The King Of Shadow
531 Words
Ryker Night-Star.
The name sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with fear. The Night-Star pack was a legend—a ghost story told to Blood-Moon pups to keep them from wandering too far. They were said to be the strongest, the wealthiest, and the most reclusive wolves in the northern hemisphere.
"You’re an Alpha King," I breathed, my golden light flickering as my heart raced.
"I am," Ryker said, taking a slow step toward me. He didn't flinch at the heat radiating from my skin. Instead, he looked at it with a strange, hungry fascination. "But you... you are something far rarer. Tell me, Elara, has anyone ever told you about the Solaris?"
"The Solaris were wiped out in the Great War," I said, reciting the pack history I’d been forced to memorize. "They were a myth. Wolves who could channel the sun."
Ryker laughed, a low, melodic sound. "History is written by those who win, little sun. Your ancestors weren't wiped out; they were hunted because the Alphas of the old world feared a power they couldn't control. They feared a wolf who didn't need a pack to be strong."
He reached out, his gloved hand stopping just inches from my cheek. "Your mate... Killian, was it? He didn't just reject a girl tonight. He rejected a Goddess. And by the time he realizes what he’s lost, it will be too late."
The mention of Killian’s name felt like a physical blow. The rejection mark on my neck gave a sympathetic throb.
"I'm not a Goddess," I whispered, looking down at my tattered rags. "I'm a nameless Omega with nowhere to go."
"You have me," Ryker said, his violet eyes locking onto mine. "I offer you a deal, Elara. Come to the Night-Star citadel. I will teach you to control that fire in your veins. I will give you a name, a title, and an army."
He leaned in closer, his scent—cool mint and expensive leather—clashing with the fading heat of my power.
"And in return?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"In return, you will help me break the curse that has kept my pack in the shadows for a century. And when you are ready, I will walk you back to the Blood-Moon borders and watch as you bring that Alpha to his knees."
Revenge. The word tasted like honey and iron.
I looked back toward the direction of my old home—the place that had starved me, beaten me, and finally thrown me away like trash. I thought of Killian holding Sienna, laughing while I crawled in the dirt.
I turned back to Ryker and reached out, my glowing hand meeting his cool palm. The moment we touched, a spark of purple and gold electricity arced between us.
"Teach me," I said, my voice finally steady. "I want him to regret every word he said to me."
Ryker’s smirk widened into a predatory grin. "Oh, Elara. He won't just regret it. He’ll beg for the death you're going to give him."
- Writer
