Chapter 5: The Rejected King
933 Words
Terrified of what I might become.
The realization hit harder than anything else.
Not because it frightened me.
Because it hurt.
Deep down, some foolish part of me had hoped Kael rejected me because he didn't want a weak omega.
Because if that was the reason, maybe I could prove him wrong.
Maybe I could become stronger.
Maybe I could earn his respect.
But this?
This was different.
Kael had known something about me from the very beginning.
Something so dangerous that he would rather reject his own mate than accept the bond.
My chest tightened painfully.
The bond immediately reacted.
Pain shot through it.
Not mine.
His.
I looked at him.
For a brief second, our eyes met.
And suddenly I understood.
He wasn't afraid of me.
He was afraid for me.
The realization caught me off guard.
"Ava."
His voice was low.
Careful.
As if he were approaching a wounded animal.
I looked away.
I wasn't ready to face him.
Not yet.
Not after everything.
Not after being called a mistake.
Not after discovering my entire life had been built on lies.
Before anyone could speak again, a horn suddenly sounded outside.
A deep, terrifying blast.
Every face in the corridor changed instantly.
The stranger with crimson eyes cursed.
Malachai smiled.
And Kael's expression turned deadly.
My stomach dropped.
"What was that?"
No one answered.
Then another horn sounded.
Closer.
Louder.
The palace shook violently.
A warrior burst around the corner.
Blood covered his armor.
"Your Majesty!"
Kael turned immediately.
"What happened?"
The warrior was breathing hard.
"The southern gate has fallen."
Silence.
Cold silence.
My heart stopped.
The southern gate?
Even I knew that was bad.
Very bad.
The palace had several layers of defense.
If one had fallen...
The enemy was getting closer.
Fast.
The warrior swallowed.
"They're heading directly for the royal wing."
Malachai's smile widened.
"Excellent."
Kael's eyes flashed gold.
The pressure rolling off him became overwhelming.
Every instinct inside me screamed.
Predator.
King.
Alpha.
For the first time, I truly understood why everyone feared him.
This wasn't just a ruler.
This was a monster capable of destroying armies.
Yet somehow...
Malachai remained calm.
Completely calm.
"You're running out of time, Kael."
The Lycan King's growl shook the corridor.
"Leave."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Malachai's gaze found mine.
"I didn't come all this way to leave without her."
Fear crawled down my spine.
Something about the way he said it felt wrong.
Obsessive.
Possessive.
Dangerous.
Like I wasn't a person.
Like I was something he believed belonged to him.
Kael moved instantly.
Placing himself directly between us.
The action made my heart skip.
His rejection still hurt.
But moments like this confused me.
Because every instinct he showed screamed mate.
Protect.
Defend.
Keep safe.
Why reject me if his wolf clearly wanted me?
The bond pulsed again.
Pain.
Regret.
Guilt.
My breath caught.
Those emotions weren't mine.
They were his.
Kael regretted rejecting me.
The realization shocked me.
Before I could process it, another explosion rocked the palace.
This one much closer.
Stone cracked.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
The warrior paled.
"We have to move now."
Kael nodded once.
His decision was immediate.
Absolute.
"Ava comes with me."
Malachai laughed.
"I expected nothing less."
The stranger with crimson eyes frowned.
"That's dangerous."
Kael's golden eyes narrowed.
"Nowhere is safe anymore."
Silence followed.
Because everyone knew he was right.
The enemy had breached the palace.
There was no safe place left.
Not for me.
Not anymore.
Suddenly a sharp pain exploded inside my head.
I gasped.
Images flooded my mind.
A silver throne.
Moonlight.
A woman wearing a crown.
Blue eyes.
Silver hair.
My mother's eyes.
Her voice echoed through my mind.
Run.
I froze.
The vision vanished instantly.
My breathing became uneven.
Kael immediately noticed.
His attention snapped toward me.
"Ava?"
I stared at him.
Terrified.
"I heard her."
The entire corridor went silent.
Malachai's expression changed.
The stranger looked shocked.
Even Kael seemed stunned.
"Heard who?"
"My mother."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The silence became suffocating.
Then the stranger whispered one word.
"Impossible."
But deep down...
I knew it wasn't.
Because the voice had felt real.
Not a dream.
Not imagination.
Real.
My pulse quickened.
"What is happening to me?"
No one answered immediately.
Then Kael stepped closer.
Carefully.
As if afraid I might break.
"Your powers are awakening."
The words sent a chill through me.
Powers.
The idea felt absurd.
Yet after everything I'd seen today...
Nothing seemed impossible anymore.
The bond suddenly flared.
Danger.
Immediate danger.
Kael reacted instantly.
He grabbed my wrist.
"Run."
The command left no room for argument.
A second later, the corridor exploded.
Stone shattered.
Glass rained everywhere.
I screamed.
A massive figure crashed through the wall.
Dust filled the air.
Warriors shouted.
Weapons flashed.
Chaos erupted.
When the dust finally settled...
A man stood in the center of the destruction.
Tall.
Armored.
Terrifying.
His eyes glowed silver.
Just like Malachai's.
My blood turned cold.
Because he wasn't looking at Kael.
He wasn't looking at anyone else.
He was looking directly at me.
And the smile on his face made my stomach twist.
"Found her."
Kael's growl shook the palace.
The warrior raised his sword.
The stranger with crimson eyes prepared to fight.
And for the first time in my life...
I realized people were willing to start a war just to possess me.
Not because of who I was.
But because of what I was.
The last Moonborn.
The lost heir.
The girl from the prophecy.
And somehow...
I had a feeling the worst was still coming.
- Writer
