Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 47

AIDEN.

I took long strides towards the Grand Hall, with Kane hot on my heels. “Why do you think they are here?”

“Not sure why. But they looked serious. To be completely honest, I think the Dragon Commander looked pissed,” Kane replied.

“Is that why you look angry as well?” I couldn’t help asking.

“I’m just so mad I haven’t met my mate yet and you keep taunting me for that,” he scoffed. “Waltzing around with your Nat and showing off to everyone how easy getting a mate is…hmph! I mean, weren’t all Lycans cursed?” he grumbled under his breath.

“Well, get your own if it is so easy,” I chuckled. Despite his tone, I knew he was happy for me and just wanted to pull my legs.

The door to the Grand Hall was pulled open as soon as we reached it, and instantly, the scent of the three different species hit my nose.

“Well, look who we have here,” I faked a smile as I stepped into the hall. “A Dragon, a Nymph, and a hybrid Witch Dragon. What a combination,”

“I know you are so glad to see me, werewolf king,” Karima, the Dragon Witch said with a small smile. As always, she was dressed in a long red gown that hugged her body. Black hair with white streaks to it, and black painted lips. She carried a white staff, and had the paint on her eyes as well. “Who wouldn’t be glad to see his savior?”

I shook my head and walked to the throne. The three stood before me and bowed.

“I’m not here for long talks. I think now is the right time to pay back your debt, King Aiden,” Bilal, the Commander of the Dragon Empire said.

Bare chested as always with a golden arm guard across his entire right arm, segmented so that he could move easily and wrapped around his chest by belts of boiled leather. He wore a red loincloth which looked like it was made from very expensive fabric, and brown greaves around his shins. His shoulder length black hair fell on his back. The Dragons inhabit the Arabian/Sub Saharan part of the African continent.

I knew instantly that something must be going on. I had known the moment Kane had told me all three species had visited. We all live on separate realms, neither of us mingling unless absolutely necessary. This had happened eight years ago. When they had helped Mav and I. After I took over the throne, nothing had warrants their visit except during my coronation.

When I had gotten the burn.

“I don’t see your dragon with you, Bilal.”

He snapped his fingers, and a black dragon appeared. It seemed to have always been there, sitting on the wall behind us. Dark and fiery. Just like his master.

“My dragon goes everywhere I go,” he answered quietly, his right arm suddenly heating up as scales appeared on it.

“Enough with the dragon talks. Things are worse out there and it’s all your damn fault!” Mason sneered. Yup, the angry nymph. He had always been the angriest everytime we met, and right now, he looked way worse.

Standing the tallest amongst us all, Mason has dirty brown hair that falls to his face. A large scar dragged from his right brow down to his chin, which made him look more ferocious. I never liked him, especially now that his lips were pulled into a sneer.

‘If you could just let me handle this…’

‘No, I got this, Leo. I’ll handle it,’ I cut him off.

“What is my fault?” I asked quietly.

“Don’t mind him, it’s nothing serious. But something we could really use your help with,” Karima chipped in.

“Is this about the guardians of the borders?”

“Yes. That, and the fact that The Shadows in your kingdom are slowly getting there too,” Bilal replied, his dark hooded gaze getting heated. “We’ve had two cases of them recently in the empire.”

I furrowed my brows. “What? How’s that possible? Those creatures have been trapped for decades in the Fiko forest. There’s no way they could’ve made it out,” I replied, while Kane nodded.

“Actually, there is,” Karima sighed. She hit her staff and weird markings appeared on the hall’s tiled floor. “I recently just found out that my maternal aunt helped seal the forest when they requested help. These markings here are the combinations she used back then. If you all take a close look, you’ll replace that they are fading. It’s simple, they are fading alongside every magic they had. However, when she sealed them, there was a little catch put in place ,” she hesitated.

“Go on!” I hissed, a feeling of dread clutching my chest.

“Apparently, it would last only for a certain period of time. Thing is, if one of the bloodlines of the Fikoians ever emerges, gets mated to a Lycan, and accepts the bond, they start to get back their control,” she explained.

I was even more confused.

“To put it simply, they become uncontrollable until they are completely freed, or finished off completely,” Bilal joined in, pushing his hair back. “Which means they will not only be a cause of harm to the werewolves only, but to the rest of the species as well.”

‘Our mate…’ Leo trailed, realization dawning on us.

She is part of this. She has the Fikoians b***d running through her veins and she’s mated to me, the Lycan King. She had accepted the bond, albeit not fully. If that’s the case, then it means they stirred up because of us.

Like Inna had said, we are either to save the Mbems, or destroy them.

“In the guide book my aunt left behind, it states clearly that when they begin to get uncontrollable, they are bound to cause harm to all species around, especially those closely related to them. The witches and the dragons suffer more from this because my aunt was a hybrid like I am. I had thought the attacks would stop only between the two realms, but they stretch to the nymphs as well. I think the guardians of the borders have been overtaken by The Shadows,” Karima explained.

Bad, very very bad.

“So, how do we stop this from getting any worse?” I asked. I was getting agitated with all this.

“By doing the right thing, King,” Mason gritted. “The Nymph Kingdom is on the verge of collapsing. Not even our s****l appeal works on creatures we can’t even see, creatures who are mere shadows. Our powers are used against us and now, at least, twenty of our people have been turned to shadows!” he snapped.

