The Lycan’s Forbidden Mate

CHAPTER 001 The stone floor's dampness made Andrew's battered body feel even colder. His breathing came in ragged gasps, and his chest moved in slow, painful motions. The air he breathed in felt like fire while his breaths sounded like a wheezing noise through his damaged ribs and injured body. The small cell became completely dark as if an endless void squeezed him from all sides. He had been here for days. Maybe weeks. Time had lost all meaning. A harsh cough emerged from his throat before he coughed up blood, which dripped from his mouth. His throat became raw because he spent his time screaming and pleading and enduring endless abuse. A weak voice emerged from the neighboring cell. "Mother…" The small movement of his head caused his skull to ache. He knew that voice. His pitiful sobs and endless wails were familiar to me. The prisoner started weeping for his mother on the very day Andrew entered this prison. The cold shackles around his wrists prevented him from drifting into sleep as he tried to rest his eyes. The guards bound his body tightly, not because they feared he might escape, but because they wanted him to endure pain. The punishment matched the crime of treason. The atmosphere carried a heavy mix of musty stone walls and ancient blood stains and rotting odors. A rat emerged from the darkness to claw at his extended leg before disappearing into the shadows. "Mother!" The prisoner's voice broke into a high-pitched tone as he trembled with intense desperation. Andrew exhaled slowly. His hunger pains had disappeared from his stomach. His body stopped asking for nourishment. The real punishment wasn’t starvation. It was the waiting. What am I waiting for? His father would never permit him to pass away without enduring more pain. Andrew would endure the worst possible torment before his father allowed him to die. Through this experience, he gained understanding about what it means to be a disgrace. The punishment must be appropriate for the crime. Heavy boots made loud footsteps as they approached the corridor. Steady, calculated steps. Andrew's muscles tensed. Andrew had already learned the meaning behind those footsteps. A metal key produced a scraping sound as it moved across the rusted iron surface. The metal bolt released itself with a loud, protesting sound. Light flooded into the cell. The sudden brightness caused Andrew to close his eyes tightly while his retinas suffered from the intense light. The shadows had provided his sole relief until they disappeared. "Get up," a voice commanded. He didn’t move. Couldn’t. His body showed no signs of life because he had exhausted all his energy reserves. A coarse hand seized his arm to pull him into a standing position. His body experienced a sudden movement, which caused intense nausea to wash over him. The guard holding him had to support Andrew when his legs gave out and he collapsed against his body. The man's face contorted with disgust when he pushed Andrew into a wall before managing to keep him standing. "Pathetic." A different guard secured heavy shackles around his ankles, which cut into his flesh. "Move." He tried. He really did. His legs refused to obey his commands as they shook uncontrollably beneath him. The initial blow hit him with brutal force. A powerful punch to his stomach made him drop to the floor. A heavy boot held him down by pressing against his back. "Do I need to drag you, boy?" Andrew fought to suppress his rising bile and then pushed himself to his knees. His entire body protested, but he forced himself to continue. He refused to let them witness his humiliation by crawling on the floor. Two guards escorted him from his cell while the dungeon's heavy silence gave way to the distant sounds of living people above. While walking with the guards, Andrew observed prisoners moving through the corridor, with some sitting in corners and others staring at the ceiling. The prisoner behind him started to shout louder when the guards walked past his cell. "Mother!" One of the guards sneered. The guard revealed to me what your mother is capable of doing. Andrew shifted his gaze enough to observe the prisoner who sat with his knees drawn up against his body in the cell's corner. His eyes appeared sunken, but they reflected an unreadable expression. Then Andrew saw it. A rat. The large, sleek rodent held its pink tail in a neat coil while it chewed on the prisoner's visible toe. Revulsion churned in his gut. The man did not scream. Did not move. He only watched. Andrew’s stomach twisted. He turned his eyes away from the exit when they arrived there. The palace corridors remained completely silent. The glass windows allowed sunlight to create golden patterns on the polished floors. His feet moved slowly against the marble tiles while guards escorted him through areas he used to roam without restriction. The walls of this place remembered everything about his youth. His laughter. His triumphs. The walls of the palace now watched his public humiliation. The massive doors stood before him with intricate carvings that symbolized both power and legacy. A deep creaking sound announced the entrance to the magnificent hall. The king occupied his throne while wearing military black clothing with his silver eyes showing no mercy. The mourning mother of Andrew sat next to him while wearing