The Lycan King's Stolen Oracle

# The Lycan King's Stolen Oracle ## Chapter One The sharp scent of pine mixed with cheap floor polish filled my lungs as I dragged the rag across the cold marble floor. My fingers were red and cracked from the freezing water in the bucket beside me. Every movement sent a painful sting through my knuckles, but I kept scrubbing. I could not afford to slow down. Not tonight. Tonight was the Alpha Succession Ceremony of the Crescent Moon Pack. And tonight, everything was supposed to change. At least, that was what I had spent years believing. "Faster, Omega." The cruel voice behind me made my shoulders stiffen. "You are moving like a turtle." I lowered my head and continued scrubbing. I did not need to turn around. I already knew who it was. Sienna. The Beta's daughter. She was one of the most beautiful girls in the pack, and she knew it. With her expensive clothes, perfect hair, and wealthy friends following her everywhere, she had never experienced what it felt like to be treated as worthless. Unlike me. I was the packless Omega. The girl everyone could order around. The girl nobody protected. The girl who was expected to clean up after everyone else. Sienna walked closer. Then came the sound of her expensive heels against the marble. My hand stopped for half a second. She kicked my bucket. The metal container tipped over, and dirty gray water spread across the floor I had spent the last hour cleaning. Laughter erupted behind her. I slowly closed my eyes. "Look at that," Sienna said. I could hear the smile in her voice. "All that work, and now you have to start again." Her friends laughed even harder. Sienna crouched beside me. "Make sure this entire floor is spotless before the guests arrive. Tonight is the most important night of Xavier's life. You would not want to embarrass your future Alpha, would you?" My fingers tightened around the rag. Xavier. Just hearing his name made something warm flicker inside my chest. I swallowed the humiliation burning in my throat. "Yes, Sienna. I will clean it." She smiled. "Good girl." She stood and walked away with her friends. Their laughter slowly disappeared toward the grand entrance. I remained on the floor, staring at the dirty water spreading beneath my knees. For a moment, I wanted to cry. But I refused. I had cried enough in my life. My parents died when I was a child. After that, everything changed. Without them, I had no family. No rank. No money. No protection. The pack never accepted me as one of their own. Because my wolf was unusually weak, I was treated as nothing more than an Omega who existed to serve everyone above her. Even my own wolf barely spoke to me. Sometimes I wondered if she was even there. But there was something nobody knew. Something I had hidden for weeks. Something that terrified me. I had started seeing things. Not dreams. Visions. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw blood covering the ground. I saw burning buildings. I saw bodies lying beneath a black sky. And always, in the middle of the destruction, there were two enormous golden eyes staring directly at me. I never knew what they meant. But the visions had become stronger every night. And so had the strange sensation inside my body. A warm current moved beneath my skin, almost like electricity running through my veins. Sometimes it became so powerful that I had to press my hands against my chest just to breathe. I had no idea what was happening to me. I only knew one thing. I was not as powerless as everyone believed. And perhaps there was another reason I had survived all these years. Xavier. He was the only person in the Crescent Moon Pack who had ever treated me like I was human. When we were children, he used to sneak food from the Alpha's table and bring it to me. We would sit beneath the old willow trees at the edge of the forest while I ate. He never looked at me with disgust. He never called me worthless. He simply sat beside me and listened. Years later, he had made me a promise. A promise I had held onto through every cruel word, every punishment, and every lonely night. "Just hold on until tonight, Aria." I could still remember his voice. I could still remember the warmth of his hand against my cheek. "Once I become Alpha, I will change the laws. No one will ever hurt you again." Those words had become my hope. Tonight, I believed that hope was finally going to become reality. By eight o'clock, the grand ballroom was overflowing with wolves from the Crescent Moon Pack and several neighboring territories. The room glittered beneath enormous crystal chandeliers. Music filled the air. Powerful Alphas and Betas stood together in expensive suits while their families watched from the tables. I remained near the kitchen entrance, trying to make myself invisible. My best dress was a faded blue one I had owned for years. It was nothing compared to the beautiful gowns surrounding me. I did not care. Tonight, Xavier would become Alpha. Tonight, everything would change. The drums suddenly began to thunder. The entire ballroom fell silent. Alpha Richard stepped onto the golden platform. His presence immediately filled the room. Beside him stood Xavier. My heart skipped. He looked different tonight. Powerful. Confident. Almost untouchable. He wore a perfectly fitted black suit that emphasized his broad shoulders. His dark hair had been pushed neatly away from his forehead, revealing the sharp features of his face. He looked like the Alpha he had always been destined to become. Alpha Richard raised the ceremonial silver chalice. "Members of the Crescent Moon Pack," he announced. "For thirty years, I have protected this pack through war, hardship, and peace." The crowd listened in complete silence. "Tonight, I pass that responsibility to my son." He turned toward Xavier. "Xavier." The crowd erupted. Xavier stepped forward. His father made a small cut across his palm, allowing several drops of blood to fall into the silver chalice. Then Xavier took it. The moment he drank, a terrifying wave of Alpha power exploded through the room. Several weaker wolves immediately dropped to their knees. My body trembled beneath the pressure. I struggled to breathe. Then something strange happened. The warmth inside my veins suddenly exploded. A powerful sensation rushed through my body, protecting me from the crushing force of Xavier's Alpha aura. I stared at my hands. What was happening to me? Across the room, Xavier opened his eyes. They had turned silver. The pack roared. "Our Alpha!" "Our Alpha!" Xavier lifted his hand. The room gradually became quiet again. He took the microphone. My heart began pounding. There was only one thing left. The Luna announcement. I held my breath. Everyone knew the new Alpha would announce his chosen Luna tonight. And I believed I knew who she would be. Me. Xavier slowly looked across the ballroom. For one brief moment, his silver eyes seemed to find mine. My heart nearly stopped. He remembered. He was going to keep his promise. I took one nervous step forward. Xavier turned toward the crowd. "A pack is only as strong as its foundation," he said. His voice was calm. Powerful. "A great Alpha needs a Luna who can stand beside him. Someone strong enough to lead our people. Someone capable of commanding our warriors." My smile slowly disappeared. Something felt wrong. Xavier's expression became colder. "Tonight, before the Moon Goddess and every member of this pack, I announce the woman who will become my Luna." My fingers curled into my dress. Then he raised his hand. He pointed toward the front of the ballroom. My heart stopped. Sienna stepped forward. Xavier smiled. "This is Sienna of the Ironhide Pack." For several seconds, I could not breathe. Then the ballroom exploded with cheers. Sienna walked toward the platform with a victorious smile. She reached Xavier. He took her hand. Then he leaned down and kissed her cheek. I stared at them. The promise beneath the willow trees suddenly felt like a cruel joke. The boy who had once stolen food for me was standing before hundreds of wolves, proudly choosing another woman. My vision blurred. I wanted to look away. I could not. Sienna glanced toward me. Her smile widened. She knew. She had always known. The warmth inside my chest suddenly disappeared. Something cold replaced it. Not sadness. Not pain. Something far older. Far darker. My entire body froze. Then I heard a voice. It was not my wolf. It was not Xavier. It was not anyone standing inside the ballroom. The voice came from somewhere deep within me. Ancient. Powerful. Terrifying. It whispered one sentence. "Run, Aria." I stopped breathing. The voice came again. "Run before they all burn to ash." And then every candle in the ballroom went out.