Chapter 3 The lycan king

I stared at him, heart hammering against my ribs.

The Lycan King.

Not a myth. Not a tale to scare pups around campfires. He was real-and he had just saved me.

And now... I was alone with him in the darkest part of the forest, where no she-wolf with a broken bond had any business surviving.

My instincts screamed. But not from fear.

From recognition.

Lyra stirred inside me, no longer whimpering. Her presence grew stronger, bolder. Do you feel that? she whispered. He's not just powerful. He's... familiar.

I blinked, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

The Lycan King took another step closer, his golden eyes boring into me. "You've heard of me," he said. It wasn't a question. His voice was rich with centuries of authority, the kind that made even the strongest Alpha bow.

"I thought you were just a story," I murmured. "A warning."

"Stories," he said with a hint of amusement, "often hold more truth than the ones who tell them care to admit."

I tried to take a calming breath, but the air was thick with his scent-earth and storm, power and danger. It curled around me like smoke, setting my already frayed nerves on fire.

"You've entered my territory," he continued. "A place no wolf dares cross. But you... you didn't hesitate."

"I didn't mean to," I said quickly. "I was running. I wasn't thinking-"

"You were in pain." His voice softened just a little. "Your wolf is wounded. Your heart cracked wide open."

I swallowed hard. "You can smell that?"

"I can feel it."

His words held weight. Not just metaphor. He felt it-as if we were connected in some way. But that couldn't be. The mate bond with Darius had snapped. My soul felt hollow, raw. There was nothing left to tether me to anyone.

And yet this man-this ancient, lethal creature-was looking at me like I was something precious.

"I shouldn't be here," I whispered, taking a shaky step back.

He tilted his head. "You're exactly where you were meant to be."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he turned away. "Come."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I said firmly, though my voice trembled more than I liked.

He paused, glancing at me over his shoulder. "You're in the heart of the Shadowwild. You've already been hunted once tonight. Do you think you'll survive alone, broken and unshifted?"

That stung. I hated being reminded that I hadn't shifted yet, not even once. I was the only one in my age group who hadn't. Darius used to mock me for it. Said I was a defective wolf.

But the Lycan King's voice held no malice-only fact.

I hesitated, then stepped forward. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe. For now."

I followed.

---

The forest changed as we moved. Where it had once felt wild and hostile, it now felt... alive. Trees parted for him. Shadows bowed away. The deeper we went, the more I felt like I was crossing into another realm entirely.

Finally, we emerged into a glade, where a towering fortress stood. Its black stone walls glowed faintly under the moonlight, and massive carved doors swung open at the King's approach.

This was no pack house. It was something older. Wilder.

Two guards at the entrance bowed low, not daring to meet his gaze. I stayed close to him, unsure who or what was watching me from the shadows.

Inside, the fortress was breathtaking.

Stone hallways lit by floating lanterns. Velvet drapes that whispered of old magic. Walls that hummed with power. It was beautiful, but it felt ancient. Sacred. Dangerous.

He led me into a large chamber with a fire crackling in a stone hearth. The warmth seeped into my chilled bones.

"Sit," he said, nodding toward the long couch.

I did, but stiffly, my eyes never leaving him. "You still haven't told me your name."

He poured something dark into a glass and handed it to me. "Names carry power, little wolf. But for now, you may call me Kael."

Kael. The name felt heavy, ancient-like it belonged to storms and legends.

"You said I wasn't ordinary," I said, wrapping my fingers around the warm glass. "What did you mean?"

He studied me for a long moment before speaking. "You haven't shifted yet. But you will. And when you do, you won't be like the others."

I blinked. "You can't know that."

"I do," he said. "I sensed it the moment you stepped into my territory. There's something sleeping inside you. Something old. Possibly... royal."

I laughed, but it came out brittle. "I'm not special. I'm the rejected omega daughter of a dead warrior. My pack barely tolerated me."

"They feared you," he corrected. "Because they could sense your potential, even if you couldn't."

His words rang in my chest like a distant drumbeat.

"You need rest," Kael said, his tone gentler now. "Stay here tonight. In the morning, we'll talk about what comes next."

"And what is that?"

He met my gaze, and something ancient flickered in his eyes. "Your awakening."