black clothing and keeping her face covered by a delicate veil. His siblings stood behind them with expressionless faces and empty stares that no longer showed their previous affection. Andrew’s breath hitched. They were mourning. He was writing for the brother he had lost. The son no longer received their recognition as their own. The guards dragged him forward. They had already set up the stone table in the middle of the room. Each corner of the stone table received its own set of shackles. The burning metal produced a strong odor that spread through the air. Andrew’s pulse pounded as he spotted the two branding rods resting in the coals, their tips glowing with searing heat. Panic surged through his chest. His eyes met those of the man who had previously addressed him as his son. His voice emerged as a raspy whisper that barely reached a volume above a whisper. "Please—" The Alpha made a single swift movement to end his words. "Chain him." The guards wasted no time. The guards forced his wrists to the stone wall before binding him there while pushing his chest against the unyielding surface. His breathing turned shallow. No. This couldn't be happening. The firebrands were removed from the flames. The heat from the flames scorched his flesh before the brands made contact. The bindings prevented him from moving despite his attempts. "Please," he whispered. "I—" The first brand burned his back. Andrew screamed. The intense pain ripped through his body with brutal force. The burning flesh produced a nauseating odor as it melted against his skin. The intense pain shattered his mind. The silver burned deep into his flesh, creating an everlasting scar. His vision blurred from tears, yet he managed to see her through the mist. He had been his brother's mate before. Her gaze locked onto him as she showed pure hatred. Andrew's chest tightened as guilt became heavier than his chains. The brands were removed from his body, yet the torment continued to ravage him. It never would. He fell against the table after the shackles were removed while his body shook uncontrollably. Two hands seized his shoulders from behind. The guards' movements passed unnoticed until he found himself lying on his back. His burned skin dragged against the stone wall as he endured excruciating pain. Then the doors opened. Footsteps. Slow. Purposeful. A woman entered. Her graceful movements contrasted starkly with the environment as she walked through the space while her sheer clothing moved gracefully. Andrew’s breath hitched. No. The panic he felt took over his body as he tensed up completely. "Mother!" He screamed, broken and desperate. No one answered. No one stopped it. The Alpha only watched. The chain constricted around Andrew's neck to cut off his ability to speak. The woman's ascent on top of him brought terror because she held his body down with her hands. No. The situation should not be like this. His father’s voice cut through the air, cold and final. The Alpha pronounced Andrew Larsen's banishment from the Wolf World because he murdered the Alpha's firstborn son. The words should have destroyed him completely. The words should have destroyed him like a final judgment. He experienced only a hollow feeling inside. The curse will force you to walk through the Mortal World as a cursed beast. No peace. No rest. For eternity." One tear escaped from Andrew's eye. The Alpha maintained his unwavering stare. Was this truly his fate? The guards paused when the heavy doors opened with a loud creaking sound from their weighty hinges. The ceremonial proceedings displayed a shameful parody of what should have been a dignified coronation. But this was no celebration. The event displayed nothing but disgraceful elements. The Alpha occupied his throne while his body remained motionless in his military uniform, which was covered by a black mourning coat that draped across his wide shoulders. His silver eyes, which used to shine with warmth, had become empty pits. The figure approaching him faced a deep well of sorrow and condemnation that pierced through his body. His wife sat next to him without speaking while she wore a thin mourning veil that covered her face. She kept her hands in her lap, where they formed a tight grip to maintain whatever control she could still hold onto. The surviving children of the family formed a line behind them. They did not speak. The couple sat with their hands joined in front of them while their eyes remained empty and no longer held the affection they had for the approaching boy. The spacious hall, which previously echoed with merrymaking noises, now maintained an unsettling silence. The high arched windows allowed sunlight to create golden reflections on the polished marble floors. The warm temperature failed to eliminate the deep cold that penetrated Andrew's entire body. The guide brought him toward the stone table, which stood in the middle of the hall. The flat stone table reflected the light as the metal chains at its corners waited for his arrival. The flames at the edge of his sight danced around two branding rods, which remained inside the hot area. The fire illuminated the metal tips, which glowed like hot gold. Andrew swallowed hard. His pulse pounded in his ears. His eyes met those of the Alpha who had previously referred to him as his son. Andrew's voice broke as he spoke