Love In Disguise: Lycan King's Forbidden Love

"Life can be such a fickle thing…"

As Eira teetered between life and death, Adrianna's words resounded in her head.

"What about you? What will you do once you reach Valdor?"

Recalling those words her fear and panic gave way to the distant, yet unmistakable sound of childish laughter, echoing through her mind.

She envisioned two children; sprinting through mud puddles in the woods. She closed her tearful eyes, immersing herself in the memory.

The suffocating smell of smoke was replaced by the calming aroma of damp soil and fig trees. And the scorching flame exchanged for the gentle caress of a cool breeze that danced across her skin.

"Hurry up, Eira!" The boy in front hollered.

"I'm coming-" her words were cut short by her tripping over a tree bark and falling into a mud puddle.

"Wait for me!" She pleaded, raising her palms from the puddle, only to see that they were stained with blood.

She raised her head, but she was no longer in the idyllic woods. The repugnant smell of burning flesh assaulted her senses, and sorrowful wailing pierced the air.

Al-" she tried to scream, but a palm covered her mouth, muffling her screams, dragging her blood painted body away from the blazing village before her tearful gaze...

Eira jolted out of bed, her eyes watery and rounded with fear, and her fingers stretched towards the open door.

Slow and heavy pants escaped her lips, she lowered her jaw to speak, but a sharp pain pierced at her neck.

The pain stretched to all parts of her bandage covered body, the effect of the fall kicking in.

She brought her hands to her neck and took a rough feel of it, 'My voice is gone.' she panicked inwardly, as she tried to make a sound.

"You bashed your head and suffered a bad concussion and damaged your wind pipes." A voice sounded from the right.

Eira sharply turned her head to the source, to the blonde haired woman perched at the balcony window.

Eira inwardly gasped. 'I couldn't even detect her scent.'

Lyra folded her arms, a disinterested look in her eye, "Even with a healer's assistance, it'll take about a month before you're able to start speaking again."

A month? Eira's countenance fell. How was she going to survive being in Lycan territory mute for a month?

Adrianna flashed before her eyes, 'I wonder how she's doing, I hope she's not too hurt.' She thought to herself.

Approaching Eira, Lyra explained, "It's a good thing we found you when we did, goddess knows what could've happened after being buried in the snow for two whole days."

Eira reflexively pulled the covers over her shoulders, and shrank back, her eyes following the stranger's body.

With each step she took, Lyra could draw the stark difference between their races.

While Adrianna had a smaller frame and frailer features, the stranger had a fuller figure and a sturdier build.

A smile played on Lyra's lips, "I can tell from that look in your eyes, that you've figured out exactly who…" she shook her head, "What I am." She pointed out, standing close enough for Eira to catch her scent.

A scent so strong it made Eira's stomach churn.

Lyra crinkled her brows, "But why is it, that I cannot pick the faintest stench of fear off of you?" she asked, leaning in.

Eira tried to back away, but Lyra held her by the back of her head and forced their gazes to meet. "You really are not afraid of me." She pointed out, fazed.

She narrowed her green orbs, "How odd."

Retracing her hand she said in a somewhat condescending tone, "Rest up and save your energy, princess, you're going to need it later."

Eira raised a brow, wondering what she meant by addressing her that way.

Explaining herself better, she taunted, "You're about to meet your knight in shinning armor."

After she left, two women came in, with a wash bowl and a change of clothes. Eira could tell from their smaller frames and thin figures that they weren't Lycans just like her.

Judging from the tattered rags they had on, she could also tell that they were slaves, the ones Adrianna had talked about, the ones who were reduced to breeders.

"Your highness." They greeted, before taking her clothes and bandages off, then wiping her down with a wet cloth.

Your highness? Eira scrunched her nose whenever the servants called her that title. She tried to correct their mistake, but her voice was truly gone.

After they re-wrapped her wounds, they sat her by the mirror and began to brush her hair.

Eira kept a calm demeanor, careful not to overreact and draw any suspicion towards herself.

She could guess that they had somehow mistaken her for the Alpha's daughter, which could mean that Adrianna had not been found. Or worse, they might have found her corpse

'Untill I've made certain what exactly happened to Miss Adrianna, I have to retain a level head.' she chanted to herself, as they led her by hand outside of the bedroom, supporting her weight.

Eira peered at the midnight blue sky through the hallway window, she dropped her gaze to her heavily bandaged leg, and to the stick tied to it. She shook her head, dismissing her intrusive thoughts.

As they approached a large heavily decorated door, one of the servants whispered, "Your highness, please, save us-"

Before Eira could turn to respond, the servant's head was severed from her neck and rolled over the red carpet!

The servant's body fell with a silent thud, and two Lycans, whose scents she could only now sense, stuck around to take the corpse away.

"Your highness, this way, please." The other servant politely called out, tugging at Eira's arm. Eira glanced at her, and gasped silently, at the tears trickling down the sides of her broad smile.

She gulped and followed the servant, her heart racing with fear and anticipation of who or rather what awaited her behind those doors.

'Your highness, Adrianna, please be safe.' Eira hoped, as the heavg door was pushed back, and the light from the inside seeped out…

"We've inspected the scene several times over the past two days, there's not even a corpse to be found, it must've already been buried under the snow or eaten by some animal. Our plan was a success, the Lycan king's bride is dead." A man with a long black cape reported.

"Search beyond the mountain! Cover more ground! We can't afford to be reckless." His superior barked, raising his fiery torch to the starless sky. "Untill we find her remains, don't stop searching!" Then charged them into the night, in tens and twenties, with a clear mission in mind.

"Find the Lycan king's bride! Find Adrianna! No matter the cost!"