Chapter 21
1121 Words
"The moment fate recognizes its own, the entire world must step aside."
The doors of the Blackwood great hall stood open as Prince Ariel Silvermoon stepped inside.
The change in atmosphere was immediate.
The warm chatter that had filled the hall moments earlier vanished as if someone had stolen the air from the room. Conversations died mid-sentence. Laughter faded. Even the music played by the small group of musicians in the corner faltered before stopping entirely.
Every wolf in the hall turned toward the entrance.
And every single one of them felt it.
Power.
Not the loud, aggressive dominance of an Alpha asserting control.
No.
This was something deeper.
Something ancient.
Ariel didn’t need to release his aura for the room to feel it. His mere presence carried the quiet authority of Lycan royalty, the kind of power that had ruled the wolf world for centuries.
He stepped forward slowly.
The polished floor reflected the faint silver glimmer of his armor as the torches along the walls flickered softly. His silver hair rested loosely against the back of his dark coat, and his pale eyes moved calmly across the gathered wolves.
Mothers nudged their daughters forward.
Young she-wolves straightened their backs and lifted their chins, hoping to catch the prince’s attention. A few even stepped closer to the path he walked, their movements subtle but obvious to anyone watching.
“He’s beautiful,” one girl whispered breathlessly.
Another giggled nervously. “Imagine being chosen by him.”
Several elders watched the prince with calculating expressions.
A Lycan mate could elevate an entire bloodline.
The daughters of Blackwood had never suddenly seemed so important.
But Ariel noticed none of them.
Or perhaps he noticed them and simply didn’t care.
Because the moment he stepped into the hall, his Lycan surged violently beneath his skin.
The scent hit him again.
Stronger this time.
Soft like rain.
Warm like moonlight.
Mate.
His steps slowed.
The pull inside his chest tightened until it felt almost physical.
He turned his head slightly.
Across the crowded hall, hidden among the servants standing near the pillars, was a girl trying very hard to remain invisible.
Isolde.
Her dress was simple and worn compared to the elegant gowns surrounding her. A faint bruise still lingered along her cheek, though it had begun to fade.
She kept her head lowered, hoping no one would notice her.
But Ariel noticed her immediately.
His body went completely still.
For the first time since entering the hall, the calm mask on his face shifted.
His Lycan roared with recognition.
Mine.
The word thundered through his mind with such force that Ariel had to steady his breathing.
Across the room, Isolde felt something change in the air.
The strange warmth she had been feeling all day suddenly exploded through her body like lightning. Her wolf surged forward violently, pressing against the edges of her mind as if it were desperate to break free.
She gasped softly.
Her hand gripped the pillar beside her as the world seemed to tilt.
What was happening?
Slowly, she lifted her eyes.
And met his.
For a moment the entire hall disappeared.
Ariel’s silver gaze locked onto hers with quiet intensity.
The connection struck like thunder.
Mate.
The realization hit Isolde like a blow to the chest.
Her heart began racing wildly.
No.
That couldn’t be right.
Her mate had already rejected her.
Valen.
The memory of that humiliation burned through her mind instantly.
So why…
Why did this man feel like the answer to a prayer she had stopped believing in?
Ariel took a single step forward.
Then another.
The crowd parted automatically.
None of the wolves surrounding him understood why the prince was suddenly walking deeper into the hall.
They only knew that his focus had sharpened.
His attention locked onto something.
Or someone.
Near the front of the hall, Valen noticed it first.
His eyes followed the direction of Ariel’s gaze.
And the moment he saw who the prince was looking at…
His stomach dropped.
Isolde.
A sharp, instinctive growl rumbled quietly in Valen’s chest before he could stop it.
Impossible.
Why would a Lycan prince be staring at a worthless servant?
Beside him, Cassiana noticed as well.
Her sharp mind immediately connected the pieces.
The strange power she had sensed around the girl.
The way Valen had begun obsessing over her.
And now…
This.
A cold wave of realization slid through her thoughts.
This could not be coincidence.
Meanwhile Ariel continued walking forward.
She-wolves stepped eagerly into his path, smiling brightly and offering polite bows as he passed.
But he moved around them without a glance.
One girl tried to speak.
“My prince—”
He walked past her.
Another tried to offer him wine.
He ignored the cup entirely.
Whispers spread through the hall.
“Why is he ignoring them?”
“Who is he looking at?”
“Where is he going?”
Across the room, Isolde’s breathing grew uneven.
Her wolf was no longer simply restless.
It was alive.
Awake.
Pushing forward with a strength she had never felt before.
The closer Ariel came, the stronger the sensation became.
Fear and confusion twisted inside her chest.
She couldn’t stay here.
If anyone realized what was happening—
She turned slightly, preparing to slip quietly out of the hall.
But it was too late.
Ariel stopped directly in front of her.
The entire hall fell silent.
The powerful Lycan prince stood before the lowest girl in the pack.
Isolde slowly lifted her head.
Up close, Ariel looked even more overwhelming than he had from across the hall. His silver eyes held a depth that felt almost ancient, and the quiet power radiating from him made her heart pound harder.
Yet when he looked at her…
His expression softened.
Not with pity.
With recognition.
Something sacred.
For several long seconds neither of them spoke.
The entire hall watched in stunned silence.
Then Ariel raised his hand slowly.
Not to touch her.
Just close enough that he could feel the warmth of her presence.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was low but carried across the room effortlessly.
“You tried to hide from me.”
A shiver ran through Isolde.
“I didn’t know…” she whispered.
Ariel’s gaze never left her face.
“You do now.”
Behind them, the hall erupted into whispers.
Confusion.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Because the most powerful man in the wolf world was standing in front of a servant girl like she was the only person who existed.
And Valen Blackwood felt something terrifying settle in his chest.
A realization he wasn’t ready to face.
The girl he had rejected…
Might have just been chosen by a king.
- Writer
