Taming the Mad Lycan King

WON

Fenrir POV

"Mother, another wife?" I stared at the picture she had placed on the table. A young woman. Beautiful. Just like the others.

"How many more women?" My voice was cold enough to freeze the room. My mother sighed. "Fenrir, it's for your own good."

I laughed humorlessly. The sound surprised even me. "You've said that before." Her shoulders slumped. "You need to move on. What happened years ago is in the past."

The past. If only it were that simple. "Mother," Calla interrupted gently, "Fenrir doesn't need another wife." My mother turned toward Calla. "I understand you, but I want him to be happy, but he needs someone who can help him heal." Then her gaze returned to me. "Perhaps if you open up, then your wolf can accept her wolf, and the mate bond could finally form. You just need to experience it, even once, just like I did with your father."

Mate bond. Without another word, I stood. "Fenrir," Calla called after me. I didn't bother responding. The doors opened. Then closed behind me. The silence of the corridor welcomed me far more than their pity ever could. A mate bond. My wolf, Nyxar, still hasn't answered me. My footsteps slowed. Years. It had been years since I had heard his voice. Years since that night. After the incident, I made sure Nyxar would never be unleashed again. And in return, he abandoned me.

The corridor gave way to the east wing, where morning light still pooled against old stone. I kept walking until I reached the training yard, empty now. Nyxar. I called for him the way I always did. Quietly. Nothing answered. Not even silence dressed as defiance. Just absence, as though some part of me had stopped existing the night he left.

Footsteps behind me. Calla, most likely, she never let me wander long before checking. "You didn't have to follow me," I said without turning.

"I know." A pause. "I just don't like how quiet you get." Quiet. If she only knew how loud the silence actually was.

"Fenrir, you know I will always be by your side." Calla moved forward, grabbed my arm, and let her head rest on my shoulder, staying there a moment past what the silence needed. I didn't move to shift her off.

I let the wind answer for me instead, dragging dead leaves across the yard like it was trying to clean up a mess no one would ever fully clear.

Aria POV

The next morning, I sat at my usual spot on my room balcony, my mind dwelling on my parents marrying me off just because of their political gain. I had heard stories of the mad Lycan king. I saw the looks from the people and servants below, looking up at me and whispering, some trying hard to hold back their laughter.

"My lady," Ellana said, walking in. "I brought you breakfast. You promised me last time that you would eat, and you said we'd go outside today."

"Ellana." I still kept my gaze fixed. "Ellana, what are the people saying about me?"

My eyes moved to her. "My lady... uhmm"

"Ellana, I asked a question." My voice was firm. "They... they said you have gone mad, my lady." My mouth froze. I saw Ellana bow to her knees.

"My lady, I don't believe that. I just know you need some time." Ellana's voice shook like she was holding back her tears.

"Ellana, you can leave." Without question, she got up and left.

I moved my gaze back to the tree and its surroundings, the one thing that still gave me hope. So that was the reason I had gone mad, because the one I had formed my bond with had left me. The mate rejection hurt so much that I hadn't heard from my wolf, Astra, since then.

As my eyes wandered the surroundings, I saw Bram. He looked up at me. I hadn't seen him since Kaia's birthday. He was still looking at me like he wanted to say something. Then Kaia walked up to him. Her head moved up, and she noticed he was looking at me. After a few seconds, she held her belly and screamed so loud I could hear her from the top. Bram's attention was immediately caught, and he turned to hold her. Watching that sight brought back the teary eyes

I thought they were gone. Seeing her look up and smile, seeing him hold her and her stomach, I knew I was defeated. She won. Kaia won. I used to believe the Moon Goddess herself had tied our threads together the night we first met, that what Bram and I had was fated, undeniable, the kind of bond that didn't need defending. I was wrong. The way he turned and reached for someone else so easily, already learning to bond with a body that wasn't mine, told me everything I'd spent seven years too afraid to ask myself. The doubt had been there all along. I just hadn't let it come into focus until now.

I got up, wiped my tears, and walked out of my room, straight to the courtyard, where I found my parents. I stormed over to them. My voice was loud. I didn't care about their discussion.

"I will marry the Lycan king." I knew I needed to leave a small pack and go into a wider environment, and if it meant marrying a mad beast, so shall it be

My parents' eyes filled with joy.

"I will depart tomorrow." My mother dropped her glass of wine. "But the council has approved of Bram and Kaia's marriage; the wedding is tomorrow, don't you remember. Wouldn't you like to attend it?" The insensitivity in her voice burned my skin. I breathed, then exhaled. I wasn't ready to fight now. "I said I will depart tomorrow, Mother. But one thing I'm leaving with Ellana." Without hesitation, I walked out. There was no place for me here in the pack.

The next day, my luggage was ready. Ellana agreed to follow me. I made sure to ask her, because she wasn't an object, unlike how my family treated the servants. The estate was filled with cars for my sister's wedding and my departure. I dressed up like a bride; I wasn't going to give this place a second of my unhappiness, especially with Kaia's wedding being held here, at our family's garden.

"My lady, we are ready. Everything has been packed, including the gift for your in-laws. We can leave now."

I nodded in response and moved immediately, turning back one more time to my bedroom and my tree that gave me hope. I had to look at it one last time before walking outside to the car, my head held high, ignoring the whispers and side comments from Kaia's friends. The guard opened the car door. I stepped into the car, and the door shut.

I saw Bram run toward me. "Aria, please don't go. We can work it out." The driver hesitated, stalling. "Drive," I yelled

The car engine started as Bram slammed his hands against the window. I looked through the glass and saw my parents; they couldn't meet my eyes, guilt warring with the satisfaction written across their faces. The car drove off as the gates of the Soren estate closed behind us.