After ending the communication with Beryl, Lyra told Zero about it and told him she knew a shortcut they could take to get to her location.
“Is she okay?” Zero asked.
“Yes, she is fine.” Her eyes rested on Anna. “How's she doing?”
“A little better,” he said. Getting up, he carried her on his back, and Lyra led the way out of the shack. From what Lyra had sensed, Beryl was in one of the older guest villas in the palace that were rarely used.
The building was dark when they got there, with no sign of being occupied. They went through the back door, where they found Beryl waiting with a candle in hand.
“The electricity here is not working,” she let them know. “But I have enough candles.”
She led them to the room she had been using. The windows were heavily draped, which meant someone could not notice the candlelight from outside.
Zero lay Anna down on the bed and ste
When they got to the other Villa, they went into the bedroom. While Beryl resumed treating Anna, Zero and Lyra covered the window with heavy drapes and sent up several candles in the room, providing adequate lighting.After that, they went through the house with torches, ensuring all the doors and windows were locked. They also identified escape routes they could use in case of an ambush.In the kitchen, they found enough food items to feed all three of them. Zero, who was worried that Anna was too weak after being poorly fed in the dungeons, immediately started pulling out ingredients to make food.While he got busy in the kitchen, Lyra went back to the bedroom to check on Beryl and Anna.Beryl had already dressed most of her wounds, and Lyra was happy to see that she wasn't as pale as she had looked a while back.“She is stable now,” Beryl told Lyra. “But she has fallen asleep, so we'll wait until she wakes up to find out whether she has any complaints.”Lyra nodded and stepped up t
“Master Aldus!” Beryl called when she saw the man's face clearly.“Do you know him?” Lyra asked her.“Yes,” Beryl replied. “He is a respected member of the royal pack, and he was once Julian's teacher.”“Let's get him out of here first,” Lyra said, looking around. They were in an open place, and anyone who passed by would see them.Helping him up, they led him behind a building and out of sight.“What happened to you?” Beryl asked, using her flashlight. His clothes were bloodied from an obvious beating.“The king tried to ask me about sensitive secret information, and I realised he is the Rogue King Nile. I had my suspicions before, but I wasn't sure. When he asked me about things His Majesty definitely knows, I realised my suspicions were right. I tried to expose him with a few questions, but he realised I had discovered his true identity. He tried to force me to give him the information he wanted, and when I refused he ordered my execution.” He looked from Beryl to Lyra. “I owe you
After Beryl left with Master Aldus, Lyra ventured towards the main palace building alone. Unlike before, she came across more guards on the patrol, all of them moving briskly.She realised they must be looking for her and Zero and Anna. That made it riskier to make progress towards the palace, but she finally managed to get there undetected.She approached from the back and went in through a window. She thought about where the secret passages could be located. Julian's suite and his office seemed to be the most likely locations. But since Aldus had mentioned that there were several of them, they could also be in areas such as the study room, the library, or even a lounge room.Deciding that Julian's bedroom was the most likely location, she started there. She made it to the upper floor using the service stairway, which was thankfully deserted.There were no guards in the hallway, and when she got to Julian's room, she found the door unlocked. Stepping inside quickly, she shut it behin
The passage was dark, so Lyra turned her flashlight on. Right in front of her was a steep staircase that led downwards.She took the stairs slowly, alert for any sort of sound. After a few steps down, a different scent pierced through the stale air.“It's him!” Rae cried excitedly. “He is here!”Even before Rae was done with her exclamations, Lyra's heart was already beating excitedly as she began hurrying down the staircase. The farther she went, the stronger Julian's scent became. It was mingled with a strong scent of blood. He must be injured, but he was alive.He is alive!That was what mattered.Finally, Lyra got to the bottom of the staircase. She shone her flashlight around what appeared to be an empty chamber. Finally, the light fell on Julian sitting on the floor in a corner.Lyra rushed to him, tons of emotions coursing through her. She was about to throw herself at him but stopped at the last second as she noticed his state.He was shirtless, and there was a big wound on hi
Nile took slow steps towards them, the smirk on his face widening. “This is great,” he said, “I get to take both of you down together. Romantic, right?”“In your dreams,” Lyra told him through clenched teeth. Was it a coincidence that he had found the secret chamber at that moment, or had he been following her?“Earlier, you were lucky,” Nile told her. “You caught me off guard. This time, you are at my mercy.”Slowly, Lyra got to her feet. “You are dreaming if you thought you could walk into our territory and take whatever you want. When I'm done with you, your head will be hanging outside the city gates as a warning to the likes of you.”Nile laughed maniacally, throwing his head back. “You are the one who is dreaming, little shewolf,” he told her. “It's over. Accept it. He is going to die in the end.”“You are the only one dying here,” she spat, then lunged at him. He reacted immediately and rushed towards her.She jumped and aimed a punch at his face, but he met her fist with his o
