Lycan King's Shadow mate

Ares has spent his life in the shadows, surviving by his wits and skill as a master thief. But when a job goes wrong, he finds himself captured by a ruthless chief and given an ultimatum—carry out an assassination or die. On the hunt for his target, he stumbles upon a brutal crime in progress and makes a choice that changes everything. He saves Tessa, a young woman on the verge of being destroyed by the same men who murdered her brother. In doing so, Ares seals his fate as a fugitive. Now hunted from all sides, Ares and Tessa are forced into an uneasy alliance. But Tessa is no ordinary woman—she is a witch, though her magic is weak and unpredictable. As danger closes in, her hidden abilities awaken, drawing them into a world of forgotten legacies and blood-soaked destinies. When their escape leads them to the kingdom of Mistefell, Ares comes face-to-face with a truth he refuses to believe—he is more than a thief. More than a man. He carries the blood of the lost lycan heir. A power long thought extinct now rages within him, untamed and deadly. As war brews and enemies rise, Ares must choose: run from his past or embrace the beast within. But he is not the only one with a destiny to fulfill. Tessa’s magic is growing, revealing secrets that could doom or save them all. Together, they must stand against forces determined to see them fall. And in the chaos of war and betrayal, the greatest battle of all will be the one fought within their own hearts. Can a thief become a king? Can a witch become a warrior? And will love be their greatest strength—or their undoing?