Moonbound Tyrant

The Caged Moon

The journey to the Lycan Kingdom felt like being carried into the heart of winter. The carriage wheels crushed gravel beneath them, echoing like thunder against the cliffs. Every now and then, I dared to lift the curtain, only to see the black-armored soldiers riding alongside us. Their eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight. Not one of them looked human.

I sat in silence, hands clasped tightly in my lap. My wrists still ached where the guards had held me when I refused to leave my father’s side. The image of him on his knees, blood dripping from his lip as he shouted at Raze, haunted me.

He had begged. I had screamed. And still, the Lycan King had taken me.

When the carriage slowed, I leaned forward. The air changed. I could smell metal, rain, and something faintly wild. Then I saw it—his city.

The gates of the Lycan Kingdom were tall enough to touch the sky, carved with snarling wolves whose eyes glowed red as we approached. Beyond the walls, black towers stretched into the clouds, silver veins of moonlight tracing across their stone.

A guard opened the door. “The King awaits,” he said.

I stepped out carefully, my legs trembling. The cold hit me first, sharp and clean. Then the stares. Everywhere I turned, Lycans stood in silence. Men, women, even children, all bowing to him as he rode past. But when their eyes landed on me, their expressions hardened.

“She’s the one?” a woman whispered.

“The new mate?” another muttered.

“Poor thing. He’ll break her before the next full moon.”

I pretended not to hear. But their words clung to me like frost.

Raze dismounted his horse with quiet grace. His eyes found me instantly, and the world seemed to still.

“Follow me,” he said.

His voice was low, but it carried the weight of command.

I wanted to refuse. My throat ached with the urge to scream that I wanted to go home. But something inside me—the bond, that cruel invisible string—tightened. My feet moved without my permission.

Inside the palace, everything gleamed silver and black. The marble floors reflected the moonlight like water. Long banners lined the walls, each one bearing the sigil of the wolf crowned in flame. It was beautiful but cold. The air was thick with dominance, and every servant who passed bowed so deeply they nearly touched the ground.

No one looked at me. Not directly.

At the end of the grand hall, Raze stopped. Two massive doors loomed before us, guarded by Lycans in silver armor.

“These are your chambers,” he said, his tone clipped and cold. “You will remain here.”

I blinked, startled. “Remain here? For how long?”

“Until I say otherwise.”

My fingers curled. “You cannot just—”

He turned sharply, his gaze cutting through me. “I can. And I will.”

“You dragged me from my home,” I said, my voice shaking. “You hurt my father. You think you can cage me here because of a bond neither of us asked for?”

Raze’s expression didn’t change. “You think I enjoy this?”

“Then why do it?”

His jaw tightened. “Because it is the will of the Moon Goddess. And because if I left you behind, the bond would drive me mad.”

His words stung. “So I’m just a cure for your madness?”

“If you wish to see it that way.”

He turned from me and started toward the doors, but I stepped in front of him. “Why do they all look at me like that?” I asked. “Like I don’t belong here?”

He hesitated, then said quietly, “Because you don’t.”

The words hit harder than a slap. My throat closed, but I refused to cry in front of him.

“I see,” I said.

He didn’t apologize. “A maid will attend to you. You’ll eat. You’ll rest. That is all I require of you.”

“What about you?” I whispered. “Do you plan to ignore me forever?”

“I plan to survive,” he said. His tone was sharp now, each word a blade. “And if you are wise, you will do the same.”

Then he left.

The heavy doors shut behind him, and the silence that followed was unbearable.

I turned slowly, taking in the room. The walls were pale stone, draped in white silk. The bed was large and soft, but it looked untouched—like no one had ever truly slept there. A balcony opened out to the city below, where silver rooftops gleamed under the moon.

The maid entered soon after, eyes lowered. She placed a tray on the table.

“Your meal, my lady.”

“My name is Abigail,” I said.

She paused. “Yes, my lady.”

She left without another word.

I sat by the window, staring out into the night. The moon hung full and heavy in the sky. Beneath it, I could hear the distant sound of howling—low, deep, and endless.

The bond inside me pulsed faintly. A warmth spread through my chest, followed by pain. It was as if my heart knew he was near, even when I wished he wasn’t.

Outside, two guards spoke quietly near the courtyard gates. I shouldn’t have listened, but their voices carried.

“Another one cursed,” one said. “You’d think the Moon Goddess would stop pairing our kings with weak mates.”

“Not weak,” the other replied. “Fated. And doomed. You know the stories.”

“What stories?”

“The curse,” the first said. “Every Lycan King in history loses control of the beast once he claims his mate. Bloodlust. Madness. The stronger the bond, the faster it happens. They say one of the old kings tore his mate apart before dawn.”

“Maybe that’s why he’s avoiding her,” the other murmured. “He fears becoming like them.”

I froze. My breath hitched. My pulse thundered in my ears.

So that was it. That was why everyone looked at me with pity. That was why he refused to touch me. He was afraid—of himself.

I sank onto the bed, the room spinning. If the curse was real, then what did that mean for me? Was I supposed to live beside a man who might one day lose his mind and tear me apart?

The thought made me cold all over.

A soft knock came at the door.

“Enter,” I said weakly.

A young maid stepped in, bowing low. “His Majesty requests your presence in the garden.”

My stomach tightened. I followed her through the long corridors, my steps echoing. When we reached the moonlit garden, I saw him there—standing beside a pool of silver water, his cloak brushing the ground.

He didn’t turn when I approached. “Did you eat?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Good.”

Silence stretched between us. The air smelled of pine and night-blooming flowers.

“I heard the guards talking,” I said softly. “About the curse.”

He stiffened. “You should not listen to gossip.”

“Then it’s true?”

His eyes met mine at last, sharp and dangerous. “Do you want it to be true?”

“No.”

“Then forget it.”

“I cannot.”

He sighed, turning his gaze to the moon. “You should be afraid of me, Abigail.”

“I am,” I whispered. “But not for the reasons you think.”

His brow furrowed. “What reason, then?”

“Because you act like you have no heart left to lose.”

He looked at me for a long moment. Then he said quietly, “Hearts are a liability in my world.”

“And yet,” I said, “you still have one.”

His mouth twitched—not quite a smile, not quite anger. He turned away. “Go back inside. You need rest.”

“Is that an order?”

“It is.”

When I didn’t move, he finally faced me again. “You are not safe here, Abigail. Not from them, not from me.”

“I am not safe anywhere,” I said. “At least here, I can see the danger.”

He stared at me like he was trying to solve a puzzle. For a heartbeat, the tension between us changed—something raw flickered beneath his calm. Then he spoke again, voice low.

“Stay inside the palace. Do not wander at night.”

“Why?”

“Because not every beast here bows to the crown.”

Then he walked away, leaving me in the cold glow of the moonlight.

I stood by the pool, staring at my reflection. My face looked pale and unfamiliar. The bond throbbed faintly in

my chest, heavy and alive.

Behind me, the palace loomed, beautiful and merciless.

And somewhere within its walls, the Lycan King fought against his curse—and against me.