Share

Ch. 53

Author: Cara Anderson
last update Last Updated: 2025-01-23 11:59:20
Sage

I barely recognize myself in the mirror. The deep blue silk makes my pale skin glow, silver embroidered moonflowers climbing from hem to bodice. My silver-blonde hair is partially braided with crystal beads that catch light like stars, the rest falling in soft waves down my back.

"Perfect," Iris declares, adjusting my pendant so it nestles just right. "You look like moonlight itself. Just wait until Alaric sees you!"

"I look terrified," I correct, smoothing my skirts for the hundredth time.

"You look like you belong." She squeezes my hands. "And you do."

The great hall takes my breath away - hundreds of crystal chandeliers casting rainbow light over gathered nobles from every pack in the kingdom. I wait at the top of the grand staircase as protocol demands, heart thundering.

Then I see him.

Alaric stands below in formal Alpha regalia, power wrapped around him like a cloak. But when his eyes find me, everything else fades away. His expression makes my heart stop - pure awe, like h
Cara Anderson

Thank you for reading!

| 14
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 54

    Alaric My beast roars as Daphne's words echo through the silent ballroom. Sage stands frozen beside me, her scent sharp with fear and confusion. Every instinct demands I tear out Daphne's throat for threatening our mate, but I'm painfully aware of hundreds of eyes watching how the Lycan King handles this crisis."That's enough." My voice cuts through the whispers. "Your presence here is unwelcome, given your history of false accusations.""False?" Daphne's eyes widen with practiced innocence. "You mean when I tried to warn my pack about harboring an unknown wolf?" She turns to address the crowd. "I admit I was hasty in my judgment then. The evidence seemed so clear at the time...""The evidence you fabricated?" Power rolls off me in waves. "The lies that nearly got an innocent omega executed?""I was wrong about that specific incident," she concedes smoothly. "But my instincts about her weren't entirely misplaced. I was only trying to protect my pack from someone with... uncertain ori

    Last Updated : 2025-01-23
  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 55

    Sage The ballroom empties like water draining from a cracked bowl, nobles clustering in whispered groups as they leave. Wolves who eagerly sought my healing knowledge hours ago now avoid my eyes. Even the young healers I've been training edge away when I move."Don't," Iris says fiercely when she sees my face. "Don't let them make you doubt yourself."But how can I not? The memories I've always struggled to access now feel like shadows hiding monsters. Every time I touch my pendant, trying to remember anything before Blackthorn, I hit that same dark wall.Alaric stands with his council, power rolling off him in waves as they demand an emergency meeting. His eyes keep finding me across the room, torn between duty and desire to stay close."Go," I tell him when he approaches. "Handle what you need to handle. Besides, I have no right to be selfish with you when it’s my mess they want you to clean up.""Sweetling—""Please." I manage a weak smile. "I'm fine. This is more important."The l

    Last Updated : 2025-01-24
  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 56

    Sage Three days. Three days of silence broken only by the soft scrape of meal trays being left outside my door. Three days of nothing but my own thoughts spinning darker with each passing hour.Guards murmur outside my room, changing shifts at regular intervals. Sometimes I hear wolves pass in the hall, their whispers carrying fragments that cut like knives: "—definitely poison—" "—just like they said—" "—can't trust—"Not even Iris, with her perpetual positive attitude, comes to visit. But it's Alaric's absence that breaks me. After everything - his promises to protect me, to face things together - he's just... gone. No word, no explanation..My pendant feels heavy against my throat as I pace the confines of my room for the hundredth time. What if they're right? What if somewhere in my missing memories lurks the monster they claim?The door's lock clicks suddenly, making me jump. Alaric fills the doorway, power rolling off him in waves. But his face... Moon Goddess, his face is cold

    Last Updated : 2025-01-24
  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 57

