SCENT OF THE FORSAKEN KING

They placed me in a tower room-not quite a dungeon, but more like a cage with a beautiful view.

It was a round space at the top of the eastern spire, with windows on three sides. The bed smelled of lavender and him, his scent lingering in every corner of the stone, inescapable.

I couldn't sleep. Aurora, my wolf, wouldn't settle down; she paced around inside me, reaching out towards him.

There was an undeniable urge to complete our bond-a craving that no amount of food could satisfy. I pressed my hand against the glass, frustration directed at the Moon above.

By dawn, I was trembling.

***

At noon, the doctor arrived. I recognized him by his leather satchel and the earthy scent of herbs.

"Luna Lyra," he said, introducing himself as Dr. Varian. "His Majesty has requested an examination."

"I'm not his Luna yet," I replied.

"True." He set his bag down. "But you are his fated."

I let him examine me-pulse, eyes, heart. When he placed the stethoscope on my chest, his expression turned serious.

"Take a deep breath."

I complied, and his frown deepened.

"Your wolf," he said, "she's restless."

"She wants to bond. I'm holding back."

"I see." He took the stethoscope away. "But have you experienced any physical symptoms? Numbness? Tingling?"

"Yes, my fingers go numb sometimes."

"And what about your wolf? Can you feel her presence clearly?"

"She's loud and more vivid than ever."

Dr. Varian's concern intensified. "I need to conduct a test."

He pulled out a vial. "This will induce a partial shift. Just a quick glimpse."

I hesitated, "Is it dangerous?"

"Not usually."

I extended my arm, and the injection stung.

For a moment, nothing. Then-Aurora *screamed* within me as I felt her rise, the transformation starting-

Then it hit a wall. One moment she was there, and the next, she was fading.

"No." I reached out for her. *Aurora. Come back.*

She whimpered and withdrew.

"Enough," Dr. Varian said firmly, holding my wrist. "The effects are wearing off."

But Aurora didn't calm down. She dimmed like a fire deprived of air.

When I opened my eyes again, the room felt too bright, my mouth tasted of copper.

"What's happening?" I asked.

Dr. Varian put down his pen. "Have you heard of the Withering?"

I shook my head.

"It's rare. When a fated bond is rejected, the wolf doesn't comprehend it. It knows only the completion or death." He paused. "Without the true mate bond, the wolf will wither away, taking the body with it. Usually within six months."

"I'm dying."

"Your wolf is dying. And if she dies, so will you." His tone softened. "But there's a way to fix this. Complete the mating ritual, and the Withering reverses instantly."

"So my choices are to die or marry the man whose father killed my family."

"Or," a voice said from the doorway, "you can choose a third option."

I turned to see Kael standing there, dressed in formal black, silver runes gleaming at his throat. He must have overheard everything.

"Your Majesty," Dr. Varian said, acknowledging him.

"I heard. Leave us."

The doctor gathered his things. At the door, he said, "Luna Lyra, the Withering can cause intense pain in the final stages. If you don't complete the bond, I can help manage it, but I can't stop it."

And then we were alone.

Kael approached the window. "You premeditated this. You knew the repercussions of my refusal."

"I was aware of the risks. I didn't expect you to reject it so completely. Most wolves submit within hours; the pull is overwhelming."

"I have strong self-discipline."

"You have strong animosity." He glanced back at me. "For me. For my bloodline. I realized why you looked at me as if I were a ghost."

"The Thornwood massacre."

"Right. My father's decision. I was in the academy, just seventeen. I didn't learn about it until three weeks later."

"You did nothing."

"I was powerless." His jaw clenched. "But I'm not seventeen anymore, and I'm not my father."

"You continue his legacy. You wear his crown."

"I wear *my* crown." He moved closer. "And I've spent ten years carefully undoing the damage he caused, without igniting civil war. Do you think it's easy? Being seen as the monster, so they don't recognize the man trying to change things?"

Now, he was close enough to touch.

"I will give you everything," he said, soft but intense. "Power. Safety. Pleasure. I would incinerate the world before I let anyone harm you. But I won't let you go."

His thumb brushed against my lip, sending a shiver down my spine.

"What if I don't want you?"

"Wanting isn't the issue." He drew back slightly. "But I won't force you into the bond. That route leads to an empty mating, a broken Luna, madness. The bond must be chosen freely."

He stepped back. "You have six months. You'll stay here in the Citadel, under my protection and in my presence. In return, I will search for another way to save your wolf."

"There isn't another way."

"Dr. Varian thinks there might be-ancient magic, forbidden methods." His gaze locked with mine. "Six months of searching. And if nothing works, at the end of the period, you'll have a choice. Complete the bond and live, or refuse and accept your fate."

"You want me to be your prisoner."

"I want you to be my guest." He touched my face gently. "But yes, you won't be able to leave. The bond needs closeness to grow-even in its incomplete state, it can help slow the Withering."

"And if I agree?"

"I'll expect you at formal events and your cooperation with Dr. Varian." A hint of a smile appeared. "And I expect you to sleep in my chambers."

I recoiled. "Absolutely not-"

"Not with me," he intervened, catching my wrist gently. "There's an adjoining chamber. A room next to mine with a locked door. You'd have your own space, but the proximity is crucial, Lyra. Your wolf is fading, and she needs mine."

I looked at him-really looked-at the weariness in his eyes, at the urge he held back.

He was a king making a deal with the devil, a man desperate to save someone who held contempt for him.

He was my fated mate, and my wolf was dying.

"Six months," I whispered.

"Six months," he replied firmly. "Starting tonight."