For six years, I was Hazel, girlfriend to the future Alpha, Julian. I thought we had forever, a cherished place in our werewolf pack, even as a human. Then Mate Hunt night ripped it all away. I woke up lost in the forest, only to find Julian with her – his true fated mate. His words hit harder than the forest floor: I was just a 'placeholder.' Six years together, and he tossed me aside, his fingers bruising my throat as he growled that I meant nothing. My world, my heart – shattered.

Left for dead, freezing and injured, a different kind of predator found me. A colossal black wolf, eyes glowing gold, big enough to swallow me whole. But instead of tearing me apart, he curled around me, a warm, terrifying shield against the biting cold. For a moment, I felt safe.

That safety vanished when my pack, my family, found us. The Alpha who raised me, Maxen, didn't see a survivor. He saw a disappointment. Turns out, he’d only taken me in hoping I’d magically become a werewolf like my mother – the fated mate who’d rejected him. When I couldn't shift, he cast me out, branding me an omega, the pack’s punching bag.

Now, I'm less than nothing, surviving on scraps and enduring their cruelty. What they don't know, what I don't know, is that my monstrous protector is no ordinary rogue. He's Lykos, the wolf of Kael, the Lycan King. And Lykos has decided I am his fated mate – a human. Kael is furious, but his wolf has a will of its own, dragging the King himself towards my abusive pack.

My old life is over. My only ally is a creature of legend. And the most feared Lycan in existence is on his way. Is he coming to save me, or is the King's arrival just another nightmare waiting to begin?

"Breathe," Sera instructed, her voice calm and steady. "Visualize the arcana flowing into you."


We sat cross-legged on the floor of her RV, facing each other. Between us floated a ball of soft blue light, larger than the one from yesterday's lesson.


I closed my eyes, trying to focus. Unlike yesterday's hesitant attempts, I now knew what to expect. The sensation of arcana was becoming familiar—a warm, tingling energy that responded to my intentions.


"Remember," Sera added, "don't force it. Let it come to you naturally."


Taking a deep breath, I extended my awareness toward the glowing orb. Immediately, I felt it—a pulsing warmth that seemed to recognize me.


"That's it," Sera encouraged. "Now, invite it in."


I imagined my body as an empty vessel, ready to be filled. In my mind's eye, I saw rivers of light flowing into me—through my fingertips, up my arms, spreading across my chest.


Chapter 155 - Chapter 155 - The Anchor's Touch