Unwanted Mate Of The Lycan Kings (by jessica hall)

Chapter 18

~Zirah~

The city lights twinkle in the darkness as we make our way home, having spent the day with Kelly. The

glow of the stars reflecting off the slick streets that are still wet from the evening rainfall. The air is

heavy with the scent of damp earth, a comforting scent that reminds me of back home in the caves.

Regan has been strangely quiet since we left Kelly's shop, his silence is cutting, his aura rising more

and more as the day went on, only to be replaced by his brooding silence. His arm is draped

protectively around my shoulders, his touch warm and solid, yet there's a tension in him that sets off

warning bells in my head.

"Regan," I begin, breaking the silence. He doesn't respond, his gaze firmly fixed on the road ahead.

"Regan," I say a little more firmly, and this time he turns to look at me. There's a shadow in his eyes,

something I've never seen before, and it makes my heart clench with unease. He looks at me, the

same shadow in his eyes that I'd seen before still present. It makes my chest ache as though an

invisible force is squeezing all of the air from my lungs as I stare back at him, so much going on inside

his aura it's almost as if he is at war with himself.

"What did your uncle mean when he said some of them weren't deserving of me?" I question, my voice

barely above a whisper. "What will I find when I visit Zeke and Lyon's kingdoms?"

I watch his expression change; an emotion that I can't quite place flickers across his handsome

features, like lightning on a stormy night.

He inhales deeply, his fingers now intertwined with mine like a lifeline to something safe and familiar.

Regan finally opens his mouth, but not with words. It's a sigh filled with what feels like weariness and

regret. "I haven't been to their kingdoms in years, Zirah. Not since... well, not for a long time," he

confesses, his voice heavy with an emotion I can't quite name. But no matter how much I probe it's

clear he won't give away any more than that.

Gnash's fur brushes my leg and I glance down at him, running my fingers through his soft fur, when

Regan speaks again.

"But I do know that if we go to war with the vampire kingdom, we'll be outnumbered, your only chance

of beating the Vampiric King is with our kingdoms behind you. It’s the only reason he hasn't challenged

us for our kingdoms before now, he knows he stands no chance. Guaranteed, word has gotten back to

him and he'll be planning an attack, looking for a weak spot. He'll be waiting for you to slip up or cast us

out, that is when he'll attack."

The oppressive silence on our journey home seemed to echo the weight of his words. I had been thrust

into a war that I was not prepared for, and yet, I had no choice but to strive forward.

"It's decided then," I breathe out, my voice strong despite the trembling in my heart. "We'll visit each of

the kingdoms and see who is worthy and who isn't."

Regan studies me with surprise in his gaze, his eyebrows furrow as he attempts to form a response.

He opened his mouth only to close it again; I watched as he drew in a deep breath and shook his head.

"Are you sure about this, Zirah?" he asks.

"Positive," I respond. "We can start with yours."

Regan seems to consider his words as he opens his mouth to speak before promptly closing it again.

He swallows thickly before shaking his head gently.

"No, Lyon's kingdom is closer," he said quickly, directing the conversation away from his own. His

change in demeanor alarms me - why was he so hesitant? But I decided to give him the benefit of the

doubt for now. We would soon find out what secrets were being kept within his kingdom walls. I just

hope I haven't made a mistake.

Near the castle, the lights filter through the trees and I could see Zeke and Lyon waiting by the gates,

talking with Malachi. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

As we approach, Hunter and Shadow bark and dash ahead, their tails wagging furiously. Zeke and

Lyon's heads snap in our direction, their eyes widening at the sight of us.

As we approached, I couldn't help but notice how tense the atmosphere was, and I immediately knew

that something was wrong. Malachi, Zeke, and Lyon all had expressions of grave concern on their

faces as they watched us approach. As we reached them, I saw the apprehension in their body

language, their hands clenched in tight fists. Something had happened.

"Zirah!" Zeke exclaims. "We didn't expect to see you back before dinner."

"What's happened?" I ask, my heart racing at the thought of what could have gone wrong.

"You need to come inside," Malachi said urgently, turning on his heel and leading us towards the castle

gates.

As we walk through the grand entrance hall and into the throne room, I could sense some dark and

sinister energy lurking. The air was heavy with tension, like a storm cloud brewing on the horizon.

Lyon steps forward and places his hand on my shoulder. "Zirah, there's been an attack," he said

gravely. "One of our scouts was ambushed by the Vampire King's guard, another taken."

My heart sank at his words. This was exactly what Regan had warned me about. We were already at

war, whether we liked it or not. And if the Vampire King was willing to strike at our scouts, it meant that

he was more than willing to launch a full-scale assault on our kingdoms.

"What can we do?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"We need to start preparing for war," Zeke says with a shrug like it is no big deal. "We'll send out our

own scouts and gather as much information as possible about the Vamperic forces. We need to know

what we're up against."

Regan wraps his arms around me from behind, holding me close in a protective embrace. "Don't

worry," he whispers in my ear. "We'll keep you safe," Regan promises.

"It's not me I'm worried about, it's the people here," I tell him.

"And that my girl is the least of your worries, " Comes James' voice, Malachi peers over his shoulder

and I see his brother moving toward us. "I take it you've decided?"

"Well, I can hardly leave now," I tell him.

"Nonsense, this is just more reason too," James replies, and I look at Lyon and Zeke who are staring at

me waiting to hear my decision.