Saved By The Lycan Prince | Read Free Preview
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Chapter 1 — Wedding Night
Music fills the air, blending with the cheers of the guests. The aroma of delicious food swirls around us, and the gold and black decorations sparkle under the lights, symbolizing my wedding and our names.
I sit at the head table with my family and the wedding party, scanning the room. I can’t help but smile as I wa tch my silly, yet dashing, husband dance. His black tuxedo gives him a model-like flair, and his shiny black hair shimmers under the lights.
Warmth fills my chest. I feel like the luckiest woman alive.
Still, a nagging feeling lurks in the back of my mind. I can’t shake it. Something feels off, but I can’t figure out what.
I tell myself it’s just paranoia, a side effect of all the rogue attacks and recent skirmishes with other packs and Lycans. I push the feeling away.
A cheery server approaches with a bright smile, handing me a drink. "Champagne for the bride."
I hesitate. "Isn't the whole wedding party getting champagne for the toasts?"
She smiles wider, shaking her head. "No, just one for you and one for the groom."
That’s strange. She sets the glass in front of me and adds, “There’ll be another champagne for the toasts later.”
What? That doesn’t make any sense. I tilt my head, confused. “Why do I need another glass? One should be enough.”
Her smile never falters. "The bride and groom must drink this one first—for good luck." She leans in and whispers, “I was told it’s tradition.”
Good luck? Who puts faith in luck or superstition?
I want to protest, but she walks away before I can say anything. The unease I’ve been ignoring creeps back. My eyes settle on the bubbling drink.
“Trinity!”
I look up. My husband’s dark eyes meet mine as he raises his champagne glass, motioning for me to do the same. His grin is playful, almost teasing.
I push away the doubt again. This is my wedding. What could go wrong?
I smile and lift my glass, but before I take a sip, my husband is distracted by a friend, spinning away and downing his drink in one go.
My brother nudges me. “Aren’t you going to drink it? It’s for good luck.”
I glance at him. Really? Does he believe this too?
He gives me a smug look. "You better drink it if you want that alpha title. You've already agreed to marry someone who isn't your fated mate. All for power." His gaze turns scornful. “Using Drake to secure your title, even your body—disgraceful.”
Anger flares. “I’m not using Drake, and I’d get the alpha title even without this marriage.”
He scoffs. “Father thinks this marriage strengthens our pack. You really believe that?”
I glare at him. “Yes, I do. We need alliances. Attacking Lycans based on rumors would be reckless.”
His eyes darken as he leans in. "Drake will sacrifice our pack for his own.”
He grabs his drink, downing it angrily. I stay silent as he storms out of the hall. I wish his departure would bring me peace, but it doesn’t.
Why does he have to be like this? Our father chose me as heir for a reason. I was born first, and it's tradition. It’s not my fault I’m female, the first one in generations to be born to an alpha.
Trent has never accepted it. He’s too young, too hot-headed. He would lead us into a war we can’t win. The Lycans outnumber us, and they’re stronger. Father knows this.
Frustrated, I push back my chair. “I need some air,” I say to the table, my eyes flicking back to the champagne glass. Should I take it?
Drake already drank his.
With a sigh, I pick it up and walk outside.
The cool night air is a relief as I step onto the patio, the breeze lifting the satin fabric of my wedding dress. I let the calmness settle over me, leaning on the railing and looking up at the stars.
Am I doing the right thing? I hope the moon goddess agrees.
The door opens, and my best friend Bethany steps out in her royal blue maid of honor dress, a bag slung over her shoulder. “I thought I’d find you here. I brought the clothes you asked for. Changing at your wedding? Really?”
I laugh softly. “Just in case. This dress is starting to get uncomfortable.”
Bethany rolls her eyes. “Can’t you enjoy being the bride for one night? You’re always in alpha mode.”
I shrug. “I can’t help it. I’ll be alpha soon.”
Bethany leans against the railing. “It still feels strange—calling you alpha, not luna.”
I nod. “It’s tradition. The moon goddess has her reasons.”
A distant howl pierces the air. I freeze.
Bethany’s eyes widen as another howl follows.
My heart pounds. I know what that means—an intruder or an attack. I down the champagne and dash behind the shrubs, quickly shifting into my wolf form. I give Bethany a glance before I bolt into the forest.
The howls grow louder. My paws pound against the ground as I race through the trees, over boulders, and under branches, the hotel fading behind me.
I knew something was wrong. Why didn’t I trust my instincts?
Suddenly, I skid to a stop. The howls are behind me now.