When Lyra came to, she was lying down on a bed. She opened her eyes to a familiar ceiling. When she turned her head, she realised she was still in Julian's room. Looking out of the window, she saw it was daylight.She also became aware that her arms were tied to the headboard above her head. When she tried to move her lower body, she felt restraints on her ankles too. She was tied to the bed, rendered powerless.She wiggled her body, trying to loosen the restraints, but it was futile. How long had it been? Was Julian okay? What about Beryl and the others?Suddenly, someone appeared in her view. Nile, still wearing Julian’s face, stood over her.“Where is Julian?” she asked him.“Shouldn’t you be worried about yourself instead?” he asked her.“I did what you asked,” she said. “Is he safe?”“We'll talk about that later,” Nile said. “For now, why don't we get t
Finally, Nile dropped the whip to the bed and turned away. He walked to the table, and when he faced Lyra again, he was holding a syringe in his hand.“I tried being nice to you,” he said, inspecting the liquid in the syringe. “It's your fault that things have to be this way.”Lyra swallowed, her entire body stinging with pain. “What's that?”“This?” He showed her the syringe, which contained a greenish liquid. “Since you refused to be my partner, I have to keep you in line. This will make sure you cannot get up to any funny business.”He walked forward and reached for Lyra's arm. Since she was bound, there was nothing Lyra could do to stop him.“Did the witches give you that?” she mocked as he plunged the needle into her arm. “Aren't you ashamed of being a traitor to your own kind?”“You are in no position to judge me,” he told her. “Look a
Julian lay on the floor of his cell in the dungeons, his teeth clenched in pain. His skin was covered with a sheen of sweat, and around his chest wound, black veins could be seen through sickly skin.Without treatment, his wound was only getting worse. After throwing him into the dungeon the previous night, Nile had provided him with nothing-not food, water, or medicine. If he did not get treatment soon, the silver poisoning would kill him.But his life was not the one he thought about when he closed his eyes. He kept seeing the image of Lyra collapsing on the floor, going still.Don't be dead. Stay alive.He could not bear the thought of anything happening to her. It was all his fault that she ended up in Nile’s hands. He was supposed to be strong enough to protect her. Instead, he was the reason her life was in danger.And now, if he died like this, he would fail her ultimately. He wished she had left last night. She insisted on saving him, but it could all be futile in the end.Jul
Lyra left Nile’s side and went to stand beside Julian, which caused another stir among the guests.“Lyra, what are you doing?” Nile asked, pretending to be hurt and confused. “Who is he? What’s the meaning of this?”“It’s over, Nile,” Lyra said, calling him by his real name. “The real Lycan King is here.” Looking around, she addressed the guests. “That is the Rogue King who has been trying to take over the kingdom. He imprisoned His Majesty and forced me to work for him.”“How absurd!” Nile yelled. “Lyra, how could you do this to me? I trusted you despite what everyone said about you, and this is how you repay me? Have you been working for the rogues all this time?”“He could be right,” someone said. “Nobody knows anything about her background. Maybe she is a spy sent by the rogues.”“I knew something did not make sens
“Where have you been?” Nile asked when Lyra appeared at his side a while later. After separating with Julian, Lyra had gone to her room to freshen up to get rid of any scent that would give away the fact that she had been with Julian.“I went on a walk with some of the guests and we wandered around the palace,” she told him. “Was I gone for long?”“Yes,” he said, his voice tinged with displeasure. “Stay by my side from now on.”“Of course,” she agreed, giving him a smile.“There are some important guests you haven’t met,” he said, steering her towards a group of guests. “They are from the Northern Packs Alliance. You know what to do.”Lyra knew of the Northern Packs Alliance. It was a group of three packs–Sky, Northern, and Ferun. The northern part of the kingdom had once been overrun by rogues, but the three packs came together and defeated
“It worked,” Julian said in awe, lifting his hands in front of his face. He could feel his wolf’s power surging through him, potent and unrestricted.“Really?” Lyra asked, rising on her elbow. They were lying side by side on the examination table after a frantic lovemaking session that left their bodies slick with sweat and out of breath.“Yes,” Julian confirmed. “He is fully restored.”“Great!” Lyra exclaimed, feeling thrilled. Leaning towards him, she gave him a kiss. He sunk his hand into her hair and held her in place, deepening the kiss. When they pulled apart, there was an amused smile on Julian’s face.“What is it?” she asked him, curious.“Yuri is impatient to tear that bastard into pieces,” he revealed.Lyra nodded. “That makes four of us.”Rae was also excited and already urging Lyra to get out there and ruin Nile’s grand plan. With Yuri by her side, she felt invincible. Lyra felt the same way about having Julian with her, but she knew it was crucial to have a good plan befo
