Bound To The Ruthless Lycan

Chapter 13 : The Sole Cure

"You truly are the craziest woman I've ever met," Damon whispered hoarsely, his trembling fingers brushing away the dried tear tracks on my cheek.

Outside the shattered glass dome, the sky gradually shifted to a grayish blue. The cool dawn breeze swept inside, carrying a refreshing chill that washed away the lingering stench of blood and ozone filling the Grand Council Chamber.

I sat propped against a shattered stone pillar, cradling Damon's head as he lay limply in my lap. The broad shouldered man stared up at me without blinking, as if closing his eyes for even a second meant I would vanish from his sight.

"I'm not crazy," I replied softly, running my fingers through his dark hair, damp with sweat. "I just didn't want the man who owes me three hundred spears to die foolishly as a wild beast."

Damon offered a faint, bitter smile—a rare sight on his stern face. Slowly raising his hand, he caught my left wrist, wrapped in torn fabric from my gown. He gazed at the makeshift bandage, reddened with my own blood.

"Stand up," Damon said, his voice steadily regaining its deep, powerful weight. "We can't stay in this ruined room."

"Can you stand yet?" I asked hesitantly.

Damon didn't answer with words. He rose from my lap with remarkable agility. The surge of energy from the Silverwood blood in his system had completely restored his physical strength. Standing tall, he extended a muscular hand toward me.

I took his hand. In one gentle motion, Damon pulled me to my feet, letting me lean against his chest for a moment until I regained my balance.

"Come on," he coaxed, guiding my steps over the splintered debris of the teakwood table toward the hidden door in the corner of the room.

**

The balcony of the royal master bedroom directly faced the eastern mountains. Golden rays of the dawning sun peeked over the mountain peaks, illuminating the crimson carpet and carved stone pillars of the high balcony.

Damon stood close to the stone balustrade, letting the morning wind ruffle his dark hair. He wore a fresh black silk robe in place of his ruined clothes.

I sat in a carved wooden chair nearby, allowing a loyal, trusted maid to bandage the cuts on my palm and the claw wounds on both my shoulders.

"All done, Luna to be," the maid whispered softly, bowing respectfully before stepping back to leave the two of us alone on the balcony.

Silence enveloped the space for a long moment, broken only by the chirping of early birds and the rush of cold mountain wind.

Damon didn't turn around. He stared straight out at the market town settlement below the fortress, which was just beginning to wake up.

"I remember everything, Sera," Damon said suddenly, his voice echoing with profound depth.

My hand, holding a cup of warm tea, froze mid air. "Remember what?"

Damon turned slowly, locking his sharp, honest golden eyes onto mine. The wall of arrogance and cold demeanor he had always maintained in front of everyone crumbled entirely.

"Every single second my consciousness was consumed by the full moon's fury," Damon said, stepping closer to me. "I remember the burning bloodlust in my mind. I remember how my claws tore into your shoulders, and I vividly remember the feeling of my fangs pressing against your neck on that filthy stone floor."

I set the teacup down on the stone table. "Damon, that wasn't you. That was the Frenzy curse."

"But my body did it!" Damon pressed, stopping right before me, his hands clenching tightly at his sides. "For the last ten years, every time the full moon rose, I was locked away in an underground iron cell. I tore at myself, smashed stone walls, and woke up with blood on my hands without remembering a thing."

Damon dropped to one knee before me, bringing himself eye level with where I sat. The man feared by every lord on the High Council now looked up at me with an expression of raw vulnerability.

"For ten years, I lived as a threat to everyone around me," Damon whispered, his voice trembling with tension. "The council called me a monster, the soldiers looked at me with terror, and I began to believe I truly was nothing more than a wild beast waiting to be put down."

"Damon..." I murmured softly, touching his firm jawline with my fingers.

Damon caught my hand, pressing my bandaged palm against his cheek.

"I have been a monster for ten years, and you are the only reason I can stay human," Damon said, his golden eyes shimmering with deep emotion.

The words struck deep into my chest, catching the breath in my throat. Every trace of lingering suspicion between us dissolved. The touch of blood in the council chamber last night had forged an absolute biological and emotional bond between us. I held his mind and his life, while he was the protector of mine.

"I didn't choose to be born with this blood, Damon," I said truthfully, looking into his eyes. "But if my blood is the only thing that can hold back the madness in your mind, I won't let anyone touch you or steal your throne."

Damon gazed at me for a long time, as if he had finally found the lifeline he had sought for years. Letting out a long breath, he stood tall.

"I need to give you this," Damon said.

He reached for his right thumb, pulling off a heavy gold ring engraved with a wolf's head and crossed swords. The ring gleamed brightly under the morning sunlight.

Damon took my left hand and placed the heavy ring directly into my palm.

I stared at the gold ring, my brow furrowed in confusion. "What is this? Your personal seal ring?"

"It's the Royal Signet Ring," Damon replied steadfastly. "The supreme military command seal of this kingdom."

My eyes widened in shock. I looked at the ring, then back at Damon. "Damon, are you insane?! This is the ultimate symbol of power over five thousand Silverwood warriors and the entire fortress fleet!"

"I know exactly what that ring means, Sera," Damon said coldly, yet with absolute conviction. "From this second onward, your words are official military orders. If any council lord refuses your command, show them that ring, and you have the authority to order the guards to execute them on the spot."

"Why are you handing over this much power to me?" I asked in disbelief, holding the cold gold ring in my hand. "You saw how much the entire council hated me last night. If they find out you gave me the command seal, they'll lose their minds!"

"Let them lose their minds," Damon countered, a dark smirk touching his lips. "My power is yours, Sera. You hold my life, so it's only fitting you hold my sword as well."

I closed my fist around the heavy gold ring. A weight of immense responsibility settled onto my shoulders, but seeing the resolve in Damon's eyes, I felt no hesitation.

"Alright," I said softly, slipping the ring into the pocket of my dress. "I will use it to tear down Lord Vane and his conspiracy."

"Good," Damon said, a proud smile gracing his face. "Now, rest. This afternoon, we restore order to the outer city."

**

While dawn illuminated the main fortress grounds, a vastly different scene unfolded in the castle's west wing.

Inside a luxurious room with carved doors hidden far from the main corridor, Lady Cassandra stood beside her slightly open glass window. Her lavish silk gown was rumpled, her beautiful face tight with anxiety and strain.

She had just heard rumors of the Grand Council Chamber's destruction and the failure of Lord Vane's plot to banish Sera from the castle.

"Damn it!" Cassandra cursed under her breath, wringing her hands. "That filthy kitchen wench actually survived the King's rampage? How is that possible?!"

Suddenly, the sharp flutter of wings echoed outside the window.

A red-eyed messenger pigeon landed firmly on the stone sill of Cassandra's window. Bound to the bird's leg was a small scroll of parchment sealed with black wax.

Cassandra rushed to the window, untying the scroll from the pigeon's leg before any servants could spot it. Taking a deep breath, she broke the black wax seal.

Her fingers trembled as she unrolled the parchment.

Written on the thick paper in dark blood-ink and stamped with the secret seal of the western territory was a short message:

Seraphine's abduction plan is fully approved. Send tonight's outer city patrol schedule. Our shadow forces are ready outside the gates. — Baron Logan.

Cassandra read the message twice. Slowly, a cruel, scheming smile spread across her beautiful face.

"You may win Damon's heart inside this castle, Sera," Cassandra whispered full of venom, crushing the parchment in her hand. "But tonight, you will rot in Baron Logan's stronghold."