- A CURSE OR A BLESSING
Maxwell
What just happened? Who were these people? My mind reeled as my eyes stayed locked on Delilah. She stood like a storm given form, her glowing, laser–like eyes blazing with raw power. This wasn’t defense. This was devastation. The air reeked of charred flesh, and the scorched bodies of wolves littered the ground around her. Yet she wasn’t done. Her strikes came swift, unyielding, merciless.
My two bodyguards shifted uneasily, hands on their weapons, ready to act. I held up a hand, stopping them in their tracks.
In front of her stood a man, his silver hair glinting under the hot sun. His sharp features bore an eerie resemblance to hers…there was something connecting them, though I couldn’t yet piece it together. But now wasn’t the time for questions. My Lycan beast roared within, clawing to take over, demanding I protect my mate.
But Delilah wasn’t helpless. No, she was extraordinary.
“You’re not supposed to be able to do that,” the man rasped, his voice breaking with strain. “Did you… do you have a mate? Have you mated with him?”
Delilah didn’t respond. Her glowing eyes fixed on him, her power intensifying. I watched, transfixed, as she wielded her magic like a weapon, her energy tearing into him. He clutched his chest, struggling to defend himself with his own energy, which crackled weakly against her assault.
“Delilah, answer me!” he shouted, his tone both angry and desperate.
Her voice, when it came, was low, powerful, and otherworldly. “Lies.”
The word reverberated through the air like a physical force, making the everyone tremble. The sheer vibration knocked my guards off balance. I staggered, barely able to remain standing. What was she? Not just a mate. Not just a Lycan. She is something more.
The man screamed, his knees buckling as he tried to resist. The air around him shimmered with heat, his defenses failing. I wanted to step in, to pull her back, but I couldn’t bring myself to interfere.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the air shifted. A powerful gust of wind surged through the air, swirling around the man. The vortex grew stronger, its howling roar drowning out every sound. My instincts screamed danger.
And then he was gone. The wind carried him away, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
Delilah swayed, her energy spent. I moved without thinking, catching her before she collapsed. Her body was limp, her breathing shallow. My guards stared, stunned, their expressions a mix of fear and awe. None of us had ever witnessed anything like this.
I carried her to the car, her weight almost nothing in my arms. Her scent…soft, earthy, and uniquely hers…calmed the raging storm within me. I secured her in the passenger seat of the car she drove here herself, and slid into the driver’s seat, my guards following close behind in the SUV,
When we reached the palace, I carried her inside my room and placed her gently on the bed. Her face, pale but serene, seemed even more beautiful in her unconscious state. Rosa arrived moments later, her sharp eyes assessing Delilah with care.
“She’s fine, Your Majesty,” Rosa said after a moment. “Whatever she did drained her energy completely, but she’s otherwise unharmed. She just needs rest. She’ll recover in a few hours.”
“Thank you, Rosa. I’ll stay with her,” I said, brushing a strand of hair from Delilah’s face.
- A CURSE OR A BLESSING
+25 BONUS
Rosa hesitated. “Your Majesty, you do realize that a female Lycan in heat is… special?”
I nodded, knowing what she meant.
“I understand, Rosa. But no one will come near her. She’s mine. My queen,” I said, my voice firm.
Rosa gave a small bow. “Then it’s time to tell the kingdom about her. And it’s time to formalize everything. She isn’t just any mate. She’s your destined mate.” With that, she left, her words lingering in the air like a challenge.
I leaned back, letting out a long breath. It wasn’t that simple. Yes, I had claimed her, but a part of her still belonged to Farrell. He deserved to know the truth…that our mate bond was intertwined. But the thought of sharing her, even with him, filled me with a jealous rage.
“Delilah,” I whispered, taking her hand in mine. My fingers traced the back of her hand before I pressed a kiss to it. “Am I wrong to keep you all to myself? I love you too much to let anyone else have you. Even if… even if it breaks every rule of our kind.”
Her chest rose and fell steadily, her breathing soft and rhythmic. Even now, in her vulnerable state, she was mesmerizing.
“Your Majesty,” Cross’s voice broke through my thoughts via the mind link. “We’ve got rogues attempting to breach the borders.”
“Wolves or Lycans?” I asked, already on edge.
“Lycans,” Cross replied grimly. “But they’re using magic to overpower our warriors.”
Magic. My fists clenched. This wasn’t a random attack.
“Do you need me there?”
“Rosa is here helping. We’ll manage for now. I just thought you should know. And… take care of your queen. Word is spreading about her heat,” Cross added, then disconnected.
I exhaled, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. If Delilah had stayed inside, as I’d instructed, this chaos wouldn’t have happened. But the real danger wasn’t her defiance…it was her power.
The magic she wielded, the force she carried… it was more than Lycan.
Something ancient. Something divine.
I watched her as she slept, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “Who are you, Delilah? And what are you destined to become?”
The room was quiet, but in my gut, I could feel it–a storm brewing. And she was at its center.
Goddess, what should I do? Is this a curse or a blessing?” Who is Delilah? And why did you make her my mate?
