Meeting in Chains

KYRIL

It was a long walk back to the Assembly Hall, but Kyril savored every step as he gazed down at Lilac, who lay silently in his arms, watching him as he swayed back and forth.

The little wolf hadn’t been able to say a word since he announced their mating bond. He didn’t blame her. After thirty-two years, Kyril could hardly believe it himself.

He had found her. At last, he had found ~his mate.~

Now, all Kyril could think about were the preparations that needed to be done to accommodate Lilac’s arrival. He wanted to bring her home as soon as possible. There was no time to waste.

He didn’t want to spend another moment without Lilac by his side.

Security would have to intensify to protect his sweet little mate, he thought. For he had many enemies, and they would soon become Lilac’s.

After he had dressed and they’d left the dungeon, they finally reached their destination, a beautiful terrace where guests were lounging and resting their feet from the dance floor.

Hardly anyone noticed their arrival.

Making his way toward an empty marble bench, Kyril sat down, adjusting himself to comfortably accommodate his tired mate.

Lilac looked up at him sweetly, quietly. Even though they had just met, Kyril could tell that she felt perfectly at ease in his arms.

He pushed a loose strand of hair from her face. She was so delicate, like no wolf he had ever seen.

Before any words could be exchanged, Kyril heard a beautiful hymn and turned to see what it could possibly be.

Lilac

Lilac stared across the basin at the grand Puritan temple that glowed like a beacon on the neighboring ridge.

It was quite a distance away, but the sound of the choir echoed against the mountainsides, helped along by the cold alpine air.

The ethereal refrain wrapped around them like a soulful gossamer shroud.

Puritans were the most soulful creatures in the entire kingdom.

They were werewolves who had sacrificed the comforts and luxuries of life to serve Selene; every full moon, like today, they congregated in their temple and sang beautiful hymns in praise of the Goddess.

Before tonight, Lilac had often thought of becoming a Puritan.

It offered the perfect escape from the overwhelming outside world.

But now that she had found her mate, nothing else mattered.

There was nowhere she would rather be than with this lycan right now.

Lilac felt a soft Alpine breeze brush across her skin. She looked up at the full moon and thanked the Goddess for guiding her to her mate.

Despite his intimidating looks, she could feel how gentle he really was.

Suddenly, Kyril’s strong arms wrapped around her waist, his lips inched across the base of her neck.

When his beard tickled her, she let out a kittenish giggle, playfully wiggling around in his hold.

Kyril peppered her neck with kisses, nipping at her skin lightly, causing a foreign, heated sensation to flow throughout her body.

The feeling of his lips on her skin muddled her mind and heightened her senses. Every place he touched felt like it would catch on fire.

Lilac released a soft, breathless moan, fangs elongating and gently piercing her lips.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she bared her neck.

Kyril pulled her up higher on his lap. Lilac was weightless in his strong grasp.

She felt his hand slide down to her lower abdomen and moaned in pleasure when he gently pressed down.

A growl vibrated from his chest and out of his lips. It was the best sound she had ever heard.

Her hands roamed along his strong biceps as his large body engulfed her.

Feeling her.

Whimpering, squirming in his hold, she lightheartedly pushed him away.

The hand that was resting on Lilac’s abdomen began to slip lower, attempting to touch her where no man had touched her before.

Her eyes snapped open. Wide. Immediately, she shot up from his lap, pushing his hand away.

“Mate, don’t be afraid,” said Kyril, slowly standing.

His chest began to heave, eyes flickering from black to blue, as though he were losing control.

Lilac’s mate looked and felt so domineering, so raw. She could feel his immense lycan power radiating off of him in waves.

“Wait...” she whimpered, stepping closer to the railing of the balcony.

Lilac knew his intention was a sexual one.

Although she knew what sex was, she didn’t know a lot of the specifics. She’d hardly even discussed it with her mother.

“Come here,” Kyril commanded in a guttural tone.

Gulping, she continued her retreat. Her foot hit the base of the railing. There was no way of escaping now.

“Little mate, come to me,” he grumbled deeply, stepping closer.

Lilac wondered—was Kyril beginning to show his feral side? He and his wolf seemed to be wrestling each other for dominance.

That’s when she heard footsteps rapidly approaching.

Turning, Lilac caught sight of her brother, looking frantic.

At first, Ales appeared relieved to have finally found her. But when he saw the lycan’s domineering figure moving towards her, his eyes widened in panic.

“What is happening?!” another voice shouted.

Lilac turned to see her father, Legion, turning the corner, coming to Ales’ side.

“Alpha Vasilio,” her father said in a calm voice. “Let my daughter pass.”

Kyril was so distracted by Legion, he didn’t notice Ales creeping toward her along the edge of the terrace. Gently, Ales grabbed Lilac’s elbow and began to pull her away from the scene.

But Kyril spun around and snarled when he realized what they were doing. “Where do you think you are taking her?”

Legion narrowed his eyes at the lycan Alpha.

“My daughter is going—”

“She is my mate. She belongs with me!” Kyril growled, bearing his teeth.

