The Lycan Who Found Me

Episode 1 – The Wedding That Ended Me

(Elena's POV)

Flower and rain smells were in the air.

I held the bouquet in my hands at the altar, and my heart was beating so fast that I was sure everyone could hear it. The white roses I had in my hand moved with me. It was just jitters, I told myself. Every bride feels this way before she says "I do."

The piano stopped playing. People in the hall got up and looked at me. As I had done every day in front of the mirror for weeks, I smiled, small and shy. Damian was in a black suit and stood at the other end of the hallway. He was tall and good-looking. His eyes were always hard to read.

I stepped outside after taking a big breath.

Every step made the hall ring with sound. Like the life I thought I would have, the floor was smooth and soft under my dress. The light from the lighting above made the diamonds on my veil look like little moons. It was almost too good to be true.

When I got to him, he didn't move. Not even a blink or a smile. He looked at me blankly.

His best man coughed in a strange way. The priest began to talk in a holy, calm, and well-trained voice. My mind got cloudy as I read, and I only got bits and pieces of what he said: love, honor, forever.

After that it was my turn.

"I, Elena Rivers, take you, Damian Hale, to be-"

My voice stopped. He didn't change the look in his eyes when I tried to hide my laugh. They stayed away and cold. I took a deep breath and kept going. "-to be my husband."

The priest then looked at him.

He didn't say anything.

For a second, I believed he had not heard. I looked him in the eye and smiled. The guests began to whisper softly, making a sound like dry leaves being blown by the wind. My dad moved around in the front row with his jaw tight.

The priest let out a cough. "Mr. Hale?"

When Damian finally spoke, it broke the quiet with his sharp voice.

"I can't."

It made me feel really sick. "What?"

It looked like he turned his head a little, but not at me or anyone else. "This marriage isn't real." Elena, we made a deal. Okay. You knew that already.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't. There were more whispers. Someone took a deep breath. It felt like the ground was tilting under me.

He kept talking, and his voice was steady and almost like he had practiced it. "You were never meant to think it meant anything else."

There were tears in my eyes. I tried to smile and laugh it off. "Stop, Damian." It's not a joke.

He didn't stop, though. He took small steps away from me, as if I were dangerous. He said, "I'm sorry," in a soft voice. "She's going to have a baby."

It was very quiet in the hall. I felt the words like rocks.

"Who?" I spoke in a whisper, and my voice was very soft.

After that, she got up. Selene. The candles made her red dress shine. She smiled slowly and dangerously while putting her hand on her flat stomach.

I stopped feeling everything.

A camera clicked, and I heard it. Then one more. People turned their faces toward me, ready to fall.

My fingers began to loosen up. I lost control of the bouquet and it fell to the ground softly. The red carpet's white flowers looked like broken promises.

When I said "Damian," it was hard. "You said-"

He said, "I told you the truth." First he looked at Selene, then he looked back at me. "It was always her."

No one moved. No one breathed. The silence was stronger than the noise.

The priest looked down. When my dad stood up, his face was red with anger and shame. My mom covered her mouth with her hand.

What about me? I did nothing. Being in a room full of people and seeing my life fall apart.

It was said, "Poor girl."

Not being able to move my legs made me want to scream, run away, and leave. My dress felt heavy and like it was squeezing me all of a sudden. The lace made my throat itch like fire.

Damian turned his back on me after that. just like that. He led her out of the church by taking her hand.

I opened my eyes and hoped it was all a dream. That I would get ready again after waking up in my room and laughing at the bad dream. But the rose and candle wax smells kept me in that awful real moment.

The people there began to speak louder. Some got up, some left, and some pretended not to see me. It made me want to fall through the floor.

My dad came up to me and yelled in a low voice. "You've brought shame to this family, Elena."

I stared at him. "I didn't do anything."

He didn't pay attention, though. He turned away from me and told the guest to leave. My mom tried to grab my hand, but he pulled her along.

Soon, there was only me, the priest, and a path of dead flowers in the hall.

I couldn't cry for a long time as I stood there.

I moved not because of kindness, but because I had to. I ran while pulling up my skirt. I walked down the steps and out the door into the rain. Everything was being hit by silver water from the sky, which washed away hopes, makeup, and pride.

