Kane entered the infirmary, his steps quiet but purposeful. The room was filled with the scent of herbs and faint traces of antiseptic. Lyra lay on a padded bed near the far wall, her hair fanned out around her pale face. A healer hovered nearby, adjusting the blankets with gentle hands.The moment Kane appeared, Lyra’s eyes fluttered open. Though exhaustion clouded her gaze, there was a spark of recognition, of trust, that sent a wave of relief through him.“Kane,” she murmured, her voice weak but steady.He crossed the room in a few quick strides, kneeling by her bedside. His wolf, though still restless, calmed at the sight of her. “I’m here,” he said softly, taking her hand in his. “And I’ll never leave your side again.”Lyra gave him a faint smile, though pain flickered in her expression. “It’s not over, is it?”Kane shook his head, his jaw tightening. “No, not yet. But we’re going to face it together.”He gestured toward the doorway, where Bastian lingered uncertainly, his scarre
Kane POVThe war room was a hive of activity. Maps were spread across the large oak table, and books, scrolls, and tattered journals from the Rogue King’s quarters were stacked in organized chaos. Kane stood at the head of the table, his powerful frame casting a shadow over the spread. His warriors and advisors surrounded him, their expressions grim but focused.Bastian was seated near the corner, rifling through a stack of weathered pages. His hands trembled slightly, but his voice was steady as he read aloud excerpts from the Rogue King’s personal notes.“‘The stone is the key to uniting all packs,’” Bastian murmured. “‘Its power lies dormant, waiting for the rightful heir. Only one born of the bloodline can awaken it fully.’”Kane’s jaw tightened. He could feel the tension in the room as every eye turned toward him.“It confirms what we’ve feared,” Kane said, his voice cold and even. “Lyra isn’t just any Alpha. She’s the focal point of this entire prophecy. The Rogue King’s obsessi
Lyra POV Lyra stirred in her bed, her body finally resting after days of turmoil. The healer’s herbs had done their work, lulling her into a deep sleep, but it wasn’t peaceful. Darkness stretched around her in her dreams, punctuated by bursts of searing light. She found herself standing in a vast expanse of charred earth, ash swirling in the air like snowflakes.A figure emerged from the shadows, its form flickering between human and wolf. It was neither Kane nor anyone she recognized. Its eyes glowed a brilliant gold, and its voice boomed in her mind - not words but emotions: warning, urgency, power.The figure raised a hand and in it was the stone. But it was no longer dull and lifeless; it burned with fiery intensity, casting light and shadow in equal measure. The flames leaped toward her, licking at her skin, but instead of burning, they seemed to seep into her, filling her veins with molten energy. She screamed, the sound echoing through the void.“You must choose,” a voice whis
Kane's POVKane settled beside Lyra, feeling the warmth of her body close to his. The room was quiet except for the faint rustling of fabric and the soft rhythm of her breathing. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, taking in the curve of her jaw and the subtle way her lips parted as she relaxed against the pillows. She was exhausted, yet there was a resilience about her that stirred something deep inside him.His Lycan, ever restless, stirred within. She’s ours. We belong here, beside her.Kane couldn’t argue with that. His Lycan’s possessive nature was usually something he wrestled to keep in check, but now it mirrored his own feelings. Protecting Lyra wasn’t just his duty - it was his choice, his instinct. Watching her now, so vulnerable yet so strong, made his resolve even sharper.She needs rest, and she needs us, his Lycan added, its growling voice softer than usual, filled with an almost tender reverence.“She’s been through so much,” Kane murmured under his breath,
Kane’s eyes softened as he looked at Lyra, her vulnerability laid bare in the quiet of the night. The bond between them was undeniable, pulsing with an intensity that neither could ignore, yet Lyra's frustration was clear. Her fear, her confusion, it all radiated from her, and it tugged at Kane's heart in a way he wasn’t used to.He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch tender, yet firm. His Lycan side stirred inside of him, wanting nothing more than to protect her from every dark thing that could come their way.“I know how it feels,” he said softly, his voice almost a whisper, “to feel like you're lost, like everything is happening to you and you can’t control any of it.” His gaze darkened for a moment, but when it met hers again, his tone was steady. “But you’re not alone in this. You’ll never be alone again. We’ll figure it out together, Lyra.”Lyra’s eyes flickered with a mixture of gratitude and something else - a deep yearning, as if she were on the edge of accepti
The soft morning light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows over the pack's grounds as Kane stood at the edge of the training field. The cool breeze ruffled his hair, and for a moment, he simply closed his eyes, letting the peace of the moment calm the storm raging inside him. The past few days had been a whirlwind of recovery, strategic meetings, and endless planning, but now it was time to focus on what lay ahead.Lyra was inside the war room, working through the ancient texts and prophecies they’d recovered from the Rouge King’s territory. His people had been gathering every scrap of information they could find, piecing together what the stone meant, what the prophecies said and how it all tied back to Lyra.He had hoped for more time. Time to better prepare, time to understand the full extent of what was happening. But duty was calling. He could feel the weight of the upcoming journey press on his shoulders.His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, glan
