Moonbound and HellMarked

The Royal Heirs

When I woke, the world smelled of pills and blood. For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming, still caught beneath that terrible red moon but the ache in my wrists told me otherwise.

My body throbbed as if fire lived beneath my skin. I blinked until I was completely awake. I was at the royal infirmary.

I tried to sit up, but the chains around my wrists dragged me back immediately. The metal bit into my skin, I didn’t remember being chained. I didn’t remember anything at all except for the pain the red moon brought on me

“She’s awake,” someone whispered.

My throat was dry. “W..what happened?”

“Stay where you are.” The soldier’s voice was sharp. He wore the royal crest on his shoulder, he was one of the palace guards. The way he looked at me made my stomach twist.

I turned my head and froze.

At the far end of the room stood the Queen, calm and cold beside her husband, the Lycan King. And behind them were the princes, their sons. My father, step mother and brother were also there looking at me with disgust.

The princes looked like gods created from different worlds: Jesse, the first prince, his silver hair shining.

Damien leaned against the wall, he had a terrifying aura that made me shiver, he was the dangerous quiet kind of prince that made your heart beat faster even when you were scared.

And Kieran, the youngest stared at me like he couldn’t understand what he was seeing.

My father’s gaze was fixed somewhere over my shoulder. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

My step mother was the one who broke the silence first. “You should have left her in the hall,” she said, her hatred filled voice rang out. “Three royal heirs marked by a bastard at once? Do you understand what this means for the bloodlines?”

I was marked?

I looked down. The four sigils still burned faintly across my skin, silver, brown, gold, and blue, each pulsing like a heartbeat. So that’s what these marks mean. But who did the fourth one belong to?

The room erupted into an argument immediately. “This has never happened before,” Kieran said, his voice strained. “Our bond should choose one mate, and never more.”

“The council members will demand an explanation,” Jesse added. “If word spreads before we control it, the council will think we’ve broken the Moon Oath, and this is a punishment. It would ruin the peace.”

My step brother’s voice came out furious. “My princes, she’s my father’s mistake, and now she’s ruined all of you.”

I felt like crying when I heard those cruel words from him. “Roman..”

“Don’t speak my name!” His eyes burned with rage, his wolf close to the surface. “Whatever trick you pulled ends now.”

“It wasn’t a trick.” My voice shook. “I don’t even know what happened.”

“Enough.” The Lycan King’s voice thundered at last. The room fell silent. “We’ll hear from the Seer. Until then, no one will touch her or say another word.”

Moments later, the doors opened, and the Seer entered, he was an old man wrapped in robes, that was the color of dust and bone.

His sightless eyes seemed to pierce straight through me as he approached. The guards bowed and even the Lycan king showed him respect by waving his hand.

“Child,” the Seer murmured, kneeling beside me. “Show me your wrists.”

My wrists trembled as I lifted them. The marks flared brighter, the air thickening with energy. The Seer inhaled deeply; his fingers hovered above the glowing symbols but never touched.

“By the Moon…” he whispered. “This should not be possible.”

My step mother stepped forward. “Then you know what must be done. We should end it before it becomes a disaster.”

The Seer did not move. “To end it would be to invite the wrath of what birthed it. These are not simple mate marks. Each bears the signature of an Alpha line. Four threads of power all through one vessel.”

“I’m no vessel,” I said quietly. “I never asked for this.”

His pale head turned toward me. “And yet the Moon chose you, child. For what purpose, only she knows.”

“She’s cursed,” Roman spat.

“Cursed?” Damien finally spoke for the first time. It sounded very dangerous. He stepped forward. “So what do you suggest is done to her?”

Roman snarled. “I think we should just kill her right now!”

The Seer lifted a trembling hand. “Stop this. The Moon binds for a reason. Killing her could unbalance..”

“Enough riddles!” The King snapped. “You speak of balance while four heirs stand cursed? I want you to fix this..”

I forced myself to speak, even as my voice broke. “Please… My king… I don’t know why this happened. But I’m still a...”

“Aria.” My father spoke this time around, he didn't look at me as he said. “You’ve brought shame to our blood. Do you think your petty tears will undo what’s been done?” Somehow that hurt more than the chains.

Damien came in front of me in a protective way.

His shoulders were squared, and his voice cutting through the rising chaos. “None of you,” he said, his wolf’s growl rumbling beneath every word, “will lay a hand on my mate.”