Semua Bab The Kings Forbidden Mate: Bab 81 - Bab 90

The royal procession reached the village of Stoneford by late afternoon.The settlement had been hit hardest during the Shadow Crown’s retreat. Most houses were reduced to charred skeletons. The fields were blackened and barren. The wells had been poisoned, forcing the survivors to carry water from a distant stream. The people gathered slowly as the column arrived, their faces hollow and distrustful.Caelan dismounted beside Lucien, the mating bite on his neck clearly visible beneath his cloak. The bond between them hummed with quiet strength, steadying him against the weight of so many wary eyes.Lucien’s hand rested lightly on the small of Caelan’s back, a silent show of unity.“We have come to rebuild,” Lucien said, voice carrying clearly across the square. “The war is over. The Shadow Crown is broken. The bond between your king and his consort has endured. Let this village be the next to rise again under a new peace.”Caelan stepped forward, speaking directly to the gathered famil

The royal procession reached the village of Stoneford by late afternoon. Stoneford had once been a prosperous trading post on the southern trade route, known for its sturdy granite houses and the clear spring that fed its wells. Now it was a ghost of itself. Half the buildings had collapsed under fire, the spring was choked with ash, and the trade road was overgrown with weeds. The people gathered slowly as the column arrived, their faces gaunt with exhaustion and a deep, wary distrust. Children clung to threadbare skirts. Elders stood with tired eyes that had seen too much war. Caelan dismounted beside Lucien, the mating bite on his neck clearly visible beneath his cloak. The bond between them hummed with quiet strength, steadying him against the weight of so many wary eyes. Lucien’s hand rested lightly on the small of Caelan’s back, a silent show of unity. “We have come to rebuild,” Lucien said, voice carrying clearly across the square. “The war is over. The Shadow Crown is broke

The grand marble halls of the Lycan King’s palace echoed with forced laughter and the clink of crystal goblets. The victory feast for the southern campaign had stretched into its third night, but beneath the golden chandeliers and heavy velvet banners, tension coiled like a spring trap.Caelan stood half-hidden behind a pillar draped in silver silk, his simple black tunic and fitted trousers a stark contrast to the jeweled finery swirling around him. The mating bite on his neck was covered by a high collar tonight—Lucien’s reluctant concession to the nobles’ sharp eyes—but the bond thrummed hot and constant beneath his skin. Every time Lucien’s golden gaze found him across the room, the pull tightened, sending warmth low in his belly.He was no longer the trembling tribute omega sent to die. Yet in the eyes of the court, he remained exactly that: a disgrace. A threat to the throne.“Still hiding in shadows, little mate?” Prince Rowan’s smooth voice slid over him like oiled silk. The k

Dawn had barely broken when the heavy doors of the royal council chamber swung open. Sunlight streamed through tall arched windows, casting long golden beams across the crescent table where the most powerful noble houses had already gathered. The air felt thick with hostility and the mingled scents of dominant alphas.Caelan walked at Lucien’s side, spine straight, silver eyes calm despite the storm raging inside him. He wore dark formal robes trimmed in silver, simple yet elegant, chosen to remind everyone he stood as the king’s acknowledged mate, not a mere tribute. The high collar still hid the mating bite, but the bond pulsed strongly between them, a private anchor in the sea of judgment.Lucien moved like a predator entering his den—tall frame radiating raw power, black velvet robes edged with silver wolf embroidery, golden eyes cold and unyielding. His presence alone silenced several whispered conversations. Yet Caelan could feel the tension coiled in the king’s muscles through

The royal chambers felt smaller under the weight of gathering storm clouds outside. Rain began to patter against the tall windows as Caelan stood by the hearth, watching flames dance across logs while Lucien paced like a caged wolf. The bond between them hummed with shared tension, a constant reminder that every decision now carried the risk of civil war.Lucien stopped near the window, golden eyes reflecting the lightning that flashed in the distance. His broad frame filled the space, black robes discarded for a simple tunic that clung to his powerful chest. “The loyal houses number fewer than I hoped. Vesper and his allies move fast. Ravens have already flown to the border packs.”Caelan turned, silver eyes steady despite the unease twisting in his gut. His quiet intelligence had spent the past hour mapping possible outcomes, weighing alliances and dangers. “Then we must act faster. Send envoys to the neutral houses tonight. Offer them trade concessions or protection from southern r