Her brother and father both looked at Lilac in disbelief. In horror. In disgust. But why? Lilac couldn’t understand any of it.

An audience had formed, crowding the hallway and spilling out onto the terrace.

At first, everyone had wanted to know the source of the shouting, but once word spread that Kyril Vasilio was outside, no one could resist the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the reclusive alpha.

“What is happening here?” boomed King Agnus, pushing through the crowd.

Lilac turned and buried her face in Ales’ chest, scared of what would happen next.

“Nothing, King Angus,” her father replied.

“This doesn’t seem like ‘nothing,’” Angus shot back. “The entire party has come outside to see what’s going on.”

There were too many people around her, too many voices arguing, snickering. Lilac’s skin began to feel flushed. Her heart was violently pounding against her chest.

“Ales...” she whispered. “He’s my mate. Why is everyone…losing their minds?”

“You don’t know his history, Lilac,” Ales said, taking her further away through the crowd. “What he’s done in the past.”

“In the past? What do you mean?”

But Ales didn’t have time to explain because a loud roar erupted from Kyril’s throat.

His eyes were locked on Lilac. They were jet-black and crazed.

“He’s going feral,” her father said, turning to Ales. “RUN!”

Kyril lunged toward her and Ales.

Legion and King Angus quickly restrained the rabid alpha, but it would only be a matter of time before Kyril overpowered them.

He was too strong for mere werewolves, even a pair of powerful alphas like Legion and King Agnus.

Ales continued to push against the crowd, this time with less concern for whom he shoved out of the way.

Lilac’s brain was spinning. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting to safety.

The exit was almost in reach when another loud roar resonated through the hall.

This time, Lilac didn’t dare look back.

***

“You’re not really letting her go with him, are you?”

Lilac lay on her bed, crying softly with her head on her mother’s lap. Outside, she could hear Ales pacing in the hallway, arguing with their father.

“It’s the king’s decision,” Legion replied with a frustrated sigh. “To deprive a wolf his mate would be foiling Selene’s plans and going against the laws of our species.”

Lilac looked up at her mother, whimpering. “I don’t want to leave. This is my home.”

Although she did want to be with her mate, Lilac was not ready to say goodbye to life as she’d always known it.

Saying goodbye to her room.

To her books.

To her beloved family.

For as long as Lilac had lived, she’d never wanted a mate for precisely this reason. But it was as if at the moment she and the lycan met...all her ideas of who she was, what she wanted, and how she planned to live her life...vanished.

Now, all that mattered was being with her mate. Even though she was fighting the impulse within, she could recognize its power.

She needed to be with Kyril now. More than anything.

Still, it was all happening too quickly for her to adjust. She thought again of what had happened at the Lycanthrope Gathering that night.

At first, Kyril had been gentle and loving and kind. But then he’d also shown a flash of rage, of a monster within. He would have torn her father’s arm from its socket had the royal guards not intervened at the Gathering in time.

What kind of mate was Kyril, really?

The door opened and Lilac’s father and brother stepped inside. Her mother sat up.

“Perhaps the king would let me accompany her,” Mila suggested. “Surely Selene would have no objection to such an arrangement.”

“It’s too late,” Legion answered, sorrowful. “The king has spoken. He knows Alpha Vasilio better than anyone else. We must trust that he would not put our little girl in any danger.”

“I won’t let him take her,” Ales said defiantly. “He’ll have to kill me first.”

A loud banging on the front door of their house interrupted them.

“He’s here,” her father said, walking out of Lilac’s room.

“I’m going to give him a piece of my mind,” Ales said, storming out.

“Ales, wait!” shouted her mother to no avail. “I have to stop your brother before he really does get killed. Will you be okay here by yourself?”

“Yes, I think so,” replied Lilac, sobering to the reality of her situation.

Mila exited the room.

There was already a heated exchange taking place downstairs when the door slammed closed, blocking it out.

Lilac looked around her room, eighteen years’ worth of memories.

She was scared to go away with her mate, but she didn’t want her family to suffer the consequences if she stayed.

She walked to her bookshelf. She couldn’t possibly take them all with her.

These were the closest things to friends she had besides her brother, and the thought of leaving them behind pained her.

Who would she turn to?

Lilac cracked open her door and listened to the conversation below.

“Can’t you leave tomorrow?” her father asked.

“My wolf is on edge. I need my mate now,” Kyril growled.

“She’s almost half your age; I don’t want you doing anything that will hurt her.”

“I’ve had enough of your threats, Alpha Legion. Step aside.”

“How dare you come in here and talk about my sister like you own her,” her brother shouted. “We all know what you did years ago! Everyone knows what you really are! Nothing but a feral wolf.”

Lilac heard a commotion, followed by a great crash and her mother’s scream.

Heavy footsteps pounded up the staircase.

Lilac slammed her door and locked it. She leaned against the thin slab of wood, the last barrier between her and the hulking lycan that was approaching.

The footsteps stopped.

Her heart raced as she heard his labored breathing.

His scent crept under the door, captivating her, making her core ignite.

“Knock, knock, little flower.”