Elara stepped forward, halting just before the carriage door. Her fingers lingered on the frame as her eyes caught sight of Harrison's outstretched hand. The royal advisor's expression bore a faint smirk, barely concealed, yet enough to unsettle her thoughts. Accepting the mental battle raging within her, she finally placed her hand in his. His touch was cold yet firm, guiding her gracefully out of the carriage.
The sun was bright, casting golden hues over the modest surroundings, but it did little to settle the unease in her chest. Harrison's sharp voice broke the silence as he walked slightly behind her, his presence looming like a shadow.
"The King is inside, having tea with the locals, Your Majesty. This grandmother and her children—" he paused dramatically, the smirk resurfacing briefly, "—lost their entire fortune when her son died without leaving a will. They have been displaced ever since."
Elara nodded simply, her eyes fixed ahead, her mind adrift. The explanations felt like filler words, meant to distract from something greater. As they neared the group of guards, her gaze caught on a pair of piercing blue eyes.
Darius .
Her breath hitched as her eyes traced down to the heavy chains that bound his wrists and ankles. His presence was impossible to ignore, a commanding force even in his restrained state.
"Are those really necessary?" she asked,her attention never leaving the lycan.
Harrison's amusement was evident in his response, even as he spoke from behind her. "Of course, Your Majesty. A lycan is a ferocious creature. One can never be too cautious. Better safe than sorry."
She stopped and turned slightly, her gaze now locked on the royal advisor. "Then how is he supposed to protect me from these so-called rogue werewolves," Her voice carried a sharp edge. "You don't trust him, yet you trust him with my life?"
Harrison opened his mouth, but the King's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Harrison."
Both Elara and Harrison turned toward Theron, who stood awaiting by the door of the small house. The King's expression was unreadable, but his tone held finality, effectively silencing any further debate. Harrison stepped aside, bowing slightly as he gestured for Elara to move forward.
But before she could take another step, a sharp cry pierced the air.
"WEREWOLVES! GET DOWN!"
The warning barely registered before chaos erupted. Out of the dense bushes surrounding them, a pack of werewolves leaped into view, snarling and charging with terrifying speed.
Harrison moved quickly, pulling Elara behind him as a shield of his own body. His eyes darted to Given, who was rushing forward to aid them. However, a rogue werewolf lunged at him, its snarling teeth flashing, and the two were hurled violently to the other side.
Pinned beneath the ferocious beast, Given found himself face-to-face with a terrifying monster. The rogue werewolf's yellow eyes gleamed with rage, its mangy fur matted with grime and blood. Sharp claws, cracked and jagged, scraped at the dirt near his face as its jaws snapped inches from his neck. Its body, scarred and grotesque, seemed unnaturally gaunt yet brimming with terrifying strength.
Desperate, Given grabbed a thick branch from the ground, jamming it between the creature's snapping teeth. The branch cracked ominously as the werewolf thrashed wildly, and when it finally splintered, Given braced himself for the worst. Just as the rogue lunged again, a shadow loomed.
With a thunderous impact, Darius barreled into the werewolf, his head colliding with the beast's ribs and sending it sprawling. Panting heavily, Darius offered Given a hand, pulling him to his feet in one swift motion.
"Don't use your magic," Darius whispered urgently, his silver-blue eyes flashing. "You don't want him to see."
Still shaken, Given could only nod, watching as Darius turned and sprinted toward another cry for help. Even with chains binding his hands and feet, the alpha lycan moved with brutal efficiency, throwing himself into the fray to protect the humans.
As Given scanned the chaos, his eyes locked on Elara. She was crouched on the ground behind Harrison, who swung a silver sword with precision against another rogue. Just as Given moved to help them, searing pain tore across his back. He staggered forward, realizing too late that a werewolf had ambushed him.
Thrown through the air, his body collided with a tree, the impact leaving him breathless and dazed. Blinking through the pain, he saw the werewolf charging toward him again. Muttering under his breath, "Oh, come on," Given rolled to the side just in time. The rogue slammed into the tree instead, shaking the ground with the force of its body.
Meanwhile , inside the house, Theron and a few others strained to hold the door closed as the wolves outside pounded relentlessly against it.
"Ahhh!" A piercing scream came from the grandmother as glass shattered. Lyric instinctively raised her arms to shield herself from the flying shards, her heart pounding in terror. Lowering her hands, she froze as her eyes met the werewolf's piercing gaze.
Panic surged as she stepped back, accidentally crunching glass beneath her foot. The sound was enough to provoke the beast, and it leapt through the broken window with a feral snarl.
Lyric braced herself for the inevitable pain, but none came. Opening her tear-filled eyes, she saw the alpha lycan wrap the chains binding his wrists around the werewolf's leg. With inhuman strength, Darius twisted and twirled the chains, trapping the beast before flinging it across the uard. Its massive body crashed into the Queen's carriage, splintering wood and leaving everyone in stunned silence.
The battle raged on, but Darius was everywhere. Despite the chains restricting him, he fought ferociously, choosing to protect the humans over his kind. Given, grappling with a particularly strong werewolf, could only watch in astonishment.
Then, silence fell. The air was thick with the scent of blood and the tension of the aftermath. Some of the rogues had been thrown deep into the forest, while others lay motionless on the ground. Darius stood amidst the chaos, his chest heaving, veins bulging under his skin as his body pulsed with restrained power.
The brief reprieve ended abruptly when a shadow loomed over them. Emerging from the forest, a massive rogue werewolf stepped into view, its hulking form blocking out the fading light. The towering creature was the very same one Given had been fighting earlier. Its yellow eyes glowed with feral rage, and its massive, clawed hands flexed with deadly intent. Taller than the carriages and the tallest men in the group, its shadow outstretched them all, plunging the scene into an eerie darkness.
The guards behind Darius cowered, their weapons trembling in their hands. Despite their fear, all eyes remained fixed on Darius and the towering werewolf.
The alpha lycan squared his shoulders, standing his ground. His gaze locked with the rogue's glowing yellow eyes, and the two predators stared at each other in a tense, unspoken battle of dominance. Their breaths were heavy, the air thick with anticipation.
But then suddenly , a piercing cry shattered the moment.
Elara . Darius's gaze snapped toward the Queen, who was being dragged into the forest by a smaller rogue werewolf. Her desperate screams tore through the air, igniting a fresh wave of anger inside him .
Harrison moved to rush after her, but another werewolf pounced on him, pinning him to the ground.
And Darius's mistake was looking away.
The towering werewolf took the opportunity to strike.