Royal Flame Forgotten Fate

The flames swallowed everything. Tanya crouched in the cellar, clutching her knees as the scent of burning fur and blood seeped through the cracks above. Screams echoed, some from wolves, some human. Her mother’s howl had been the last thing she heard before silence fell like death itself. Then footsteps. Heavy, booted. Not of her kind. Enemy wolves. She bit her lip hard to keep from sobbing. She had no power. No howl. Not even a wolf form. She was the cursed one. The one born alongside a howling, blood-covered pup that wasn’t hers. The abomination. Bang! The cellar door was kicked open. Light spilled in, blinding her—a growl in the air, low and unfamiliar. “There’s one alive!” A rough voice barked. “Looks worthless. Might be useful for cleaning the blood off the floors.” Strong arms yanked her up. Tanya didn’t fight. What was the point? She wasn’t as strong as her parents, not fast like her siblings, who had likely died in the first wave of the attack. She was nothing. They bound her hands. Dragged her through ash and bone. Her village, the creek pack, was gone. Only charred bodies remained. She couldn’t even look at her mother’s corpse, which still clung to the edge of the altar where she’d tried to summon the Moon Goddess for help. The Goddess hadn’t answered. The palace was cold. Tanya scrubbed the marble floors with raw, blistered hands. The other slaves called her Ghost Girl because she never spoke. Never howled. Never shifted. Some even whispered she was human, though she had the mark of the wolf on her wrist, a faded birth crescent, almost invisible. Her eyes flicked up when armored boots walked past her. The Drenor guards never spoke to her unless it was to insult or slap her for being slow. But this time, they stopped. “You. The prince has summoned a wine girl. Move.” Tanya froze. The prince? Her heart pounded. She’d never seen him, but everyone whispered about Kael Drenor. The Blood Prince. The warrior who’d led the raid that destroyed her pack. The man who killed her parents and siblings. A goblet was shoved into her hands, filled to the brim with spiced wolfwine. She was shoved into the Great Hall. It was massive. Lit by torches and lined with long tables filled with nobles in fine robes. They laughed and feasted while slaves lined the walls like shadows. And there, at the head table, he sat. Prince Kael. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark hair. Silver eyes like winter frost. He wore black armor etched in red runes. His aura screamed danger. Tanya could feel it in her bones. He didn’t look at her. Just raised his empty goblet. Tanya trembled as she approached. Carefully, she leaned in and poured. But her hand, numb from scrubbing, twitched. The goblet slipped. Wine splashed across the prince’s chest. Gasps echoed around the hall. The music stopped. Tanya dropped to her knees instantly, head bowed. Stupid. Stupid! A beat of silence. Then, chairs scraping. Someone laughed cruelly. “She’s dead. The Blood Prince doesn’t forgive insults.” Tanya braced herself for the blow. For death. But it didn’t come. Instead, a strange scent hit her. Something primal. Spice. Smoke. Forest. Mate. Her head snapped up. Kael had risen, wine dripping from his armor. He stared at her not with rage, but something close to confusion. “No,” he muttered, voice hoarse. “It can’t be.” The air shifted. Every wolf in the room felt it. The mate bond had snapped. Kael’s hand twitched at his side. His wolf wanted to lunge. Claim. Protect. But he clenched his fists and turned away. “She’s dismissed,” he growled. “No punishment.” Gasps again. Murmurs. Tanya couldn’t move. Her limbs wouldn’t listen. He’s my mate? The man who slaughtered her family? A sharp voice rang out: Lady Velda, the palace mistress. “That girl is Creek Pack filth. She must have cast a spell.” Kael turned slowly. His eyes were ice. “I said no punishment.” Velda paled. “Yes, Your Highness.” Tanya was dragged out before she could process what had just happened. That night, she lay awake in the servant quarters, staring at the ceiling. Her skin still buzzed from the bond. But her heart felt like it had shattered again. He’s my mate. How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel? Tanya had begun to forget the incident as days passed until she was summoned again. This time to the prince’s private chambers. Velda smirked as she pushed Tanya forward. “Don’t disappoint him, little rat.” Tanya stepped inside. Kael stood by the window, staring out at the moonlit forest. He didn’t turn. “I didn’t summon you for pleasure, “ he said coldly. “I need answers.” Tanya stayed silent. “You didn’t feel it?” he demanded. “The bond?” She nodded slowly. His voice dropped. “Then explain why it happened. I’ve never met you. I don’t even know your name.” She tried to speak, but nothing came. She hadn’t spoken in years. Kael finally turned. “You can’t talk?” He frowned. “You’re mute?” Tanya nodded again, cheeks burning. He studied her for a long moment. “Fine. Then listen well, “ he said darkly. “I don’t want a mate. I’ll reject you if I must. But I won’t kill you. Not yet.” She flinched. “Stay out of my sight, “ he finished. “You don’t exist.” Tanya fled the room, heart pounding. But as she reached the hall, a whisper curled through the corridor. A scent. Forest. Smoke. Familiar. Tanya…. She turned sharply. And froze. A large black wolf stood at the end of the hallway. Glowing red eyes. A scar down its muzzle. The baby wolf. Shadow. Still alive. He stepped forward, growling low. Behind her, footsteps thundered. Guards. “What is that thing!” Shadow leapt. Tanya screamed as the world exploded into chaos. And the walls of her past came crashing down.