Chapter 3: The Lycan King's Secret
550 Words
Warm sunlight filtered through silk curtains as Ava slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment, she thought she was dreaming.
She lay on a large bed covered with soft white blankets. The room was unlike anything she had ever seen. Marble walls shimmered in the morning light, while golden candles flickered along the shelves. Beyond the tall windows stretched endless mountains wrapped in mist.
"Where... am I?" she whispered.
"The Royal Lycan Castle."
The deep voice made her jump.
Standing beside the fireplace was Kael.
Gone was the black coat he had worn in the forest. Instead, he wore a dark navy uniform embroidered with silver wolves. A crown rested on the table beside him, though he had not placed it on his head.
"You've been unconscious for three days," he said.
"Three days?" Ava tried to sit up, but pain shot through her shoulder.
Kael crossed the room and gently helped her lean against the pillows.
"The rogues poisoned their claws," he explained. "Without treatment, you would have died before sunrise.
Ava looked down.
"My wound..."
"It has healed."
She blinked in surprise. Not even the strongest pack healers could heal injuries that quickly.
"How?"
Kael's silver eyes held hers.
"Because your body healed faster than any ordinary wolf."
Ava laughed weakly.
"I'm just an omega."
"No."
His answer was immediate.
"You are not."
Silence filled the room.
"My royal scholars have searched for someone like you for over twenty years,"
Kael continued.
"I don't understand."
He walked to an ancient wooden chest and removed a faded portrait.
It showed a beautiful woman with long black hair and bright silver eyes.
Ava's breath caught.
The woman looked exactly like her.
"Who is she?"
Kael placed the painting in her hands.
"Queen Selene."
"The last Lycan Queen."
Ava stared at him.
"She disappeared during the Great Blood War twenty years ago. Everyone believed her infant daughter died with her."
His voice softened.
"But the child survived."
Ava slowly shook her head.
"No... that's impossible."
Kael stepped closer.
"The mark on your shoulder."
He gently brushed aside a strand of her hair.
"There is a silver crescent hidden beneath your skin."
Ava looked down.
For the first time in her life, she noticed a faint glowing mark just below her collarbone.
"I've had this since I was born..."
"It is the royal crest."
The room spun around her.
"You mean..."
"You are the lost heir of the Lycan Kingdom."
Tears filled Ava's eyes.
"My parents..."
"They did not abandon you."
Kael's voice was firm.
"They died protecting you."
A single tear rolled down Ava's cheek.
All her life, she had believed no one wanted her.
Now she was learning that her parents had sacrificed everything to keep her alive.
Before she could speak again, the castle doors burst open.
A blood-covered guard rushed inside.
"Your Majesty!"
Kael turned sharply.
"What happened?"
"The Silver Moon Pack has crossed the border."
Ava's heart stopped.
The guard continued.
"Alpha Damian is leading them."
Kael's expression hardened.
"They're demanding that you return the woman they rejected."
Ava clenched the blanket.
Damian had cast her aside without hesitation.
So why had he come looking for her now?
Outside the castle walls, the sound of war horns echoed through the mountains.
The battle for Ava had begun.
- Writer
