Chapter 2 Encountering Sebastian Kozlov
Two hours earlier...
"I believe it's too late to head over to the Parkinson's mansion tonight, Your highness." Anderson, the king's advisor said in a worried tone, "And besides, there's a heavy storm brewing, it doesn't seem safe." He added.
Sebastian growled in disapproval, "Since when have I become a child who needs to be told when it's safe or not to go out?" He glared at his advisor, whom he was starting to find annoying due to the unnecessary advice he'd been receiving from him ever since he sustained his battle injury.
"Pardon me, Your highness, but-" "But nothing," Sebastian cut in, his icy glare silencing his advisor. "We leave tonight, storm or not. Get the horses ready." He ordered in an authoritative voice that Anderson dared not disobey.
The advisor quietly left the king's chamber, leaving a brooding Sebastian all by himself. He grimaced as he examined his wounds in front of a gigantic mirror, a deep slash from a poisonous sword that ran downwards along the upper side of his left shoulder.
It had been nearly a month since Sebastian's injury, and the slow healing process was testing his patience. His usual irritability had grown worse, making him snap at everyone and everything.
To make matters worse, he now had to set aside pressing duties to fulfill a promise of betrothal to the daughter of one of his chiefs, a debt of honor owed for saving his life on the battlefield..
Thunder boomed in the sky as soon as Sebastian emerged from the palace, Simultaneously, ten Gamma warriors, cladded in armors, snapped to attention, their eyes fixed on the Lycan king as he approached with a harsh look on his face.
The rain had begun to pour heavily when Sebastian rode off with his men to Alpha Jordan's Manor, the two men guarding the Manor's entrance unhesitatingly opened the gates when they saw the king approaching with his men.
A chill ran through their bones as the horses rode past, a feeling that was all too familiar whenever people caught sight of the notorious King Sebastian Kozlov. His reputation preceded him, and talks of his impending arrival had already agitated everyone at the Manor including alpha Jordan himself.
Sebastian was alighting from his horse when Jordan and Caroline came hurrying to acknowledge his presence. "Welcome to my humble home, your majesty. I've never been more honoured." Alpha Jordan greeted, his voice cracking under the pouring rain as he tried to mask his nervousness with a wide smile, although his smile was not as bright as Caroline's.
She was the happiest about the situation, nothing gladdens her more than seeing her step daughter get married off to the most fearsome man in the kingdom. "Thank you your majesty, for gracing our home with your-"
"Cease the greetings." Sebastian said, shutting Caroline up immediately, "I'm not here to exchange good wills. Where is my wife to be?" He demanded with a deadpan expression, one that made Jordan shivered.
He gestured towards the mansion, "It's pouring heavily your highness, we should go in, it's warmer." He suggested, hoping the king would listen. Sebastian was as tough as diamond, nothing deterred him, not even a heavy storm, but he decided to listen to the man.
Soon as they went in, a servant came rushing in and whispering something into Caroline's ears who in turn did the same to Jordan. "Nonsense! Absolute nonsense! Search everywhere for her!" He yelled at both Caroline and the servant who scurried away in fear.
"Where. Is. My. Bride?" Sebastian's irritation could be felt by everyone present at the mansion, rage filled his eyes as he didn't need to be told to understand what was going on.
Fernanda's father gulped, beads of sweat forming on his skin, "Pardon me your highness, I just got word that my daughter is nowhere to be found." Alpha Jordan sounded apologetic, he knew this could mean death for him as the Lycan king has little to no patience at all.
Sebastian smirked, he gave a silent order to his beta who immediately drew his sword and was about to strike down Fernanda's father, but the man was faster as he suddenly went on his knees and bowed before Sebastian.
"Give me a chance, Your majesty," Alpha Jordan begged, desperation creeping into his voice. "We will find her, I assure you. My daughter Fernanda is weak and fragile, she couldn't have ran far from home. Grant me just one hour, and I will bring her back to you, Your Majesty!"
Though his words were laced with sincerity, Sebastian knew what Alpha Jordan's true motivation was, the man was self-preserving by using his daughter's name as a plea to spare his own life.
Sebastian smirked, disgusted by Jordan's display of weakness. "You are not deserving of the title Alpha." He simply said before ordering his beta to let him go. Jordan breathed a shaky sigh of relief, "You have just an hour. Find your daughter and bring her to my palace or your entire family dies."
Sebastian ordered his men and a contingent of werewolf soldiers stationed at the Parkinson's manor to scour the entire kingdom for Fernanda.
Her name lingered on his mind since Alpha Jordan's desperate plea, sparking a curiosity that refused to wane. What did she look like? Was she worthy of the effort being expended to find her? Sebastian's thoughts swirled with questions.
Just as he was about to depart, a small portrait, nestled among larger ones, caught his attention.
He strode purposefully to the portrait, his grim expression contrasting with the captivation in his eyes. his eyes lingered on the young lady depicted, her beauty mesmerizing.
"Fernanda," he whispered, entranced. It was only when the sound of his own voice echoed back that Sebastian realized he had spoken aloud. The beast lurking in him stirred along with his desire, it wanted her.
"Your majesty, the storm is not getting any calmer, and I urge you to postpone your journey back to the palace until the weather improves." Anderson said, and while Sebastian would have gotten annoyed by his advice, he was too enchanted by the beauty in front of him to care.
"We are not leaving." He simply responded, surprising Anderson.
Sebastian suddenly hated the fact that his betrothed was out in the raging storm where she could possibly run into an unavoidable danger.
Anderson raised his eyebrows and was about to speak when Sebastian turned and began to walk away, "Stay back." He ordered with a grunt when his advisor tried to follow him. Without sparing Anderson as much as a glance, Sebastian walked out of the Parkinson's manor, mounted his horse and rode out of the place.
As the Lycan King and sovereign Alpha, Sebastian possessed superior abilities that far surpassed those of ordinary werewolves and Lycanthropes. His acute senses were on high alert as he rode by the forest, and it didn't take long for him to pick up on the faint, terrified scream of a woman echoing from the depths of the darkest woods.
He instinctively rode off to the direction where the sound came from and got there just in time to see a starved rogue werewolf about to attack a young lady who is most likely to be Fernanda. All Sebastian could see was red as the beast inside him took over, charging towards the skinny one with unbridled ferocity.
The rogue went flying at the first blow Sebastian's Lycan attacked him with, it attempted to defend itself, but Sebastian's assault was relentless, his claws tearing through fur and flesh without mercy. The sound of snarls, snapping bones, and torn flesh filled the air as Sebastian's Lycanthrope dominated the rogue, pinning it to the ground with another crushing blow.
Sebastian tilted his head, his gaze falling upon the woman. He wasn't surprised to see it was Fernanda, she still had her eyes tightly shut from fright, her dress already wet and stained with dirt. But somehow, despite the chaos of her situation, Sebastian and his Lycan were both enthralled by her beauty.
He kept his gaze trained on her, studying her as he moved closer to her. He debated whether to shift back into his human form, but before he could decide, she suddenly shrieked, "Stay away from me! Whatever you are, stay back!" Her panicked words stopped him mid-step, freezing him in place.
Confused on what to do, Sebastian remained motionless, he stood still till the moment Fernanda opened her eyes. Her doe-shaped eyes sparkled with a mix of emotions as she tried to make sense of who or what she was staring at.
Recognition flashed across Fernanda's face, followed by a deepening of the fear that lingered in her eyes. Her gaze locked onto Sebastian's, and her terror intensified, his presence had confirmed her worst fears.