    Alaric My beast roars in triumph as I finally let go of three days' worth of desperate restraint. Having to stay away from her, to maintain distance while investigating James's death and keeping hostile nobles at bay - it's been torture. Every instinct screamed to protect our mate, to keep her close.But now, with her soft body pinned beneath mine on the training mats, her scent filling my head with honeysuckle and rain and arousal, I can't remember why I ever tried to resist this."Mine," I growl against her throat, feeling her pulse race under my lips. The mate bond thrums between us, and even if she can't feel it yet, her body recognizes its other half."Yours," she breathes, and the word snaps the last threads of my control.I capture her mouth again, swallowing her soft gasp as I deepen the kiss. Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer like she's as desperate for this as I am. She’s uncoordinated at first, but what she lacks in experience, she makes up for in enthusiasm an

    Last Updated : 2025-01-25
  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 58

    Sage The first rays of dawn filter through my window as I stretch languidly, every muscle pleasantly sore in ways I never knew possible. The bed beside me is empty but still warm, Alaric's scent of pine and winter wind lingering on the pillows. He stayed all night, then, holding me close as I drifted to sleep.My cheeks heat remembering everything we did, the ways he touched me, the places he kissed. I never knew such pleasure existed, never imagined one person could make another feel so much. At Blackthorn, the mated pairs were discreet, and no one discussed such intimate matters with a wolfless omega.But Alaric... he showed me things I didn't even know to want. Made my body sing with sensations I had no words for. Even now, my skin tingles remembering his reverent touches, the way he whispered "sweetling" against my skin like a prayer.I touch my neck where he left marks - not a claiming bite, but evidence of his passion nonetheless. The memory of how they got there makes me shive

    Last Updated : 2025-01-26
  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 59

    SageMy first steps beyond my room feel like walking into enemy territory. I considered hiding out despite Alaric’s declaration of freedom, But that would make me a coward, unworthy of Alaric’s faith in me. So I lift my chin, refusing to skulk like a guilty thing. Alaric's marks still tingle on my neck, reminding me that I'm not alone anymore."Well, well." Iris's gleeful voice makes me jump. "What are those on your neck?"My hand flies up to cover Alaric's marks, face flaming. "I... that is... we were training and...""Training?" She circles me like a predator. "Is that what they're calling it now? Must have been quite the... defensive maneuver.""Iris!" I try to sound stern but my voice comes out squeaky."I mean, some of these look pretty high up for combat holds." She grins wickedly. "Unless you were practicing very specific escape techniques?""We were... I mean he was... oh moon, stop looking at me like that!"Her laughter echoes through the hall. "Wait till Garrett hears about t

    Last Updated : 2025-01-26
  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 60

    Alaric "The practice is unnatural," Elder Marcus declares, his face twisted with revulsion. "We honor our dead, not mutilate them.""Two warriors are dead," I growl, barely containing my beast's rage. "Dead under suspicious circumstances that some are using to condemn an innocent wolf. You'd deny us the chance to prove her innocence because of tradition?"The council chamber fills with uneasy murmurs. No Alpha has ever suggested examining our dead this way before. But no Alpha has ever had their mate falsely accused of murder either."My King," Lord Harrison speaks carefully. "While we understand your... personal interest in clearing the omega's name, there are centuries of custom to consider."Phantom snarls at their inability to say Sage's name, to acknowledge her as pack. But I force my voice to remain steady. "And what of justice? What of truth?""There are other ways to investigate," Victoria's father suggests smoothly. "Ways that don't desecrate our fallen warriors."Before I ca

    Last Updated : 2025-01-26
  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 61

    Sage Small changes ripple through the pack in the days following the poisoning incident. Wolves still whisper when I pass, but some nod respectfully now. The warriors I saved make a point of greeting me publicly. Their families send quiet thanks through Iris.But at night, when I'm alone with my thoughts, doubt creeps in like poison. I know who I am now - a healer, someone who saves lives. But what about then? What about the memories that stay locked behind that dark wall in my mind?"You're brooding again," Iris declares, finding me in the garden. "I can practically smell the self-doubt.""Wouldn't you doubt?" I touch a moonflower petal. "Everyone keeps talking about how well I know poisons, how easily I recognized them. What if...""Don't." She grabs my hands. "Don't let their accusations make you question yourself.""But that's just it - I don't know myself. Not really." The words that have been haunting me spill out. "I know who I am now, but what about before? What if I really d