“Julian?” Lyra whispered, an overwhelming relief washing over her.Julian jumped down from the examination table and met her halfway. Their arms went around each other. When they pulled back, her eyes were shining with tears.She raised her hands to his face and cupped his cheeks, examining his face. It felt like it had been forever since she had last seen him. This was the same face that Nile was parading around, and yet, there was such a huge difference.This was Julian. Her Julian.“Are you okay?” she asked him, lowering her hand to his chest and moving his robe aside. There was a dark mark where he was stabbed, but the wound had healed up.“I’m fine,” he told her, taking her hand. “Almost.”Feeling relieved, Lyra embraced him again, resting her face on his chest.“What about you?” Julian asked, palming her hair.“I’m alright,” she told him. “Don’t worry abut me.”He pulled her back and looked at her with a concerned frown. “Are you eating well? Where are you staying?”“I’m staying
After confining Lyra in her room for a few days, Nile arrived with news of a royal banquet.“This is your chance to show me whose side you are on,” he told her after presenting her with the gown she was to wear for the occasion. “I have invited Alphas, Lunas, and Elders from all around the kingdom. The banquet is in your honour as the future queen, so I expect you to act the part. Will you have a problem with that?”“No,” she said, eyeing the gown. It was a red gown, embellished with glimmering gems. Alongside it was a beautiful diamond tiara which Lyra recognised as being one of the royal family’s heirlooms.“Good,” he said, holding her chin and lifting her face. “If you help me get through this banquet, you'll have done your job well, and I'll make sure Julian continues getting the best medical care. But if you make a mistake…” He trailed off, moving his hand to her throat and resting it there. “...you'll pay.”“I understand,” she told him. Such a gathering could go very wrong for h
“Approximately five hundred years ago, there was a tyrant Lycan King,” Nile started his narration when Lyra agreed to hear his version of the story. “He oppressed all other packs for the benefit of the royal pack, which amassed wealth and unmatched power at the expense of others. While the royal pack lived in luxury, the rest of the kingdom was barely getting by. The king forced them to send slaves and tributes, stripping the packs of their best talents and driving many werewolves to poverty and near starvation. Nobody was brave enough to stand up to the king, but one day, the Scarlet Alpha said enough was enough.”Lyras frowned, because she had never heard of a Scarlet Alpha or a Scarlet Pack for that matter. “The Scarlet Alpha? From which pack?”“The Scarlet Pack,” Nile replied. “You wouldn't know it. It has long gone extinct, and the royal family saw to it that it was wiped from history. After long enough, most werewolves forgot anything like it ever existed.”“Did the Scarlet Alph
“What's the meaning of this?” Crystal demanded as soon as the shop attendant left the room. “Why would you pay that much for her but refuse to pay mine?”“I invited her to go shopping,” Nile replied coolly, “but I don't remember inviting you. I also did not promise to pay for your stuff at any time.”“What?” Crystal screeched. “I am your partner! How can you treat me like this, especially in front of her? You did not even punish her for attacking me that day and locking me in the secret chamber. Aren't you supposed to be on my side?”“What does that have to do with this?” Nile asked, losing his cool. “I don't have to explain what I do to you.”Crystal scoffed. “So then, you are just going to humiliate me?”“Just because we work together does not mean you are in control of me,” Nile told her. “It's not in your place to tell m
Lyra sighed for the umpteenth time as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She reached for the hem of her skirt and tugged, but it had reached its full length, somewhere several inches above the middle of her thighs.She huffed in annoyance at the ridiculousness of the situation. Nile had come out of nowhere and announced that they were going shopping and took the liberty of choosing Lyra's outfit.He had chosen an extremely short skirt paired with a soft cashmere sweater. The outfit might have been perfect for a night out, but why on earth would she wear like this to go shopping? Forget a night out, the skirt was way too short for her liking, she felt like she would be flashing her bottom with every step she took.He had refused her attempts to choose a different outfit, so she was stuck with this. Slipping her feet into a pair of stilettos–yet another poor choice for the occasion–she left her room and went downstairs.She found Nile a
When Julian woke up, he found himself in a sterile room with white walls. It was filled with the stench of disinfectant and medicine.When he tried moving his body, he realised that his limbs were strapped to the bed, restricting his movements. He turned his head to look around, but the room was empty. He lifted his head to check his wound. His torso was wrapped with bandages, so he could not see anything.He lay back and tried to recall what had happened. The last thing he remembered was being in the dungeon with Nile and Lyra. When he recalled the deal Lyra had made with Nile, he shut his eyes in regret.A sudden sound made him open his eyes just in time to see someone walk into the room. Julian was surprised to see that it was the royal healer, Spencer.“You are finally awake,” Spencer said, moving to the bedside table and placing a metallic tray carrying various medical items there. “How are you feeling?”“Spencer?” Julian called his name in disbelief. “Do you know who you are wor