood surged, a sudden, violent recognition slamming through my veins. It wasn't just observing the famous King Luca anymore. It was... him, my mate. I still could not believe that I felt that bond between me and him. Why then did they make me believe that I was cursed? Why did they say I was never going to feel the bond? I asked myself and just then, I found myself smiling.

The single, silent word echoed in the empty space inside my mind, a revelation so profound that it stole my ability to breathe. I, Elara Moonstone, daughter of the late Alpha Kaelen, was mated to the Lycan King. I had heard tales of him for years, stories whispered in hushed tones around campfires, accounts of his power, his isolation, his absolute rule. I had never, not once, imagined our paths would cross, let alone be irrevocably bound. Awe warred with sheer, unadulterated disbelief. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be me.

He began to walk towards me, cutting a path through the suddenly hushed crowd. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to shift and bolt into the night, but I was frozen, caught in the intensity of his approach. When he stopped before me, the air felt different and charged. I didn't know how to react, especially after the earlier encounter with him. His scent was wild, ancient, like pine forests after a storm, filling my senses, overwhelming the perfumes and other shifter scents around us.

"Moonstone," he said, his voice was a low rumble that vibrated through my bones. He knew my name? Of course he did. He was the King. He knew everything. "Will you grant me an audience?"

An audience? With the King who was apparently my mate? My mind reeled. An audience felt too formal, too detached for the breathtaking truth that had just been revealed. But dealing with that truth felt impossible right now. Not here, not like this, surrounded by prying eyes. And honestly, after the night I'd already had, I wasn't sure I could handle another complex male trying to assert control over my life. Rowan had just announced Lyra as the new Luna of my pack, the pack that was my birthright, the pack my father had built. And now this?

Defiance, an old friend, rose to meet the shock. "No!" I said the word, surprisingly steady despite the tremor in my hands. My voice seemed unnaturally loud in the sudden quiet around us. "I have no intention of talking to you."

It was impulsive, perhaps foolish given who he was, but it felt necessary. A desperate act of reclaiming agency in a night that felt determined to strip it away.

"For a moment, I thought that after you hear my name or know who I was, you were going to give up this act of yours." He explained slowly and for a moment, I only sighed. I tried to think of what to say, but before I could come up with anything, his voice came up again, and I tilted my head to look at him, wondering where the insane confidence was coming from.

"I honestly don't know why you are trying to act strong in front of me. You aren't even surprised that I know all of these things about you?" I drew my eyebrows closely as I gave him a pale look before I talked.

"That's not new to me. Perhaps you have detected the mate bond before me. I don't know how to explain but the bottom line is I am not interested in solving my problems with anyone. I have just been betrayed and on the night that he placed the icing on the cake, you come here and tell me you want me to come with you to solve some problem?" I didn't know when all those words flew out of my mouth but I didn't regret it. He stood there, calm like he was waiting for the perfect time to strike. There was a moment of silence before he cleared his throat to break it.

"I understand that you are grieving and perhaps you aren't in a good mood. I understand, but you shouldn't deny the fact that you need help, and right now, I don't need to remind you that you don't really have anybody on your side to fight with you, and here I am offering you support. Are you just going to throw that opportunity away because you are grieving? This is your chance." I didn't know if he was trying to convince me or if he was threatening me but regardless of what it was, I wasn't ready to give in. I shook my head slightly before I talked.

"I don't want your help. Thank you." I said firmly and before he could respond, before that intense gaze could break down my fragile composure, I turned and walked away. I didn't run, and I didn't look back. I simply walked, praying my legs wouldn't give out, heading towards the nearest exit, needing space, needing air that didn't smell overwhelmingly of Lycan King.

I spent the next two hours roaming the extensive grounds outside the estate. The cool night air brushed against the heat of my skin, but it did little to soothe the rage within me. My thoughts were running wild, and I couldn't even keep them off my mind. Rowan had already made me a laughing stock in the pack, and King Luca was trying to humiliate me in front of the entire kingdom.

"Lycan King. My mate." I didn't know those words left my mouth. The words tumbled over and over in my mind, coupled with images of Rowan and Lyra, of their smug, entitled faces. How could this be happening all on the same night? The universe seemed intent on rearranging my life without my permission.

I walked through manicured gardens, past reflective ponds, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin, sensing the chaos. I tried to make sense of the mate bond, a concept I'd only ever heard about in stories, especially between different species like Lycans and wolves. It was supposed to be instant, undeniable, a perfect fit. When I looked at King Luca, I had felt a powerful pull, a strange recognition, but it was overlaid with layers of his reputation, his power, and my current turmoil. It felt less like destiny and more like another complication I didn't need.

Just as the cold began to truly seep into my bones, a familiar figure emerged from the house and scanned the grounds. It was Rowan. It seemed the gala had finally ended. He spotted me and began walking towards where I stood near a large oak tree. My jaw tightened. Just the sight of him brought the fresh wave of anger crashing back. I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to walk away. To leave him alone there and go back to the pack but my legs deceived me. My legs were stuck to the ground and my eyes were fixed on him.

"Elara. The gala's over. Come, let's go." He called out, his tone carefully neutral. I didn't know how to react to what he had just said. I stood there like I was a lost cause. I heaved a sigh, looking away from him. My lips parted slightly and words began to fly out slowly.