I kept going even though my shoes slipped on the ground. The city lights turned into gold streaks as I ran until my lungs hurt.

When I got to the main road, I stopped. As the cars went by, they sprayed water on my dress. The veil got stuck on my face. I took it off and threw it away.

At last, tears came and mixed with the rain. It hurt so much that I thought my chest would break.

How could he? After everything? After every look, word, and promise that seemed so true?

A horn went off. Headlights that flash. A black SUV stopped right next to me, and I fell backwards.

The window slowly went down. A clear, calm voice spoke.

"You shouldn't be running in the street, bride."

I turned my head toward the sound.

The man inside wasn't at all like Damian. His eyes were darker. They were cold and scary, but steady. There was no pity in them; they were in charge.

I was speechless for a second. My throat got sore. "Who are you?"

He tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Someone who doesn't like to see people break."

The rain was hitting my face. It seemed like nothing was moving around me.

Before I could move back, he opened the car door. "Come in."

I gave it some thought. Fear and interest mixed in my heart, making it beat fast.

"Why?" I spoke quietly.

He moved in. It rained on his jaw and down the side of his cheek. His voice got deep and dark.

He said, "If you stay here, you'll wish the heartbreak was the worst thing that happened tonight."

I was having trouble breathing. The wind screamed. I thought I heard heavy, slow footsteps coming up behind me.

First I looked at him, then at the road, and finally back at the faraway church.

The sky and his eyes were both lit up by lightning for a split second.

My heart beat faster, and I moved forward.

Right into the car.

Episode 2 – Whispers and Cameras

(Elena's POV)

I heard a heavy click as the door shut behind me.

Inside the car, it seemed like everything was quieter and darker. When it rained, it hit the windows like a million fingers moving quickly. The man next to me didn't say anything. It was impossible to avoid him because he filled the room with a thick, dark smoke.

My heart was still beating fast as I leaned back in my seat. It was heavy and wet, and my wedding dress stuck to my skin. I had wet arms and a pool of water in my lap from the rain.

He started the car. The engine purred like a big cat getting ready to run.

"Where are you taking me?" It was hard to hear me when I finally asked.

He didn't look at me. "Somewhere safe."

"Safe?" I was going to laugh. "I don't even know your name."

He looked at me for a split second, long enough for our eyes to meet. "You don't need it yet."

It wasn't mean in tone; it was firm. It felt like a door slammed in my face.

It was easy to drive in the city, and the headlights made lines of silver on the wet road. Outside, people were still having a good time, but they had no idea that my life had just fallen apart hours before.

I looked at myself in the cold glass with my head against it. My hair was straight and my mascara was running down my face. My lipstick was on its way out. The bride in the window looked like a ghost.

"Why did you stop for me?" I whispered the question.

"Because no one else would have," he replied. "Not after what just happened."

I was sick. "You know?"

He gave a quick nod. "Everyone will find out soon." People quickly tell each other when an Alpha leaves in the middle of a vow.

It was hard for me to swallow. "Were you there?"

"No," he replied. "But half of the region was." Before midnight, the other half will see it.

I made a face. " see it?"

He let out a sigh, pulled out a small black tablet, and gave it to me. As I tapped the screen, my hands were shaking.

The title really hit me.

"ALPHA DAMIAN HALE LEAVES BRIDE AT ALTAR-SAYS HIS PREGNANT MISTRESS IS IN THE HOSPITAL."

There was a picture below it. My picture. Damian turned his back, my bouquet fell, and my face went red with shock.

I kept scrolling down and saw more: pictures from different views, chatting guests, my dad's angry face, and Selene's smirk. A short film of me running in the rain.

"Oh my Moon..." I said softly.

He didn't say anything.

I felt sick. The comments below the video were really mean.

"Poor girl."

"She should have known better."

"Guess she wasn't good enough for him."

"Alphas don't get married to people who aren't important."

The tablet fell to the floor, and I looked down at the ground.

When I said, "He ruined me," my voice shook. "In front of everyone." Now... this.

The car stopped. "You weren't broken." He just proved himself.

I looked at him. "And what are you?" "Another Alpha is here to teach me a lesson?"

