Episode 3 – The Deal He Spoke Of

(Elena's POV)

The growls were sharp and hollow, and you could hear them in the rain.

He had a tight jaw as he watched the shadows move through the fog. His men were ready, and in the dark, their eyes looked a faint gold color. My whole body was tense.

The wedding dress I took off hours before was still following me around. The silk, the flowers, and the broken vows still bother me.

The trees, the night, and the man next to me who didn't care were all there.

"What do they want?" I whispered the question.

Adrian looked at me quickly. "To send a message."

"What kind of message?"

His eyes got less light. "The kind that makes you feel guilty."

Before I could ask anything else, the gates opened with a squeak. A small group of wolves approached-Damian's colors marked across their armor. One of them held a black envelope.

Adrian's guards did not move until he said "yes." The wolf bowed his head and gave him the envelope. "From Alpha Damian Hale."

Adrian opened the envelope, took out a folded letter, and read it quietly. It was hard to read his face because of the firelight, but he then laughed slowly and dangerously.

"What is it?" My voice was shaking as I asked.

When he turned around, his voice was dull. He says that you are still his.

It made my stomach hurt. "What?"

"He says that your marriage is strong because it was witnessed and can't be broken by any Lycan law." I was told to bring you back before dawn.

I turned my head away. "That's crazy." He was the one who left.

Adrian handed the letter me. As I read the words, anger made it hard for me to focus.

Elena Rivers is still subject to pack law. While the wedding was still going on, it was not an act of love but a political union. We still have a good deal between our packs. She can't leave the Hale area without permission. It will be seen as an act of war if you don't follow through.

- Alpha Damian Hale

It made my hands shake. "He's calling our wedding a... business deal?"

Adrian's speech was calm, but I could hear the edge in it. "He's changing the story before you can say anything."

I broke down in some way. It was all the shame I had hidden behind tears that came back to me. "He's trying to get rid of what he did!" To make me look like a pawn!

Adrian's eyes became a little less harsh. "Then show him you're not."

I looked at him. "And how do I do that?"

With less noise, he stepped closer and spoke. "By making your own deal."

"Mine...?"

He said yes. "Let's play better politics if he wants to." Elena, you're not the weak bribe he thinks you are. "You're the daughter of Alpha Rivers."

I was frozen. "How do you know that name?"

He gave a small smile. "Because your dad stood next to mine once."

I was shocked and blinked. "Your father... the Lycan King before you?"

Adrian gave a single nod. "He put his faith in your family bloodline. said you'd change everything when the time was right.

It hurt my chest. "My dad is dead."

"His legacy isn't."

Before I could answer, the door opened all of a sudden. One of Adrian's guards walked in and was breathing hard. "My King, there's a signal from Hale's territory." Check this out.

I followed Adrian as he quickly went to the monitor room. The screens came back to life.

Damian walked out in front of media and pack members and stood tall. Selene was standing next to him. She was wearing a white dress and made a fake sad face.

It felt like my throat was on fire as I listened.

"Today was a misunderstanding," Damian said in a calm voice. "Elena Rivers and I agreed on something with our families." It was always about peace, never love. She was wrong, though. When I found out Selene was pregnant with my child, I had to respect our real bond.

People in the room gasped.

Selene wiped her eyes in a dramatic way. "I never wanted to get in the way of them," she stated. "But fate had other plans."

"Fate?" I asked in a low voice.

He then said, "Elena can do what she wants." She was never Luna, though. There was no treason; only correction.

The palm of Adrian's hand closed up stiffly.

It was hard for me to breathe. "He's making me sound like some crazy person!"

Adrian turned off the screen. "He's making you sound small." That's even worse.

When I looked up at him, my eyes hurt. "Then make me big again."

He didn't smile this time. "Be careful what you ask for."

"I really mean it, Adrian." I'm not going to hide while he calls me a mistake.

He gave me a long look. Then, in a low voice, he said, "Tomorrow night, Alpha leaders, elders, and Lycan representatives will meet as a council." If you tell them the truth, it can change everything. You'll have to pay me though.

"Do I owe you?"

"Yes." There is no such thing as free in this world.

I thought about it. "What kind of debt?"

As he leaned in, the light from the fire caught his eye. "As my ally, you'll be there for me in person and in name." People in the packs will think that the Lycan King is watching out for you. And in return, no one will ever question your place again.

