Chapter 3 The pull of the marble

The palace had never felt so suffocating to Princess Lyra.

Since the incident in the forest, guards followed her everywhere, their footsteps echoing behind her like reminders of how fragile everyone suddenly believed she was. The queen had ordered her confined to the inner gardens, surrounded by stone walls and watchful eyes.

But confinement had never suited Lyra.

She stood at her chamber window, staring out at the distant line of trees beyond the palace grounds. Somewhere in that forest, something had changed. She could feel it-an invisible thread tugging gently at her chest, pulling her attention outward.

The marble stirred again.

Lyra pressed her palm over her heart, breathing slowly. The warmth inside her was no longer subtle. It pulsed in quiet waves, responding to emotions she didn't fully understand. Fear made it flare. Curiosity made it hum. And when she thought about the forest... it almost seemed to glow.

"You're restless today," her maid, Elira, said softly from behind her.

Lyra turned with a forced smile. "I feel like I'm being watched."

Elira laughed nervously. "Your Highness, half the kingdom is watching you right now. After yesterday, it's no surprise."

But Lyra knew that wasn't what she meant.

That night, when the palace slept, she dreamed.

She stood barefoot in a silver-lit forest. The air was thick with magic, heavy and alive. From the shadows, golden eyes watched her-familiar, intense, unreadable. A cloaked figure stood just beyond reach, his presence commanding yet restrained.

"Come closer," a deep voice murmured.

She took a step forward-and woke with a gasp.

The Wolf King opened his eyes at the same moment.

The bond snapped tight, dragging him from shallow sleep. His breath came uneven as he sat up, fingers digging into the ground beneath him.

"She's dreaming," he muttered.

His guard, who had been awake, looked sharply at him. "Of you?"

The Wolf King didn't answer immediately. He could still feel her-confusion, curiosity, a trace of fear tangled with something softer.

"Yes," he said finally. "And the marble responds more strongly now."

The guard crossed his arms. "Then the longer we wait, the deeper the bond grows."

"That is precisely why we must be careful," the King replied. "If the marble fully anchors itself to her, removing it will cost more than either of us is willing to pay."

"Your Majesty," the guard said hesitantly, "the elders warned that if a human carries a wolf marble too long... the connection becomes mutual."

The Wolf King's jaw tightened.

He knew the legends. A marble was not merely power-it was essence. Identity. Fate.

If Lyra's heart accepted it...

Then she would no longer be untouched by his world.

The next morning, Lyra convinced her mother to allow her a brief walk beyond the inner gardens, under heavy guard. She needed air. Space. Something to quiet the strange pull inside her.

They hadn't gone far when the warmth in her chest surged suddenly, sharp and insistent.

Lyra stumbled, clutching her chest. "Stop," she whispered, breathless.

The guards froze. "Your Highness?"

"I need a moment," she said quickly.

The forest loomed ahead, the same one from her dreams. Her pulse raced as the marble reacted violently now, almost guiding her steps.

Without thinking, she took a step forward.

Then another.

"Princess, you mustn't-" a guard started.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the clearing, strong enough to blind them. Leaves spiraled violently, branches creaking as if the forest itself had awakened.

Lyra felt it then.

Him.

The air shifted, thick with power. From the shadows, a figure emerged-cloaked, tall, unmistakable. His golden eyes glowed faintly beneath the hood, locking onto hers with an intensity that stole her breath.

"You..." she whispered.

The guards shouted, drawing weapons, but before they could move, the air warped again. Time seemed to slow, sound muffling into distant echoes.

The Wolf King raised a hand, magic rippling outward.

"Sleep," he commanded softly.

The guards collapsed instantly.

Lyra stood frozen, heart pounding. Every instinct told her to run-but the marble anchored her in place.

"You're real," she said shakily.

"Yes," he replied, voice deep and steady. "And so are you."

He took a step closer. The warmth inside her flared, not painful-familiar. Like something recognizing its other half.

"Who are you?" she demanded, though her voice lacked conviction.

The Wolf King hesitated. For the first time since crossing into her world, uncertainty flickered through his gaze.

"Someone who lost something five years ago," he said. "Something you carry."

Lyra swallowed hard. "You saved me yesterday."

"Yes."

"And before that... in the forest," she whispered.

His eyes darkened. "You remember."

She nodded slowly. "I never forgot."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truth.

"I will not harm you," he said quietly. "But fate has already bound us, whether you accept it or not."

The marble pulsed violently, responding to his presence, its glow warming her chest like a living heartbeat.

Lyra's breath trembled. "Then tell me," she said softly, "why does it feel like I've been waiting for you?"

For a moment, the Wolf King said nothing.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he replied, "Because destiny rarely asks permission."

Before she could respond, the forest stirred again. Distant voices echoed-guards waking, magic unraveling.

The Wolf King stepped back, pulling his cloak tighter. "This is not the time," he said. "But we will meet again. Soon."

"Wait-" Lyra reached out."

He vanished.

The warmth in her chest settled, but the pull remained.

As the guards stirred and rushed to her side, Lyra stared at the place he had stood, her heart racing.

She knew one thing with absolute certainty now.

The stranger from the forest was no longer a mystery.

He was a part of her story.

And he wasn't done with her yet.