Chapter 6 — Hunted
1510 Words
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too cold.
Aurora stared at Lucian while her heartbeat pounded violently inside her chest.
“It carried… my scent?”
Lucian’s crimson eyes remained fixed on her.
“Yes.”
Confusion flooded her immediately.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Lucian stepped deeper into the room, closing the door behind him slowly.
The heavy sound echoed through the royal chamber.
Aurora instinctively straightened.
Something about the king’s expression unsettled her.
Not anger.
Worse.
Concern.
“You’ve never met rogues before tonight?” he asked.
Aurora shook her head immediately.
“No.”
“You never left Dark Fang territory?”
“No.”
Lucian studied her carefully.
As though searching for dishonesty.
Aurora felt strangely nervous beneath his gaze.
Finally, the Lycan King exhaled slowly.
“You’re telling the truth.”
Aurora frowned.
“Of course I am.”
Lucian remained silent.
That silence irritated her.
“You think I’m hiding something?”
“No.”
“Then why do you keep looking at me like that?”
A faint shadow crossed his face.
“Because something impossible is happening.”
Aurora’s stomach tightened again.
Lucian moved toward the balcony windows overlooking the kingdom.
Moonlight spilled across his broad shoulders while silver city lights glowed beneath the mountains.
Power radiated from him even in silence.
Aurora watched him carefully.
For the first time since meeting him…
He looked troubled.
That realization frightened her more than the rogues.
Lucian suddenly spoke again.
“Royal rogues do not attack randomly.”
Aurora blinked.
“Royal rogues?”
“There are different types.”
His voice lowered slightly.
“Most rogues are merely wolves without packs. Violent. Unstable. Desperate.”
He turned toward her.
“But the one tonight was tracking something.”
Aurora swallowed.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Fear curled slowly through Aurora’s chest.
“But why?”
Lucian’s expression darkened.
“That is the question.”
Silence settled heavily between them.
Aurora tried to calm her breathing.
Think.
Think clearly.
Nothing about this situation made sense.
She had spent her entire life as an unwanted omega.
Weak.
Ignored.
Insignificant.
Why would rogues hunt someone like her?
Unless—
Aurora looked up sharply.
“You think this has something to do with the mate bond?”
Lucian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Possibly.”
Aurora touched the glowing mark on her neck instinctively.
Warmth pulsed beneath her fingertips.
The royal mark.
The future queen mark.
Everything still sounded unreal.
Lucian noticed her nervous movement immediately.
“The mark is reacting again.”
Aurora quickly lowered her hand.
“It keeps doing that.”
“The bond strengthens with proximity.”
That did not help her nerves.
At all.
Lucian crossed the room slowly.
Every movement he made carried dangerous grace.
Controlled strength.
Predatory confidence.
Aurora’s pulse betrayed her instantly.
The closer he came, the warmer the mate bond became.
It was impossible to ignore.
Lucian stopped directly in front of her.
Too close.
Aurora looked up at him carefully.
His crimson eyes searched hers with unsettling intensity.
“You’re afraid of me.”
Aurora hesitated.
“A little.”
The honesty seemed to amuse him slightly.
“But not enough to run,” Lucian observed.
Aurora frowned.
“Would you let me?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
Smoothly.
Possessively.
Aurora’s breath caught.
Lucian tilted his head slightly.
“That answer bothers you?”
“It should bother me.”
“And yet you’re still here.”
Aurora opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
Because he was right.
She should have been terrified.
She should have wanted distance from him.
Instead…
She felt safest when he was near.
Which made absolutely no sense.
Lucian’s gaze softened slightly.
“You’re exhausted.”
Aurora wanted to argue.
But the exhaustion suddenly hit her all at once.
The rejection ceremony.
Leaving Dark Fang.
The rogue attack.
The palace.
The mate bond.
Everything crashed into her at once.
Her knees nearly gave out.
Lucian caught her instantly.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist before she could fall.
Aurora gasped softly.
Heat exploded through the mate bond.
Lucian stiffened slightly too.
The reaction affected him just as strongly.
Aurora realized something dangerous then.
The king was constantly controlling himself around her.
That realization made her heartbeat even faster.
Lucian looked down at her.
“You need rest.”
Aurora tried stepping back.
Lucian didn’t let go immediately.
For one suspended moment, neither of them moved.
Aurora became painfully aware of everything.
The warmth of his body.
The strength in his arms.
