The message reached the court of the King of the Kingdom of Light, sealed with dark black wax and engraved with the letter
"N," as sharp as a sword's edge. It wasn't just a letter; it was a cold promise of the coming winter.
The message was brief, but it was like a shot of cold poison targeting the Kingdom of Light's weak point. The Beta placed it on the King's table and stood wordlessly, letting a haunting silence fill the hall.
"I have been informed that you are hiding a unique talent among you. I shall assume you know the value of loyalty, just as you know the consequences of hiding matters from me."
The King stared at the Royal Beta for a long time, reading the inevitable end in the messenger's silence.
He realized that refusal meant annihilation and that absolute power accepts no excuses.
The weight of the decision was heavier than his crown. The spark of light in his eyes receded, replaced by a dark shadow of despair. He let out a deep sigh, as if it were the last of his pride, and lowered his head, saying:
"Go ahead... please."
"The situation does not allow for it."
The Beta shook his head with matchless coldness. These words were enough to tighten the noose around the King's heart.
He felt the royal cloak grow heavy and tight, as if it were suffocating him.
His voice trembled, and his pride shattered as he struggled with the fear invading his being:
"She is... my daughter."
The Beta's eyebrows rose slightly, but his features remained expressionless.
Arin showed no reaction to the surprise that was piercing the King from within.
This moment—where the King revealed his weakest point—was another victory for the Kingdom of Darkness.
"She will return safe,"
the Beta said, his tone carrying a promise as comforting as it was threatening, as if saying:
"If you do not resist."
A glimmer of hope crept into the King's heart, even if it was a thin thread.
It didn't matter what would happen; what mattered was that his daughter would return. He no longer saw the throne, the kingdom, or even his crumbling pride; he only saw the safety that this promise could bring.
He gathered what remained of his strength and ordered his servants in a weak voice:
"Tell her to come at once."
"Your orders are obeyed, Your Majesty,"
the guard replied quickly, then bowed and rushed out.
I remained standing in my place, watching the King as signs of tension and fear battered his features.
Hope leaked from me with every passing minute.
Half an hour... half an hour passed and nothing happened.
Do they think I am a doll? That my time has no value? Are they mocking me?
I stared at him sharply, as if my eyes were firing icy arrows. I cared nothing for this King's prestige or his shining throne;
my concern was that the mission be completed.
What mattered to him was his daughter's life, and what mattered to me was the Luna's life—and her life was now hanging in the balance.
I saw how his tension increased with every cold look from me, as if I were counting his labored breaths.
While the tension was rising between me and the King, a soft female voice, as delicate as a whispered breeze, broke the silence of the hall.
"Sorry for the delay, Father."
It caught my attention immediately, but I didn't turn around.
I felt her right behind me, as if a wave of warmth had flooded the place.
Then she spoke in a calm, sweet voice that my heart loved before I even saw her, making it race with longing and agitation.
"You honor us with your presence, sir."
Her words were enough to stop my heartbeat for a second, realizing that it was her.
I turned slowly, as if crossing every emotion I had never experienced before, to see her face.
It was her. In that moment, I couldn't control my instincts. My wolf, Loyd, screamed with all ferocity and confidence:
"MATE!"
A powerful growl escaped me involuntarily, as if declaring ownership over everyone who heard it.
She trembled with surprise, while wonder and shock were painted on her delicate features. Her eyes widened in an attempt to grasp what was happening.
I gave her a smile that didn't reach my eyes, then pulled her toward me quickly, burying my head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent which drugged me.
The scent of jasmine tickled my nose, making me forget everything else in this world.
I felt her hands clinging to my cloak, pulling me closer to her, as she inhaled my scent with delight, as if she had found her lost homeland.
"My dear Lauren?"
the King said in a faint voice, a mixture of astonishment and fear, as his eyes widened in an attempt to grasp the strange and suspicious scene before him.
His daughter, Lauren, was in the arms of the messenger of darkness—a scene that could not be more provocative to his fatherly feelings and royal pride.
Lauren pulled back from me slowly, as if hesitant to move away, but her eyes refused to leave my face.
In that moment, I glimpsed a fleeting golden flash in her pupils, a quick spark like sunlight, but it was enough to confirm to me that she was not just an ordinary human.
We breathed heavily, drugged by our proximity to one another.
Her scent—the scent of jasmine and honey—filled my lungs, and my scent intoxicated her senses. It was a magical moment where conflicting emotions gathered: fear, wonder, longing, and an undeniable attraction.
The world around us had vanished, and nothing mattered to us but being together in that moment.
I took two steps back; my movement wasn't a retreat but a confirmation of my decision.
I held her wrist calmly, as if announcing to everyone that she was mine.
I turned slowly, fixing my eyes on the King, making him feel the coldness of my gaze which held no respect.
