Forced to marry the powerful Lycan

Chapter Seven...Born without a mate

Kael's pov

Unlike the dark, suffocating dungeons in the subterranean levels beneath us where the realm's worst murderers and high traitors were chained to stone,the top floor was practically a palace suite. Sunlight filtered through reinforced arched windows, casting warm light across velvet lounge chairs, fine wines, and high-end mahogany bookshelves.

It was the council's attempt at a golden cage. They treated her like royalty up here, showering her in luxuries to keep her complacent, but Serefina wasn't stupid.

She knew the truth: she was a Black Witch, a rare, near-extinct threat with power that terrified them. The high-facility wards woven into the gold-trimmed walls weren't there for her comfort ....they were there to keep the last of her kind locked away from the world.

And she hated them for it.

"Ugh, I can't stand this place," Drava muttered, appearing beside me and glancing around the opulent room with a scowl. "Look at this. She gets fine wine and silk pillows while actual criminals rot downstairs. And she still looks like she wants to burn the place down."

"Because it's still a cage, Drava," I said coldly, stepping toward the center of the room. "No matter how much gold they paint on the bars."

"Oh, look who actually has a brain," a velvety, razor-sharp voice echoed from the plush velvet chaise lounge.

Serefina didn't even bother getting up. She was lounging in a shimmering black gown, a glass of dark red wine balanced casually between her fingers. Her dark eyes flicked over to us, a slow, incredibly sassy smirk playing on her lips. She spun the glass, completely unimpressed by the council's high-class prison or our sudden appearance.

"To what do I owe the honor, Kael?" Serefina purred, leaning her head back against the silk cushion. "Did the elders finally decide to upgrade my wine selection, or are you just here to ruin my peace?.

Drava crossed his arms, his fire magic flaring beneath his skin in irritation. "Watch your mouth, witch. You're living better than half the lords in the capital, and you still act like an ungrateful brat."

"Oh, hush, Drava," Serefina scoffed, rolling her eyes with exquisite drama before taking a slow sip. "If I wanted to hear an annoying dog bark, I'd visit the kennels. Your magic is as loud and obnoxious as your red hair. It's giving me a headache."

"Why, you little....."

"Enough," I cut in, my voice dropping an octave as my golden eyes locked onto her.

Drava snapped his mouth shut, though his glare could have melted the stone floor.

Serefina finally set her wine glass down on a gold-leaf side table, swinging her legs over the side of the chaise and leaning forward. Her smirk faded just enough to reveal the sharp, ancient intelligence hidden beneath her arrogant facade.

"Straight to business then. I love it," Serefina said, her eyes glinting. "So tell me, Prince of Eldoria... what brought you all the way up to my golden tower? What problem do you have that only a caged Black Witch can solve?"

I took a step closer, the shadows clinging to my boots.

"I need answers," I said low and dangerous.

"About a full moon mark... and a scent that shouldn't exist."

Serefina's smirk instantly vanished. Her dark eyes narrowed, a razor-sharp glint of genuine curiosity replacing her usual bored expression. She leaned back against the plush velvet chaise, swirling her wine glass once more, though her gaze remained locked onto mine like a hawk.

"A scent?" Serefina murmured, her voice losing its sassy edge for a split second before her mocking smile crept right back.

"Don't tell me the mighty Crown Prince the untouchable, unbonded Alpha born under the solid full moon has finally found a tiny little girl who makes his wolf lose its mind?"

Drava let out a harsh, sarcastic laugh behind me. "It's worse than that, witch. It's the human princess from Valen. The one sent for the peace treaty."

Serefina's eyebrows shot up. "The treaty bride?" She let out a low, melodious chuckle that echoed off the high, gold-trimmed walls.

"Oh, the universe truly has a twisted sense of humor! The elders hand you a political pawn expecting a harmless, quiet marriage, and instead, her scent drives you crazy. Delicious."

"It isn't funny, Serefina," I growled, my patience wearing thin as shadows rippled along the edge of my cloak. "You know the lore. The full moon mark on my back means I was born complete. Whole. I am not supposed to have a fated mate, human or Lycan. Yet the moment I touched her... her scent hit me like a curse. It's overwhelming."

Serefina set her wine glass down with a soft clink on the side table and stood up. Her long black gown swept across the marble floor as she walked slowly toward us, stopping just before the glowing blue runes of her barrier. She crossed her arms, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"A full moon mark shattered by a human..." Serefina hummed, tapping her chin with a black-painted fingernail. "I'll be honest with you, Kael even I don't have an instant answer for that one. Ancient soul-magic is complex, and your precious council destroyed half the library during the Witches' Purges."

She cast a pointed, glare toward the gold-trimmed walls around her, her voice dripping with sharp sarcasm.

"I could dig deeper and give you a real answer a lot faster if I wasn't confined to this gorgeous little cage your paranoid elders built for me. Being trapped inside these suppression walls severely limits the books and ingredients I can tap into."

"Watch your mouth, witch," Drava warned, his hand gripping the hilt of his blade.

Instead of just words, his fire magic flared white-hot, heat radiating off him so violently that the gilded walls around us groaned under the sudden spike in temperature.

Serefina flicked her wrist, sending a wave of invisible dark force toward his chest..but Drava didn't even flinch. The moment her spell touched his aura, it dissolved into nothing with a sharp c***k, swallowed completely by his raw, destructive flames. Serefina's eyes widened slightly in brief surprise before she quickly masked it, stepping back half a pace.

"Try that again, Serefina, and I'll burn this golden cage down with you inside it," Drava sneered, his red hair almost seeming to glow. "You might be the last Black Witch, but don't forget who holds the leash."

"Enough, both of you," I commanded, stepping between them as my shadows snuffed out the rising heat in the room.

Drava eased his grip on his sword, the fire fading back beneath his skin, though his lethal glare remained fixed on her. Serefina smoothed down her black gown, regaining her composure with a sharp scoff, though she kept a much more respectful distance from the barrier.

"Always so dramatic, Drava," Serefina muttered, rolling her eyes, though she didn't dare test his magic a second time. She turned her dark eyes back to me, her expression turning deadly serious.

"As I was saying before your guard decided to flex... I need time to dig through what little dark lore I have left in my collection, Kael. But reading old texts won't be enough."

She stepped back up to the blue runes of her cell, her gaze intense.

"If you want real answers about what this bond is, I need two things. Bring me a drop of the human girl's blood... and a drop of yours."