Chapter 4
783 Words
•|• Elera's POV •|•
"I am Sebastian Beaumont.” the name went through my head again.
Then it settled heavily in the room.
Sebastian.
Beaumont.
Magic clung to the surname.
Old blood.
Old power.
My ears twitched uneasily.
Sebastian crouched carefully so we were eye level.
“I am a magic user.”
That much was obvious.
No ordinary mage used cloaking spells this advanced.
No ordinary mage teleported across distances so effortlessly.
No ordinary mage had eyes like that.
He studied me quietly before adding, “And before you ask, yes, I know you’re not truly a cat.”
My tiny body froze.
“You smell like moon magic.”
Moon magic.
The words sent ice through me.
He knew.
Or suspected.
Moon-born magic was rare.
Dangerously rare.
The kind powerful people hunted.
Sebastian leaned back slightly.
“For now,” he continued calmly, “it’s safer if you remain in this form.”
I frowned—or whatever the feline equivalent was.
Why?
As though sensing my question, he said, “There are things in these woods that would notice what you are immediately.”
My stomach tightened.
“Things?”
His expression darkened faintly.
“Things that serve Velmora.”
Velmora.
Even I knew that name.
I lived there.
But what he is talking about is the heart of Velmora.
The hybrid territory.
The place ruled by monsters and myths.
Vampires.
Lycans.
Creatures whispered about in terrified tavern stories.
My fur stood on end.
Sebastian watched me carefully.
“You wandered dangerously close to them.”
Close?
I had apparently walked straight into them.
Wonderful.
I paced anxiously across the table.
Sebastian took another sip of tea.
“I suggest you avoid transforming back until your magic stabilizes.”
I stopped pacing.
Stabilizes?
That sounded deeply concerning.
As though hearing my thoughts, Sebastian added, “Your aura fluctuates wildly. You’re leaking power.”
Panic hit instantly.
I was what?
“That kind of magical instability attracts attention.”
I wanted to scream.
Instead another distressed meow escaped me.
Sebastian looked entirely unbothered.
“How old are you?”
I glared at him.
Absolutely not.
He sighed softly.
“You’re very suspicious for someone sleeping in my home.”
Reasonable!
He housed a giant wolf-hound creature!
And had terrifying void eyes!
Before I could continue mentally insulting him—
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Every muscle in Sebastian’s body went still.
The air changed instantly.
Cold magic flooded the room.
Even Fenrir lifted his massive head sharply from beside the fireplace.
Fear crawled down my spine.
Sebastian stood slowly.
“No one,” he said quietly, “should know this place exists.”
My heart dropped.
Another knock came.
Slower this time.
Deliberate.
Sebastian’s expression hardened dangerously.
The magic around the cottage shifted.
I could feel the cloaking barrier ripple uneasily.
Whoever stood outside…
They were powerful enough to find this place anyway.
Fenrir released a low growl.
Sebastian walked toward the door with measured steps.
I immediately darted beneath a nearby chair, fur puffed in terror.
The moment his hand touched the doorknob, the room seemed to hold its breath.
The door opened.
And standing there was the most terrifying man I had ever seen.
Tall.
Massive.
Broad-shouldered.
Silver hair tied loosely behind his head.
Golden eyes glowing unnaturally bright.
The scent that rolled off him struck me instantly even from across the room.
Wild.
Predatory.
Lycan.
Power radiated from him so heavily my instincts screamed at me to run.
Leather armor wrapped around his muscular frame, dark crimson markings stitched across the chest.
A sword rested against his back.
And when his golden eyes lifted—
They landed directly on Sebastian.
The silver-haired man smirked faintly.
“Well,” he drawled smoothly, “that took longer than expected.”
Sebastian’s voice turned cold as winter.
“How did you find this place?”
The man leaned casually against the doorway like he wasn’t facing death itself.
“Your cloaking spell slipped for half a second.”
Impossible.
Even I knew cloaking magic that strong shouldn’t fail accidentally.
Which meant—
This man was powerful enough to notice the smallest disturbance.
Sebastian’s black eyes narrowed.
“What do you want, Malachi?”
Malachi.
The name hit me immediately.
Malachi Bloodthorne.
Third-in-command of the Lycan faction.
One of the Alpha’s most feared enforcers in Velmora.
Moon Goddess.
What had I walked into?
Malachi’s sharp gaze swept lazily through the cottage.
Then—
His eyes stopped.
On me.
Hidden beneath the chair.
Every instinct in my tiny cat body screamed.
Predator.
Predator.
Predator.
The Lycan smiled slowly.
“Well now,” he murmured. “What do we have here?”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD