Chapter 4 The alliance

Chapter four

The air in Dairon carried a bite of late autumn, crisp and laced with the faint scent of pine and earth. Below, the distant hum of the city blended with the faint rustle of leaves as wolves patrolled the perimeter.

Lucian Hawthorne stood atop the rocky cliff overlooking Dairon with his hands clasped behind his back, broad shoulders squared as the wind ruffled his dark hair.

His sharp, amber eyes scanned the town below a place steeped in ancient whispers, where bloodlines of both man and beast had intertwined for centuries. Yet few knew the truth buried beneath Dairon's soil.

"𝘛𝘩𝘦 Lycanthar..."

Lucian's jaw tightened. That name had been carved into the heart of his pack's legacy-until it vanished from history. But some memories lingered like shadows clinging to the bloodline, passed through instinct rather than words.

He'd inherited that secret with his title as Alpha, along with a responsibility that should've been shared by all packs.

The Crescent Moon Pack had been guardians once. Protectors of something beyond the realm of ordinary wolves. And Lucian had never stopped wondering why that duty had been stripped from them-or who had erased it.

"Lucian."

The voice behind him pulled him from his thoughts. Deep and gravelly, it belonged to his Beta, Tobias, whose heavy footsteps crunched over frost-kissed grass as he approached.

"They're waiting for you at the estate," Tobias said as he stood with one of his arms hanging on a nearby tree.

"Sylvia's family arrived an hour ago." He added waiting for Lucian's response.

Lucian exhaled slowly, his breath clouding the air. "Sylvia..." Even the name stirred a weight in his chest, but not the kind most men might feel before a promised union.

Where others might find anticipation or desire, Lucian felt only a hollow ache.

"I have no intention of entertaining Sylvia tonight," he replied without turning.

Tobias hesitated. "You know what's at stake. The council..."

"I know." Lucian's tone was firm, though a muscle in his jaw twitched. "The council believes this marriage will secure stability between our packs. A political bond to keep the Black Lunar Pack from challenging my authority."

"And to maintain our place at the head of the Northern Alliance," Tobias added.

Lucian's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Power disguised as unity."

Still, duty was a chain no alpha could ignore, and Lucian bore its weight with every step he took back toward the forest, his strides swift and purposeful.

By the time he emerged onto the gravel driveway of the Crescent Moon estate, a sprawling manor of dark stone and towering spires, golden light poured from its windows, illuminating the gathered guests within.

Hidden beyond the city limits, the sprawling manor stood as a symbol of centuries-old power stone walls draped in ivy, arched windows glowing faintly against the dark.

The hum of conversation drifted through the air as Lucian stepped through the grand oak doors. His presence commanded instant attention. Eyes turned toward him, pack members, elders, and emissaries from neighboring clans, yet it was Sylvia's gaze that burned the hottest.

Clad in a midnight-blue gown that clung to her slender figure, Sylvia Claw stood near the grand fireplace, her platinum-blonde hair cascading in soft waves over her shoulders.

Her emerald eyes locked onto Lucian with an intensity that sent a ripple of unease through him. Not because of her beauty, many admired her delicate features and icy poise, but because of the hunger that lurked beneath her gaze. A hunger that had nothing to do with love.

Her scent, a mix of wild jasmine and iron-curled through the air as she stepped beside him. Her silver-blonde hair fell in perfect waves over her shoulders, and her eyes gleamed gold beneath the moonlight.

"Lucian," she purred, stepping forward as if the entire room had melted away. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten our... special evening."

"I was delayed," Lucian replied, his tone measured.

"You've been avoiding me," she said lightly, though a thread of steel ran beneath her words.

Lucian didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the council and the guests chattering. Silence stretched between them, taut as a bowstring.

"Always so distant. You should learn to enjoy the company of your future mate." She reached out, her fingers grazing the lapel of his coat with possessive familiarity.

Lucian resisted the urge to step back, though every fiber of his being recoiled from her touch.

"This arrangement is for the good of our packs Sylvia," he said evenly. "Nothing more."

"Oh, Lucian... I know duty binds you, but perhaps, in time, you'll see there can be more between us." Sylvia said, her smile faltered, a flicker of something cold and dangerous flashing in her eyes before she masked it with a syrupy laugh.

Lucian said nothing. There was no future where he would ever love her. His heart, caged as it was by expectation, had long since accepted that it would beat alone. He had no interest in women, not to even mention Sylvia.

"It won't change anything, you know," Sylvia added with a wry chuckle.

"Our union is inevitable. The council has decided. Imagine what we could achieve together, the strength of the Black Lunar and Crescent Moon Packs combined. No one could challenge us." Sylvia added in a tone thirsty for power.

Lucian's jaw tightened. "Power doesn't interest me, Sylvia. And neither does this marriage."

Her smile thinned, though her eyes burned with something dangerously close to obsession.

"You say that now. But you'll see, Lucian. I know what it means to be an Alpha's mate, to stand beside a man destined to rule. I've waited long enough."

"You're chasing a title, not a bond." His voice dropped to a growl as he turned to face her.

"And I won't be forced into something I don't want," Lucian added, his voice firm and distant.

Sylvia's gaze flashed, her nails digging slightly into his arm. "Don't be so sure. The council won't allow you to refuse. They need this alliance to maintain order-and to keep humans from questioning our control over Dairon."

"You think I need you to lead my pack?" His voice was low, cold.

"Think again. I'll play the council's game for now, but don't mistake compliance for surrender."Lucian added, looking Sylvia straight in the eye.

"We'll see, Lucian. We'll see."Sylvia said with a sly smile, cool and confident as if she already knew the outcome.

She turned and walked away, heels clicking softly against the marble floor. The faint rustle of her silk dress faded into the air leaving only the sound of glasses clinking and voices echoing.

Somewhere beyond the walls of this estate, beyond the politics of packs and councils, a different fate stirred in the shadows of Dairon. And though Lucian couldn't yet see the threads weaving through his world, he could feel their pull, a faint tremor in his blood.

Something was coming.

And somehow, he knew it was tied to the legacy his ancestors had sworn to protect...the Lycanthar.