Caution was part of my nature, and I wouldn't abandon it no matter what happened. I said my words with deadly calmness:
"It turns out she is my mate, so her safety is my priority... and now, we go."
As we were about to leave, she suddenly stopped, as if her feet had sunk into the ground.
My sharp gaze questioned her silence and sudden halt. She responded to my wonder in a soft voice, yet one carrying an insistence that could not be ignored.
Lauren said:
"Will you allow me to say goodbye to my father... please?"
She approached me, ran her hand over my jaw, and whispered in my ear:
"I won't be late, darling. Give me some time, hmmm?"
I gave a side smile—a cold smile carrying a hidden warning.
"If you keep acting this way, I can't promise you that I won't lose control."
These words carried both a promise and a threat, telling Lauren that she was playing with fire and that I was not an ordinary man who could be easily controlled.
She was enjoying the situation, knowing full well that this challenge excited me, and that she found in me what completed her, just as I found in her what completed me.
Lauren left me for moments and headed to her father, where the scene was as dramatic as it was moving.
She was trying to ease the bitterness of parting for him, saying in a warm and reassuring voice:
"Father, I must leave. I will visit you always, so do not worry about me; the Goddess has chosen for me a strong and exciting mate."
Lauren kissed her father and hugged him tenderly, trying to plant hope in his heart.
I smiled slightly at her kind gesture; this delicate side of her personality made her even more attractive.
After moments, she returned to me, took my hand, and we left the palace.
She was pulling me behind her as if she were in charge, while I followed her intently, watching her every move and preparing for the adventure that awaited us.
Our steps faltered in the courtyard as she pulled me with a lightness that didn't match my strength. She finally stopped and turned to me, her golden eyes staring at me inquisitively, as if asking for an answer she didn't have.
"So tell me, what's wrong? Why does the King want me?"
she asked, her calm voice carrying a hint of confusion and fear.
Her words were enough to bring me back to reality—a reality she was part of, but I couldn't tell her the whole truth. She was Princess Lauren to them, but she was my soulmate to me.
"The Queen is complaining of something..."
I said in a low voice, trying to hide the pain I felt when mentioning her illness.
"Even our most skilled doctors didn't know what was wrong... her body doesn't even respond to medicine."
I paused for a moment, as if I couldn't finish the conversation. Pain was tearing me apart from the inside, not just because of my friend's condition, but because I saw in Lauren the last hope to save her.
"And today... she was on the verge of leaving... leaving forever."
I finished my words with pain and sorrow, as if announcing to her that my friend's life was hanging by a thin thread, and that this thread was now in her hands.
Lauren looked at me with sad eyes, as if carrying all the world's pain.
"What are the symptoms?"
she asked in a low voice, but it filled the void between us. I sighed, gathering the words:
"High fever, fainting, suffocation..."
My words were heavy, like announcing an inevitable end. I looked at her, searching for any hope, but she gave no reaction.
"Is it something serious?"
I asked myself while anxiety tore at me.
"We must arrive quickly,"
she said suddenly. "I must examine her."
Her words were enough to calm me.
I nodded to her, and we headed toward the gate, as if going into the unknown.
The King of the Kingdom of Darkness:
I waited in my room, as if every passing minute carried the weight of eternity. My mind was with Arin, waiting for any signal, any pulse to pierce the spiritual bond between us, telling me of the success of the negotiations.
At this time, only a few meters separated me from my mate, but the gap between us was greater than any distance.
She was lying peacefully, an oxygen mask covering her face like a shackle binding her to the world that was almost escaping her.
Her breathing was stable, but I couldn't be at ease; the paleness covering her face was enough to tell me the danger was still present.
Her paleness obscured her beauty, and whenever I looked at her, my heart contracted in pain.
I couldn't bear to see her like this; it was a painful image I couldn't forget.
I sat on the chair in front of her, contemplating her tired features, hoping with all my heart to see her wake up, to fill the room with her voice and angry shouts.
Not much time passed until a strong signal from Arin pierced our spiritual bond.
He had arrived.
This word was enough to send hope into my heart.
I rose quickly, heading to receive them, as if declaring to myself that the journey had begun and that hope still existed.
I reached the main gate of the palace where Arin and the girl were waiting.
I stepped toward them coldly, my eyes settling on our new guest.
Everything in my movements was calculated, and I was fully attentive to the details of the scene before me.
"Arin just told me that this girl named Lauren is his destined mate,"
I said in a voice devoid of any emotion, as if talking about a piece of furniture.
"Congratulations to you both."
Lauren was staring at me in confusion, her golden eyes carrying a mixture of shock and fear.
She stepped toward me, extended her hands, and said with extreme politeness, though her voice was barely audible:
"An honor to meet you, and to help the Queen, Your Majesty."
