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Chapter 1 - The Mate in the Woods

The scent of blood hung in the air, sharp and metallic.

Lara swung her blade through the air, cutting a rogue across the chest. She was breathing hard now and her body was shaking from how tired she was, but she didn't stop. Even as a human, she fought with the strength of two werewolves. Her sword moved like part of her body, smooth, quick, and deadly.

But she was getting tired. More rogues were showing up. Too many and too quickly.

The rogues were twisted remnants of wolves long lost to darkness. One lunged at her. She ducked. Another charged. She spun as her blade met a rogues flesh. But just as she brought one down, sharp pain tore through her side. A claw had cut her. Too deep.

She stumbled, her vision going fuzzy.

Then came a roar. Loud. Powerful. Alpha.

Through the blur, she saw him: tall and strong. His eyes burned gold. He looked half-man, half-beast, both beautiful and frightening.

He moved like a force of nature. Rogues dropped around him like leaves in a storm. His claws tore through them with precision.

Her legs gave out.

The last thing she saw was the stranger's glowing gaze locking with hers and the soft brush of his hand as he caught her before she hit the ground.

Earlier that day, in the quiet forest.

Thornak Stormbite, the Lycan King of Vargorath, crouched behind a mossy rock. His sharp eyes watched the trees above, looking for any movement. His breath formed clouds in the cold air, and every muscle in his body was poised to strike.

He was a vision of both grace and savagery. Tall and broad-shouldered, his body sculpted by years of war. Nonetheless he was an epitome of perfection. Black hair hung loose around his face, and his jawline was sharp. His golden eyes, fierce and glowing faintly, didn't miss a thing. His presence radiated command and power.

Beside him, his younger brother Kael muttered, "You know, this was supposed to be a quick hunt."

"And now it's interesting," Thorn replied, his voice was low and calm but alert. However his senses prickled. Something wasn't right.

Behind them, Dain, his Beta and oldest friend, crept up silently. "Smell that?"

Thorn inhaled. Blood. Fear. Wolves. And something else. Something electric, wild and familiar in a way that made his bones ache.

Kael's brow furrowed. "You feel that, don't you?"

Thorn didn't answer. His chest tightened and a strange surge rising inside him - foreign and powerful. His heartbeat quickened, not from fear... but recognition.

Then he saw her.

Across the clearing, past the trees, there was movement. It was a woman and she was wielding a sword like it was an extension of her soul, fighting with a ferocity he'd never seen. and even as her body bled, she didn't fall, rather she moved like fury itself.

Thorn's heart slammed in his chest.

"By the Ancients..." Dain whispered. "She's..."

"Mine," Thorn growled.

He didn't wait.

But just before he sprang, an image flashed through his mind, his mother's face twisted in disapproval, voice sharp as always.

"You are the King. You do not chase shadows in the woods. You find a Queen with power, status, and ties to strengthen our rule."

He had laughed bitterly at the time. "You mean a pawn."

"I mean a woman who understands legacy."

"Then she won't understand me."

He had left her court in fury that day, sick of arranged meetings, sick of being a title and not a man.

And now here he was, his heart pounding fast, feeling like fate was roaring through his veins like thunder, staring at the woman the goddess had clearly chosen for him.

Thornak didn't hesitate, he rushed towards her the same moment a rogue lunged at her exposed back, Thorn moved like death itself.

With a growl that shook the trees, he collided with the rogue mid-air, snapping his bones and sending the creature flying.

He landed in front of her, blood steaming on his claws, his massive form shielding her from the rest.

He turned his head just enough to look at her, really look at her.

Her eyes were wide with shock, her lips had blood at the corner. She was breathtaking.

Beautiful and brave. He thought

His voice came out as a snarl. "No one touches what's mine."

A while later the clearing was still and the scent of blood hang heavy in the cold air.

Thornak stood in the center, his golden eyes locked on the unconscious woman lying on the floor. She was covered in bruises and blood, her cloak was torn and her sword still gripped loosely in one hand.

"She fought them... a human," Kael said slowly, stepping up beside him. "Goddess Thorn. She tore through them like she wanted to die standing."

Thorn remained quiet, his gaze never leaving her as he knelt beside her brushing her golden hair from her face.

Dain crouched beside him, "she is not a Lycan."

"She is a human," Thorn replied immediately. And Jax his lycan growled ... "I am taking her home."

Kael exhaled. "If your mother finds out you brought home a human....."

"You know how Queen Maravelle feels about humans." Dain finished grimly.

Thorn's jaw clenched. "I don't care what she thinks."

"Thorn...."

"I don't care," he snapped, eyes blazing. "She's my mate. My woman. I'll protect her with everything I have."

There was a beat of silence as his words dawned on them. This woman was his mate.

Then Kael muttered, "Wow, mother's going to have a heart attack."

Dain cracked a small smile. "You have got a war on your hands."

Thorn brushed a bit of dried blood from her temple. "I've never backed down from a war."

He picked her up in his arms.

---

The doors of the throne room slammed open with a gust of icy wind.

Queen Maravelle Stormbite sat upright on the raised dais, framed by high, arched windows that spilled moonlight across the polished obsidian floor. The throne room was vast and cold, carved from blackstone and rimmed with silver filigree. Ancient banners hung like silent witnesses to the legacy of the Stormbite line.

The King's throne in Vargorath is a masterpiece of power and primal elegance. Carved from dark obsidian and veined with silver, the throne rises like a jagged mountain beside the dais, each edge sharp and commanding. Intricate symbols of the Moon Goddess and ancient Lycan lore are etched into the stone, glowing faintly when touched by moonlight. The high back fans out like the spread wings of a beast mid-roar, and two sleek wolf heads are carved into the arms-one snarling, the other calm.

Queen Maravelle's silver hair was braided into an elegant crown atop her head, her cloak of deep sapphire velvet shimmering with runes of power. Her pale skin seemed carved from moonlight, but it was her eyes-ice-blue and piercing-that held the true power. She narrowed them as Thornak strode in, a storm of blood and shadow in his black leather cloak.

Kael followed at his side, sharp-eyed and defiant, boots echoing beside his brother's. Their twin sisters were already seated near the dais: Iris, in a soft blush gown, kind-eyed and bright as spring; Jasmine, dressed in deep navy, serious and quiet, her gaze as unwavering as ever.

"What is the meaning of this?" Maravelle's voice rang like steel. "You storm into the castle in the dead of night, blood on your clothes, and lock yourself in your chambers with a strange woman? The guards say no one is allowed near. Not even me."

"I gave that order," Thorn said, as he sat on his throne, his tone calm but resolute. "She's under my protection."

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