He laughed in a low, dull way. "Alpha?" Not at all.

Then he looked at me with eyes that were still and hard to read. "I'm a lot worse than that."

It made my skin crawl the way he said it. It wasn't scary; it was just interesting. He didn't look like a human or a wolf in some way. Auras like him made the air hum around him.

"Who are you?" I whispered once more.

"Someone who knows the difference between being strong and being cruel," he said. "And someone who doesn't owe your old Alpha anything."

The car went off the main road and into the woods on a narrow path. The clouds and tall, dark trees were lit up by headlights that moved over them like ghosts.

We stopped in front of a stone wall. Two men in black stood guard. As the car went by, they stooped a bit.

"Where are we?" I asked in a low voice.

What he said was "neutral land." "Far enough away from your ex-pack that they won't be able to find you."

I could see the huge house through the fog. It had old stone walls, wide arches, and windows that lit up like eyes watching over them. I was having trouble breathing.

"This is yours?"

He gave one nod.

That question made me feel like I had to ask something else, but I was too tired. All over my body hurt and made me feel bad. While I was following him, I got out of the car and put my bare feet on the wet dirt.

He looked at the torn dress I was dress in. "You're cold."

"I'll survive it."

"Not like that, you won't ." He took off his coat and wrapped it around me. It was warm and had a light smoke and woods smell to it. He was already on his way to the door when I tried to stop him.

It was warm inside, and the air smelled like wood. It was too quiet in the huge, pretty hall. Lines of shadow moved along the stone walls.

He looked at a guard. "Get her some dry clothes to wear."

I made a face. "You don't have to-"

He looked at me and told me to stop. "It's not a request."

Soon after, I was in a guest room that was the same size as my old flat. I put on shorts and a simple gray shirt. It still smelled like rain and sadness on my skin.

When I came back into the hall, he was waiting by the window with a glass in his hand. His jaw looked sharp and his eyes looked cold as the firelight flashed across his face.

"What's your name?" I asked again.

He looked at me after turning a little. "Adrian."

"Adrian who?"

He raised his lips a bit. "Adrian Black."

I was frozen. I knew the name. It was something I had heard before, but only in words of fear and respect. He is the Lycan king.

My heart beat faster. "You're-"

"Yes."

I moved back. "Why would a Lycan King help me?"

He turned around and looked out the window again. His voice was quiet, but it had a sharp edge to it. "Because I hate men who take things that aren't theirs."

Something in me shook when I heard those words.

I took a big breath. "I'll be the talk of the town now," I said. "Damian's group, the elders, and the rest of them." they will say I deserve it.

He looked at me. "Then make them choke on what they say."

"How?"

"By going higher than they ever thought you could."

He walked toward me. The air between us became heavy and charged. His eyes looked darker because of the fire. "You don't know who you are yet, Elena Rivers." They will, though.

I stared at him. "Who am I?"

He gave a small smile. "Not who. What?

Before I could ask, there was a loud buzzing sound that cut me off. He looked at the table and saw a small black screen blinking. He had a guard come through the door.

"My King." the guard said "It's begun."

Adrian told me to follow him.

We went down the hall and into a room with many screens. Dozens of live feeds showed different areas of the pack, like newsrooms, meetings, and even the council hall. I was on every screen.

My wedding. It made me feel bad. My name is.

It was being spread all over the place.

I put my hand over my mouth in horror. "Why would they do that?"

Adrian's jaw got tight. "Someone who wants to hurt you." He took a moment to think, "And maybe someone who is scared of what you are."

I was confused as I looked at him. "What do you mean?"

One of the screens went out before he could answer. Damian showed up on it and stood next to Selene. There were reporters all around him like birds.

Damian said in a smooth voice, "She was never good enough to be Luna." "The wedding was planned." I could no longer lie to my people.

The room turned around. I grabbed the edge of the desk because I couldn't see clearly.

I said in a whisper, "Turn it off." "Please."

Adrian wasn't moving. Even though his face didn't change, his attitude did. The sharp, cold air around him got worse.

When he did speak, it was in a quiet but dangerous way. "I didn't know he was starting a war,"

My heart was beating fast as I looked at him. "War?"

