Dangerous Lycan: Claim Betrayed Luna’s Second Chance Mate

Kieran didn’t have the nightmares again for a while but on this very day, I heard his muffled scream in my sleep and jumped out of bed. This time, the sound was different. More intense than I hadn’t heard before.

I jumped upright, reaching across the space beside me, and shook Kieran.

“Kieran! Wake up!”? His eyes snapped open. They were wide with terror. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving as he scrambled around.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m right here.”

“Clara?” He said in between his breath? He clung to me in a hug. I felt his body trembling.

“It’s okay,” I said, stroking his hair in a calming rhythm.? “It’s just a dream. You’re safe.”

He clung to me for a long moment, his breaths gradually reducing.? Finally, he pulled back, his gaze flitting around the dark room before landing on me.

“Another nightmare?” I asked gently.

He nodded, “This one… it was different.”

“Different? What happened?”

For the first time since his nightmares started, he seemed willing to talk about his dreams.

“Different how?” I pressed.

He hesitated for a bit.? But then? I kept stroking his arm.

“I… I remember parts of it,” he mumbled.

“You do? Tell me what you remember.”

He took a deep breath.? “I was in my study,” he began, “Reading a book… an old, leather-bound volume.”

“What happened then?”

“I don’t know,” he continued, “Suddenly, a hand reached out from the page, right out of the book.? It was skeletal, cold, and… powerful.? It grabbed my arm, and I felt this searing pain…”

He trailed off, moving his gaze to his hand.? My breath hitched as I saw it a faint, red burn mark on the skin on his forearm, right where he said the dream hand had grabbed him.

“What the hell?” I stared at it wide-eyed. Couldn’t have believed that an arm could reach out from a dream and harm someone. This wasn’t a regular nightmare.? This was something more and the burn mark was proof of that.

“Kieran, there’s a mark… on your arm.? It’s the same place…”

He looked at the mark, his eyes widening in shock.? “But… that’s impossible,” he stammered.? “It was just a dream.”

I could hear the terror in his voice. But the evidence was right there, staring us in the face. It was clear that it wasn’t just a dream. It was something dark.

“This is bad,” I said, “This is really bad.”

He looked at me, “Yes, this is a dire situation. I need help, and I need it fast.”

“Hey,” I held him closely, “it’s alright. We are in this together,” I said, running my hand through his hair.

“What are we going to do about this? It’s not like some knife fight that eerily can do.”

“Yeah, you ate right. This is spiritual. Something like a witch can handle. Yes, Nikkei, the palace witch, we should consult her immediately when it’s sunrise,” I said.

“Are you sure she would know what this means?”

“If there is anyone that would know anything about this, it is Nikkei.? She is the only one that we can trust right now.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said.

I left the bed and got a piece of clothing from the closet.

“What’s that for?”

“Your arm. You wouldn’t want the people to know about this at least not yet.”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

“I hope it doesn’t get to the point where I would have to let them know,” he said, stretching out his hand and I wrapped the cloth around it.

By the time it was dawn, I sent a message through the palace guards for Nikkei.

As Nikkei examined Kieran, she had an unsatisfied look on her face. “This… this doesn’t seem like a typical burn,” she mumbled, tracing the mark with her finger.

“Just as I had thought,” I said, shaking my head. I looked at Kieran’s pale face.

“This is magic.? Dark magic.”

Nikkei’s eyes widened.

“So, what are we going to do about it?”

“The only witches who know such magic are a group of witches called the wisest.”

“The wisest?” I wanted to be sure if I had heard correctly.

“Yes, they have a coven called the Coven of the Whispering Woods. They are a group of witches that possess great power, both light and dark. If? anyone could help Kieran, it would be them.”

“And where do we find these witches?”

She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down the location of the witches.

“Take this,” she said, handing the note to Kieran,

“… they live near Hindering Falls, somewhere in the Old Wilds. It’s a dangerous journey, but it’s your only shot of getting the answers to what you need.”

Kieran took the note.

“The Wisest. Legends say they are powerful but also unpredictable.? Are you sure this is wise?” He asked

“We don’t have many options, do we?” I couldn’t dwell in fear. Not at a time like that.

“It’s a long journey to this place. And the witches do not like to be disturbed with much presence. So, I would suggest you two go alone.”

“Then let’s prepare,” I said.

The fear and uncertainty didn’t completely leave but I was determined to get it done. If meeting with some witches was what could save Kieran, then I was up for it.

The next day, we gathered some supplies, maps, and some food and water. Nikkei had been very specific about going alone. So, there wasn’t any need to bring the guards and the maids.

Kieran squeezed my hand “We’ll be okay,” he murmured, “We have to be.”

We walked into the Wilds which was the beginning of the trip. It was a path through the forest. We couldn’t quite feel the rays of the sun as the leaves of the forest trees shaded us.

The air smelled of decaying woods and dampened earth as we walked on. The birds hovering high up in the trees. As soon as we walked out of the forest, the sunlight burned our heads and I began to miss the shade of the leaves.

“There it is,” I pointed at the modern building structure that stood firm just ahead of us.

“Wow,” Kieran gasped.

It wasn’t quite what we had expected when Nikkei spoke about the witches Coven.

It looked more like a glass house surrounded by a green landscape. Pots of brightly colored flower petals and green vines of hanging herbs adorned the outside walls. Nikkei mentioned a lot of things but somehow omitted that the witches were the modernization of natural magic. Which thrilled me.

“Let’s go,” Kieran held my hand.

As soon as we got to the door, there was a slate beside the door with inscribed words that amazed us.

“Our distinguished King and Queen. We have been expecting you.”

Taking a deep breath, I? pushed the heavy wooden door open.

The wave of air that rushed to our faces carried a faint scent of lavender and jasmine.

Inside, the living room was warm, rays of sunlight streamed through the windows.

Three women sat on the couches arranged around a low coffee table.