Chapter 7: Blood in the Dark
610 Words
The palace corridors were silent.
Too silent.
Alina walked beside Mira, the young maid assigned to her after the council meeting. The girl carried a small lantern that barely pushed back the thick darkness of the castle halls.
Alina still felt the burning sensation on her neck.
The mark.
She touched it unconsciously.
Every time her fingers brushed the skin, warmth spread through her body.
“What exactly did your king do to me?” Alina muttered.
Mira glanced around nervously before answering.
“His Majesty marked you… which means you are now connected to him.”
Alina frowned.
“Connected how?”
Mira hesitated.
“Well… many believe it is the beginning of a mate bond.”
Alina stopped walking.
“A what?”
But before Mira could answer—
A faint sound echoed through the corridor.
Footsteps.
Not normal footsteps.
Heavy.
Slow.
Predatory.
Alina’s stomach tightened.
“Did you hear that?” she whispered.
Mira’s face turned pale.
“Yes…”
The lantern flickered as a sudden gust of wind rushed through the hallway.
Then a voice came from the shadows.
“So the rumors were true.”
A tall figure stepped out of the darkness.
A Lycan warrior.
His golden eyes glowed with hatred.
Alina instinctively stepped back.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled coldly.
“Someone who refuses to let a human destroy our kingdom.”
Before Alina could react, he lunged forward.
Mira screamed.
The warrior’s claws flashed in the lantern light as he aimed straight for Alina’s throat.
But suddenly—
A powerful force slammed into the attacker.
The Lycan flew across the corridor and crashed violently into the stone wall.
The air trembled.
Alina felt a familiar presence behind her.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Powerful.
King Kael.
His golden eyes burned with fury.
Palace guards rushed into the corridor, quickly surrounding the fallen warrior.
But Kael didn’t even look at them.
His gaze was locked on the man who had just tried to kill Alina.
“Who sent you?” Kael asked quietly.
The warrior coughed blood but laughed.
“You already know the answer.”
Kael’s eyes darkened.
“Magnus.”
The warrior grinned.
“The northern packs will never bow to a king who bonds with a human.”
Alina felt Kael step closer to her.
His hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist.
A strange pulse of energy passed through her body.
“Take him to the dungeon,” Kael ordered the guards coldly.
“Interrogate him.”
The guards dragged the attacker away.
The corridor finally fell silent again.
Alina pulled her hand away from Kael.
“You almost got me killed,” she snapped.
Kael stared at her for a long moment.
Then he said something that made her heart stop.
“No.”
His voice was calm but deadly serious.
“They came because of you.”
Alina froze.
“What do you mean?”
Kael stepped closer.
“The rebellion has already begun.”
His golden eyes locked onto hers.
“And now…”
His gaze slowly moved to the glowing mark on her neck.
“…you are the center of it.”
Alina swallowed.
“Then maybe you should let me go.”
For the first time, Kael actually laughed.
But it wasn’t a pleasant sound.
“Let you go?”
He leaned closer until his voice was barely a whisper.
“Little human… if my enemies want you dead…”
His fingers brushed the mark on her neck.
“…then that means you are far more important than you realize.”
A chill ran through Alina.
Because deep down…
She was beginning to believe him.
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