Lyra’s heart raced as she walked beside Kane, the sounds of the bustling capital echoing around them. The streets were alive with people - traders shouting their wares, children running through the market, and soldiers marching in formation. But as her gaze swept over the vibrant city, she couldn’t shake the feeling of weight, of something pressing on her chest. The sight of the capital was overwhelming, a city brimming with history, power, and secrets.It was strange to think of herself here, not as an outsider, but as someone whose very existence was tied to the Kingdom's fate. The stone she carried, still safely hidden in her pocket, seemed to hum against her skin, a constant reminder of the destiny that awaited her. Every step she took, the pull of its power grew stronger. It was as if the stone itself was aware of the place it was in - aware of the Kingdom - and it was eager to reveal its secrets.Kane’s presence beside her was a grounding force, his aura a silent promise of prot
Lyra’s breath hitched as her fingers brushed the smooth, pulsing surface of the stone. The heat radiating from it surged up her arm, and for a moment, she was sure she would collapse under its intensity. Kane’s grip on her other hand tightened, anchoring her in the present. The trust in his touch steadied her trembling body, even as the world seemed to spin around her.The great hall was eerily silent, the only sound the faint hum of the stone vibrating in response to her touch. Lyra could feel its power coursing through her veins, intertwining with her very essence. It wasn’t just a tool or artifact - it was alive, ancient, and bound to her in ways she still didn’t fully understand.Her vision blurred momentarily, then sharpened. The tapestries lining the walls seemed to glow faintly, their intricate designs shifting as if the threads were alive. Lyra blinked, unsure if what she was seeing was real or a trick of the stone’s magic.“Lyra,” Kane’s deep voice broke through the haze, his
The tent around Lyra was dim, the pale blue light of dawn barely seeping through the canvas. For a moment, she didn’t breathe. Her body ached, her skin prickled, and her heart thudded like a war drum beneath her ribs.Nyxar’s voice still echoed faintly in her mind. "Go to the temple ruins. Alone."She sat up slowly, wincing as every joint protested. The shirt clung to her skin with a mix of sweat and dried blood. The bowl of now-cold water on the table beside her remained untouched since last night, just as the plate of food had gone uneaten. Her stomach curled at the thought of it.Her gaze drifted to the opening of the tent. The barrier was up again - she could feel the thrum of its magic, steady but strained. The witches had worked through the night. So had the warriors. She wasn’t sure who had dragged her back from the battlefield after Ekreth vanished with Kane and the Harbinger. She only remembered the rage. The pain. The silence Thalia had retreated into deepest parts of her, l
Lyra POV The city felt like a graveyard.Not because it was empty, but because it wasn’t. The people had returned - cautiously, with bowed heads and silent eyes - but the air held the weight of something sacred lost. The Hollow Grounds beyond the barrier still burned faintly with the remnants of their battle. The smell of ash clung to everything.They entered through the eastern gate in silence. No one spoke. The warriors moved with grim determination, their weapons still bloodstained. The witches were pale and exhausted, many of them barely on their feet. But they made it.The barrier, though cracked and faltering, had been reforged. A tether of silver light shimmered faintly over the walls, patched and held together by runes and raw willpower. It wasn’t perfect. But it was enough - for now.Lyra said nothing as she passed beneath it. She felt the familiar hum of protection brush against her skin like a sigh, but there was no comfort in it. Not anymore.They returned to the same mak
Lyra POV The world had narrowed into silence. The kind that came after heartbreak. After devastation.The bond was gone. And the Harbinger stood above it all, smiling.A smug, inhuman smile that split his face like a wound. He turned slowly, savoring the moment, as if feeding off the ruin he had wrought.“I expected more from you, little wolf,” he said, voice velvet and rot. “But I suppose it was too easy, wasn’t it? A whisper here, a memory there... and your king tore himself apart for me.”Lyra couldn’t move. Could barely breathe.Every part of her felt hollow, carved out by the echo of Kane’s rejection. Even Thalia had gone silent, her presence curled up in some hidden corner of Lyra’s soul, wounded and refusing to rise.But there was something else now. Buried under the grief. Under the pain. It started as a flicker. A tremor in her fingertips. A breath drawn too sharply.Rage.The Harbinger kept talking, but she didn’t hear the words anymore. She only heard the blood pounding in