    Last Updated : 2025-01-27

Latest chapter

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 49

    Alexander I stand in the doorway of Lyra's chambers, all my carefully prepared words evaporating at the sight of her. She looks exhausted but resolute, chin lifted slightly in that way I've come to recognize means she's bracing for an argument. The bond between us pulses with conflicting emotions—relief at our proximity battling with the lingering tension from our courtyard confrontation."Can I come in?" I ask, my voice softer than I intended.She nods, stepping back to allow me entry. I close the door behind me, grateful for the privacy after our too-public disagreement earlier."I owe you an apology," I begin, pride giving way to more important priorities. "My reaction to your return was..." I search for the right word."Possessive? Accusatory? Completely unfair?" she supplies, though the slight curve of her lips takes some sting from the words."All of the above," I admit with a rueful smile. "I was worried sick, Lyra. The bond separation, the power surges, the reports of Vega's a

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 48

    Lyra The palace looks different this time—less intimidating, more like a potential sanctuary than a gilded prison. Maybe it's because I'm not arriving as a captive or a curiosity, but as someone making a conscious choice to return. Or maybe I'm just too exhausted to be intimidated anymore."You okay?" Kieran asks, pulling his horse alongside mine as we approach the eastern gate."Just tired," I assure him, though that's only part of the truth. The bond with Alexander strengthens with every hoofbeat closer to the palace, the familiar silver warmth spreading through my chest after days of uncomfortable stretching.The guards at the gate snap to attention when they recognize me, their expressions a mixture of relief and curiosity. They wave us through with minimal questions, though I notice how their eyes linger on Kieran and the other healers with suspicion.Some things haven't changed, then.The eastern courtyard bustles with activity—servants carrying supplies, guards changing shifts,

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 47

    Alexander "Your Highness, the eastern patrol has returned."I look up from the maps spread across my desk to see Captain Merrick standing at attention in the doorway. The grim set of his mouth tells me he's not bringing good news."Report," I command, straightening to my full height."We've confirmed the presence of at least eight individuals matching Northern territory descriptions moving through the eastern forests." He points to the area on my map where Lyra's healing community had relocated. "They're using search patterns consistent with tracking specific targets, not random patrols."My stomach knots. "How close to the healer settlement?""Too close," he admits. "Less than five miles from their last known location."A surge of power—part Alpha, part healing—runs through me at the news, making the maps glow faintly beneath my hands. I've been fighting these manifestations all day, each one stronger than the last as the bond between Lyra and me stretches with our separation."Shit,

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 46

    Lyra "What existed between us was real," I acknowledge quietly. "Friendship, respect, potential for more. I never denied that.""And now?" His question carries no accusation, only sincere desire to understand where my boundaries are now."Now complexity exists where once things seemed so simple between us, so easy." I reply, honesty demanded by years of trust between us. "The bond with Alexander doesn't erase what came before, but it changes the context irrevocably."He reaches out slowly, giving me time to withdraw if I choose, and gently brushes a strand of hair from my face. The casual intimacy of the gesture—one he's performed countless times before—suddenly carries a different weight, awareness crackling between us like the static before a storm."If fate hadn't intervened," he murmurs, "if you'd never met him...""We can't know that path because we're not walking it," I interrupt gently, though I don't pull away from his touch. "Speculating about what might have been only makes