My heart beat faster. "You mean... act like yours?"

He said, "Act like," but it was hard to understand what he meant this time.

It was crazy. But I felt strong for the first time in days.

"okay," I said in a low voice. "I'll do it."

Adrian looked at me for a second and then nodded. "Then we have a deal."

By morning, the storm was over. The sky was a dull metal color, and the air was cool. There was a mirror in one of Adrian's rooms where I stood. I wasn't a bride; I was a new person.

The black dress was simple, classy, and strong, like armor. Things that were warmer had taken the place of the bruises under my eyes.

A maid took a step back. "You look... strong."

"Good," I replied. "That's what I need to be."

When I walked into the main hall, Adrian was already there. It was hard to read his face because he was wearing a black suit. He looked at me with soft eyes for a split second.

He said, "You look good."

"So do you."

Before the doors opened, we smiled briefly, as if we knew each other.

There was no bias in the place where the council meeting took place. The round great hall was filled with lights and flags from different packs. There were whispers all around us when we walked in.

"Is that her?"

"The bride who was left at the altar?"

"With the King of the Lycans?"

Some of their eyes were interested, while others were angry. I didn't move, though.

Adrian showed me the way to the middle. It was a whispered "Stay close."

The head of the council stood up. He was an old wolf with silver eyes. "King Adrian, what do we owe this surprise visit?"

The way Adrian spoke was cool. "To get rid of a lie before it gets bigger."

The boss turned his attention to me. "The girl from Rivers?"

He replied, "Yes." "She's not Hale's pawn anymore." This is my promise to protect her.

A quiet sound made its way around the room.

Before anyone could answer,

Damian walked in from the other side, his steps loud and sure. Selene went after her, holding her stomach as if to protect her "unborn child."

I felt old pain when I saw him, but I stood tall.

"King Adrian," Damian said without a hitch. "I didn't know you were interested in my private life."

Adrian said, "Your lies made it political."

It was hard for Damian to smile. "Elena's marriage to me was set up by our elders." "She knows that."

My voice was steady. "No." Damian, I had faith in you. You made me swear to you that I would live my whole life. It wasn't business; it was treason.

The crowd got up. Damian's face twitched with anger.

He lost it and said, "I did what was best for my pack."

"Good for your ego." I said "Not your people."

Selene moved ahead of her. "It's not okay to talk about right and wrong. As soon as he left, you ran to another man.

I looked her straight in the eye. "At least he didn't have to lie to keep me."

As Adrian walked toward her, the room became quiet. He said in a harsh voice, "This conversation is over." "I'll see it as an act of war if Hale sends scouts near my borders again."

It got darker in Damian's eyes. "Are you protecting her because you feel sorry for her?"

Adrian smirked slowly and in a scary way. No, she's mine now, so I say "no."

In the hall, people gasped.

Damian's jaw got tight. "You wouldn't dare-"

"Try me," Adrian said.

It felt like the air between them was really tense, like it was popping and burning.

No one moved for a second.

Then a voice from the far corner of the room spoke. It was a woman. It was soft, but it broke the quiet.

"It said that wasn't true."

Everyone looked around.

A tall person in silver stepped forward. When she took off her hood, I got scared.

It was my mom.

Living.

We looked at each other. Her eyes calm, but I couldn't tell what was going on inside them. "You shouldn't have made that deal, Elena," she said softly. "You don't know what he really wants."

I was having trouble breathing.

Adrian's face looked different from the first time I met him when I looked at him.

He seemed... shocked.

Episode 4 – A Pregnant Lie

(Elena's POV)

The room sagged. I could still hear her voice when I turned to look at my mom. She stood a few feet away and was still and calm.

"Mom?" My voice broke like a weak tree branch.

She walked up to me and took off her silver hood. Her hair used to be black, but now it had white spots through it. Her sharp blue eyes, which I inherited, were full of secrets.

"Don't call me that here," she said softly, glancing at Adrian. "There are people who don't deserve the truth."

"What truth?" I asked while shaking. "You died ten years ago." I saw your grave!

Her lips curved into something between sorrow and warning. "You saw what I wanted you to see."

There was more smoke in the meeting hall. They were all looking at her and were also very quiet. Damian's grin went away for the first time, and Selene's hand dropped from her stomach, which meant she wasn't more than just acting calm.

