Hasmik just cackled.
Sargis’ POV
The council room was tense with the stench of paranoia and fear. The council members sat around the obsidian table, each wearing a stern expression. And yet… none of them had answers.
Because this wasn’t just another border skirmish. This wasn’t rogue wolves or scattered resistance.
This was worse.
Laptops with the map open were opened across the table. Red markers dotted the northern borders, each one representing a confirmed incident, packs ambushed, sentinels turned to ash. All orchestrated by vampires. Those bloodsucking demons.
“They’re walking in the fucking sunlight,” I snapped, slamming my palm on the table.
A grim silence followed.
“With the help of the witches, they’ve developed a new kind of glamour, sun-resistance, which allows them to walk in the daylight,” Crelan spoke up. “They’re also using blood rites and corrupted sigils to cloak vampire scents and shield their nests from our patrols.
I folded my arms, the veins in my forearm tightening. “You’re certain?”
“They torched three villages before noon last week.” Hasir, my military strategist, threw down a folder. “We’re calling the lead parasite The Hollow One. But the witches are calling him Sire Regret. That alone should tell you everything you need to know.”
I remained silent, scanning the reports, images, and field notes.
We’d known the vampire factions were splintering, fighting among themselves, but this alliance changed everything. They weren’t interested in chaos anymore.
A war was brewing.
“Do we know which coven is backing them?” I asked sharply.
Hasir nodded. “Highborne, exiled sect. Powerful necromancers.”
“Of course it’s the Highborne,” I muttered. “They always resurface when the world’s already half on fire.”
An eerie silence followed. Until my mother cleared her throat.
“Speaking of things left unresolved…” she began coolly, lacing her fingers together and narrowing her eyes at me from across the table. “I wonder how wise it is to delay the mating ceremony in such precarious times. A King without a fully presented Queen is a vulnerable image.”
And there it was.
I met her stare head-on. ” With everything going on in the kingdom right now, that’s your concern? Mother?”
“She’s a liability and a hindrance. How do you plan to defend the kingdom when the war inevitably comes to our doorstep?” she snapped.
A low growl rumbled from my chest before I could stop it.
“I said,” I leaned forward, “she’s not ready. And until she is, no one, no one will force her into that spotlight. As for the matter of the war, I will handle it. Need I remind you I am as strong as my beast even in human form.”
Several of the elders exchanged uneasy glances, the room suddenly became more volatile than before. My mother didn’t flinch, but I saw her pupils narrow, she knew she’d pushed too far.
“We’re not questioning her value, Sargis,” Elra spoke next. It’s been over five months, the crown must stand united. The people are growing anxious-“
“They’ll grow patient,” I cut her off. “Or they’ll answer to me.”
I turned toward the council members.
“I appreciate the relentless concern for my mating ceremony and understand fully what is at stake. But like I keep saying, she is not ready, so let this be the last time you push this agenda.” I leveled all of them with a stern gaze, especially my mother.
They all bowed in acknowledgement.
“Now, to more pressing matters, Hasir, I want you to reassign the Seers to prioritize the vampire-witch alliance. I want the Highborne’s known hideouts re-scouted and burned if necessary. Dig into The Hollow One. I want full psychological profiles and bloodline records. Anyone who’s seen him and lived, I want their accounts recorded.”
Hasir nodded sharply.
I turned to Lupercus.
“Have the Day Guard outfitted with thornsteel-threaded armor witches can’t glamor what they can’t touch.”
“Tavrek, I want you to double-check the archives, if there’s any mention of any rare occurrences related to vampires and every detail about their covens, I want it circulated to every regional generals before the moon rises.”
“Understood,” He replied.
“Varn, as the traditionalist, make sure every pack leader receives updated intel, unfiltered. If this is war, I want them prepared.”
I gave commands to each and every one of them, which they acknowledged formally. The council adjourned shortly after, though unease lingered in every footstep that retreated from the room. My mother lingered behind. She didn’t speak again, she didn’t have to. The way her eyes swept over me, full of disappointment, was enough. She looked away from me and joined my father at the entrance, who just gave me a small smile.
I exhaled slowly, gripping the back of the chair until the wood cracked under my fingers.
I didn’t let go.
Her words echoed through my head like a blade scraping bone.
“She’s a liability. A hindrance. How do you plan to defend the kingdom when the war inevitably comes to our doorstep ?”
My beast stirred violently beneath my skin, snarling. The insult wasn’t just to me, but to Narine.
A low growl escaped before I could stop it.
I leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table.
Her words had drawn blood because there was truth buried in the venom. People often romanticize Lycans.
Thought us invincible.
But the truth?
We were only half of what we could be without our mate. Aeryna’s curse made sure of that. The gods may have given us power, but she gave us pain, and bound us to our other halves as the only way to reach our full strength. The mate bond wasn’t just sacred. That bond completed us. Gave us full access to the other half of our soul, and all the might it unlocked.
And I hadn’t claimed mine yet.
But I wouldn’t do it out of desperation. Not to save face or for political convenience.
I’d claim her when she was ready to stand beside me, not as a Queen the kingdom forced on her, but as the one she chose to become.
Sargis’ POV
I maneuvered my way through the grand, echoing hallways of the palace, my footsteps muffled by the expansive carpet that adorned the floor. The intricate patterns danced beneath my feet as I made my way towards my room, lost in my thoughts.
I exhaled sharply, a mix of frustration and hope swirling within me. Narine. Her name lingered in my mind like a haunting melody, pulling me back to the day she had first arrived at the palace, so vulnerable and distant from the world she once knew.
Reflecting on our journey, I couldn’t help but marvel at how far we had come. There had been moments of tension, silence that felt insurmountable, and miscommunications that echoed through our interactions. Yet now, things had improved, though not by any means perfect.
But there was a lightness in the air lately. Our conversations had grown more frequent. Narine, once reserved and hesitant, had even begun to take the initiative, sparking discussions that felt like warm sunlight breaking through the heavy stone walls of my fortress.
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