All Chapters of Rejected and Banished: Claimed by the Lycan King: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

107 Chapters

A Reunion

KAELI was hiding behind the trees.I should have come out and introduced myself.I should have ridden up to the gate and asked to see them.I should have acted like a king.I just stood there watching the life I used to be a part of.The twins were. Having a great time.One of them was sitting on Ares's shoulders. The other was holding his arm, asking to be picked up too.Ares looked like he was at his wits' end."I only have two shoulders," he said.The little boy looked unhappy with that answer.Lyra was laughing.It sounded beautiful.It was a sound that made everything feel better.When I opened my eyes again, she was still smiling at Ares.It hit me that I wasn't feeling jealous.I just felt sad.Because I knew that smile.It meant she trusted him.Maybe she even loved him.I couldn't blame her for that.I watched Ares. I saw how the twins loved him.No love wasn't the word.They depended on him.They trusted him completely.One of the boys almost fell, but Ares caught him befor

The Calm Before The Storm

LYRAIf someone had told me a year ago that Kael would show up at my gates looking nervous and unsure of himself, I would not have believed them.Here we were.Life has a way of surprising us all.Even kings are not immune to this.The night after the scout brought me Serena's message, I could not sleep.The whole kingdom was on edge.The guards were patrolling often.Messengers were going up and down all night.The commanders were meeting in the war rooms.They were spreading out maps on tables, discussing strategies.Preparations were starting away.Through all of this, one thought kept going through my mind.Kael had finally met his sons.I still could not believe it.I sat by the nursery window. Watched as the sun came up.The twins were sleeping.This was a new thing.One of them was down in his bed.The other was wrapped up in his blanket like a bug.I smiled despite everything that was going on.Then my thoughts went back to the dayI thought about the look on Kaels' face when

The Calm Before The Storm (Part 2)

LYRAThree days.That was all it took for Stormclaw to change completely.Three days after the scout arrived with Serena’s threat.Three days after Kael met his sons.Three days after we learned a new war was coming.The kingdom no longer felt peaceful.It felt like everyone was watching.Like an animal sensing danger in the forest.Everyone could feel it.The guards.The servants.The citizens.Even the twins.Especially the twins.Kids are often smarter than grown-ups think.They notice tension.Fear.Changes in behavior.There have been plenty of changes lately.The castle was always busy.Soldiers trained from sunrise to night.Blacksmiths worked all the time.Messengers kept arriving.Commanders rarely left the war room.The whole kingdom was getting ready for battle.Somehow I found myself thinking about Kael.Again.It was frustrating.I had convinced myself that part of my life was over.Finished.Buried.Then he showed up looking like a man with a lot of guilt.Now I couldn’t

Queen of Ashes

Serena.People always make the mistake when they think about me.They think that when you lose the game is over.They think that when you are defeated it is forever.They think that when you are humiliated you are broken.That is not true.I am not broken.I am stronger because of what happened to me.It made me sharper more focused.I stood on the balcony looking out at the camp below me.There were thousands of soldiers row after row of tents fires burning through the night.It was a sight my army waiting for me to tell them what to do.The same people who laughed at me when Kael sent me away now they are afraid of me.It is funny how quickly things can change.I wrapped my cloak around me feeling the cold night air.I was not cold because I was thinking about victory and that always feels warm.Then I heard a knock at the door.I did not turn around I just said "come in".The door opened, I heard boots walking across the floor.It was Raze, my lover, the commander in the Syndicate.

The Weight Of A Promise

ARESWar has a sound.Most people think it starts with swords clashing or armies marching. They are wrong, war starts before the first fight. It starts in silence. You can hear it in the footsteps of messengers running to deliver news. You can hear it in the sound of blacksmiths hammering away at steel long after the sun has gone down. You can even hear it in the way mothers hold their children a little closer, not even realizing they are doing it. You can hear it in the way soldiers laugh a little louder than usual because they are scared that tomorrow might take away their voices forever.I have lived through wars, so I know all the signs. The Mansion is not peaceful anymore. It is getting ready for a fight. From the tower, I look out over the kingdom that has become my home. The training grounds are full of warriors. Archers line the walls. The gates have been made stronger twice in three days. Supply wagons keep coming into the courtyard. Every commander is tired, every soldier is