Adrian, on the other hand, just stood there with a blank look on his face.

My mother looked straight at him. "You promised me, Adrian. You said she'd be left out of it."

My heart stopped. "Left out of what?"

Adrian looked at her quickly with cold eyes that didn't show much. "That was before her groom humiliated her in front of every pack in the region."

My mom yelled, "You weren't supposed to use her."

"Used?" I said it again, but this time it was louder. "What are you talking about?" Used for what?

Both of them didn't answer.

"Someone tell me what's going on!"

The stress was broken by Damian's laugh. He said, "Oh, I can tell her," his tone dripping with mock pity. "Elena, your dear Lycan King has his own ideas." Are you sure he brought you in to keep you safe? His plan is to use your Rivers bloodline to gain power over half the packs and become your friend.

Adrian looked at me, and I was looking for any sign of denial on his face.

He didn't say anything.

Something in me broke when it was that quiet.

"So it's true." I whispered"You made deal with her. With my mom. You knew who I was all the time.

Adrian's jaw got lock up. "I kept you safe."

"By lying?"

His voice got hoarse as he got closer. "By keeping you alive!"

The hand of my mom shook. "Stop this right now, both of you." It's not right here-

The hall was already a mess, though. There were low growls instead of whispers. Me, The Lycan King, the woman who wasn't supposed to exit, was being looked at by all of the pack leaders.

There was no more noise after that. Selene's voice came through.

It was mean of her to say, "Stop this pathetic show." "Do you think any of this is important?" Elena, He's mine now. He's always been.

Damian called out, "Selene,"

"No," she yelled and stepped forward. "Be honest with them. You might be safe with the Lycan King, but I have something better for you.

Her hand returned dramatically to her stomach. "A child." His child.

People in the crowd gasped. Even the council head got up.

The words cut me like knives.

"That's not true," I said, and my voice shook.

Selene's eyes were filled with a cruel love. "You can't prove that."

Damian put his hand on her shoulder to make her feel better, but his smirk told her he wasn't telling the truth.

Adrian's face turned dark. He said, "Enough," with a Lycan voice full of power. "You are manipulating the council."

Selene tilted her head to look like she didn't understand what was going on. "Am I? Then she asked why she-she pointed at me-was staying safe with you when everyone knows that what you say can change the course of wars. Why her? Unless she's the next piece in your never-ending power game.

Around us, the whispers got stronger and louder. I could feel every question, every glance, and every eye on me.

The noise was not as loud as Damian's speech. "The Rivers girl being here is bad for the peace of our packs if Selene's child is really mine." Just get her off of the council grounds.

My mom stepped forward. "You touch her, and I'll-"

Adrian told her to stop. "She stays."

Damian's lip turned up. "You'd put the safety of your realm at risk to protect another man's wife?"

Adrian couldn't take it anymore. The darkness and power in his aura grew stronger. For a moment, it even shook Damian.

Selene laughed, though.

"Go ahead, Damian." Tell them rest.

I made a face. "What's the rest of it?"

She looked mean at me. Damian came to me the night before your wedding. Before the ceremony, did you think he was scared and hoping for peace? Oh no, Elena. He slept in my bed.

The words hurt more than any hit.

I was so taken aback that I couldn't breathe. Damian "Tell me she's lying."

He didn't say anything.

I wouldn't let the tears fall even though they hurt. Not here. Not in front of them.

I said in a low voice, "You disgust me."

He laughed. Elena, you made a deal. You should have known that by now.

My mom's eyes were very angry. " you just declared war on yourself, boy."

She took something out of her coat and threw it on the floor before anyone could do anything. A bottle broke and a faint golden mist came out. A sharp and familiar smell came from it, like wolfbane and truthroot mixed together.

The council leader made a face. "What is this?"

In a calm voice, my mom said, "A truth spell." "If Selene is really pregnant, the spell will react to the smell of a child's essence."

Then Selene froze.

Adrian gave her a cold, critical look. "Then let's see the truth."

The room was quiet. As it moved around her, the mist gave off a soft glow. But after only a short time, the light became less bright. Nothing. No beating heart.

Nothing.

In the hall, people gasped.

Selene's voice was shaking as she took a step back. "This spell-it's-it's old magic; it could be-"

"Lies," my mother said. "Just like your claim."

