The Lycan King's Forbidden Mate

27

It has been over a day, but the scent of metalic blood still lingered in the crisp night air as I stood before the lifeless body of a traitorous wolf.

I sighed heavily before walking even closer to it.

The moon casted an eerie glow over the kingdom's training ground, where the lifeless body of a wolf lie, the same wolf the good king Marcus had slain for betraying Brielle Fox, the young womanwho is now under his protection.

My men stood around me, waiting for me to give them orders, their breath forming misty tendrils in the cold night.

My eyes gleamed as I turned to my warriors.

"Take the body."

I ordered, my voice low and firm.

"They need to see what happens when they dare defy the Lycan King. Drag this corpse back to their cursed pack as a warning."

One of my men, Bryan, stepped forward.

"Beta Serio, do you truly think the Shadow Walker Pack will be deterred? I heard whispers, the new Alpha, Alpha Alaric Barlwoe has never backed down from a challenge."

I let out a dark chuckle.

"No, I do not think he will be deterred. If anything, he will be enraged. But that is precisely what we want. The more reckless he becomes, the easier he will be to destroy."

The warriors exchanged glances, understanding dawning in their eyes.

I continued, my voice now sharp as steel.

"We must not be complacent. I know this wolf wont be the last that foolish Alpha Alaric would send to spy on us. He will send his scouts. He will scheme to take back the woman the King now protects. That is why we will be returning to their pack and spy on them."

A murmur rippled through the warriors.

I cannot blame them, this will be yet another dangerous mission, but these men wont be a true King's warriors if they will let someone so foolish like Alpha Alaric scare them.

Ren, the youngest of the group, swallowed hard.

Beta, you want us to infiltrate the Shadow Walker Pack? Again?"

I nodded.

"Exactly. As King Marcus's orders. You will go in secret, listen to their whispers, observe their movements, whatever you get, you need to report back to me. We must know their plans before they strike. We cannot allow them to catch us unaware."

Bryan smirked, the low sound of his bones was too amusing to hear as he cracked his knuckles.

"Sounds like a challenge. I like it."

I locked eyes with my warriors.

"This mission is not about glory. It is about survival. If they reclaim the girl, they will break her, our king wouldn't like it, if that happens, he will destroy us. That cannot happen."

Ren hesitated but then straightened his spine.

"We will do as you command, Beta."

I stepped closer to him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Good. But be careful. If they so much as sense your presence, you won't live to see another moonrise."

The warriors nodded solemnly.

"Now."

I continued, motioning toward the dead body.

"Wrap him up and let's send him home. Let them know the price of betrayal."

As the warriors moved to carry out my orders, I walked pass them and went straight to the King.

I should see him off before we take our leave, make sure he had no more orders to give.

The pack house's dining hall was dimly lit, the flickering glow of the chandelier casting long shadows on the stone walls.

I sat at the head of the long, polished table, my piercing eyes fixed on the feast in front of me.

My chosen mate, Miya, sat to my right, she seemed elegant but tense, her delicate hands clutching the silverware too tightly.

My grip on the glass tightened, I was supposed to focus on what's in front of me now but then my mind drifted elsewhere.

I could still see her, Brielle Fox, the woman who was supposed to be my Luna.

And yet, now the b***h thrived in the arms of the Lycan King.

My teeth ground together at the thought of her radiant smile, her laughter as she stood beside that beast, the way she threw herself at him for a tight embrace.

A king who had taken what was mine.

And what angers me more, weas seeing the way he looked at her as if its her that all that matters.

Something that for a long period of time of us leaving under tha same roof, though she claimed how much she loved me, Foxy never smiled at me like that, never laugh so brightly with me like the way she did with him.

Seconds later, Miya's voice broke through my thoughts.

"You haven't touched your food."

I exhaled sharply and picked up my knife ans began slicing through the steak with more force than necessary.

"I have no appetite."

Miya lowered her gaze, as if refusing to meet mine. She knew better than to press me when I was in one of my bad moods.

The silence between us was thick with unspoken words, the tension seemed to increse by every second.

I chose to stay silent and tried to focus on my food when the heavy doors of the dining burst open, and a warrior rushed in, his chest heaving as he dropped to one knee before me.

His face was pale, his expression grim.

I scowled.

"What is it?"

The warrior hesitated, yet his eyes flickered briefly towards Miya before darting away.

His hesitation was enough to stir my irritation into anger.

"Speak!"

I commanded, slamming my fork down.

The warrior swallowed hard.

"A body has been found, Alpha."

The warrior finally spoke, Miya gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

My eyes narrowed.

"And?"

The warrior hesitated again, then again, looked directly at Miya before lowering his head.

"It's… it's her brother, my Alpha. Ronan was dead."

For a moment, the world seemed to still.

