Chapter 9
915 Words
The Silver Mark
The moment the rogues charged, the earth trembled beneath their pounding feet.
Kael's enormous Lycan form stood unmoving before Selene.
His golden eyes burned with quiet fury.
"Stay behind me," his deep voice echoed through the clearing.
Selene nodded instinctively.
She had never felt so protected in her life.
The scar-faced rogue raised his sword.
"Kill him!"
More than twenty rogues rushed forward at once.
Kael moved.
In a single blur of black and gold, he leaped into the middle of the attacking pack.
A thunderous roar exploded from his chest.
The force of it sent several rogues crashing into nearby trees.
The remaining attackers hesitated.
Their fearless leader had promised them an easy victory.
Instead, they had awakened a nightmare.
---
Kingston watched in stunned silence.
He had fought countless battles.
He had defeated rival Alphas and rogue leaders.
But this...
This was on an entirely different level.
Kael wasn't simply stronger.
He was overwhelming.
One swipe of his massive claws knocked three rogues to the ground.
Another roar forced the rest to retreat several steps.
Kingston's wolf spoke inside his mind.
"That is the King of all Lycans."
"No Alpha can match him."
Kingston hated admitting it.
But his wolf was right.
---
The scar-faced rogue growled angrily.
"Don't stop!"
"If we retreat now, we're dead anyway!"
The rogues attacked again.
This time, they spread out, hoping to surround Kael.
Ronan immediately drew his sword.
"Royal Guards!"
Six armored Lycans dropped from the trees like shadows.
Steel clashed against steel.
The clearing erupted into chaos.
Kingston looked toward Beta Ethan.
"Protect the warriors."
Ethan nodded.
"What about Selene?"
Kingston's eyes found her immediately.
She stood frozen behind Kael, fear filling her violet eyes.
"I'll protect her."
Before he could reach her—
Another rogue broke through the battle line.
He sprinted straight toward Selene.
She gasped.
The rogue raised his blade.
"It's over!"
Selene closed her eyes.
Suddenly—
A brilliant silver light burst from the crescent mark on her wrist.
The light exploded outward like a wave.
The rogue was thrown backward before his sword could touch her.
He crashed into a tree and lay unconscious.
Silence fell.
Everyone stared at Selene.
Even Kael stopped fighting for a brief moment.
The silver light slowly faded.
Selene looked down at her glowing wrist in shock.
"I..."
"I didn't do anything."
Kael's golden eyes softened.
"You've begun to awaken."
Far away, hidden deep within the mountains, an ancient temple bell rang for the first time in a thousand years.
An old priest opened his eyes in surprise.
"The Moon Queen..."
"She has finally awakened."
The clearing fell deathly silent.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on Selene.
The silver light that had erupted from her wrist slowly faded, leaving only the glowing crescent mark behind.
Selene stared at her trembling hands.
"I... I don't understand."
She had never possessed magic.
She had never even been able to shift into a wolf.
So where had that power come from?
Kael returned to his human form in a burst of golden light. Though the battle still raged around them, his attention never left Selene.
His heart swelled with relief.
"The Moon Queen's power has finally awakened."
He had waited years for this moment.
Now it was here.
---
The scar-faced rogue slowly climbed to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
His terrified expression had vanished.
In its place was excitement.
He threw back his head and laughed.
"So it's true."
"The prophecy wasn't a lie."
He looked at Selene with greedy eyes.
"The Moon Queen has awakened."
Kingston frowned.
"What prophecy?"
The rogue grinned.
"The prophecy that every kingdom fears."
"When the Moon Queen awakens..."
"The balance of power will change forever."
The clearing became silent once more.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Kingston looked toward Selene.
She stared back at him, equally confused.
"I don't know what he's talking about."
"I believe you," Kingston replied.
Kael remained silent.
He knew the truth.
But this was not the right time to reveal it.
---
The scar-faced rogue suddenly reached into his cloak and pulled out a small black crystal.
Kael's expression changed instantly.
"No!"
The rogue laughed.
"If I can't capture her..."
"I'll make sure none of you leave this forest alive."
He slammed the crystal against the ground.
A deafening explosion of black smoke erupted across the clearing.
The earth shook violently.
Cracks spread through the ground beneath their feet.
An unnatural howl echoed from deep beneath the forest.
Every Royal Lycan froze.
Ronan's face turned pale.
"Your Majesty..."
"They've broken the seal."
Kael's golden eyes widened.
"Impossible."
The scar-faced rogue laughed even as Royal Guards surrounded him.
"It is done."
"Our master will rise again."
A monstrous roar erupted from beneath the earth.
Ancient trees toppled in every direction.
The ground split open.
From the darkness below emerged an enormous claw covered in black scales.
Selene instinctively stepped backward.
"What... is that?"
No one answered.
For the first time since entering the Forbidden Forest...
Even the mighty Lycan King looked genuinely concerned.
He stepped in front of Selene once more.
"Everyone..."
His commanding voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Fall back."
Kingston drew his sword.
"We fight together."
Kael glanced at him briefly before giving a single nod.
For the first time...
The Alpha and the Lycan King stood side by side.
Not as rivals.
But as warriors facing an enemy powerful enough to destroy them all.
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