CHAPTER FOUR: The Lycan’s Castle
1616 Words
MAIA POV
I had never laid eyes on a castle quite like this one. It was old, like seriously ancient.
A gigantic stone fortress with shadows dancing all over, hidden deep in the mountains. You could practically feel the magic oozing out of the place.
The air was thick with power, like static electricity, making every single hair on my body stand on end. It was exciting, sure, but also kind of creepy.
This was the home of the Lycan Kings. Yeah, kings. And, get this, they were my mates. I still couldn't wrap my head around it. Three of them! Not one, not two, but a freakin' trio.
After that crazy, scary, but also super hot rescue in the woods, I figured I was dreaming. But now, standing inside their huge hall, wrapped in a robe softer than anything I'd ever worn, the reality was smacking me in the face.
The hall was nice and toasty. A roaring fire in the fireplace filled the room with warmth, its crackling echoing off the stone walls.
Long tables were loaded with all kinds of food: steaming plates of meat, fruit practically bursting with juice and big, golden loaves of bread.
But here's where things got weird. Every single servant in the castle looked like they'd seen it all, maybe even seen the Moon Goddess herself giving birth.
Old women with hunched backs and shaky hands carried trays of food and drinks. Old she-wolves with tired eyes swept the floors and refilled water jugs.
They bowed low as I walked by, some smiling, others just...staring. There wasn't a single young person in sight. No young maids, no fresh-faced warriors, no energetic voices.
Something was seriously off. I thought.
Theron kissed my forehead before he left, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “We'll be back by nightfall, my love,” he said with a knowing smile.
“Where are you guys going?” I asked.
Malik just smirked, gently touching my chin. “Pack business. Nothing for our Queen to stress about.”
Darius leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear. “Stay inside the castle. Don't go wandering off.”
And with that, they disappeared into the fog outside the castle gates, leaving me alone in a palace full of shadows and old people.
Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in my stomach, I wandered toward the kitchen, where the yummy smell of stew and rosemary hung heavy in the air.
An old woman was wiping a ladle, her hands shaking. She jumped when I spoke.
“Hey... uh, is there anything I can help with?”
She slowly turned, her eyes wide, her face as white as the moon. “N-no, Luna... you shouldn't get your hands dirty here.”
“Luna.” The word hit me hard. Did she really just call me that?
“Can I ask you something?” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
The woman nodded, glancing toward the door like she thought someone was listening.
“Where are the younger folks? The other... maids? Guards? Warriors?” I looked around. “Everyone here is so...old.”
She fidgeted, clutching her apron tightly.
“There are... rumors,” she whispered.
I moved closer. “Rumors?”
She hesitated. “The Kings... they've had other mates.”
My heart sank. “Other mates?”
She nodded, barely whispering. “Young ones. Beautiful. Gone. No one talks about them, not out loud. But we remember their smells. Some of us saw them last. Happy, then... silence.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
“And... their children?” I asked, barely able to get the words out.
She looked away.
Gone.
Silence filled the air.
The old woman's hands were shaking as she looked at the soup. I could tell she wasn't really seeing it, though. She was lost in some memory.
“There was one… a princess,” she said quietly.
I blinked, surprised. “A princess?”
She nodded, her lips pressed together tightly. “The most beautiful thing this castle had ever seen. Princess Esmé of the NightVale Clan.”
The name sounded like it belonged in a fairy tale. My gut felt uneasy.
“She showed up in the winter,” the maid went on, her eyes staring off into the distance. “They brought her here on a silver sleigh. Her hair was like blackest silk, and her eyes sparkled like frost in the moonlight. You could hear her laugh all over the place. She even danced barefoot in the snow. The Kings… they were crazy about her.”
She paused, her voice getting softer.
“They spoiled her rotten. Gave her dresses made with real gold, bathed her in rose petals, and fed her fruit covered in honey. For a while… it seemed like she had charmed them.”
A shiver went down my back.
“They called her ‘Moonflower.’ That was their nickname for her. Moonflower.”
“What happened to her?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
The maid gripped her apron tightly. “One night… she just disappeared. No warning signs. No screaming. Nothing is broken or out of place. Just… gone.”
I swallowed hard. “Did they look for her?”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “The servants searched everywhere. The Warriors joined in, too.”
“They searched the entire place. They tore down walls and turned the woods upside down. They could not even find a drop of blood.”
“Her perfume still lingered in her chamber for weeks… it smelled like lavender and had a hint of sadness to it.”
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
“Some folks say she ran away. Others think… she shifted for the first time and couldn't change back.” She finally looked me in the eye. “But the older people—the ones who know the old stories—say she was too connected to them.
That the bond became like a prison, and when she begged to be free, the Kings... got furious.”
My blood turned icy cold.
“She was the last young mate anyone remembers being here,” the maid added. “After Esmé, none of them came back.”
I wanted to dismiss it, pass it off as some scary story you tell around a campfire. But the sadness in the woman’s voice—the genuine dread in her eyes—made it feel all too real.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked quietly.
“Because your scent,” she said, “Is stronger than Esmé’s ever was.
I backed away. Suddenly, the walls felt like they were closing in. My skin felt clammy. “So, you're saying they…”
“I'm not saying anything, Luna. But... if you care about your life, sleep with one eye open. Don't get too attached.”
She curtsied awkwardly and shuffled away.
I just stood there. Staring. Swallowing. Trying to figure things out.
“Holy crap... What have I gotten myself into?”
My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would shake the windows.
Suddenly, all the sweet moments – Theron's kisses, Malik's warmth, Darius's reassuring voice – seemed twisted, like poisoned wine. Was it all a lie?
I started pacing the hallway like a crazy person.
Nope. Nope. Nope, I muttered, shaking my head. This is what happens when your baby daddy throws you to the wolves, literally, and you get rescued by three hot werewolves with abs of steel and no clue how to act normal!
I put my hand on my forehead. Think, girl! You snuggled up to three Lycans who might have killed all their past lovers and baby heirs!
I paced faster. And you let them touch you!
I looked down at my chest. Stupid boobs. Betrayers.
But then I stopped.
What if they were different with me? What if they really meant what they said?
But what if I was just the next one in line for a dirt nap?
I peered toward the massive front gates. The storm had passed over. A breeze swept through the hallway, smelling faintly of pine trees – and something else. Freedom.
Maybe I could run. I could get out of here before they got back.
My wolf stirred inside me, uneasy. She didn't like the idea. But the human side of me? Screaming.
Just go, now. Before your name gets carved on the same tombstone as the other missing mates.
I grabbed a hooded cloak from a hook near the kitchen and tiptoed toward the stables. My heart was pounding in my throat like a drum. I passed the old guards. Their eyes were closed.
I couldn't tell if they were sleeping or dead. The horses snorted softly in their stalls. I picked the smallest one.
As I climbed onto her back, I held my breath.
What if I was wrong? What if they really loved me? What if...
A howl ripped through the air. Sharp. Angry. Way too close.
The castle gates swung open on their own.
A second howl followed, deeper, more possessive.
I turned around.
Three huge Lycans – with fur as black as night, and eyes glowing red, silver, and violet – stood in the courtyard. Not as men. As beasts.
And they were staring right at me.
My horse freaked out, terrified. I screamed, falling backward and landing in the mud.
My hood fell off.
The Lycans came closer.
And all I could think was – “Oh Goddess help me... they weren't supposed to be back yet.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
- Writer