Lyra’s POVThe darkness was suffocating. Cold, biting, like something had clawed its way inside her, twisting every corner of her mind into a void. She had been lost in that space - unable to move, unable to breathe, stuck in a place between life and death.But then, there was light.A soft, gentle pull at the edges of her consciousness, like the first breath of fresh air after a suffocating storm. Her senses, one by one, came back to her.She could hear again.The faint hum of the wind, the crackle of the fire in the distance. The sounds of a world that hadn’t stopped turning, even though hers had.She could feel.The weight of her body against the cold ground, the pressure in her chest slowly lifting, replaced by a dull, aching emptiness. It was a hollow feeling, like something was missing… something important.She could see.The world came into focus, blurry at first, then sharp and clear. Her vision adjusted, and she saw… him.Kane.His tall form was standing before her, his back
Kane's POV Kane’s heart thundered in his chest, the storm in the sky only a reflection of the chaos inside him. His grip on his sword tightened, knuckles white. He barely felt the sting of the Harbinger’s dark presence pressing against him - more like an itch at the back of his mind than a physical threat.The Harbinger’s voice slithered like venom, a dark lullaby meant to seduce, to tear apart the last fragments of his will."You protect them, Kane," the Harbinger whispered, his eyes glinting with ancient knowledge. "You think you do it for love, for honor. But what is honor when it shatters? What is love when it weakens you? You are the protector. You need power. Control."The words dug into his skin like knives, twisting in a place that had never known peace. There was truth in them, wasn’t there? The responsibility, the weight of it all - the lives of the people he swore to protect. He had always been the shield. The protector.But the truth, the painful truth the Harbinger spoke
Lyra POV The Hollow Grounds pulsed beneath her boots like a thing alive.Darkness churned on the horizon. A storm not born of clouds or rain, but shadow and raw, ancient hunger. The sky bled crimson at the edges, unnatural and seething. Around her, the witches formed their line, magic crackling like flares beneath their skin. Soldiers stood behind them, tense, blades drawn. Kane to her right. Nyxar to her left.And ahead - him. The Harbinger.He stood as if carved from the bones of gods, the corrupted echo of something once noble. His lips parted in a smile. “Ah. There you are.”And his voice - silken, knowing - brushed across the battlefield like a caress laced with venom. “Kane.”He didn’t shout. He didn’t need to. The name echoed with power.Kane tensed. Lyra saw it in the line of his shoulders, the shift in his weight. Her heart clenched.“You’ve always belonged to me,” the Harbinger said. “Before time gave you another name. Before loyalty chained you to the lesser.”Lyra stepped
Lyra’s POVThe world trembled as the battle began.Lyra had prepared herself for a monstrous form, for the shape of something inhuman. But what stood before them was a nightmare given flesh. The Harbinger wore the form of a man - tall, broad-shouldered, his dark armor clinging to his frame like a second skin. His hair was swept back, revealing a face carved from ice, sharp angles and regal cruelty. His piercing golden eyes glowed in the darkness, twin suns in an endless void.It was the face of the First King. And it was nearly identical to Kane’s.Lyra felt Kane tense beside her, his grip tightening around the hilt of the First King’s sword.A slow smile curled the Harbinger’s lips. "You feel it, don’t you?" His voice was deep, resonant, laced with something ancient and terrible. "The bond between us. You were made for this, Kane. You carry my blood, my legacy." He took a step forward, power radiating from him in sickening waves. "Come to me, my son."Kane stiffened as if struck.Lyr
The sky cracked open.Darkness poured like a flood across the Hollow Grounds, swirling in violent eddies, twisting with the force of the Harbinger’s will. The shattered remnants of the barrier flickered behind them - dying magic, breaking apart.There was no more protection. No more walls. The city’s last shield had fallen.Lyra’s heart pounded as she stared at the figure standing at the edge of the Hollow Grounds. The Harbinger.His golden eyes gleamed like dying stars, hollow and endless. His form, once lost to time, now stood before them in terrifying clarity. The First Lycan King. His power pulsed like a second heartbeat in the air, thick and suffocating.Kane hadn’t moved.Lyra glanced at him - his face was carved from stone, his grip white-knuckled on his sword. But she knew what he was feeling. The weight of his bloodline. The horror of looking into the past and seeing it twisted into something unrecognizable.The Harbinger tilted his head, his gaze locking onto Kane like a pre
The fire burned low, casting flickering shadows over the tense figures gathered around it. The night stretched long and restless, the air thick with unspoken fears. Lyra sat at the edge of the circle, fingers flexing against the hilt of her sword. Kane stood beside her, unmoving, his gaze locked on the barrier’s glowing arc in the distance.The weight of the inevitable pressed down on all of them.Nyxar hadn't moved since the Harbinger’s last whisper faded into the night, his golden eyes watching the horizon beyond the barrier, where the Hollow Grounds lay in waiting. The witches murmured amongst themselves, their magic lingering in the air like a silent, unseen hum.Then - the barrier pulsed. Slightly weaker now. No one spoke the words, but they all felt it in their bones.The next attack would not be a test. It would be the final breach. The realization settled over them, thick and suffocating.Kane was the first to break the silence. "We can’t wait for him to come to us." His voice