Damian's face turned dark as he saw what was going on too late. "Selene, what did you-"

She turned on him, frantic now. "You said this would work! You said-"

The council erupted in chaos. As the guards moved forward, screams and voices filled the chamber.

I felt Adrian grab my hand. "We're leaving."

He was pulling me toward the doors before I could talk, ask, or fight. My mom went after her and pulled up her hood again.

We didn't stop until we were outside. The air was cold and sharp, making my lungs hurt.

"Why didn't you let me know?" I looked at my mom and asked. "About Damian, this deal with Adrian, and everything else?"

Her eyes became less harsh. "Elena, you were never supposed to marry him."

"What?"

"It wasn't you he wanted; it was your bloodline." The power in it. The Rivers bond has the strongest link of all of the pack. You come from the first Luna, who was blessed by the Moon.

I froze. "That's impossible."

Adrian's voice was soft but clear. "That's true." That's why each Alpha wanted to link their pack to yours. That includes me.

I was having trouble breathing. "So this is what it is." I'm a tool to both of you.

He moved forward. "No." You're the key to world peace."

"I don't want peace if it means being owned," I yelled.

His eyes told me something I couldn't understand, but he didn't say anything.

After that, a guard ran out of the main hall while breathing hard. "Your Majesty, there has been an attack!"

Adrian quickly turned his head toward him. "Where?"

The guard took a bite. "At the border." A pack that helps Hale-Selene's backers. They want to get to the Rivers estate.

My heart stopped. "My home?"

The guard gave a sad nod. "It's on fire."

I did not think. I ran through the night, past the guards and my mom's screams of warning.

I was interested in Adrian's voice, though, because it was strong and firm.

"Elena, stop!"

I shook and turned around. "That's my family!"

He looked at me. "You'll die with them if you leave now." They want you, not your house.

Behind him, my mom said something that made me feel cold all over.

"Already, they have what they came for."

I stopped moving. "What do you mean?"

She had a broken face and looked scared and raw. "They took your sister."

Episode 5 – Running in Rain

(Elena's POV)

The sky opened up as I ran.

It rained really hard, and my wedding dress's silk got so wet that it stuck to my skin like cold glue. It hurt a lot when my bare feet hit the wet ground. Every step was a blur of fear and pain. The forest in front of us was dark and scary. Wolves knew not to go there at night.

I didn't care, though.

I just had to leave.

The guards' yells, Adrian's eyes that wouldn't let me look away, and my mother's broken words were too much for me to handle. It was painful to feel every drop of rain and every beat of my heart like a sound of betrayal.

Damian is lying.

The fake pregnancy of Selene.

My sister was taken.

It hurt more to think about her and hear her small, bright laugh, which I hadn't heard since yesterday.

I fell and had to take a deep breath. Tears and rain made it hard for me to see clearly. The thunder was loud, but I could still hear Adrian calling my name in a deep, strong voice.

I kept going, though. I had to keep going.

I had already been used as a pawn by other people. Not again.

I was sucked up by the trees, and their shadows wrapped around me like claws. It was very loud in the bush because of the storm. I could feel the ground shaking under my feet as the wind howled. Lightning flashed and showed me roots, puddles, and broken trees that were in my way.

After that, there was movement.

There was a flash of silver eyes in the dark.

I held my breath and stopped moving. When my wolf moved under my skin, it was alert and antsy. "Who's there?" I tried to whisper, but it wasn't very clear.

There was only a low growl that I could feel in my bones. there was no answer.

The next smell was blood, wet fur, and something I didn't recognize. Not a pack. Not a ally.

Hunters.

My heart beat fast. It hurt a lot when my ankle turned in the mud when I tried to run. I screamed and hit the ground hard.

The trees cast a shadow. It was big and tall, and it moved quickly.

Without me being able to move or defend myself, a strong hand grabbed my arm. I scratched at the stranger to fight back, but he caught my wrist in the air.

"Easy," a low voice rumbled. "I'm not here to hurt you."

I looked up after blinking the rain out of my eyes.

A man stood in front of me. He was wet, but the storm didn't bother him. Even in the dark, his amber eyes were too steady and bright. Even though his clothes were simple, he wasn't. He was old and quiet, and his power didn't need to be shown off.

"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to pull away.

He turned his head a little. "You're not on safe ground, little wolf."