Shadows Before The Blood

LYRAThe war had started.It was not the kind of war that people usually think of.It did not begin with announcements or fanfare.It just crept in like something that you cannot see.At first, we saw smoke in the distance.Then people started running to our kingdom, Stormclaw.These people were scared and hurt.They had lost their homes and everything they owned.By the end of the week, our kingdom was full of people who had nowhere else to go.They all told the same story.They said that the bad people came at dawn burned everything and asked about my sons, the twins.Those words scared me the most.Serena was not just fighting a war she was hunting my children.Every report we got said the same thing.Her soldiers would attack a village, ask about the twins, and then burn everything to the ground.She wanted to scare people before she even got to our kingdom.It was working.I stood on the wall watching as another village burned.I was so angry that I said loudly, "I will kill her.

The War Continues

ARESThe big gates of the lycan kingdom opened up slowly.The sound of the gates opening was loud. It went all through the courtyard.Many warriors were walking into the courtyard in lines, their armor shining in the sun. There were silver flags bearing Kaels' royal sign, and even though there was a lot of tension, our soldiers felt more confident when they saw them.Until now, the Kingdom has been getting ready to fight by itself.That is not the case anymore.I was standing next to Lyra at the top of the stone steps that led to the castle entrance.The twins were jumping up and down between us.They were not interested in armies or kings or any of that stuff.They were looking for one person.Then one of them said, "There!"I looked in the direction he was pointing.Kael was riding his horse at the front of his army.He looked different from the man I met a time ago.He did not seem arrogant anymore.He still had pride. It was not the same kind of pride.He looked like a king who ha

The Serpent's Gambit

SERENAPeople think wars are won on battlefields. They think the loudest army always wins. They think strength is about swords, numbers, and blood. That is why they always lose to me.While Lyra gathered her friends inside the Lycan Kingdom.While Ares made the walls stronger...While Kael marched thousands of soldiers into a kingdom that wasn't his...They were all following a plan I made weeks ago.I stood inside the command tent looking at the map on the table. Stormclaw. The Crescent Kingdom. The northern mountains. The old temples. Every route was marked. Every scout was accounted for. Every possible response was anticipated. Exactly as I wanted.Raze entered without knocking. Only he dared."They've done it," he said.I didn't look up. "They gathered?"He nodded. "Every report says Lyra, Ares, Kael, and their leaders... They're all inside Stormclaw."A small smile spread across my face. "Perfect."Raze frowned. "You don't seem surprised.""I would have been disappointed if they

The Serpent's Gambit (Part Two)

SERENAThe High Seer was still smiling.It was not just a smile.It was the smile of a man who had seen a lot of things happen.He had seen kingdoms come and go.So one more person trying to be in charge did not impress him.The room was very quiet.Even Raze was not moving.He was standing next to me with his hand on his sword.He was looking at the man very carefully.The Seer said, "You have read part of the prophecy."I put my arms across my chest."What makes you think I do not know the rest of it?"The Seer looked at me with his eyes."If you knew the rest, you would not be here."Commander Hale said, "Stop talking in riddles."The old man did not listen to him.He kept looking at me."You have thought that the boys were weapons for a long time.""They are weapons," I said."They are also heirs, " the Seer said."They are both, " I said.The old man looked down."They are not meant to be in charge by themselves."It was silent for a moment.Then I walked closer to the Seer.The

A Mother’s Instinct

LYRAThe castle was unusually quiet.Not the peaceful kind of quiet that settled over Stormclaw before sunrise, when the halls still held the warmth of dying fires and the servants had yet to begin their day. This silence felt different. Heavy. As though the walls themselves were holding their breath.My eyes opened before dawn.For a moment, I lay still, listening.Beside me, Ares slept soundly, one arm resting across the space I’d occupied only moments before. Beyond the tall windows, the moon hung low over the mountains, bathing the kingdom in silver light. Everything looked exactly as it should.So why did my chest feel so tight?I pressed a hand against my heart, trying to slow its frantic rhythm.It wasn’t a nightmare that had woken me. I couldn’t even remember dreaming. Yet an uneasy feeling clung to me, refusing to loosen its grip no matter how many deep breaths I took.Something was wrong.I had learned not to ignore that feeling.The first time one of the twins had shifted,

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