Before I can react, my pack members leap out of the shadows, blocking my path.
What the hell?
They don’t give me time to think. They attack.
Pain shoots through my body as I fight back, muscles burning. I don’t understand—why are they doing this?
The sound of paws thundering behind me keeps me moving forward, but my mind is racing. How did things escalate this fast?
Adrenaline fuels me, but I’m losing strength. The city lights finally come into view, twinkling in the distance like a promise of safety. I push harder, reaching the edge of the city, weaving through streets and shadows, staying ahead of the pack.
I’ve injured several of them, but they underestimated me. I’m stronger, faster, thanks to my alpha blood. Being the firstborn gives me an edge—even over my brother.
But I can’t slow down. Not yet.
My vision blurs as I round a corner. My legs threaten to give out, but I press on. An alley appears ahead. I dart into it, stumbling behind a dumpster. My legs finally give way, and I collapse, hidden in the shadows.
Pain radiates through every part of me. My body burns, my head throbs, and blood trickles down my side. I hope I’m hidden well enough that they won’t find me.
For the first time in my life, fear grips me. I silently pray to the moon goddess for protection. I’ve never relied on anyone else, but now I have no choice.
My thoughts drift back to the attack. How did they know where I’d be? Why couldn’t I fight them off this time?
Exhaustion overwhelms me as darkness creeps in. My last thought is a prayer—hoping I wake up to see another day.
Chapter 2 — Safe Her
Lance POV
“Guys, I need to step out for a moment.” I down the last of my beer, stand, and say, “Order me another one. I’ll be right back.”
I nod at the table full of friends, then head towards the back door. My phone has been buzzing non-stop in my pocket, and with every step away from the noise and laughter inside, my frustration builds.
Why can’t I ever be left alone?
My father had promised to keep me out of all the political mess. He said he would let me live my life in peace for a while, and only after a few years of enjoying my youth would I be called back to fulfill my role. But apparently, even that promise can’t be kept.
I push open the back door and yank my phone out of my pocket. “What do you want?”
“Is that the way you greet your father?” His voice is as coarse as ever.
I roll my eyes and kick an empty bottle down the alley. “It is when you’re breaking your end of the deal. Now, what do you want?”
His sigh grates on me. “Things aren’t going smoothly. A few werewolf packs are causing problems, and I need—”
“No.” I cut him off, snorting. “You always have some werewolf pack causing trouble. This isn’t anything new. I’m not dropping everything for this. Now, if we’re facing some massive war between the lycans and werewolves, then I’d consider it. But not for this.”
I end the call before he can reply, kicking another bottle. It bounces off the back wall and lands behind a dumpster. Something’s off, though—no clink of metal from the bottle hitting the dumpster.
I narrow my eyes at it. Odd.
A faint scent catches my attention, tickling my nose. I glance over my shoulder at the bar’s back door. The music and the smells of alcohol drift out, but something else pulls me away.
What is that?
I turn back to the dumpster and walk towards it slowly. The scent grows stronger, and halfway there, I freeze. My eyes widen. Blood.
I rush forward and skid to a halt around the side of the dumpster.
A blonde wolf, with fur tipped in brown, lies crumpled on the ground, covered in blood.
What the hell?
A noise behind me makes me turn. At the far end of the alley, a group of wolves appears. Instinct kicks in, and an overwhelming need to protect this injured wolf surges through me.
I move quickly, grabbing the wolf and dragging her behind the dumpster. My heart races, but I force myself to breathe evenly, covering her with my body as I lean against the wall. With a casual motion, I pull out a cigarette and light it, using the smoke to mask the mingling scents of blood and wolf. I exhale slowly, feigning nonchalance as the werewolves approach.
They stop a few feet away, eyeing me suspiciously. I smirk, blowing out a stream of smoke. “What? Can’t a guy get a moment alone to smoke?”
Their eyes flick between me and the dumpster, but they don’t move closer. I’ve hidden the wolf well enough, and my scent is strong enough to cover hers. After a tense few seconds, they seem to decide I’m not worth the trouble and turn to leave.
Once I’m sure they’re gone, I spin around and scoop the injured wolf into my arms. Her body is limp, but I can feel the faint thrum of life still pulsing through her.
I don’t waste time. I dash to my car, cradling her carefully to avoid aggravating her wounds. On the way, I send a quick message to my friends through the mind-link, telling them I’m leaving without explaining why. I block the link immediately after, not wanting any questions.
The drive home feels longer than ever. My father’s pack hospital is the only place I trust with her care, but the seconds drag by like hours. I weave in and out of traffic, barely paying attention, my mind focused on the blood-soaked wolf in the passenger seat.