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 45

    LyraThe familiar scents of wild herbs and wood smoke welcome me as we crest the final ridge overlooking our community's temporary settlement. After the palace's overwhelming grandeur, the simple cluster of hide tents and wooden shelters feels like drawing a deep breath after being underwater too long. My shoulders relax instinctively, the tight knot of tension court life created beginning to loosen."You look happier already," Kieran observes, pulling his horse alongside mine. His green eyes study me with the perception that comes from years of friendship. "The palace weighs on you.""It's... different," I acknowledge, remaining deliberately neutral despite the relief coursing through me. "Complex in ways I never imagined.""And the prince?" he asks carefully. "Is he worth the complexity?"The question carries layers beneath its simplicity. Through our temporarily stabilized bond, I feel Alexander's presence like a silver thread stretched thin but unbroken between us. Even discussing

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 44

    Alexander Throughout the day, power surges continue with increasing frequency and intensity. During an afternoon security briefing, my Alpha energy flares so strongly that decorative weapons mounted on the walls rattle in their holdings. Later, while reviewing border reports, healing power manifests as visible glow surrounding my hands, making parchment maps luminescent where I touch them.By evening, controlling these manifestations requires constant focus, draining energy needed for royal duties that cannot be postponed despite my discomfort. The council reconvenes to discuss increased activity along the eastern border—reports of strangers matching Northern territory descriptions moving through regions where healing communities traditionally hide."Vega's agents, most likely," Dominic assesses, pointing to locations marked on the tactical map. "Their movement patterns suggest searching rather than random patrol.""Searching for what?" Lord Harrison questions."Not what—who," I corre

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 43

    Alexander The council chamber feels like a trap this morning—a gilded cage of obligation, duty, and politics that keeps me from what I truly want to be doing. My attention drifts repeatedly toward the window, toward the eastern gate where I know Lyra will soon depart with Kieran. Every instinct rebels against letting her leave the palace, letting her travel with another man who clearly harbors feelings for her."Your Highness?" Lord Harrison's voice cuts through my distraction. "Your thoughts on the Northern territories' proposal?"I refocus on the documents before me, forcing composure over agitation. "Their offer of partial reparations is insufficient," I state, scanning the diplomatic language that disguises the Northern delegation's attempt to minimize consequences for their actions. "They participated in an unprovoked attack on our throne. I won’t accept anything less than full accountability."The council members exchange glances, some approving, others concerned."The Northern

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 42

    LyraThe council chambers occupy an imposing section of the palace, all dark wood and serious faces. When I enter, conversation halts abruptly. Alexander stands at the head of a long table scattered with maps and documents, looking exhausted but commanding. Relief crosses his features when he sees me."Lyra, thank you for coming," he says, gesturing me forward. "The council requires information about Vega's capabilities and possible locations."I step further into the room, acutely aware of the scrutiny from a dozen pairs of eyes. Most expressions range from skeptical to overtly hostile, with only Dominic and Elara offering friendly faces among the assembled advisors."Surely there are more reliable sources of intelligence than a... healer," one councilor objects, the pause before "healer" making the word sound like an insult."You’d do well to remember my mother, your queen, is a healer. As am I.” Alexander snaps, a hint of Alpha authority edging his tone. “Lyra has firsthand experien

  • The Lycan King's Outcast Omega   Ch. 41

    Lyra Dinner progresses with excruciating formality. I struggle with the bewildering array of utensils, the unfamiliar dishes, the careful dance of court conversation where nothing is directly stated and everything carries double meaning. Kieran fares no better, his discomfort evident in his tense posture and minimal responses.Alexander tries to include us in conversations, explaining context and introducing friendly nobles, but his attention is constantly divided. Royal matters continuously draw him away—urgent whispers from advisors, formal greetings required by protocol, political discussions that cannot wait despite the occasion.Each time he's pulled away, our fragile bond stretches thinner, fluctuating uncomfortably. Across the table, I notice Elara watching with concern, clearly perceiving the strain through her growing abilities."The court will always demand his attention," Kieran murmurs during one such absence. "This is his life, Lyra. Endless politics, endless obligations.

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status