Miya's fork clattered against her plate, her breath coming in sharp gasps. Her wide eyes searched the warrior's face, as if seeking for some kind of mistake, some way for his words to be untrue.

"No… No, that can't be."

Miya whispered, shaking her head.

My face darkened.

"Are you certain?"

The warrior nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Alpha. His body was found near the pack's entrance. It seemed like he was attacked by a powerful wolf, the damage we found on his body wa-"

"Take me to him."

Miya stood so suddenly her chair screeched against the floor.

I remained seated, my jaw clenched as I let my own thoughts swirled with frustration, another inconvenience, another complication.

But I knew there was something else there, too. Something I refuse to name.

Finally, I pushed back my chair and stood.

"We go now."

As we strode out into the night, I glanced at Miya, her face was streaked with silent tears.

I clenched my fists.

I should feel something for her pain. Shouldn't I?

But, all I could think about was Foxy's laughter echoing in my mind, mocking me.

Then, the warrior hesitated once more before speaking again.

"Alpha… there is something else."

I turned sharply.

"What?"

The warrior licked his lips, glancing nervously between me and Miya.

"Her brother. Ronan… He's one of the men you ordered to spy on the Lycan King and… the woman you rejected."

A dark, twisted smile spread across my lips.

"So, he failed me."

Miya's tear-filled eyes snapped at me, horror dawning in her expression.

"You sent him there? To the King's Kingdom? For Foxy?"

I shrugged.

"Of course. I needed to know what the Lycan King and Foxy were planning."

Miya's breath hitched.

"And now he's dead!"

I leaned in, trying to make my own voice chillingly calm.

"Then he was weak."

Miya's body shook with fury, but I couldn't care so I only turned to the warrior.

"Take me to his corpse."

As we walked into the night, a single thought consumed me, this doesn't need to riddle out, I knew Ronan was caught, and got killed by either one of King Marcus's men, or the King himself.

As we get closer, the heavy scent of blood immidiately tainted the crisp night air. And beneath the pale glow of the moon, a lifeless body lay sprawled on the damp earth.

His clothes were torn, his skin marred with deep gashes, and his eyes, once filled with mischief were now vacant.

Warriors of my Pack stood in grim silence, their heads bowed in respect, though none dared to speak as I approached.

A smirk escaped my lips.

My boots crushed the fallen leaves beneath me as I strode forward, my cold gaze swept over the lifeless body while Miya trembled with rage, her eyes still burning with unshed tears.

"You-"

Miya's voice cracked as she stepped in front of me, her fists clenched at her sides.

"You did this. You sent him to his death!"

I barely spared her a glance.

"I gave him an order. He failed to return. That is not my fault."

Miya's breath hitched.

"Not your fault? He was my brother, Alaric! He was all I had left! You ordered him to spy on the Lycan King, on Foxy!"

My lip curled.

"He knew the risks. He was weak if he got caught. And if you want to blame someone, blame your friend and the King. They are the ones responsible for his death, not me."

Miya's vision blurred with fury.

"You have no heart. No remorse. You sent him into a death trap and didn't even care!"

I exhaled, bored.

"I care about results, Miya, not about foolish pawns who cannot complete their tasks."

A guttural growl erupted from her throat.

"Pawns? He was my brother, not one of your disposable warriors! He was never meant to be involved in your twisted war!"

She shoved me hard, but I didn't move, I didn't even flinch. Instead, I smirked, finding her defiance amusing.

"Your emotions blind you. If your brother was stronger, he would have survived. He was not, so he perished. That is the nature of this world."

Miya's chest rose and fell rapidly, her breathing uneven.

But MIya knew the truth, even to my own father.

I did not feel.

I did not mourn.

I did not care.

Adn I did not regret.

A warrior stepped forward hesitantly.

"Alpha, what should we do with the body?"

I waved a hand dismissively.

"Burn it."

Miya's gasped, stepping in front of her brother's corpse protectively.

"No! You will not burn him like he's nothing!"

My eyes narrowed.

"And what would you have me do? Build him a shrine? Hold a ceremony? He died in failure, Miya His death serves as a lesson, nothing more. Foxy killed him."

Tears slipped down Miya's cheeks, but much to my amusement when she refused to let them weaken her voice.

"You are a monster. I don't know why I ever believed you could be anything else."

I chuckled darkly as I steped closer.

Closer and closer until there was barely any space between us.

I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, I tried to make my own touch deceptively gentle. "

And yet, you are mine, Miya. Chosen. Bound. No matter how much you despise me, you belong to me."

I said, my voice barely a whisper. My smirk never fading as I added-

"You chose me too, MIya. Remember that you also betrayed Walden Foxy's daughter when you chose me. And yet you call her your friend. Don't go on about telling me I have no heart, no remorse, we're just the same."

With that, I turned away from her, leaving her kneeling beside her brother's body.

I turned to face Lycarus.

"Get my council, I have something impotant to discuss with them."