The BLOOD KING'S RETURN: THE LUNAR HEIR

Chapter 10: The Awakening

Alina’s hands trembled as the strange light continued to glow around her fingers.

She stared at them in disbelief.

“This… this can’t be real.”

Below the balcony, the battlefield had descended into chaos.

Wolves clashed violently, claws tearing against flesh and stone. Warriors shouted commands as the courtyard echoed with the sounds of war.

And in the center of it all—

Stood a massive black Lycan.

King Kael.

His towering wolf form dominated the battlefield, golden eyes blazing with fury as he ripped through the rebel fighters.

No one could stand against him.

But then—

A voice roared across the battlefield.

“KAEL!”

The fighting slowed.

The rebel wolves parted.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward, his dark armor scarred from battle. A cruel, confident smile spread across his face.

Alina’s chest tightened.

Even from the balcony, she could feel the danger radiating from him.

“Magnus…” she whispered—though she didn’t know how she knew his name.

The rebel Alpha lifted his sword, pointing it toward the Lycan King.

“So the great King finally shows his true form,” Magnus said mockingly.

“Tell me, Kael… how does it feel to risk your entire kingdom for a human girl?”

A deep growl rumbled from Kael’s chest.

Magnus raised his voice, making sure every warrior heard him.

“The prophecy speaks of this moment!”

Uneasy murmurs spread.

“A human bound to the Lycan King… the one who will bring down the throne!”

The tension in the air thickened.

“And yet,” Magnus continued with a smirk, “you marked her as your mate.”

At that exact moment—

Kael’s golden eyes snapped upward.

Toward the balcony.

Toward Alina.

The bond between them pulsed violently.

Alina gasped as a surge of energy rushed through her body.

The light around her hands flared brighter.

Stronger.

Below, wolves began to hesitate.

They could feel it.

Something unnatural.

Something powerful.

Magnus’ smile slowly faded.

“What is that…?”

Alina stumbled back, panic rising in her chest.

“I can’t control it…”

The light spiraled around her, no longer gentle—wild, unstable.

For a split second—

Something darker flickered within it.

Then it vanished.

Far below, Kael shifted back into his human form with unnatural speed.

His voice thundered across the courtyard.

“ALINA! STOP!”

But it was too late.

The energy exploded.

A shockwave tore across the battlefield, slamming into warriors and wolves alike, sending them crashing to the ground.

Torches flickered violently.

The earth trembled.

And then—

For a single, frozen moment—

A symbol appeared above Alina’s head.

Glowing.

Ancient.

Powerful.

Forgotten.

Every wolf in the courtyard went still.

Even Magnus stared in stunned silence.

An elder warrior’s voice trembled.

“The Lunar Mark…”

Kael’s expression darkened as he looked up.

“Impossible…”

High above the battlefield, Alina collapsed to her knees as the light faded from her hands.

Her breathing was uneven.

Her body weak.

Her mind racing.

She didn’t understand what had just happened.

But one truth was undeniable.

She was no ordinary human.

And now—

The entire Lycan kingdom knew it.