This is worse than I had imagined. I massaged my temple, wishing I had clear answers as to why all this is happening now. Suddenly, I felt a burn on my stomach, and I knew, instantly, without having to check that it was the werewolf tattoo.

“The right thing being?”

“Our Goddess can protect us as long as the b***d of the one responsible for this is sacrificed. According to our replaceings, your mate might be the reason for…”

“The f**k are you trying to say?” I hissed angrily at Mason as I fought to control Leo from taking over. Starting a fight right now with any of the three species isn’t going to help, not when we already have too many things on our plate. “Are you telling me I need to sacrifice my mate to your goddess?”

“If that can guarantee our safety then why not?” Mason answered with a careless shrug.

I growled loudly, flicking my hand and in a snap, I had the nymph against the wall, struggling to breath. I didn’t even move an inch from where I sat. I didn’t need to. It was one of my gifts.

“Another word about my mate and this isn’t going to end well,” I gritted.

“You seriously think now is the right time to fight?” Bilal called from where he stood.

“He’s right,” Kane whispered. “We have lots of things to deal with. Let him go, please,” he finished.

I watched coldly as the nymph struggled to breathe, but I knew my hold on him did little to no damage. He was a prince after all, and the nymphs are considered to be one of the manipulative species around. They are masters at faking things almost to the point of fooling themselves.

Sighing, I flicked my hand and he dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

“You will pay dearly for that,” he croaked out while holding his throat.

“Gladly. If it involves my mate, I’ll take anything!” I roared back.

He hissed, his slit tongue plumping out as he glared at me. It was clear he was unimpressed that he had to come here. The Shadows had always been my problem. Truthfully, they never caused trouble unless someone dared to go into the Fiko forest, or when one used them to curse at others. But now, it would seem they are evolving. The danger that their release would cause was unimaginable, that is, if we did this without replaceing the real connection Nala and I had with them. They would wreak havoc leaving c*e in their path. This was enough for everyone in this room to feel on edge. I knew it was down to me to replace out how to deal with this. This was my mess. But my Nala was not going to be sacrificed. Over my dead body! We have to replace another way.

“Calm down, guys. We have issues on ground and right now, we need answers rather than fights,” Bilal snapped.

“I think I have some of the answers, Your Eminence,” Inna’s voice floated across as she strolled in with another woman behind her.

“Inna!” I said. I had never been so glad to see her.

“Greetings, My King,” both women curtsied. The other woman looked like Inna, but a bit older.

I waved my hand, eager to hear what they had to say.

“This is my sister, known as Lantana, a Priestess from the Jaro pack. We found the connection between you, your mate, and the Fikoians,” Inna explained.

“And what is that?”

“The Fiko Luna. That is the connection, My King,” Lantana bowed. “We are very certain about this but I’ll need to see the Queen, visit the Fiko forest and carry out some rites before we can know the best way to work on this,” she added.

“And we have to wait till you do all of that before I can save my people?” Mason yelled, his eyes turning to a shade of yellow. I should have squeezed harder.

“Shut the f**k up!” I yelled, compelling each and everyone of them. I had tried to reason with them all, but I was on the edge not knowing what was going to happen to Nala or the Kingdom.

‘I told you to let me handle this…’

‘No,’ I snapped at Leo. ‘Let me.’

“What solution do we have before you finish your replaceings?” I relaxed a bit as I threw the question at Inna and her sister.

“It’s simple. We’ll go to the border, and since we have one of the ancestors of the person responsible for sealing them in the forest, it will be easier to tame them for a while using the same procedures her aunt used decades ago,” Lantana replied. “I’ll be done in two days then I’ll return and finish the one here,” she finished.

I nodded my head then casted my gaze towards the three guests. “Is that okay with you all?”

They nodded solemnly.

“Great. I’ll visit the borders in three days.”

“Not what we wanted, but we’ll take it,” Bilal grumbled. “See you in three days,” he snapped his fingers again and the black dragon appeared. I watched in awe as he hopped on it and the dragon trotted out before it flew away.

Soon, Karima and Mason left as well alongside Inna and her sister.

Things are taking a turn I never thought of.

MATTEO

I g*****d as I tightened the belt around my waist, which was underneath the cloak I would be wearing tomorrow. It’s the perfect fit for what I had planned.

I had been angry when Uncle wasn’t present in the council meeting. But now that I look back at things, I’m glad he wasn’t, because how else would we have planned this? I tucked in the roots of the plants I had found in my room alongside the note from Uncle.

‘Are you sure this is going to work? He’s the King after all and…’

‘Not everyone can fight this,’ I replied, patting the roots. ‘He can be a king and all, but I’ll have his b***d tomorrow,’ I hissed at Dante.

I just need to get his wolf to sniff it, then that’s all, I thought as my lips curled up into a small smile.

Dad had wanted me to simply plead guilty when he visited me this morning. But he and I both knew a wolf, especially an Alpha, never goes back on a challenge. But I was more inclined to fight now after hearing the stories of the Kalmanshe ceremony from yesterday. Natasha had shifted again. The people accepted her as a queen, and she was happy being with another man beside me.

I am going to change that. She is going to return to me.

Camila, that b.itch refused to visit. But she’s the least of my concerns now. Once I have this work out, I’ll deal with her then.

If things go well tomorrow, I’ll be ending the King’s life.