The Beast Prince's Madness
\- Maximus’s POV -
The moment Rowan hesitated outside my chamber, I knew something was wrong.
He kept shifting on his damn feet, eyes darting anywhere but at me, like he wanted to disappear. Rowan was loyal to me, but right now, he looked like he’d rather fight a pack of rogues than speak.
My gut twisted.
“What is it?” I snapped, slamming the book shut. My voice came out sharper than I meant, but I didn’t care.
Rowan bowed low so fast it was like his life depended on it. “M-My Lord… His Majesty… he sent the little girl… Lyra.”
I froze.
The air left my lungs.
“Sent her?” My voice dropped low, almost too low. I already felt my heartbeat hammering in my chest. “Where?”
Rowan swallowed hard, eyes flicking up for only a second. “To the southern border camp… with supplies and a letter.”
My mind went blank.
Then the words hit me like a damn punch to the face.
The southern border.
At night... where those bloodthirsty bastards had been lurking for weeks.
And my father… sent her?
My Lyra... an innocent little girl...
The rage exploded out of me before I could stop it.
“Damn it,” I snarled, shoving past Rowan so hard he hit the wall. My boots pounded the floor like thunder as I stormed down the hallway. “When?”
“An hour ago, My Lord—”
I didn’t let him finish.
The throne room doors slammed open under my hands, smashing into the walls with a crash that made the guards flinch.
My father sat there on the blackstone throne, calm as ever, like nothing bothers him.
“Why?” My voice tore through the chamber like a blade.
His eyes lifted slowly, like this was all some fucking game. “Why what, son?”
“Lyra!” I barked, my voice cracking like thunder. “Why the hell would you send her to the border? At night?”
He didn’t even blink, as if he was expecting this. “She needs to learn responsibility.”
“Responsibility?” A harsh laugh ripped out of me. “There were fucking vampires near the treeline! And you sent a little girl?”
His eyes sharpened, but his voice stayed calm. “Enough, Maximus. She was given a task. If she fails, then she is weak. If she succeeds, then perhaps she belongs here.”
I stepped closer, fists shaking. “She is not a soldier. She is—”
Damn it. I cut myself off before I said too much.
But my father wasn’t stupid. He saw it.
“She is what, son?” His voice was soft but heavy, like he was testing me, daring me.
I clenched my jaw. My words came out low, shaking with rage. “She’s under my watch. Don’t fucking touch what’s mine.”
His eyes locked on me, cold, sharp, for a long moment, “Do you see yourself, Maximus? You're losing it. I'm so disappointed."
I knew, and I didn't care. I even knew it the first time I laid my eyes on her. My first clenched.
Finally, my father sighed and leaned back like he was bored of the whole thing. "Then go. Bring her back yourself.”
I controlled myself but I didn’t waste another second.
I stormed out, my boots hammering the stone floor, my chest tight like it might explode.
Something was wrong.
I didn’t know how I knew, but my heart was pounding too fast, my wolf pacing and snarling inside me like it already sensed danger.
As if an invisible thread tied me to her... to Lyra, pulling tighter and tighter the closer I got to the southern border.
And for the first time in years, real fear slid cold under my skin.
“Hold on, Lyra,” I muttered under my breath, shoving myself onto the nearest horse. “If anything happens to you… someone’s going to fucking pay.”
\- Lyra’s POV -
There came the sound.
A sharp whistle cut through the trees.
The first arrow slammed into the dirt near the gate, black fire hissing where it struck.
Then it exploded.
Shadows burst from the treeline... dozens of them. Eyes glowing red. Fangs flashing in the torchlight.
Vampires.
“Attack!” the commander roared.
Guards shifted mid-air, their bodies snapping into wolves before their paws even touched the ground. Snarls ripped through the night as they launched themselves at the enemy.
The clash was instant.
Arrows rained from the watchtowers. Wolves slammed into vampires, claws tearing into pale flesh. Screams and roars filled the air, mixing with the clang of steel on steel.
I stumbled back, heart hammering so hard.
One vampire crashed into a guard right in front of me, sinking his fangs deep into the man’s neck before a massive wolf leapt, tearing the monster away in a blur of fur and teeth.
The smell of blood hit me so strongly. I grabbed the cart for balance, my whole body shaking.
And then I saw them.
Not one. Not two.
Three vampires.
They weren’t fighting the wolves.
They were staring at me.
Their glowing red eyes locked on me like hunters spotting prey.
Because I wasn’t a wolf.
Because I was human... and my scent must have given it away.
Their lips curled into slow, hungry smiles, fangs glinting under the torchlight.
My chest froze.
They started walking toward me through the chaos, calm and patient, like they had all the time in the world.
Panic ripped through me.
I ran.
My feet pounded the dirt, breath tearing out of my lungs.
Too fast. They were too fast.
I tripped near the cart and hit the ground hard. Pain shot up my arm, but I scrambled back, grabbing a broken spear lying nearby.
They kept coming.
The battle behind them blurred. It was just them and me now.
My hands shook as I held the spear in front of me. My heart pounded so loud... So fast.
They spread out slowly, circling me like wolves cornering prey.
One of them licked his fangs. “The girl smells sweet,” he hissed, voice low and rough.
The others laughed.
Terror gripped me, I could barely breathe. Tears starting to fall out of my eyes. Will this place become my grave?
But I have to live... I need to live, there are lots of things I have to do...
I still need to save the children from the dungeon. I still wanted to remember my past.
The fear… the anger… the feeling of being cornered again and again in my life…
It all crashed together inside me until it was too much.
Then it snapped.
Heat burst from my chest... a silver light... blinding and pure erupted from my hands before I even understood what was happening.
It shot forward like lightning, slamming into the first vampire with a crack that shook the air.
He didn’t just fall.
He burned.
His scream tore through the night as his body turned black and crumbled into ash before it even hit the ground.
The other two froze, red eyes wide, fangs bared, like they couldn’t believe what they just saw.
Then the light spread.
It exploded out of me in a wave, sharp and wild, wrapping around me like a shield. Silver sparks spun in the air, falling like stars.
The second vampire hissed, trying to rush me, but the light cut through him like a blade. He dropped to the dirt, body smoking, and eyes fading to nothing before he vanished in the same black ash.
The third one roared, leaping at me from the side.
I screamed, throwing my hands out without thinking.
Then, it blasted forward harder than before, catching him mid-air. He slammed into the ground with a sickening crack. For one second he writhed, shrieking, then he burned to nothing but ashes.
What's happening to me?
I stood frozen, chest heaving while staring at the empty space where they had been.
Three of the vampires... Were gone.
Just like that.
My hands are still glowing faintly, and the silver light is running under my skin like liquid moonlight, but I didn’t understand it. I couldn’t even breathe right.
What… what did I just do?
Suddenly, glowing slowly faded, leaving my hands shaking, and empty... the light in me disappeared... as if nothing happened.
Then I felt it.
Every vampire on that battlefield had stopped fighting.
Dozens of glowing red eyes turned toward me at once.
Their hunger was gone.
Now there was only rage... and fear.
I wanted to run, but then pain slammed into my head so hard it made me gasp.
My knees buckled, and the whole world spun around me. My mind screamed at me to move, if I didn’t, the vampires would tear me apart but my body wouldn’t listen. It felt too heavy, like I had no control over it anymore.
Then, all my strength just gave out.
Before I could hit the ground, strong arms grabbed me and held me steady. I tried to lift my head, tried to see who it was… but my vision was already fading... as everything went black.