I gave her a fleeting look, evaluating her in a fraction of a second. I shook her hand quickly, wanting to end this scene as fast as possible.
"Enough wasting time,"
I said, indifferent to them and to the embarrassment I caused the girl.
Now, all that mattered to me was Sera.
I led them to the room where Sera lay, and the atmosphere was charged with tension. Lauren stepped forward with confident strides, but they weren't the steps of an ordinary person.
She stood before Sera's bed and began scanning her body with scrutinizing looks, as if searching for something hidden that no one else could see.
Her gaze carried a serious firmness, as if saying:
"I am here to perform a mission, no time for feelings."
Then she turned to us, her features shifting from kindness to firmness, and said in a low voice that carried a tone beyond argument:
"You must leave."
I stared at her angrily, as if my eyes were firing arrows.
"By the Gods, who does she think she is tokick me out with such boldness?"
I asked myself, but the words came out of my mouth sharply:
"YOU!"
She answered quickly, her features unchanged:
"I apologize for my rudeness, but her clothes must be removed. Unless you want to watch this?"
She said, looking sharply at Arin during the last part of her words.
This challenge was enough to drive Arin out, closing the door firmly behind him.
I sighed, feeling a slight embarrassment at my stance.
"You have ten minutes,"
I said, and left the room.
I could hear the sound of my racing breath, as if it were blaming me for my recklessness.
Anxiety was eating me from the inside, making me pace back and forth in the hallway, as if my body's movement could speed up time.
The sound of my steps on the marble repeated like an echo of my anxiety, while Arin sat on the floor, playing with his legs, as if his voice were trying to fill the void of tension hanging over us.
We remained in this state until her voice finally echoed from the room, allowing us to enter.
The words were enough to make us burst into the room.
I saw her sitting on the chair opposite Sera; exhaustion was clear on her features, as if she had drained herself for the sake of the treatment.
She was looking at us with sleepy eyes while massaging her head from the pain.
The moment Arin saw his mate, he rushed to her in panic, checking on her and asking how she was, trying to quench his anxiety which was clear in his voice and looks.
Lauren, despite her exhaustion, tried to reassure him with a slight smile, as if saying:
"I am here, and everything will be fine."
While Lauren was whispering to Arin, I interrupted them with one word:
"So?"
My tone was sharp and full of annoyance, as if I didn't care about their feelings. Lauren finally noticed me and stopped talking. She chuckled shyly, ignored my presence for a moment, then said:
"The examination and treatment process were successful... her body was extremely exhausted, but she is fine now, don't worry."
I looked at Sera; she was lying peacefully, and the ventilator had been removed.
Her breath was calmer and more stable.
Her face was still pale, but it no longer carried signs of danger.
My gaze returned to Lauren, noticing she was staring at us in confusion, as if she held a secret inside she didn't want to reveal.
"What's wrong?"
I said, my eyes settling on her face.
Lauren sighed, as if the air she exhaled carried a weight that couldn't be borne.
She stared at us as if the thing she was about to tell us would strike like a lightning bolt and change everything.
It wasn't just words; it was a thunderbolt that shook my entire being. I froze in place, my mind refusing to grasp what I had just heard.
Lauren was looking at us, confusion covering her features, as if realizing what she said had a greater impact than she expected.
"She is a hybrid,"
she said slowly, as if giving us time to grasp the shock.
"A different hybrid, like no other... it is dangerous for her to be discovered. If news of her existence spreads, she is undoubtedly doomed."
I blinked several times, as if trying to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"Hybrid... what?"
I said in a low voice.
"And danger... what?"
My voice carried a mixture of shock and disbelief.
I looked at them in disbelief and said:
"And what do you mean by 'different'? How so?"
I was truly confused; everything I knew about hybrids was that they combined two types of creatures, but what Lauren said was something else entirely.
Arin was no less shocked than I was; he was staring at Lauren with wide eyes, as if silently asking,
"Are you sure?"
His shock was deeper than mine, as if he were trying to grasp what he had just heard.
Lauren began to explain, her voice filling the void:
"There was a clan, one of the most powerful clans, and they were nicknamed the 'Cratures'—meaning destruction, war, authority."
Her words carried a weight, a history buried in the depths of oblivion.
"They were hybrids of a different kind, a mixture between Alpha and Beta, or rather a fusion of these two factions. Thanks to this harmony between the two mixes, a natural power was born: Fire represented the Alpha, and the nature of Water represented the Beta."
"And out of spite and fear of their power and tyranny, all creatures united just to annihilate them and wipe them off the face of the earth,"
Lauren finished her words, and her words were like a thunderbolt that fell on our heads
"Therefore, we must keep Sera's matter
hidden,"
Lauren added, her final words enough to remind us that the dangers had not ended yet.
