Nyx awoke the next morning with sunlight pouring through the tall windows, warming her cheeks. For a second, she almost forgot where she was, until her eyes adjusted to the unfamiliar luxury surrounding her.
Not the cold servant's quarters. Not the creaky wooden cot. This room… this palace… it was real.
She sat up slowly, heart thudding as the memories came flooding back, the banquet, Kael's piercing gaze, his bold claim… being taken away.
"You still think this is a dream?" Elaine murmured softly in her head.
"A nightmare in disguise maybe."
"Then why does it feel like we finally breathed for the first time last night?"
Nyx didn't answer. She swung her legs over the bed, her bare feet touching the soft carpet. A light knock startled her.
"Enter?" she called, voice still groggy.
A palace maid stepped in and curtsied. "The King requests your presence in the east wing garden. He wishes to dine with you."
Nyx blinked. "Dine… with me?"
The maid smiled kindly. "Yes, my lady. The attendants will help you dress."
Ten minutes later, wrapped in a soft lavender gown, her hair loosely braided, Nyx walked the long halls with cautious steps, accompanied by two guards who said nothing.
The east wing garden was breathtaking, fountains, flowering trees, and marble paths. And in the center, sitting under a shaded pavilion, was Kael.
Dressed in a crisp black tunic, his silver ring glinting on his thumb, he stood the moment he saw her, pulling out a chair.
"I thought you might be hungry," he said.
Nyx hesitated. "You don't have to.."
"I want to," he interrupted, voice low. "Sit."
She obeyed, glancing at the food, fruits, bread, roasted meats, all delicately arranged.
They ate in silence for a moment. Kael didn't take his eyes off her.
"You didn't run," he said finally.
Nyx looked up. "Should I have?"
"Most would. After being dragged away by someone they just met."
"You didn't give me much choice."
He smirked. "True. But I expected fear. Not defiance."
"I'm not used to kindness. Doesn't mean I can't recognize chains."
There was silence.
Then Kael leaned in, voice quieter. "You're not in chains here, Nyx. I claimed you because the bond between us is real. But I won't force you. Not your affection. Not your loyalty. Not even your trust."
Nyx studied him. "And if I never give any of those?"
"Then I'll wait."
She swallowed, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone.
"He's not what I expected," she whispered inwardly.
"He's dangerous," Elaine warned. "But not to you."
Kael stood. "Come. I want to show you something."
Nyx followed Kael through the winding garden paths, the scent of roses and orange blossoms mingling with the crisp morning air. Palace guards stood at a respectful distance, but their eyes remained sharp.
"Do they always watch you like that?" she asked, casting a glance at the guards.
Kael gave a faint smile. "They watch everyone. But especially me. Power invites attention. And enemies."
Nyx tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So… you're really the king of all five clans?"
"Yes," he said simply.
"But you're a werewolf, aren't you?"
He gave her a sidelong glance. "Mostly. But like you, I'm more than one thing."
That answer sent a chill down her spine.
"Elaine… do you feel that?"
"He's holding back. There's more to him than he says."
Kael stopped in front of a massive carved door near the edge of the garden. "This," he said, "is the Hall of Ancients. I want you to see it."
The doors creaked open as he pushed them, revealing a vast circular chamber with stained glass windows and intricate symbols carved into the walls. At the center stood five stone pedestals, each glowing faintly with a different hue: silver, crimson, emerald, sapphire, and gold.
Nyx stared. "What is this place?"
"It's the heart of our realm," Kael said. "Each pedestal represents a clan. Werewolves, vampires, witches, fairies, and dragons. Every ruler swears loyalty to the balance held here."
"And you… rule them all?"
"I don't just rule them," he said quietly. "I keep them from tearing each other apart."
Nyx's eyes fell to the golden pedestal. It was glowing brighter than the others.
"Why is that one glowing so much?"
Kael's jaw tensed slightly. "Because someone touched it recently. Someone born of dragon blood."
Her heart skipped. "I didn't.."
"You don't have to lie." He stepped closer. "You touched it the moment you stepped into this palace."
She backed up slightly, suddenly uncertain. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to understand," he said, voice low and intense, "you are not weak. You are not a servant. You are not forgotten. You were born of prophecy, Nyx. You are power itself. And whether you like it or not… this realm has been waiting for you."
The golden pedestal glowed even brighter, casting light over her trembling fingers.
"He knows." Elaine's voice echoed in her mind. "He knows what we are."
Nyx's breath caught as the golden glow bathed her skin. Her fingertips trembled, the warmth pulsing up her arm like a heartbeat that wasn't her own.
"I don't understand…" she whispered, taking a shaky step back. "I'm not special. I'm.."
Kael's voice cut through, low and commanding. "Don't ever say that again."
She flinched at his intensity. But there was no malice in his tone, only… urgency. Truth.
"I've seen the prophecy," Kael continued, stepping closer. "A child born of all five clans. Hidden. Hunted. The one who would tip the balance of power." His gaze pierced into her. "I've searched for you my whole life."
Nyx stared at him, disoriented. "But why me? I was nothing in that pack. Morgana made sure of it."
"Because she feared you," he said darkly. "They all did. Even your father. They knew what you could become, and they tried to bury you before you bloomed."
Nyx clenched her fists. "I didn't ask for this. I just wanted to be free. I didn't want.."
"You didn't ask for it," he interrupted gently. "But it's yours, Nyx. No one else can carry it."
"He's right," Elaine murmured softly. "We've always known we were more. We just didn't know how much more."
Nyx turned away, suddenly overwhelmed. "And what now? You bring me to your palace, tell me I'm some powerful hybrid, and expect me to just… step into it?"
Kael's silence lingered before he spoke again, quieter this time. "I don't expect anything. But I will protect you. And I'll help you become what you were meant to be."
Nyx slowly turned to look at him again. There was something in his eyes now, less steel, more vulnerability.
"But why?" she asked, her voice small.
He stepped closer, his voice almost a whisper. "Because you're mine."
Her heart stuttered.
Kael held her gaze. "Fated. Chosen. I knew it the moment I saw you. The prophecy only confirmed what my instincts screamed."
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
The golden pedestal behind her pulsed once more, this time brighter than before, almost… in approval.
Kael's eyes lingered on her, the golden glow reflecting in his dark irises. "You don't have to say anything now," he said quietly. "But know this, Nyx... I didn't just bring you here because of the prophecy."
Nyx swallowed. "Then why?"
His jaw tightened slightly, as if he struggled to say the words. Then, almost reluctantly, he stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"Because the moment I saw you," Kael murmured, "I felt something I haven't in years. Something I didn't think I was capable of feeling."
Nyx's breath caught in her throat. Elaine was silent too, for once not teasing or cautious, just quietly present.
Kael reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with an unexpected gentleness that made her heart ache. "You stir something in me I thought was long dead. I want to protect you. Claim you. And yes…" his voice dropped lower, "I want you."
Nyx's lips parted slightly, but her voice wouldn't come.
Kael leaned closer, his hand still at her face, his breath mingling with hers. "But only when you're ready," he added, his voice softer now. "I'll wait… even if it drives me mad."
The air between them was thick, charged.
For a moment, Nyx forgot the prophecy. Forgot Morgana. Forgot everything except this terrifying, magnetic pull between them.
She whispered, "What if I never am?"
He smiled faintly. "Then I'll spend forever proving to you that you're worth waiting for."
Her chest squeezed at his words.
"You're falling," Elaine whispered in her mind, "and this time, it's not a dream."
Nyx didn't deny it.