All Chapters of The Dark Forest: The Lycan King’s Fated Mate: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

65 Chapters

51. Water Monster

Sebastian POV Morning came slowly, like the forest was reluctant to admit we’d survived it. Sleep didn’t come easily. But at least I got a few hours while Luther took over watch. A thin wash of gray light filtered through the canopy, catching on the dying embers of our fire. The air was damp and cold, carrying that metallic scent that lingers after blood has soaked into soil. For a moment, I lay still on my back, staring up at the shifting leaves overhead. No attacks. No movements. Just quiet. Something hard to come by in here, I’ve noticed. Luther sat propped against a tree a few yards away, flicking rocks at a tree a few feet ahead. He’d taken last watch. His eyes flicked to mine the second he realized I was awake. “Everything’s good,” he said, his voice cracking a slight bit. I nodded once and pushed myself upright. If we were just wolves, we’d be spent after a fight like that. Dead. Even with our healing, they took a lot out of us. Around us, the others sti

52. Serpent

Sebastian POV The cold hits me like a blade. So cold it burns. Of course, it’d have to be the coldest water known to mankind. The moment I slip beneath the surface, the water closes around me with brutal force. My body jerks instinctively as the shock tries to steal the breath from my lungs. Darkness swallows me almost immediately. The faint daylight from the cavern above disappears within seconds, replaced by a thick black void pressing in from every direction. Then the pendant around my neck flares. The blue stone bursts into a bright white glow, cutting through the darkness like a lantern. The light pushes outward in a sphere, illuminating the water around me. I can see about five feet. Maybe a little more. Not much, but enough to see where I’m going. I angle downward, kicking slowly. The cold is already trying to stiffen my limbs, creeping into my fingers and calves. Even with Lycan blood, this water feels like it was pulled straight from the heart of a glacie

53. Night 2

Sebastian POV The fire crackles softly in the center of the small campsite we chose for the night. It seemed to come quickly. Honestly, I thought I’d have gotten to Amara by now. But it would seem that isn’t the case. It’s night 2 in the dark forest. The fire's orange light pushed back the darkness just enough to make the clearing feel safe. Not warm exactly, but safe enough to breathe again. After the cavern.. I’ll take it. That was goddess awful. I swear it to the moons. My clothes have fully dried, now. We’ve hunted and found ourselves a quiet nook right at the top of a waterfall. What looks like steam curls faintly from the edge of the waterfall. It’s quite beautiful. For it being the dark forest and all. I rub my hands together and lean closer to the fire. “Remind me again,” Luther mutters from across the flames, poking at a log with a stick, “why we let you be the one to dive?” I shoot him a look. “Because none of you volunteered first. Be

54: Hi

Sebastian POV “Damn it!” Edgar lunges again. I barely get my arm up in time as he shifts midair, his teeth snapping shut inches from my throat. The force of it sends both of us crashing into the dirt. He claws at me like a starving animal, his claws digging into my coat as he tries to drag himself closer. His breath smells like rot. Not normal rot. Something darker. Like decay mixed with magic. “Hold him!” Sybil shouts. “I’m trying!” I grit out as I grab him. Edgar thrashes beneath my grip with terrifying strength. The veins spreading from the bite on his shoulder pulse black beneath his skin, creeping farther up his neck. Luther grabs one of Edgar’s arms. Aven grabs the other. The look on their faces says everything. They’re truly afraid. But not for their lives, for Edgar’s. He’s a good friend of ours. For a moment we manage to pin him. But it doesn’t last. Edgar’s body convulses violently, ha

55. Blood and misery.

Amara POV Morning comes slowly. Slower than usual. Not with the sounds of the people waking for training, or the distant echo of warriors sparring in the courtyard like I’m used to. No. This morning arrives in quiet, creeping through the tall windows in pale strips of gray light. For a few seconds after I wake, I forget where I am. The bed beneath me is soft. Maybe a little too soft, honestly. The blankets smell faintly of lavender and something I can’t put my finger on. Herbs maybe. Then it all crashes back. The portal. The castle. The vampires. My.. father. Sebastian. My stomach twists painfully. Two nights. Two nights since I was taken from my own bed like some helpless pup. I sit up slowly, pushing the thick covers away as the cool air brushes across my skin. The chamber is quiet, the fire in the hearth reduced to low glowing embers. For a moment I just sit there, staring at nothing. Sebastian is somewhere out t

