Forbidden Love

Chapter 3: The Protector's Lie

The blinding blue flash did not bring the scent of woodsmoke or ordinary embers; it tasted like ozone, ancient power, and pure terror.

Elara squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body bracing for the agony of her skin blistering away. But the pain never came. Instead, the air around her turned freezing cold for a fraction of a second before rushing back with the force of a gale-force wind.

When she opened her eyes, gasping for breath, she realized she hadn't been thrown across the room. King Damian’s massive hand was still firmly planted on the stone wall right next to her ear, pinning her in place. The silver locket against her chest was smoking, leaving a dark scorch mark on her ragged linen apron, but it was Damian’s face that made her blood turn to ice.

The Alpha King hadn't flinched. The blue fire had washed directly over his bare chest and leather tunic, leaving faint, glowing blue veins tracing across his skin before slowly fading away under his heavy pulse. He didn't look hurt. He looked dangerous. His golden eyes were wide, the pupils blown so large they practically swallowed the irises.

He knew. The color of that flame was unmistakable. It was the forbidden mark of a witch.

"Witch-fire," Damian rumbled, his voice dropping an octave, vibrating so deeply against her chest that she could feel her own ribcage shaking. His grip on her chin tightened just enough to let her know he could break it with a single flick of his wrist. "You are a witch. In a human estate, hiding under the skin of a broken servant."

"P-Please," Elara whimpered, a solitary tear breaking free and tracing down her ash-smudged cheek. She hated how weak her voice sounded. She hated how her hands shook as she instinctively tried to push against his massive chest. "I don't know what that was. I'm just a servant. I've never... I've never done magic in my life."

"Do not lie to me!" Damian hissed, his fangs lengthening slightly as his inner wolf snarled at the deception. "My wolf felt your bloodline the second I crossed the gates. I hunt your kind for sport, girl. I know the taste of your magic before it even leaves your fingers."

He leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing her ear as he growled, "Why is my wolf refusing to let me snap your neck? What spell did you cast on me?"

Elara could only shake her head, her breath hitching. She had no answers. She didn't even know what she was.

Before Damian could tear the truth from her, the heavy, frantic thud of steel-toed boots echoed from the end of the long corridor.

"Alpha! Alpha Damian!"

It was Leo, Damian’s fiercely loyal Beta and second-in-command, rushing around the corner. Behind him were three elite pack trackers, their silver swords already drawn, their eyes scanning the darkness with lethal precision.

"We felt a massive surge of elemental magic from the courtyard!" Leo shouted, his voice tight with urgency. "The trackers say it’s a witch's scent. It came from this corridor!"

Elara’s soul left her body. This was it. She was going to be dragged out to the courtyard, stripped, and burned alive just like the stories she had heard in the dark corners of the kitchens. She closed her eyes, waiting for Damian to drop his hand, step aside, and hand her over to his executioners.

Instead, the air pressure shifted.

With a movement so fast it blurred in the dim candlelight, Damian shifted his massive frame. He didn't move away from Elara—he stepped directly into her space, his broad shoulders and heavy frame completely shielding her small body from his men's line of sight. He trapped her between the cold stone wall and the wall of his own chest, effectively hiding her ragged dress and the smoking locket from view.

"Stand down, Leo," Damian commanded. His voice wasn't just loud; it carried the absolute, unyielding weight of an Alpha’s decree. It was a voice that demanded immediate, unquestioning obedience.

Leo and the trackers skidded to a halt a few yards away, their eyes widening in confusion as they looked at their King, who was standing suspiciously close to the dark alcove.

"But Alpha..." Leo stammered, lowering his sword slightly but still tasting the air. "The scent... it's thick right here. It smells like ozone and—"

"I said, stand down," Damian repeated, turning his head just enough to flash his glowing, lethal amber eyes at his second-in-command. The raw aggression in his posture made even Leo take a defensive step back. "A faulty human defensive ward in the sconce short-circuited when I walked past. It was nothing but cheap human parlor tricks. There is no witch here."

Elara’s eyes snapped open in absolute shock. She looked up at the back of Damian’s dark head. He was lying for her. The most feared witch-hunter in the continent was actively shielding a witch from his own pack.

Leo looked uncertain, his eyes darting to the shadows behind Damian, but an Alpha's word was law. He swallowed hard, sheathing his sword. "Forgive me, My Lord. We will redouble the perimeter guard just in case the humans are hiding something else."

"Do that. And clear this wing of the castle immediately. I want no one near these corridors tonight," Damian barked.

"Yes, Alpha." Leo bowed his head, gesturing for the trackers to follow him as they quickly retreated back into the main hall.

As the sound of their footsteps faded into nothingness, the silence returned, heavier and suffocating.

Damian slowly turned back around to face Elara. The protective shield was gone, replaced by a dark, terrifying intensity. He reached down, his large hand wrapping completely around the silver locket dangling from her neck. He pulled it slightly, forcing her to step closer to him until their chests were almost touching.

"I just lied to my own Beta for you, little mouse," Damian whispered, his gaze dropping to her trembling lips before locking back onto her eyes. "My pack executes your kind on sight. If they find out what you are, I will have to kill them to keep you safe—and I don't even know your name."

He leaned in so close she could feel the furious beat of his heart. "The seal on this toy is breaking. You have until sunrise to tell me who you belong to, or I'll let my wolf claim you the hard way."