When he looked at me, his eyes burned right through me. "Yes." You can hide when it starts, or you can become who you were meant to be.

I made a face and waited. "And what's that?"

Adrian walked up to her and spoke softly.

"An Alpha bloodline that no one would touch."

Before I could do anything, a guard ran in. "My King, there is movement at the border." Hale's scouts are now here.

Adrien's eyes went totally dark. "So it begins," he said softly.

I looked through the window. Far away, through the rain, faint howls could be heard.

The sound sent chills down my spine.

I knew at that moment that my sadness was just the beginning.

Episode 3 – The Deal He Spoke Of

(Elena's POV)

The growls were sharp and hollow, and you could hear them in the rain.

He had a tight jaw as he watched the shadows move through the fog. His men were ready, and in the dark, their eyes looked a faint gold color. My whole body was tense.

The wedding dress I took off hours before was still following me around. The silk, the flowers, and the broken vows still bother me.

The trees, the night, and the man next to me who didn't care were all there.

"What do they want?" I whispered the question.

Adrian looked at me quickly. "To send a message."

"What kind of message?"

His eyes got less light. "The kind that makes you feel guilty."

Before I could ask anything else, the gates opened with a squeak. A small group of wolves approached-Damian's colors marked across their armor. One of them held a black envelope.

Adrian's guards did not move until he said "yes." The wolf bowed his head and gave him the envelope. "From Alpha Damian Hale."

Adrian opened the envelope, took out a folded letter, and read it quietly. It was hard to read his face because of the firelight, but he then laughed slowly and dangerously.

"What is it?" My voice was shaking as I asked.

When he turned around, his voice was dull. He says that you are still his.

It made my stomach hurt. "What?"

"He says that your marriage is strong because it was witnessed and can't be broken by any Lycan law." I was told to bring you back before dawn.

I turned my head away. "That's crazy." He was the one who left.

Adrian handed the letter me. As I read the words, anger made it hard for me to focus.

Elena Rivers is still subject to pack law. While the wedding was still going on, it was not an act of love but a political union. We still have a good deal between our packs. She can't leave the Hale area without permission. It will be seen as an act of war if you don't follow through.

- Alpha Damian Hale

It made my hands shake. "He's calling our wedding a... business deal?"

Adrian's speech was calm, but I could hear the edge in it. "He's changing the story before you can say anything."

I broke down in some way. It was all the shame I had hidden behind tears that came back to me. "He's trying to get rid of what he did!" To make me look like a pawn!

Adrian's eyes became a little less harsh. "Then show him you're not."

I looked at him. "And how do I do that?"

With less noise, he stepped closer and spoke. "By making your own deal."

"Mine...?"

He said yes. "Let's play better politics if he wants to." Elena, you're not the weak bribe he thinks you are. "You're the daughter of Alpha Rivers."

I was frozen. "How do you know that name?"

He gave a small smile. "Because your dad stood next to mine once."

I was shocked and blinked. "Your father... the Lycan King before you?"

Adrian gave a single nod. "He put his faith in your family bloodline. said you'd change everything when the time was right.

It hurt my chest. "My dad is dead."

"His legacy isn't."

Before I could answer, the door opened all of a sudden. One of Adrian's guards walked in and was breathing hard. "My King, there's a signal from Hale's territory." Check this out.

I followed Adrian as he quickly went to the monitor room. The screens came back to life.

Damian walked out in front of media and pack members and stood tall. Selene was standing next to him. She was wearing a white dress and made a fake sad face.

It felt like my throat was on fire as I listened.

"Today was a misunderstanding," Damian said in a calm voice. "Elena Rivers and I agreed on something with our families." It was always about peace, never love. She was wrong, though. When I found out Selene was pregnant with my child, I had to respect our real bond.

People in the room gasped.

Selene wiped her eyes in a dramatic way. "I never wanted to get in the way of them," she stated. "But fate had other plans."

"Fate?" I asked in a low voice.

He then said, "Elena can do what she wants." She was never Luna, though. There was no treason; only correction.

The palm of Adrian's hand closed up stiffly.

It was hard for me to breathe. "He's making me sound like some crazy person!"

Adrian turned off the screen. "He's making you sound small." That's even worse.

When I looked up at him, my eyes hurt. "Then make me big again."

He didn't smile this time. "Be careful what you ask for."

"I really mean it, Adrian." I'm not going to hide while he calls me a mistake.

He gave me a long look. Then, in a low voice, he said, "Tomorrow night, Alpha leaders, elders, and Lycan representatives will meet as a council." If you tell them the truth, it can change everything. You'll have to pay me though.

"Do I owe you?"

"Yes." There is no such thing as free in this world.

I thought about it. "What kind of debt?"

As he leaned in, the light from the fire caught his eye. "As my ally, you'll be there for me in person and in name." People in the packs will think that the Lycan King is watching out for you. And in return, no one will ever question your place again.

My heart beat faster. "You mean... act like yours?"

He said, "Act like," but it was hard to understand what he meant this time.

It was crazy. But I felt strong for the first time in days.

"okay," I said in a low voice. "I'll do it."

Adrian looked at me for a second and then nodded. "Then we have a deal."

By morning, the storm was over. The sky was a dull metal color, and the air was cool. There was a mirror in one of Adrian's rooms where I stood. I wasn't a bride; I was a new person.

The black dress was simple, classy, and strong, like armor. Things that were warmer had taken the place of the bruises under my eyes.

A maid took a step back. "You look... strong."

"Good," I replied. "That's what I need to be."

When I walked into the main hall, Adrian was already there. It was hard to read his face because he was wearing a black suit. He looked at me with soft eyes for a split second.

He said, "You look good."

"So do you."

Before the doors opened, we smiled briefly, as if we knew each other.

There was no bias in the place where the council meeting took place. The round great hall was filled with lights and flags from different packs. There were whispers all around us when we walked in.

"Is that her?"

"The bride who was left at the altar?"

"With the King of the Lycans?"

Some of their eyes were interested, while others were angry. I didn't move, though.

Adrian showed me the way to the middle. It was a whispered "Stay close."

The head of the council stood up. He was an old wolf with silver eyes. "King Adrian, what do we owe this surprise visit?"

The way Adrian spoke was cool. "To get rid of a lie before it gets bigger."

The boss turned his attention to me. "The girl from Rivers?"

He replied, "Yes." "She's not Hale's pawn anymore." This is my promise to protect her.

A quiet sound made its way around the room.

Before anyone could answer,

Damian walked in from the other side, his steps loud and sure. Selene went after her, holding her stomach as if to protect her "unborn child."

I felt old pain when I saw him, but I stood tall.

"King Adrian," Damian said without a hitch. "I didn't know you were interested in my private life."

Adrian said, "Your lies made it political."

It was hard for Damian to smile. "Elena's marriage to me was set up by our elders." "She knows that."

My voice was steady. "No." Damian, I had faith in you. You made me swear to you that I would live my whole life. It wasn't business; it was treason.

The crowd got up. Damian's face twitched with anger.

He lost it and said, "I did what was best for my pack."

"Good for your ego." I said "Not your people."

Selene moved ahead of her. "It's not okay to talk about right and wrong. As soon as he left, you ran to another man.

I looked her straight in the eye. "At least he didn't have to lie to keep me."

As Adrian walked toward her, the room became quiet. He said in a harsh voice, "This conversation is over." "I'll see it as an act of war if Hale sends scouts near my borders again."

It got darker in Damian's eyes. "Are you protecting her because you feel sorry for her?"

Adrian smirked slowly and in a scary way. No, she's mine now, so I say "no."

In the hall, people gasped.

Damian's jaw got tight. "You wouldn't dare-"

"Try me," Adrian said.

It felt like the air between them was really tense, like it was popping and burning.

No one moved for a second.

Then a voice from the far corner of the room spoke. It was a woman. It was soft, but it broke the quiet.

"It said that wasn't true."

Everyone looked around.

A tall person in silver stepped forward. When she took off her hood, I got scared.

It was my mom.

Living.

We looked at each other. Her eyes calm, but I couldn't tell what was going on inside them. "You shouldn't have made that deal, Elena," she said softly. "You don't know what he really wants."

I was having trouble breathing.

Adrian's face looked different from the first time I met him when I looked at him.

He seemed... shocked.