Chapter 003: The King's Command
829 Words
The moon hung high above the Black Fang Kingdom, bathing the ancient palace in an eerie silver glow.
No one dared move.
Not after hearing those two words.
"Find her."
The command echoed through the throne room like thunder.
Every Lycan warrior immediately dropped to one knee, lowering their heads until their foreheads nearly touched the polished black floor.
"My King..."
Lucian broke the heavy silence, though even he chose his words carefully.
"Forgive me, but the world beyond our borders is vast. There are hundreds of werewolf packs, dozens of kingdoms, and countless hidden territories. Searching every corner could take years."
Draven didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked toward the towering windows overlooking the Black Fang Kingdom.
The moonlight spilled across his broad shoulders, making the silver embroidery on his black cloak shimmer like liquid starlight.
For a long moment, he simply stared into the distance.
His wolf remained restless.
It wasn't the ordinary excitement of finding a mate.
It was rage.
Pure, uncontrollable rage.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the same heartbreaking image.
A young woman...
Crying alone beneath the moon.
Her pain flowed through the bond like poison.
Whoever had made her cry had unknowingly declared war against the Lycan King.
Draven's jaw tightened.
"I felt her despair."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
Yet everyone heard it.
"It was so overwhelming..."
He clenched his fist.
"...that even now, my wolf refuses to calm down."
Lucian exchanged nervous glances with the generals.
None of them had ever witnessed their king speak with such emotion.
For ten years...
Draven had been nothing more than an untouchable ruler.
Cold.
Merciless.
Unshakable.
Yet tonight...
One unknown woman had changed everything.
---
Meanwhile...
Far from the Black Fang Kingdom...
Lyra sat beside the stream as dawn slowly painted the sky.
She hadn't slept.
She doubted she ever would again.
Mira remained beside her, refusing to leave despite Lyra's repeated insistence.
"You should go back," Lyra murmured.
"They'll be looking for you."
"I'm not leaving you."
"They'll punish you."
"Let them."
Lyra managed a weak smile.
"You've always been stubborn."
Mira smiled sadly.
"I learned from you."
Silence settled between them.
The stream flowed gently over smooth stones.
Birds slowly began singing again.
It felt like an ordinary morning.
But nothing about Lyra's life would ever be ordinary again.
She slowly removed the silver bracelet from her wrist.
Kael had given it to her on her eighteenth birthday.
"I promised I'd never take it off," she'd once told him.
Now...
She placed it on a nearby rock.
Along with every memory she wished she could erase.
"I don't want reminders anymore."
Mira watched quietly.
"You still love him."
Lyra looked toward the rising sun.
"I think..."
She paused.
"...I'm mourning the man I thought he was."
---
Inside the Silver Moon Pack...
Kael hadn't slept either.
His office was littered with untouched documents.
The celebration had ended hours ago.
Princess Selene had returned to the Alpha King's palace after announcing their engagement to every neighboring pack.
Everything should have been perfect.
So why...
Why did the silence feel unbearable?
A sharp pain suddenly pierced his chest.
He staggered backward.
His wolf growled uneasily.
Images flashed before his eyes.
Lyra...
Crying.
Walking away.
Disappearing into the forest.
His breathing became uneven.
The rejection should have severed their bond.
Instead...
It felt weaker.
Broken.
But not gone.
"What is happening?"
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter."
Beta Ronan stepped inside.
"Alpha... we've received troubling news."
Kael frowned.
"What happened?"
"The northern patrol reported something strange."
"What?"
"The wolves."
Kael's expression darkened.
"What about them?"
"They all bowed toward the northern mountains during the mating ceremony."
Ronan hesitated before continuing.
"It wasn't submission to another Alpha."
"It was..."
He swallowed hard.
"...submission to a Lycan."
Kael shot to his feet.
"Impossible."
"There hasn't been a Lycan King seen outside the Black Fang Kingdom for years."
"I know."
"But the patrol swears they felt an overwhelming royal aura."
Kael walked toward the window.
The northern mountains...
The forbidden border.
For the first time in years...
A sense of unease settled deep within him.
He couldn't explain why.
But instinct whispered that something enormous had begun.
Something capable of changing the fate of every werewolf kingdom.
---
Back in the Black Fang Palace...
Draven stood before a massive map.
His finger rested on the eastern territories.
"Begin here."
Lucian nodded.
"I'll dispatch the Shadow Guards immediately."
"They are to search quietly."
"No kingdoms are to know we're looking."
"And if someone discovers our intentions?" one general asked.
Draven's silver eyes turned icy.
"They won't live long enough to spread the news."
The room fell silent.
Every general understood.
The search for the Lycan King's mate had officially begun.
Somewhere beyond the mountains...
Destiny was already moving its first piece.
And neither Lyra...
Nor Kael...
Had any idea that the most powerful ruler in history was coming for the woman fate had chosen.
- Writer
