All Chapters of Lycan's Mate : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The house was unusually quiet, as if silence could somehow shield them from what lay ahead. Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the floor. But there was nothing soft about the atmosphere in Crystal’s home. Crystal sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor. Her fingers twisted in the hem of her robe. She hadn't slept much. Ryder’s declaration echoed through her bones. "Mate". He had said it with such certainty and power. Sarah moved about the kitchen, her hands trembling slightly as she arranged cups on the table while fussing over unnecessary details. The clink of ceramic on wood was too sharp, too loud. Edwin stood by the window, his eyes fixed outside while nursing a cup of coffee His features were calm but his thoughts ran deep — shadows of the past flickered behind his eyes. “The Lycan King” he mused silently. “And he came for her. Just like…” He didn’t finish the thought. Some things were better left buried. For now

* Moonlight pack— Crystal's house * The pale morning light seeped gently through the thin curtains of Crystal's room casting soft patterns on the floor.  She lay still in bed, staring at the ceiling with a heavy heart.  Ryder's words echoed endlessly in her mind   "You are mine, Crystal. Forever and always "  She touched her forehead unconsciously, her fingertips brushed the spot where his lips had pressed with possessive tenderness.  The warmth of his touch lingered there. Never in her life had anyone claimed her so openly, so fiercely, not even George.  Is this real? Is this another cruelty? Another bond to break me?  Her chest tightened. George's rejection still burned in her memory. The shame, humiliation, the sharp sting of betrayal, all were still fresh and raw.

* Moonlight Pack * Crystal stirred beneath her blanket, heart thudding wildly in her chest before her eyes even opened.  A strange warmth pulsed beneath her skin, like something restless had finally awakened after years of sleep. Sitting up slowly, she stared at her hands.  In the pale light slipping through the window, silver shimmer flickered gently across her fingertips, brighter than before, no longer fading instantly. Threads of silver light twisted between her fingers like soft flame, disappearing when she blinked. Her wolf prowled deep in her chest, fully awake now—wild, hungry, demanding freedom.  She’d spent her life believing she was broken, different... but that voice, that restless stirring, had never been this strong. Her senses sang sharper than ever before. Even the faint murmuring of her parents downstairs reached her ears.

  The forest stood silent and cold, thick with mist as Crystal faced Ryder. His golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, intense and unreadable.  “You shouldn’t be here” he murmured, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine. “It’s not safe. The darkness moves tonight"  Crystal swallowed hard, glancing toward the shadows where that strange figure had stood...the one that whispered secrets about ruin and flame.  “I felt it... something was here. Watching me” she said softly, the faint silver glow flickering at her fingertips again.  Ryder stepped closer, but stopped short of touching her.   His scent...warm, commanding, familiar, wrapped around her like a storm held just barely in check.  “I sensed it too. Old magic. Dangerous. It doesn’t belong here... and it wanted you" His jaw tighten

 The cold dawn seeped through the walls of the pack house but Crystal felt only heat. Her skin burned beneath her clothes, her breath shallow as if fire rested deep in her chest.  She sat curled on her bed, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her wolf paced restlessly within her, demanding, clawing to be freed. The heat rose again, flooding her senses. Every heartbeat felt like it scratched against her ribs. The shift. It is coming, she felt it She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself but the feeling was overwhelming.  A thousand sensations were flooding her at once, the pull of the moon, the fire moving beneath her skin, the scent of the forest and the earth. She felt connected to everything, yet isolated in her own turmoil. “The balance holds but the storm is approaching” The Seer’