while his body shook and his weak arms struggled to lift him. Throat felt scorched as he whispered his words with a broken voice. "Please, I—" The Alpha maintained his unchanging expression. The Alpha showed no sign of compassion. There was not even the slightest hint of hesitation. "Chain him." The words cut deeper than any physical strike. "No!" Andrew struggled against the guards' hold, but they maintained their control. His weakened physical condition made him unable to resist. The guards forced his arms forward until the shackles locked around his wrists and ankles. The metal cut into his flesh. He attempted again to speak, but his voice cracked. "You don’t have to do this—" The guards ignored him. The guards positioned his arms while binding him to the table so his stomach rested on the freezing stone surface. They pulled the straps around his body taut to prevent him from moving. Andrew managed to turn his head when he saw the branding rods being pulled from the fire. The metal surface sizzled while heat waves spread across the room. His breathing stopped momentarily. "Father—" The burning agony hit him before he could complete his words. The hot metal touched his exposed skin and penetrated his flesh and muscle tissue. A deep, agonized cry escaped his throat as he screamed in absolute pain. The burning flesh produced a sickening odor that spread through the air. His body fought against the restraints while his nails pierced his palms as fire burned through his veins. His screams caused his lungs to burn while tears made his vision hazy. A second brand burned its way through his chest. The intense pain cut through him with brutal force. His entire body shook uncontrollably as the pain surpassed every experience he had ever endured. His own breath choked him while he sobbed uncontrollably. But above all, he heard her. He had been his brother's mate before. She watched him from the crowd. Her eyes shone with suppressed emotions, yet she showed no sign of sympathy in her gaze. Only hatred. The hatred in her eyes cut deeper than the physical pain he felt. He removed the brands from his body, but the harm remained visible. His betrayal left scars on his body, which would remain forever as a testament to his crime. He experienced a brief moment of freedom before realizing that his ordeal was far from over. The guards positioned him face-up on the ground. The fresh wounds on his body stuck to the stone surface as new waves of pain traveled through his limbs. The guards fastened his wrists and ankles to secure him in his position. He managed only a quick breath before the doors swung open. A woman entered. Her entrance created a sensation that stood apart from everything else in that space. Her movements flowed like a gentle breeze through the air instead of traditional walking. The silk fabric draped over her body failed to hide the shape of her body underneath. Her black hair fell freely while her face revealed no emotions. Andrew’s stomach twisted. No. A deep primal sound emerged from his chest as a desperate growl. His body fought against the bindings as his muscles pulled with enormous force. "Mother!" His scream was hoarse, desperate. His entire body trembled as terror ripped through his system. "Mother, please!" No one moved. The Alpha did not look away. "Silence him." Before he could stop them, the silver chain wrapped itself around his neck. The tightness of the chain around his neck squeezed his throat until he lost his ability to breathe and scream. His body jerked uncontrollably while he struggled to breathe, and his sight faded from the edges. The intense pressure became too much for him as his lungs demanded oxygen desperately. The chain released a small opening for air to pass through, yet the harm was already complete. His head drooped sideways as sweat combined with tears that ran down his face. The woman's silk dress slid across his body as she mounted him, but he paid no attention to her presence. His mind demanded he resist, but his exhausted body refused to obey. The Alpha’s gaze never wavered. The surrounding voices became indistinct as their words lost all meaning to him. Then, silence. The woman rose, stepping back. A A different woman approached him and attempted to insert a cloth between his thighs. Andrew barely heard them. "Is it done?" "Yes." The group should send another person to confirm the pregnancy has started. The ceiling above him began to spin as the world moved in slow motion. His ears rang, his body numb. A shadow loomed over him. The Alpha. TThe person who had previously been his father was now Alpha. The hand that used to comfort him by holding his cheek now dried his tear before examining it under the light. The Alpha declared through his decree that Andrew Larsen must leave the Wolf World because he murdered his firstborn son. The words barely registered. The words drifted past him without meaning as he remained detached from their meaning. The curse of being a beast will force you to wander the Mortal World forever. No peace. No rest. For eternity." A gentle wind passed through the hall and brought relief to his burning body. The Alpha waited. Andrew struggled to swallow as his raw throat made it difficult. Pain and exhaustion attempted to cloud his thoughts as he focused on a single, pressing question. Would this suffering ever end?