The Rise of the Lost Lycan Queen

CHAPTER 6

Valerius POV

Valerius stood by the doorway, his hand still floating in the air where Eliana's wrist had been. The spark from their touch still hummed across his skin.

His wolf wanted him to run after her. Everything inside him screamed to follow her down the hall and make sure she was safe. He took a step toward the door, but he forced himself to stop.

He closed his eyes and took a breath.

He couldn't run after her. Not like this.

He remembered the terror in her eyes when he walked into the room. The way she flinched and pulled her arms tight against her chest like she expected him to hit her.

If he chased her now, he would only scare her more.

Valerius turned back into the room, pushing the door shut. He walked over to the chair by the fire and sat down.

He rested his elbows on his knees, staring into the flames.

"Eliana," he whispered softly to the quiet room.

He rolled her name over in his mind, feeling the soft weight of it. Eliana. It sounded delicate, just like her scent. Even in the middle of her panic, her voice had been quiet and sweet. He couldn't stop thinking about the way her dark eyes looked when she said it.

His mind went back to the moment he unlocked the door.

The second the door opened, the scent he caught downstairs—that fresh smell of summer rain and flowers—hit him immediately.

And then he saw her.

The moment his eyes met hers, he knew the truth. Mate. He had finally found her.

A surge of excitement hit him in that first second. For years, he wondered if his mate even existed. Finding her here felt like a miracle.

But that joy died almost instantly.

When he stepped toward her, her reaction broke his heart. There was no recognition in her eyes. She didn't know he was her mate.

She was just terrified of him.

Valerius clenched his jaw, thinking about the bruises on her wrist, her old dress, and the way she apologized just for doing her job. She was a maid here, treated poorly by the pack.

He had tried to keep his voice soft and get her to talk to him. He just wanted to hear her speak and help her relax. But she was too panicked to stay in the room.

He looked down at his hand.

He knew she felt that spark when they touched. She might not understand it yet, but the bond was there.

A quiet resolve settled inside him as he stood up from the chair.

He still had to sign the border treaty and finish his business with Silas. But he knew one thing for certain—when his delegation drove out of these gates, Eliana would be coming with him. He was not going to leave her in a house where people hurt her.

Valerius pulled off his dark shirt and clothes, setting them on the bed.

He walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and stepped under the hot water. As he washed up, he began to prepare for the evening ahead.

Dinner was at seven. Silas and Lyra would be waiting to impress him, completely unaware of what he was planning to take back to the North.