The Hunt Begins
1032 Words
The royal war room fell silent.
Five thousand elite warriors…
Gone.
Not defeated.
Erased.
Even Kael, the Lycan King who had faced countless battles, couldn’t hide the storm brewing behind his silver eyes.
“Who attacked the Northern Border?” he demanded.
The scout struggled to breathe.
“I… I never saw them clearly.”
“They moved through the darkness.”
“Their eyes glowed crimson.”
“They weren’t ordinary wolves.”
Another scout stepped forward, his face stained with dried blood.
“They called themselves…”
He hesitated.
“The Crimson Pack.”
The room erupted in murmurs.
Kael’s fists clenched.
“They’re extinct.”
“No,” the Shadow Alpha corrected quietly.
“They’ve been waiting.”
Selene stood motionless.
Everyone in the room kept staring at her.
Some looked afraid.
Others looked suspicious.
A few looked as though they wanted to kill her right then and there.
One elderly noble slammed his cane against the floor.
“This is her fault!”
“If she had never come here, none of this would have happened.”
Several voices quickly joined in.
“She’s cursed!”
“The kingdom was peaceful before she arrived.”
“Send her away!”
“Hand her over!”
Selene’s chest tightened.
The words felt painfully familiar.
She had spent her entire life being blamed for things she couldn’t control.
Maybe…
Maybe they were right.
Perhaps everyone around her would suffer because of her.
She lowered her head.
“I’ll leave.”
The room went quiet.
“I don’t want innocent people to die because of me.”
She turned toward the doors.
Before she could take another step—
A powerful hand wrapped gently around her wrist.
Kael.
His grip was firm but careful.
“You are not leaving.”
She looked up at him in surprise.
“But”
“I said…”
His voice echoed through the chamber.
“You are not leaving.”
The nobles protested immediately.
“My King!”
“She’ll bring destruction!”
Kael turned slowly toward them.
His wolf growled beneath the surface.
The sound alone was enough to silence the room.
“She is my Luna.”
His silver eyes swept across every noble present.
“As long as I breathe…”
“No one will force her out of this palace.”
Selene stared at him, speechless.
This was the first time he had defended her.
Not out of duty.
Not because the elders were watching.
He had chosen to stand beside her.
Something warm fluttered inside her heart.
From the corner of the room, Vivienne watched the exchange.
Her smile disappeared.
She knew that look.
Kael wasn’t in love yet.
But he was beginning to care.
And that was even more dangerous.
“If I wait any longer…”
“I’ll lose him forever.”
That night, the palace was placed under lockdown.
No one was allowed in or out.
Extra guards patrolled every corridor.
Ancient protective runes were carved into the palace walls.
Even the air felt tense.
Selene couldn’t sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashes of the burning palace from her visions.
She quietly left her room and wandered onto a moonlit balcony.
The cool night breeze brushed against her face.
“You should be resting.”
She turned.
Kael stood in the doorway.
For once, he wasn’t wearing his royal armor.
Just a simple black shirt and dark trousers.
He looked… younger.
Less like a king.
More like an ordinary man.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Selene admitted.
He stepped beside her.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
They simply watched the full moon.
Finally, Kael broke the silence.
“When I was a child…”
Selene looked at him.
“…my father taught me that a king must never let his emotions rule him.”
His voice was unusually quiet.
“He said caring too much makes people weak.”
“Do you believe him?” she asked.
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
“I used to.”
The words lingered between them.
Selene smiled faintly.
“My mother used to tell me something different.”
“You remember your mother?”
“Not clearly.”
“Just… her voice.”
“What did she say?”
“She said the strongest hearts are the ones brave enough to love.”
Kael looked at her.
Really looked at her.
The moonlight reflected in her eyes.
For the first time, he noticed how gentle they were.
How she always thought about others before herself.
How she had offered to leave to protect people who had insulted her.
His wolf stirred.
She is ours.
Kael quickly looked away.
Far beyond the kingdom…
Hidden beneath the ruins of an ancient fortress…
The Crimson Pack gathered around a massive stone throne.
A tall woman with long white hair knelt before it.
“My King.”
A deep voice echoed through the darkness.
“Have you found her?”
“Yes.”
“The Blood Moon Queen has awakened.”
A low laugh filled the chamber.
“Excellent.”
The figure slowly rose from the throne.
His face remained hidden beneath a hood.
“Prepare the army.”
“Within seven days…”
“The Lycan Kingdom will fall.”
“And bring the girl to me.”
“Alive.”
The woman bowed.
“As you command.”
Back at the palace, Selene returned to her room.
She noticed something unusual.
Her bedroom door was slightly open.
She was certain she had closed it.
Her heartbeat quickened.
“Hello?”
No answer.
She pushed the door open.
The room looked untouched.
She took one cautious step inside.
Then another.
Suddenly
The curtains flew shut.
The candles went out.
The room plunged into darkness.
A cold voice whispered from behind her.
“I finally found you…”
Selene spun around.
A pair of glowing crimson eyes stared at her from the shadows.
Before she could scream, a gloved hand covered her mouth.
The stranger whispered into her ear:
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m not here to kill you…”
“I’m here to steal you.”
- Writer