The scent of rain and smoke surrounding him.
His heartbeat beneath her fingertips.
Too close.
Far too close.
Lucian slowly released her.
But his gaze remained locked onto hers.
“Sleep,” he said quietly.
Aurora nodded weakly.
Lucian turned toward the door again.
Then paused.
Without looking back, he spoke.
“No one enters this room except trusted servants.”
Aurora blinked.
“What?”
“Royal guards will remain outside all night.”
Her stomach tightened.
“You really think I’m in danger.”
Lucian finally looked at her again.
The darkness in his crimson eyes sent chills through her.
“I think someone is hunting you.”
The door closed behind him.
Aurora stood frozen in silence.
The room suddenly felt enormous again.
Empty.
The servants slowly returned moments later.
None of them spoke much.
But Aurora noticed the nervous glances they exchanged.
Clearly, Lucian’s mood affected the entire palace.
One servant carefully placed folded gowns across the bed.
Another finished preparing the bath.
Aurora barely noticed any of it.
Her thoughts spiraled endlessly.
Someone is hunting you.
The words repeated inside her mind.
Why?
Why her?
Nothing about her life suggested she was important.
Unless…
Unless Lucian was wrong.
Maybe the rogues were after him instead.
That possibility seemed far more believable.
Aurora slowly walked toward the balcony once the servants left.
Cold night air brushed against her skin.
The Lycan Kingdom stretched endlessly below.
Beautiful.
Ancient.
Alive.
Aurora rested her hands against the silver balcony railing.
For the first time in years…
She felt uncertain about her future in a different way.
Not hopeless.
Not broken.
Just…
Unknown.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
Aurora turned carefully.
“Come in?”
The door opened slowly.
Vivian entered.
The elegant royal female looked far more relaxed now compared to earlier.
Silver eyes studied Aurora carefully.
“You look overwhelmed.”
Aurora laughed softly.
“That obvious?”
“Yes.”
Vivian crossed the room gracefully.
“Lucian tends to throw people into chaos.”
Aurora looked down.
“He said someone is hunting me.”
Vivian’s expression immediately sharpened.
“So he told you.”
Aurora frowned.
“You already knew?”
Vivian sighed softly.
“Half the palace knows by now.”
That did not comfort Aurora at all.
Vivian leaned lightly against the nearby table.
“Royal guards found three rogue bodies tonight.”
Aurora’s eyes widened.
“Three?”
Vivian nodded slowly.
“All carrying traces of your scent.”
Fear crept through Aurora again.
“How is that possible?”
Vivian remained silent briefly.
Then:
“There are old stories.”
Aurora’s stomach tightened instantly.
“What kind of stories?”
Vivian’s silver gaze drifted toward the glowing mark on Aurora’s neck.
“Stories about royal mates.”
Aurora touched the mark instinctively again.
“It’s just a mate bond.”
“No,” Vivian said quietly.
“It’s not.”
The room became silent.
Aurora suddenly remembered something.
Lucian’s reaction earlier.
The way Vivian looked shocked after seeing the mark.
The way the kingdom itself felt alive around her.
None of this was normal.
Vivian stepped closer.
“Tell me something honestly.”
Aurora nodded slowly.
“When you entered the kingdom…”
Vivian hesitated.
“…did you feel anything strange?”
Aurora blinked.
“You mean the power?”
Vivian’s eyes widened slightly.
“You really sensed it.”
Aurora’s nervousness returned instantly.
“Why does everyone keep reacting like that?”
Vivian looked genuinely unsettled now.
“Only royal blood should feel the kingdom’s energy.”
Aurora stared at her.
“What?”
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Then Vivian whispered softly:
“That’s impossible.”
Aurora’s heartbeat quickened painfully.
“I’m not royal.”
Vivian looked unconvinced.
Before either of them could speak again—
A violent howl suddenly echoed across the kingdom.
Both women froze.
Another howl followed.
Then another.
Alarms exploded outside immediately.
Aurora’s stomach dropped.
Vivian cursed under her breath.
“That’s inside the palace walls.”
The chamber doors burst open instantly.
A royal guard appeared, breathing hard.
“Lady Vivian—”
“What happened?”
“The western gate was breached.”
Aurora’s pulse spiked.
“How?”
The guard looked shaken.
“There are rogues inside the kingdom.”
The room went ice cold.
Then the guard spoke the words that shattered the silence completely.
“They’re asking for the King’s mate.”
- Writer