I got mad. "Please answer me."

After giving me a long look, he said, "You can call me Lucien."

The name hit me like a lightning strike.

He was known to everyone in the pack. He was a bad rogue named Ghost Alpha who had betrayed the Council and the Lycan throne. He should have been dead.

"Lucien..." I said it in a whisper. "You're-"

He gave a small smile. "Apparently alive." You should be grateful. The hunters were about to find you in a minute.

When I looked in the same direction as him, I saw three fingers coming through the rain. Even though there were lightning strikes, their forms were easy to see.

I knew what to do in my gut. "We need to leave."

It wasn't painful, but Lucien's hold on my wrist got tighter, stopping me. "You hurt yourself."

"I'll make it."

He gave me a look that said you won't.

He quickly grabbed me by the back and put one arm under my knees. I didn't even have a chance to say anything. He moved so quickly, and his skin felt so warm against my cold body that it made my heart skip a beat.

I muttered, "I don't need help."

He glanced down and smiled a little. "You say that while you're bleeding on me."

"I'm not-" I took a look down. My ankle was dark with blood because it was in the mud.

He was right.

He led me deeper into the woods, walking with ease even though the ground was wet. It was too late for me to say anything because I was too tired. That night was the first time I let myself breathe.

No longer did it smell like rain after a short time. Instead, smoke and pine took its place. A cave lay ahead, but it was hard to see because of the rocks and roots that hung over it. I was carefully put down inside by Lucien. There was already a small, steady fire going.

I said in a soft voice, "You planned this."

Getting down next to the fire, he said, "Storms are predictable." "And so are wolves in need."

I closed my eyes. "You followed me?"

"I follow trouble," he said, and then he looked at me. "And you put it on like perfume."

I laughed meanly even though everything was going on. "You don't know."

He really looked at me then, and there was a change in his eyes. It wasn't feeling sorry for me. Not because they were interested. It was recognition.

He told her, "You're a Rivers," without asking.

My throat got sore. "How do you-"

"I knew your father," he said. "Before he died."

The words hurt a lot. "You knew him?"

Lucien gave a slow nod. "He wasn't the man the Council said he was."

I was having trouble breathing. "You mean the story about the traitor-"

He said, "Lies." "He died to keep something from the world that they didn't want to see."

"What?" I spoke quietly.

Lucien's eyes flashed, wild and bright. "You."

It was as quiet as stone inside the cave. It was clear to me that he could hear my heart beating so fast.

He took out of his coat pocket a small moonstone charm in the shape of a tear. "He gave this to me before he fell." Said I'd know when to return it.

When he put it in my hand, it hurt like hell.

The stone gave off a little glow when I touched it.

I looked and shook. "Why now?"

Lucien said in a low voice, "Because your family bloodline isn't just royal." "It's the last piece of the puzzle that your father died for: the Moonfire Bond." It's already being looked for by someone.

"The hunters?"

He turned his head away. "Worse. Someone is sitting on the throne.

The words hit home. What did I think about Adrian? He was very quiet, very calm, and he made a deal with my mom. Could he-

Before I could say anything, Lucien stopped moving. His eyes became more alert, and his nose grew bigger.

I asked, "What is it?"

He didn't answer at first. Then it said in a low growl, "We're not alone."

We heard a weak sound that we knew was someone getting closer: the soft crunch of boots on wet ground.

Lucien got up, moved his weight, and tightened up his muscles. "Stay behind me."

My heart was beating fast as I held on tight to the pendant.

As the rain outside got worse, it blocked out the sound of footsteps until there was only darkness at the cave's entrance.

Bright and quick lightning flashed.

I saw him right then.

Adrian.

In the rain, he stood there with angry waves coming off of his silver eyes.

"Elena," he said in a low, scary voice. "Get away from him."

Lucien did not move. "Lycan, you can't tell her what to do."

Adrian looked at him with icy eyes. "You should have stayed dead."

When power met power, the air cracked, and old grudges lit like fire.

My heart beat fast. I took a step back because I wasn't sure which one to pick. "Please, stop-"

They didn't listen to each other.

When Lucien moved, his aura turned a dark gold color that was raw and fierce. Adrian's was the next. It was brighter and sharper, and it had all of the Lycan King's power behind it.

The ground moved under their feet.

Adrian lunged before I could say anything else.