Chapter 7 The White Wolf
I woke up to the smell of blood and antiseptic.
My head felt like it had been split open. Every muscle ached, a deep, throbbing pain reaching down to my bones. I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy.
"Don't try to move," a low voice said from the shadows.
I blinked, forcing my blurry vision to focus.
Ryker sat in a chair beside the bed. He wore his battle-worn ceremonial tunic, stained with blood and soot. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his jaw.
He hadn’t slept. He had been watching me.
"How long was I out?" I croaked. My throat felt rough.
Ryker leaned forward, handing me a glass of water. "Two days."
"Two days?" I sat up too quickly, and the room spun. Ryker’s hand steadied me, his grip warm and firm on my shoulder.
"Easy," he murmured. "You used a massive amount of energy, Elara. You nearly drained your own life force."
I drank the water quickly, my mind racing. Flashbacks of the battle rushed back. The smoke. The Witch Hunters. Kade dragging me. And then... the scream.
KNEEL.
I lowered the glass, looking at my hands. They looked normal now. No glowing veins. No violet light.
"What happened to me, Ryker?" I whispered. "I shouted at him. And he flew backward. I made an Alpha kneel. That’s impossible."
Ryker took the glass from my shaking hands and set it on the nightstand. He looked at me with an intensity that made me shiver.
"It is impossible," he said darkly. "For a normal wolf."
He stood up and walked to the window, staring out at the grey, rainy sky. The window had been repaired, but I could still see scorch marks on the courtyard stones below.
"There are legends," Ryker said, his back to me. "Old stories that the Elders whisper about. They tell of a bloodline that died out centuries ago. The Royal Line. The White Wolves."
"White Wolves?" I asked. "I’ve heard of them. They’re just fairy tales. Bedtime stories about wolves who could heal and command nature."
Ryker turned to face me. "They weren't stories, Elara. They were real. They were the original rulers. Their power was absolute. They didn't just command their own packs; they could command any wolf. Their voice was the law."
He walked back to the bed, stopping inches from me. He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look into his golden eyes.
"When you screamed," Ryker said softly, "your eyes turned violet. That is the mark of the Royals. You aren't wolfless, Elara. You never were. Your wolf was just waiting until you were strong enough to handle her power."
I stared at him, my heart pounding. "So I’m a freak?"
"No," Ryker said fiercely. His thumb brushed my lower lip. "You are a weapon. A weapon that every Alpha, King, and Warlord in this continent would kill to possess."
The weight of his words settled over me like a suffocating blanket.
Kade had rejected me because I was weak. Now, people would hunt me because I was too strong.
"Kade saw it," I whispered, fear gripping my chest. "He saw what I did. He knows."
"He knows," Ryker confirmed. His face hardened. "Kade is a petty, vindictive child. If he can't have you, he will make sure no one can. He has likely already contacted the High Council and the Emperor."
"The Emperor?" I gasped. The Lycan King. The tyrant who ruled over all the packs. The man who had cursed Ryker.
"He collects powerful wolves," Ryker said, disgust dripping from his voice. "He breeds them. If he finds out a White Wolf exists, he will burn this entire mountain to the ground to get you."
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "Then I have to leave. If I stay here, I put your pack in danger. You said this was a business deal, Ryker. You didn't sign up for a war against the Emperor."
I tried to stand, but my legs buckled.
I didn't hit the floor. Ryker caught me, pulling me up against him.
"You aren't going anywhere," he growled against my ear.
"But—"
"Elara, look at me." He squeezed my waist, his possessiveness flaring. "We made a vow. Blood and loyalty. I don’t break my vows. You are my wife. You are my Luna. You belong to the Blood Moon now."
"Even if it kills you?" I asked, tears filling my eyes.
Ryker smirked. It was that dangerous, arrogant smirk I was starting to crave.
"I’d like to see them try," he said.
He effortlessly lifted me, carrying me back to the bed. He tucked me in but didn’t pull away. He sat on the edge of the mattress, his hand resting on my thigh over the blanket.
"Rest," he ordered. "You need to recover. Because when you wake up tomorrow, your training begins. If you are going to be a Queen, Elara, I need to teach you how to kill like one."
I looked at him—this scarred, terrifying man who was willing to fight the world for me. A warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with magic.
"Ryker?"
"Hmph?"
"Thank you," I whispered. "For not rejecting me."
Ryker’s eyes softened. He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss on my forehead. His lips were hot, and the contact sent a shiver down my spine.
"I think," he murmured, his mouth brushing against my skin, "that rejecting you will be the regret that kills Kade. I intend to make sure he watches you rise from the front row."
He pulled back and stood up.
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open.
It wasn't a servant. It was Silas.
Ryker turned around, a growl erupting from his throat. "I told you never to enter this room without knocking, Uncle."
Silas didn’t flinch. He looked pale, holding a piece of parchment with a wax seal—the seal of the High Council.
"We have a problem, Nephew," Silas said, his voice tense.
"What is it?" Ryker snapped.
Silas looked at me, then back at Ryker.
"A messenger just arrived from the Capital," Silas said. "The Emperor has summoned all Alphas to the Royal Court for an emergency tribunal."
Ryker froze. "On what grounds?"
Silas threw the parchment onto the bed. It landed near my hand. I saw the bold, black ink.
"On the grounds of treason," Silas said grimly. "Kade has formally accused you of harboring a Witch. He claims Elara used dark magic to attack him. The Emperor wants to test her himself."
Ryker’s hands tightened into fists. The air in the room thickened with his killing intent.
"If we go," Silas warned, "it’s a trap. If we refuse, it’s war."
Ryker looked at me. His eyes burned gold.
"Get the car," Ryker ordered.
"Ryker?" I whispered.
"We aren't refusing," Ryker said, a cold, ruthless smile spreading across his face. "If the Emperor wants to see a monster, I’ll show him one. Pack your bags, Elara. We’re going to the Capital."