I notify the doctors on the way, and by the time I screech to a halt in front of the hospital, they’re already waiting outside. They rush to the car and pull her out, handling her with the same urgency I feel in my chest.
“She’s barely alive,” I tell them, my voice tight. “Some werewolves were chasing her. Don’t let anyone know she’s here.”
I can’t explain it, but a fierce protectiveness grips me. I usually don’t care about werewolves killing each other. But this one—this one matters.
As they rush her inside, I follow, my mind racing. “Be careful,” I add as they transfer her to a stretcher. “She’s losing blood fast. I should’ve taken her to a closer hospital, but I don’t trust anyone but you.”
The doctor nods as they wheel her inside. “We’ll do our best to save her, Prince. Don’t worry.”
I know they’re the best. If anyone can save her, they can. But that doesn’t stop the knot of anxiety in my gut.
Just before he leaves, I grab the doctor’s arm. “She has a strange smell. I can’t place it. Maybe they did something to her before the fight.”
He nods. “We’ll run every test we can. Go sit in the waiting room. We’ll let you know when we’ve figured things out.”
I stand there, watching as they disappear down the hallway with her. The bloodstained stretcher, the sterile smell of the hospital, and the metallic tang of blood hang in the air, making me feel helpless.
My feet move on their own as I follow their instructions and find a seat in the waiting room. But I can’t sit. I stand up and begin pacing, my thoughts a whirlwind of questions and anger. Why were those werewolves after her? Who is she? Why do I even care?
The minutes tick by painfully slow. I glance at the clock—only five minutes have passed. Time feels like it’s crawling.
Finally, the doctor returns. “Prince, you can see her now. She’s stable, but still critical.”
I follow him into the exam room. The wolf, now clean of blood, lies on the bed, her fur glistening under the lights. Even in this state, she looks... regal.
I step closer. “What happened to her? How did she survive?”
The doctor looks at me grimly. “She has strong alpha blood. That’s the only reason she’s still alive. But there’s more.” He hesitates. “She was poisoned. A rare kind.”
My heart jolts. “Poison?”
He nods. “The poison weakened her. If not for her alpha blood, she’d be dead. Whoever attacked her was trying to make sure she couldn’t fight back. This was a deliberate attempt on her life.”
Rage bubbles up inside me. Someone wanted her dead. But why?
He sighs. “We are going to have to wait until she changes back to her human form and regains consciousness to figure out who she is. We don’t have thorough enough records for us to use her wolf form to positively identify her. I’m hoping she can help us when she wakes up. Before you ask, we don’t know when she will wake up. Between the injuries which are healing slowly because of the poison and the poison itself, she could be out for quite some time. In the meantime, we will do whatever we can to heal her as fast as we can, but it will take time.”
His words weigh down on me, especially the part about not knowing when she will wake up.
He looks back down at the wolf. “We have documented everything, including all her injuries. This appears to be an attempt on her life. I can only speculate why, but we are doing this by the book in case your father and the council decide to hold someone accountable for what has happened. I can only assume she is someone very important, since she has alpha blood. She will be safe here. Her file has been flagged and security has been alerted. No one but you and your father are to come near her.”
I pat the top of the wolf’s head. “Thanks. I want her moved to a private room as soon as you can. She can use my family’s room. We have no need for it right now.”
The doctor nods. “We will get her moved up there right away. Also, your father wants to talk to you. I had to notify him of the situation right away. He said to send you over there as soon as I fill you in on her condition.”
My stomach instantly sinks. What does he want?
I stare down at the dazzling wolf. Every part of me wants to stay by her side for some strange reason, but I can’t ignore my father’s command, and that is exactly what it is. A command.
I slowly exhale. “Okay. I’ll go in a few minutes. Is there anything else you discovered when you were examining her? Anything I should be made aware of?”
The doctor pauses and stares at me.
A tension builds in the room and sets me on edge.
After a few moments, the doctor presses his lips together and shakes his head. “We are still running more tests. I’m sure there will be more to tell you after all the test results come back, but I would hate to make an assumption and it be wrong. Shouldn’t you go see what your father, the king, wants?”
Chapter 3 — Talk With The King
Lance POV
I stand in front of my father’s office door, but no matter how I try, I can’t bring myself to knock.
Dread creeps over me, and I’m frozen on the spot.
What does he want?
I don’t fear anything but my father. He is the only person who has the power to defeat me, but his disappointing looks are what hurts me the most.