56. That is mahogany

Amara POV Tomas pulls the chamber door open and steps aside, motioning for me to walk first. “Your father awaits.” He says. I hesitate for only a moment before stepping into the hallway. The castle is already awake. Odd. You’d think it’d be a dead scene during the day, but it’s quite the opposite. But instead of vampires, you see human servants around. Morning light pours through the tall arched windows lining the corridor, casting long pale beams across polished black stone floors. Torches still burn along the walls, their flames steady and controlled, more for decoration than necessity now that daylight has arrived. It’s.. far grander than the dungeon I first woke up in. Servants move quietly through the halls carrying trays, linens, and books. A few glance at me as I pass. Some quickly lower their eyes. Others stare a little longer. Curious. Cautious. Word has clearly spread. The vampire king’s daughter. I fold my hands loosel

57. I’ve heard stories

Amara POV The quiet that follows his words feels heavy. I stare at him across the long stretch of polished black desk, trying to read the expression on his face. But my father seems to be quite good at that. Hiding things. Letting people think they understand the game while he moves the pieces three turns ahead. “Whatever game you’re playing.. it’s a very dangerous one,” I say slowly. His fingers tap once against the arm of the throne. “Every worthwhile game is dangerous.” I grit my teeth. “I thought you wanted me to have the ruby.” “Yes,” he agrees calmly. “The deal is you wear it till it merges with your other half, as I’m sure it’s tried to do.” My claws slowly retract back into my fingers as I force myself to breathe. Yeah, I can think of a time or two.. Across the room, Tomas stands quietly near one of the pillars, arms folded behind his back like the perfect soldier. But I can feel his attention on the conversation. Just listen

58. I like not dying

Amara POV For a moment the throne hall feels too quiet. The fire crackles softly beside me, its flames dancing in lazy orange waves that reflect off the polished black desk between us. My father leans back in his throne like a man completely at ease, like the conversation we just had was nothing more than casual business. “What happened to the man who lost his white and child?” “He right in front of you. Zayka. (little bunny)” I sigh. I won’t leave without answers to my questions but for now I can’t with him. “You want me to go home,” I say slowly, folding my arms across my chest as I study him. “Yes.” The answer comes without hesitation. No pause. No hidden tone. Just simple confirmation. I narrow my eyes slightly. Nothing with him is ever that simple. “With the ruby,” he reminds me. “Fine,” I say after a moment, lifting my chin. “I’ll let it merge or whatever.” One of his brows lifts slightly. “But I have conditions.” That gets his attention. His

59. Sissy

Sebastian POV For a moment none of us move. The kid stands there in the firelight like he just wandered into the wrong campsite by accident. Dirt on his cheeks. Bare feet. Torn shirt hanging off one shoulder. And a dagger humming with enough magic to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Hi!” the boy chirps again, that same bright smile stretching across his face. Luther stares at him. Then slowly looks at me. “..Sebastian,” he murmurs quietly. “Tell me you’re seeing this.” “Oh, I’m seeing it,” I mutter. Aven crouches slightly beside the fire, hands resting near her blades but not drawing them yet. Because what kind of monster draws steel on a kid? The boy takes another step closer. The dagger pulses again. That magic ripples through the clearing like a low vibration. It prickles against my skin, dark and old and hungry. Sybil inhales slowly beside me. “Yep. That’s it,” she whispers again. “Yeah,” I say under my breath. “I gathered.” The b

60. Couldn’t be that easy, could it?

Sebastian POV The barrier hums. It isn’t loud exactly. Not like thunder or crashing waves. But the sound lives in the air around us. A deep vibration that presses against my bones like the forest itself is holding its breath. The three artifacts react the moment we step close. The crown fragment strapped at my belt trembles faintly. The petrified heart Sybil carries pulses like a slow heartbeat in her palm. And the old dagger hangs heavy in my hand, the dark metal humming with that same violent magic we felt the first night we found it. The barrier stretches through the forest like a wall of warped glass. You can see through it. Sort of. Shapes blur and twist behind the shimmering surface. Trees bending slightly wrong. Shadows shifting like the forest on the other side breathes differently. And standing just a few feet beyond it— Amara. My chest tightens the moment my eyes land on her. She stands straight despite the exhaustion lining her face. Her dark hair

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