THE LYCAN KING'S FORBIDDEN HEIR

Duskba

the night as quickly as my patience. Somewhere in the forest ahead, a lone deer moved, its hooves crunching softly against the frozen ground. I h

llness: the creak of my boots against the frost, the soft hum of the wind rustling through skeletal branches. For

exhaled slowly. The deer lifted its head, ears swiveling as i

napped b

k the trunk of a nearby tree with a dull thud, far from my intended target.

revealing a man with piercing silver eyes that seemed to cut through the night. His

u?" I demanded, keep

irk. "I could ask you the same

t care who you think I am.

the fleeing deer, its white tail vanishing into the trees. "Apologies, but

up on people, or am I

ething unsettling about him-not just his sudden appearance but the way h

e said, his voice l

his lips sent a shiver down my spi

nt, the air between us seemed to

ing. "If you're here to settle some grudge, get in

sion remained guarded. "I'm not your

e about

proph

of it before, fragments of old stories told around dying campfires. A prophecy that foretol

I said, shaking my head. "I

ssing against the rough bark of a tree. "You don't have to

rust you?" I scoffed, t

ply. "But you don

mournful, carrying a warning that sent a chill through my veins. The man

ound you,"

nded, but he

his grip firm but not pain

es, a group of figures with glowing eyes and snarling faces. Lycan

is blade with a fluid motion. It gleamed silver in the moonligh

ose," he

eed to be

d like a force of nature, his strikes precise and deadly. I fought beside him, my dagger sla

?" I shouted

tight with strain. "They want the

oes that me

he said

e, not when survival was the only option. Together, we fought our way through the

l, Lucian turned to me, his face s

h my body ached from t

g his sword. "Because thi

now how to ask. Who was he, really? Why did he know my na

ng," I deman

irst time, I saw something beneath his stoic

rt of something much bigger than you realize. And whether you