Chapter 5 – Into the King's World
746 Words
Steel clashed against steel.
The fortress erupted into chaos as Lucian stepped in front of Selene, his sword catching the first attack before it could reach her.
The force of the impact sent the masked warrior stumbling backwards.
More enemies poured through the shattered gate.
"They're after the heir!" one of them shouted.
"Take her alive!"
Lucian's silver eyes darkened.
"No one touches her."
His voice was calm, but the authority behind it silenced the battlefield for a heartbeat.
Then, the fighting began again.
Three warriors charged at once.
Lucian moved with terrifying precision, disarming one with a single strike before sending another crashing into a stone pillar. The third barely had time to raise his weapon before Lucian's boot knocked him to the ground.
Selene had heard stories about the Lycan King all her life.
None of them had prepared her for the reality.
He wasn't simply powerful.
He was unstoppable.
A loud crash echoed from the upper floor.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
"We're surrounded, Your Majesty!" one of Lucian's guards shouted.
Lucian glanced toward the staircase before turning to Selene.
"You have to leave. Now."
"I'm not leaving you."
"That wasn't a request."
His tone was firm, but there was concern beneath it.
Before Selene could argue, a hidden door opened behind the throne.
An elderly woman wearing a dark blue cloak stepped into the hall.
Her silver hair framed a face marked by time, yet her eyes were sharp and fearless.
"Your Majesty," she said with a respectful bow.
"The passage is ready."
Lucian nodded.
"Take her to Blackthorn Keep."
Selene frowned.
"What about you?"
"I'll join you once this is over."
She looked at the battle unfolding around them.
"You expect me to believe you'll survive all of this alone?"
A faint smile appeared on Lucian's face.
"I've survived far worse."
Another explosion shook the fortress.
The old woman gently touched Selene's shoulder.
"My lady, we must go."
Selene hesitated.
Everything was happening too quickly.
Only a few days ago, she had been the rejected mate of Alpha Damon Blackwood.
Now, she was fleeing through secret tunnels with the Lycan King's most trusted people while an army hunted her.
None of it felt real.
She looked at Lucian one last time.
"Promise me you'll come."
He met her gaze without hesitation.
"I give you my word."
For reasons she couldn't explain...
She believed him.
The hidden passage stretched deep beneath the mountains.
Torchlight flickered against ancient stone walls carved with symbols she had never seen before.
"Who are you?" Selene finally asked the elderly woman.
"My name is Lady Evelyne."
She smiled kindly.
"I served your mother."
Selene stopped walking.
"My mother?"
Lady Evelyne nodded.
"Queen Lysandra."
The name struck like lightning.
"My mother wasn't a queen."
"That is what you were told."
Selene's thoughts spiralled.
Every answer uncovered another secret.
"Then who was my father?"
Lady Evelyne's expression became unreadable.
"That is a truth only His Majesty can reveal."
Hours passed before they reached the end of the tunnel.
Fresh mountain air greeted them.
Waiting outside were six black horses, each carrying the silver crest of the Lycan Kingdom.
Lady Evelyne helped Selene mount one of them.
"Our journey begins now."
They rode through the mountains until the first light of dawn painted the sky.
As they reached the highest ridge, Selene caught her first glimpse of Blackthorn Keep.
It wasn't merely a castle.
It was a city carved into the cliffs, surrounded by waterfalls and ancient forests. Massive walls rose toward the clouds, while banners bearing the silver wolf fluttered in the morning wind.
"It's beautiful," Selene whispered.
"It is your new home," Lady Evelyne replied.
Before Selene could answer, a horn sounded from the watchtower.
Soldiers rushed to the gates.
A rider approached at full speed.
He leapt from his horse before kneeling.
"My Lady... bad news."
Lady Evelyne stepped forward.
"What happened?"
The soldier struggled to catch his breath.
"The fortress has fallen."
Selene's heart sank.
"And... the Lycan King?"
The soldier lowered his head.
"We lost sight of His Majesty during the battle."
Silence.
The world seemed to stop.
Selene stared toward the distant mountains where smoke still rose into the sky.
Lucian had promised he would return.
She wanted to believe him.
She needed to believe him.
But for the first time since meeting the King of Lycans...
Fear whispered a terrible possibility.
What if the darkness had finally claimed the man who ruled it?
- Writer
