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.

Episode 6 – The Car and the King

(Elena's POV)

Snarls, hands crashing into each other, and the hiss of power meeting power broke the silence.

Adrian was the first to lunge, and his move was quick and dead on. Lucien grabbed his arm in the middle of the blow, turned it around, and pushed him back with so much force that it broke stone. It sounded like thunder as it went through the cave.

As I fell back, I pushed against the wall and held on to the pendant. Lycans charged each other with electricity when their claws touched. Strength met an older, more powerful force.

"Stop!" I yelled, but the rain made it hard to be heard.

Adrian's eyes became very cold. "Do you think you can take her from me?"

The low growl that Lucien let out was scary. "I think you already lost her."

I couldn't see him because he was moving so fast. Adrian hit back, and both of their bodies hit each other very hard. I didn't understand the background behind each blow.

The cave shook. When the fire went out, rocks fell from the roof.

It got too much for me. I yelled "Enough!" as I ran between them. But I was thrown back by a huge burst of energy before I could reach them.

I fell hard to the ground. My arm hurt a lot, and I couldn't see clearly.

After that, silence.

There was a new sound in my ears that I didn't know before: tires on wet ground.

There was a black SUV parked right outside the cave. Its headlights were so bright that they could be seen through the rain. There was no more fighting right away. The two men stopped moving.

There was a hole in the door.

Someone tall in a dark coat came out. Every step controlled and moved slowly. It looked like the rain didn't bother him. The air felt heavy, dominating, and impossible to ignore his presence.

Lucien tensed up. Adrian's jaw got lock up.

The man's voice carried easily through the storm. He spoke in a cold, smooth tone, "I guess I got here just in time."

It was hard for me to breathe when he got closer.

Lucian Draven.

The name that every pack made noise with. The Lycan King who was in charge of the northern territories. Everyone feared him, even Adrian, who called him "the monster behind the crown" one time.

He was scary, but not a monster. He was even worse. He was calm, hard to read, and knew too much about what power meant.

Lucian looked at me with eyes that were a deep golden color with gold streaks. It seemed like the world had stopped.

"Elena Rivers," he said slowly, as though testing the shape of my name. "Daughter of Alpha Rowan." Still living.

I stared, unable to speak. "You... knew my dad?"

He gave a small nod. "He was loyal to me in the past." Before the Council turned him into a ghost story.

Lucien , who was sitting next to me, spoke before I could. "You don't belong here."

Draven smiled in a way that wasn't funny. "Yet, here I am. Cleaning up your mess like always."

Adrian spoke up in a sharp tone. "This is between me and her."

Draven looked at him. "Do you think anything that has to do with my bloodline happens without me knowing?"

The words made my skin crawl. "Your... bloodline?"

Lucien 's jaw got tight. "He's my brother."

I stopped moving. "What?"

They were like two sides of a mirror-very different and also very much the same. The ghost Lucien who lived in the dark was rough and wild. They were all controlled by Draven, who was exact and dangerous.

Adrien swore under his breath. "Of course."

Draven was looked at by Lucien. "She's safe with me."

Draven's eyes got tough. "You can't claim what fate has already written."

I found their words hard to understand. I asked, "What are you talking about?"

Draven walked up to me and kept his eyes on me. "Your bloodline has the Moonfire Bond." It links you to the royal line and the person who has the royal mark.

He looked at Lucien. "And that mark isn't his."

It hurts a lot in my heart. "You mean-"

Draven said, "Yes," but he didn't say more. "You are my fated mate."

It was quiet in the cave. It looked like the rain outside stopped.

I couldn't hold back the words as I looked at him. "That's not possible."

Lucien barked. "You're lying."

Draven's voice didn't change. "You know I'm not." This bond hasn't been used since her father died. She is the last person in his family.

Adrian moved toward me, and I didn't know what he was thinking. "Elena..."

I turned away from all of them and shook my head. "No." This can't happen-

Draven's look changed; it wasn't friendly, but it knew what she was feeling. "Have you felt it? The pull you can't explain."

He was right. The strange heat that had been burning my skin since I ran last night. What my wolf did when power was close.

Even though I wanted to deny it, my quiet made it clear.

Lucien glared at him and said something mean. "She isn't yours to take."

Draven said, "She's not yours to keep."

Adrian's hands clenched into fists. "Do you think she's a prize to be shared?"

Draven looked at him with harsh, cold eyes. "Be careful, Lycan." You let her down once already. You'll never get another chance.

Power curled between them like smoke as the air became tight.

I took a deep breath. "Why me?"

Draven looked at me again, but this time his voice was down. "Because you are the only one who can control what is coming."

"What's coming?"

He didn't say anything. He moved out of the way and pointed to the car instead. "Get in." I'll explain on the way.

Lucien moved right away to stop me. "Don't. No matter what he's planning, it's not protection; it's control."

The tone of Draven's voice changed. "Do you think she's safer with you?" A few of the packs already know she's alive. Hunters are following her scent. "You can't keep her hidden forever."

It got cold in my stomach. "Hunters?"

Draven said "yes." "These aren't the same ones as before." These people are trained by the Council. They need to get the Moonfire Bond. They will take your blood to wake it up if they catch you."

It got darker on Lucien's face. "You knew this and didn't say anything?"

Draven said, "I was waiting for her to come to me on her own." "But there's no more time."

He put out his hand to touch me. His eyes were calm, but they held something fierce, something that felt like the truth.

"Pick, Elena."

I looked at both of them. I was saved by Lucien, and his touch made me feel warm in the cold. And Draven, the king who talked like he knew what was going to happen to me.

The rain outside stopped and became a whisper.

"Don't trust him," Lucien whispered.

Draven said in a low voice, "You will die if you stay."

I thought about it for a second, and then there was a loud bang.

A shot.

Lucien moved so fast I couldn't see him. He knocked me to the ground, and another bullet hit the cave wall, breaking the stone. He swore and turned to look at the trees.

At the edge of the trees, dark forms with weapons started moving with deadly accuracy.

Hunters.

Draven's voice could be heard over the noise. "Do you believe me now?"

Inside the cave, Adrian's growl could be heard as it turned into a wolf. "We need to go!"

As more shots flew, Lucien picked me up and kept me safe. The air was filled with the smell of smoke and silver.

Draven looked at the car. He yelled, "Get her inside!"

Lucien glared. "I don't have to listen to you."

"Then she dies!"

Draven did not wait. He opened the door to the car, grabbed my arm, and pulled me into the car. As I fell behind him, Lucien was right there with me. Adrian stayed outside and fought two scary-strong hunters off.

Draven slammed the door shut and yelled something at the driver. The SUV then started moving.

The world got cloudy as we drove into the storm. With my heart beating fast, I pressed my face against the window and saw flashes of claws and blood go away behind us.

Lucien spoke to Draven in a low, angry tone. "You just started a war."

Draven looked ahead at the road. "No," he said in small voice. "I just told you who the war is really about."

Every part of my body shook when I looked at him. "Who?"

He finally looked me in the eye.

"You."