Maravelle's face darkened with immediate fury.
"You storm into the castle late at night with blood on your clothes, and lock yourself in your chambers with a strange woman? The guards say no one is allowed near her. Not even me."
"She is under my full protection, mother," Thornak replied.
"Who is she, Thornak?" the queen asked raising an eyebrow. "Is she a rogue? A spy? Or another foolish charity case you dragged in from the woods?"
"She's my mate," Thornak said calmly.
For a long moment, the queen mother
remained silent.
Then, slowly, a smile touched her lips.
"Your mate..." she said softly. "At last. The Goddess has finally answered my prayers. I have waited years for this day, and you have finally found a bride. But if this girl is a nobody, Thornak," Maravelle continued, her voice turning colder. "If she has no noble blood, no strength, and no name worthy of remembrance, then she is not fit to stand beside a king."
"Funny," Thornak said dryly. "I don't recall asking for your approval."
Maravelle's eyes narrowed.
"The people will never accept a nameless girl as their queen," she explained. "And a ruler who ignores his people invites disaster."
"I know what is best for my kingdom," Thornak growled.
"No," Maravelle replied calmly. "You know what your heart wants. Duty does not bow to love, Thornak. If this girl proves unworthy, you will reject her."
Thornak's eyes darkened. His wolf stirred beneath his skin. The thought of rejecting their sweet mate, made him restless.
"And if I refuse?" he asked her.
Maravelle gave a dry laugh. "Then you place your personal desires above the kingdom."
A low growl rumbled from Thornak's chest.
Maravelle walked towards him.
"I will not allow this throne to be weakened by sentiment," she said. "If necessary, you will take Lady Selene as your queen. She is noble-born. Powerful and well respected. And tell me, Thornak... what was this mysterious girl doing alone in the woods?"
"I don't care mother," he growled. "She is mine. And unless the Goddess herself tells me otherwise, she stays."
The possessiveness in his voice was unmistakable.
He walked over to her.
"Now, I want this be between you and I. No one is to know about it."
"As you wish," she responded.
As Thornak turned to leave, the Queen motioned to his personal guard. "Get me my nephew, Aedric. Now!" she commanded.
A Moment later, Aedric entered.
"You called, Aunt? I must say, the look on Thornak's face just now was absolutely priceless."
"This isn't a game, Aedric. Thornak has brought a girl into the royal quarters. Some girl from the Eastern ridge. And he claims she is his mate."
Aedric's dark brows lifted. "From the Eastern ridge? For the Lycan King? Well, the Moon Goddess certainly has a twisted sense of humor."
"I assume you aren't planning to welcome her with open arms."
"Never," Maravelle said. "A nameless, powerless girl on the throne will invite nothing but rebellion from the high packs. The alpha lineages are already restless. If Thornak refuses to see reason, the crown will slide right off his head."
She turned to him.
"He wants this kept secret. He thinks he can hide her away until he finds a way to force the council's hand. I want to know exactly who she is before he gets that chance. And I want you to find out everything you can."
"And what exactly am I looking for?" Aedric asked, tilting his head.
"Everything," Maravelle commanded. "Find out how she ended up in the woods alone. Find out where she comes from, who her family is, and if she has any ties to the insurgent factions along the border."
Aedric bowed his head slightly, the mocking glint returning to his eyes.
"Consider it done. I'll take a few scouts and head toward the ridge where the King found her. If she left a trail, I'll find the start of it."
"Do it quietly," Maravelle warned. "If Thornak discovers you are investigating his mate, not even my position will protect you from his wrath."
"Don't worry," Aedric said, turning on his heel toward the side exits. "I'm very good at staying downwind."
....
Outside the throne room, the storm began to break, but elsewhere, a different kind of storm stirred.
Warmth.
That was the first thing Lara noticed. Heat under her body. She was wrapped in heavy furs and blankets that smelled like smoke and pine. Then came the pain, like all her bones had been broken and put back together.
Her eyes slowly opened.
The room was dim, lit by the soft glow of a lantern and the warm light from a fire nearby. The air smelled of herbs and metal.
She tried to sit up, but a firm hand eased her back.
"Careful," said a calm, firm voice. An older man sat at her bedside, with white hair and a plain tunic. He had the look of someone used to obedience, despite his unassuming robes.
"You're lucky to be alive."
Lara blinked at him, her throat dry. "Where...?"
"You're in the Lycan King's chambers," he replied simply. "He brought you here himself. Carried you from the forest and ordered that I tend to you. Personally."
The king? Had she heard correctly.
"The Lycan King... brought me here?" she echoed.
The healer nodded once. "That's what I said."
"Why?" she asked, her brows pulling together.
He offered her a silver cup of water. "That's a question for him, not me."
Why would the Lycan King help me?
She leaned back against the pillows, her heart beating fast. Her body ached, but it was the rush of thoughts in her head that made her feel dizzy.
Lara stared at him. Until he rescued her she had never seen a Lycan before. She took the silver cup he gave her and drank slowly, trying to calm her breathing.
Why would a Lycan, no, why would the Lycan King...
She didn't finish the thought. She was too afraid to. She was no one important, she didn't even have a wolf, and yet, here she was. In his room. Under his protection. She saw the healer stirring a bowl of herbs
"Don't overthink it." She said almost to herself.
The healer looked up from his mixing table. "Pardon?"
She shook her head slightly. "Where is he? The king?"
The healer walked over with a basin of steaming herbs. "He left before dawn."
"Gone where?"
"He didn't say."
"Did he say when he'd be back?" she asked quietly.
"No." He looked visibly irritated at her questions.
Lara didn't respond. Her eyes drifted to the window, the trees barely visible in the distance.
"Rest now," the healer said, placing a jar of salve on the bedside table. "You'll need your strength."
As he left, the memory returned like a storm: golden eyes, a massive creature more than a wolf standing between her and death. And later, those same eyes, looking down at her before everything went black.
....
The King's war room was quiet but tense.
It was made of dark stone walls and tall windows that allowed sunlight to fall over the table covered in maps and scrolls. A big fire burned in the hearth behind him, creating moving shadows across the room.
Thornak stood at the head of the massive table, his arms resting on the edge. His golden eyes narrowed as he looked over the map, studying the red marks that showed where some attacks had happened.
Kael leaned against a pillar and sighed. "Three outposts in under two weeks. This isn't random anymore. Someone is orchestrating these strikes."
Thornak's jaw clenched.
"And they know our weaknesses." Ruvan, his Gamma, stepped forward and pointed toward the northern border. "They hit Ashvale Pass last. If they breach it again, they'll have a straight route to our inner provinces."
"We'll reinforce it," Thornak said. "Double patrols and fortify the ridge. I want sentries at every point."
Kael narrowed his eyes at the map. "Although, these tactics... they're too precise for rogues. This feels like the old insurgents again. The ones we never caught."
A heavy silence followed... There was a sharp knock at the door.
"Enter," Thornak commanded.
A guard stepped inside and bowed swiftly.
"My King. The... special guest has awakened."
Thornak straightened.
"Have the healer remain. No one goes in unless I say so."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard bowed again and vanished into the corridor.
Kael pushed off the wall, smiling faintly. "Going to check on your mysterious stray?"
Thornak smiled faintly and left the room.