I know he has wanted me to take over for him, but he has agreed to allow me to spend some time exploring the world on my own before I take the crown. A part of me hopes he will skip me and put my younger brother on the throne instead, but I wouldn’t be so lucky.
An image of the injured blonde wolf flashes through my mind.
I take a deep breath and raise my hand.
Knock. Knock.
My father’s curt voice bellows, “Come in. You have been waiting out there long enough.”
Gulp.
I can do this.
Before I lose my courage, I walk into his office. “You called for me.”
My father looks up from his desk and the various piles of papers scattered across it. His piercing eyes cut right through me. “Yeah. I wanted to talk to you since you are here.”
I silently breathe a sigh of relief. He hasn’t asked me about the injured wolf.
I sheepishly slide into the leather chair in front of his wooden desk while I swallow the lump in my throat.
His eagle eyes scan me from head to toe. “I initially wanted to talk to you about when you will come back home and settle down and take over as the king? But after seeing you like this… I have a few other questions.” He points to me and moves his finger up and down.
What is wrong with me? I don’t look any different from usual.
My eyebrows knot together. “Do I look different or something?”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to pull them back. Why did I ask that question?
My father rests his arms on the desk and stares at me. His usual blank face doesn’t tell me what he is thinking.
Silence settles over the room. It is the same silence I’ve always hated when growing up. It is usually followed by something I don’t want to hear or see.
My heart pounds in my chest in anticipation.
His caramel eyes scan me from head to toe again and come back to my face. The little flecks of gold in his eyes shine brighter as he raises an eyebrow. “Yes. There is something different about you, but for once, I can’t seem to put my finger on it. It isn’t going to stop me, though. I’ll figure it out, one way or another.”
I don’t know what he is going to figure out when I know I haven’t changed, but under his eagle eyes, I don’t have the confidence to defy him.
Instead, I timidly nod.
He takes a deep breath. “Well, I’ll leave that for now. When are you going to take over as king? I’ve been accommodating your request to go out and see the world, but my patience is wearing thin. I also would like to enjoy my life too. I’ve been all about my position and the responsibilities of being a king that I haven’t taken much time for myself and your mother. She would like to take some trips.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. There is still plenty of the world to explore.”
That isn’t true. I’ve explored most of it, but I don’t want to lock myself down in ruling the Lycans and indirectly the werewolves or handling the disputes with the werewolves.
One thing I’ve learned in my exploration of the world is that many werewolf packs hate us. If they could, they would fight us, but they aren’t stupid. They know they couldn’t win a battle with us.
I don’t want my life to devolve into political talks, alliance agreements, and werewolf debates. That doesn’t sound fun at all.
My father snorts and taps his finger on the desk. “That isn’t what my reports say. They all say you have explored most of the world with only a little left. Don’t you think it is your mother and my turn now? Or do you want me to reign until I die?”
His voice turns cold with his last question.
How could he think that?
I shake my head. “No. I’m just not ready. There is so much…”
He taps his finger harder against the desk. “Do you realize by the time I was your age, I had been the king for several years and had found my mate? If my memory is correct, we were expecting you at the time. If you keep putting it off, you will never be ready.”
He gives me a stern look, daring me to argue with him.
Gulp.
I move in my seat, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole.
Gathering what little courage I have, I clear my throat. “I still haven’t found my mate.” I timidly add, “I was hoping to have found her first.”
There. I’ve finally said it.
All these years, I’ve kept that little secret to myself, and I wasn’t planning on saying it, but I don’t think I have a choice now. He will find out sooner or later.
Another snort flows out of him as he taps his finger on his desk. “Do you think I don’t know that already? That is the reason I’ve been giving you the time you have been wanting. But your time has run out. You need to take over my title, and I’m not giving it to your younger brother. You think you’re not ready. Your younger brother might be 18, but he has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old. If I put him in as king, the Lycan world would crumble down around him. I can’t do that to him or to our people. It isn’t fair. I’ve also worked too hard for it all to go down the drain.”
My brother might not be as mature as I was at that age, but he isn’t that bad.
I shake my head. “He might surprise you.”
My father’s eyes narrow. “If you think that, you might not be ready to take over as king either, but I know you’re bluffing.” The corner of his mouth slightly curves up. “You wouldn’t allow it either. You’re like me, and you want what is best for everyone.”
The gold flecks in his eyes shimmer while amusement dances around in them.
Like flipping a switch, the small bit of playfulness disappears, and his stern expression comes back. “On to other things. What is the story about the injured werewolf? I’ve seen the medical report, but it doesn’t explain why we are on alert because of her.”
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