This hope was fraught with risks, and we had to move quickly, but at the same time, we had to be careful; news of a hybrid like Sera could lead to the same fate her clan faced.
This news was like the shock that shook everything I knew about our world. Sera was my mate, carrying within her a buried power—a power that was the reason for the annihilation of an entire clan.
"But how?"
I asked, as if the words came out of my mouth with difficulty.
"As far as I know, her parents were normal werewolves."
Lauren shrugged as if she didn't have a full answer.
"It's possible she inherited it from her ancestors, I don't know. But when she wakes up, we can inquire from her."
I hummed, pushing my hair back, staring at Sera.
Her face was still pale, as if she carried the weight of the whole world on her shoulders.
"The two powers are clashing inside her now,"
Lauren added, her words like bullets piercing my heart.
"And her body is very exhausted. If things continue like this, she won't survive."
I stared at her with wide eyes, as if I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was the last disaster I could have expected.
"Damn it, do disasters never stop falling on my head?"
I said to myself, feeling despair seep into my heart.
Lauren didn't stop there; her next words were enough to explain everything that had happened.
Confusion still controlled my features, but what she said made every piece of the puzzle fall into place.
"And because she is your mate,"
she said, her eyes fixed on me as if talking about an undeniable truth,
"your proximity to her awakened a power that was in deep sleep."
These words were enough to make me remember everything—every touch, every closeness—and how everything was changing in moments.
"And she became in a state of agitation whenever you were together,"
she continued, her words describing the state I felt whenever I approached her.
Lauren was talking about a latent power, a power I didn't know existed, but my proximity to Sera awakened it.
This power was the reason for Sera's illness, and it was also the reason why I felt confused, as if something were moving inside me.
Her words explained everything, but they were also opening a door to a new world of questions.
What is this power? How can we control it? And what are the dangers that await us? These questions loomed on the horizon, as if asking for an answer I didn't have.
Lauren noticed the shock and confusion on my features, so she continued her words with a more urgent tone.
"You are the only one capable of helping her."
I stared at her, my mind still trying to grasp the matter.
"Me? How?"
"The mark... you must mark her..."
she said, running her hand over her face as if avoiding looking at me.
"By placing your mark on her, a part of your power will transfer to revive her body with energy so she can fight it."
I closed my eyes, thinking about it.
"I cannot do that without her knowledge,"
I addressed myself.
But the voice of my wolf, Dark, was louder than anything else.
"And so what? I won't just stand by and watch her die,"
Dark said with pure ferocity.
"And who said I'd let her leave?"
I replied, as if declaring to myself that I would do whatever it takes to save her.
"Then move your damn ass and complete the process,"
Dark growled, pushing me forward.
"Shut up, you cursed beast,"
I snapped back, exhaling in frustration.
"This wolf is getting on my last nerve."
I turned to Lauren and said,
"Alright, thank you. You can go and rest now."
I gestured to Arin, who nodded and carried Lauren toward her room.
I walked toward the bed, my steps slow, as if I feared disturbing the stillness of the room.
I leaned in, examining her features, searching for an answer in her pale face. Her proximity stirred conflicting emotions within me—a volatile mix of longing, anxiety, and fear.
I raised my hand slowly, as if it moved with a will of its own, and began to undo the top buttons of her shirt.
My movements were cautious, as if I were handling a priceless artifact I feared to break.
The curves of her porcelain neck were revealed, looking like a rare piece of art, as if painted by a master's hand.
I gazed at her face, trying to etch every detail into my memory, then leaned closer to her neck.
As my face dipped into the hollow of her throat, I inhaled her scent; it was enough to drug my senses.
The aroma of lavender and wild blossoms was an irresistible blend, awakening a primal instinct deep within me.
I began to kiss her gently.
My kisses were light, yet they were enough to stir something in her—something I hadn't recognized before.
Soon, my kisses grew wild. I began to trail them all over her neck, relishing and intoxicated by her presence.
Every touch and every kiss pulled me further into another world—a world where nothing existed but her and me.
As desire took hold, I felt the curse seeping through my body. I began to lose control slowly, as if a monster was awakening inside me.
I pressed my body against hers, feeling her curves, seeking an answer in her warmth.
I buried my face deeper into her neck, baring my fangs to sink them into her skin.
A wave of euphoria and lust overwhelmed me, taking control of every cell in my body.
I pulled away abruptly, gasping for air before I did something I would regret.
"I have to let my wolf out,"
I told myself, my mind racing to find an escape from this situation. I ran toward the door, bursting through and slamming it shut behind me.
I headed for the forest as if it were my final sanctuary.
The woods welcomed me as I shifted into my wolf, running at full speed, trying to release all the pent-up rage and desire burning inside me.