The Shadow King Novels & Stories

The crown hits the marble floor with a sharp clang just before my father’s body does. The hall erupts in screams. I want to shout, to rush over to him, but my voice sticks in my throat. All I can do is watch the blood pool beneath his throne, creeping toward me. The soldiers kneel, but not for the king—for her. Queen Lunice, my grandmother. “Long live the Queen,” they chant, their voices hollow and obedient. Her eyes meet mine. Those dark, ancient, endless eyes hold me in place across the years. “No male heir shall survive,” she whispers. “The curse has already begun.”

And there, at the base of the Father of Roots, sat the Shadow King. He wasn't on a throne of gold or stone. He sat on a throne of woven shadows, his massive glass blade resting across his knees. He looked more like a statue than a man. The obsidian smoke that made up his skin was swirling slowly, like a storm trapped in a bottle. The outcasts stopped at the edge of the clearing, refusing to go further. Even Leo stayed back, his hand trembling as he gripped his dagger. I walked forward alone. The air in the clearing was freezing, yet it hummed with a violent energy. As I stepped onto the black grass, Kaelen lifted his head. The white light in his eyes flared, c

Ava's scream went through the bond before she had air to give it sound. Ryder shifted mid-leap toward the portal, already shifting, the crimson of his eyes blazing full and absolute, and the alliance wolves around the room were moving, the music stands overturning, the guests backing toward the walls, and through the crack in the floor a voice rose — deep, layered, the voice she'd dissolved in a shadow realm three weeks ago. Still here. Still waiting. *"The heir is mine."* The voice of the Shadow King, fuller now than it had been on the ridge, fuller than it had been in the shadow realm, powered by the full moon and the unspoken vow and everything they hadn't

"But you cannot stop it. War is coming. The shadows rise. Kneel or fall. The world will bow to me. And so will you." The voice grew deeper. "Choose wisely, Lyra. Or I will take you by force." Suddenly Rowan’s body went stiff. The black eyes stared straight into hers. The Shadow King spoke one final time. "You will kneel." The ground cracked beneath them. Dark mist poured into the sanctuary.

"You are simply cursed." Zara squirmed beneath her gaze and looked away. "Right. Of course." She cleared her throat again. "What did you mean earlier when you said it wasn't 'exactly' Alpha Draven?" "Ah." Something shifted in Lysara's expression. "Yes. You've reminded me of something important." She folded her hands. "The Shadow King is, as the name suggests - a shadow. He has no physical form. To interact with the living, he requires a vessel. A body that is already breathing." She paused. "In this case, that vessel is -"

"I'm the one who finished the job. Now, move aside. I have to take back what he stole from our family." My jaw dropped. "Leo... what are you talking about?" "That isn't your brother, little weaver," a voice came from the shadows behind him. A man stepped out, wearing a mask made of bone. "That is the new King of the Shadows. And you just helped us kill the only man who could stop us."

On our wedding night, my wife, who almost never drank, got wasted because she was supposedly too happy. Just when I didn't know what to do, my best friend sent me a long message explaining how to take care of her. I blushed, but I still followed his instructions and soothed her the way he described. Natalie, who had been making a scene, miraculously quieted down. But just as I was about to call my friend and thank him, Natalie suddenly hugged me from behind. Heartbroken, she whispered, "Ashton Hawke, you're the one I wanted to marry." As she said it, the tattoo near her heart slipped into view: a hawk with its wings spread wide. My mind went blank. Ashton Hawke was my best friend of

Within a matter of seconds the crowd had dispersed leaving Hunter Devin and I alone in silence. Devin’s hands were still balled up into fists and his teeth clenched, he looked up at me with anger written across his features. “Devin, let me explain.” I said slowly testing the waters, “By all means.” He muttered angrily. “If you haven’t figured by now, I’m not exactly a normal wolf.” His nodded, albeit begrudgingly “Have you ever heard the story of the Shadow wolf?” he nodded again, with confusion maring his features. “Well, long story short… I am the Shadow wolf.” His eyes widened as he thought about it but narrowed them before speaking, “How is that possible?” I sighed before explaining the

Is it possible that there are other players I'm missing? I needed more from Ambrose. I needed to make sure he gave it to me without distraction, too. I walk down the aisles of the garden, pausing to smell a few blooming buds, when I hear soft footsteps in the dark. I instinctively duck down, using the shadows to hide me. In the dim light, I can see the king, his crown catching the light. I watch quietly as he reaches up, taking the crown from his head and setting it in the grass. My breath catches as he shifts in the night, turning from a man to a wolf.

She swallowed and raised her trembling hands to sign some god knows what shit but before she could even bring herself to move a finger, a warrior burst inside the tent, his condition in a disarray as he struggled to breathe. He was a Walton warrior. She didn't even get the chance to take a breath when the warrior struck her with another 'heart failing' news. "My King, King Leo, and King Adrian are indulged in a serious rumpus." He said and Sasha's eyes doubled in size. King Adrian was the King of the Clover Kingdom. She knew he had a beef with her brother but to think they would openly go on a rumpus right before the war was absurd. She shifted her gaze back on Ragnar and noticed how rigid h