The trouble with writing is not the actual task of it, but rather the process of sitting down and beginning with a blank page. It's why most of the time I either start the beginning of the next chapter as I finish the one I'm posting, or I write an author note, like this haha. Enjoy ;)
Ps make sure you read chapter 37 as this is a double update.
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It took them six hours to reach Lucien's territory. Six hours of non-stop running, only stopping for the occasional sip of water or to sate their growing hunger. Of course, they had been stationed in the Lycan's land for several days beforehand, far enough that Lucien wouldn't have scented them out. It had taken every resource Colden had to bring these wolves onto this land. It made it that much harder to think about the fact that when the battle would cease and a victor would be claimed, only a portion of them would be left alive to occupy those same resources.
He tried not to think about it, those deaths that hang over their heads. He could see it in their eyes, the question of whether they'd be the ones to bleed to death, their throats torn open. Or the fear and despair that clung to those that were mated, female and male alike, in question whether or not they would see their mates again. Or perhaps whether they would fail completely.
Colden tried to not contemplate that notion, the idea of complete failure. If that were to happen and Lucien would still be left to reign, he feared for their futures. And if he didn't succeed and Alice came back alive, he could very much use her as a weapon for destruction. He wasn't sure what was worse and so he pushed it out of his mind and waited.
Stationing his and Lorenz's warriors was no easy task. There were hundreds of them, after all. Hundreds that they had to disguise. It was pure luck that the wind blew south, away from the palace and the keen noses of the Lycan's. And it was luck that it was raining heavily enough to mask their scents. Droplets of water trickled down his back, coating his black fur until it was slick and glistening. His belly was pressed against the ground, leaves obscuring most of his frame in order to disguise him better with the scenery. Tom was somewhere, several miles away.
The palace was surrounded by a large stone gate, several metres high. It stretched on for miles, curving like a fortress, a staple of Lucien's power and wealth. He had stationed his men carefully, those with more skill and strength were further away from where he was, right in front of the gate where the Lycan had told him no guards would be. He had spoken true. The station was abandoned, a clear pathway to tear his way through until he reached Lucien.
The warriors stationed on the East and West sides would have more trouble powering through the Lycan's. They had to rely on stealth and surprise alone in order to get inside, even then they would suffer losses. But today wasn't about that. They knew that most would die under the Lycan's power. They were simply relying on how quickly Colden reached Lucien. How quickly he could end his reign. That was his only task. Make his way through the grounds and into the castle. The rest would be taken care of by his and Lorenz's warriors.
Several more hours pass until the clock tower struck 11:30 pm. At the signal, Colden's wolf released a battle howl, hundreds of them following in his wake. It reverberated through the forest, stilling everything inside of the palace walls. But before anyone had time to react, Colden was already tearing his way through the front gates and onto the grounds, his wolf snarling for blood- Lucien's blood.
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Colden's name left her lips the moment her consciousness returned. It tasted foreign, too clean and pure in her tainted mouth. Her nostrils flared at the strange scent of lilac that clung to her. She was clad in a blood red dress that stopped down her mid-thigh. Alice trailed her fingers over the lacy detailing, frowning as the ringing in her ears slowly receded.
Ice spread through her veins as her senses returned. Her ears prickled at the onslaught of noises; a party, somewhere in the distance. And faintly, she could hear Lucien's laughter. She realised that it was nearing, edging closer and closer to her awakened state.
Her top lip curled up to reveal her glistening canines at the thought of the Lycan king. There was an ache in her neck from when he had snapped it and thrown her away like a rag doll. The beast inside of her wanted his blood, yet the mortal and sane part of her wanted to make him suffer for all eternity.
Alice edged off the surface he had laid her on. Her blood simmered as she took in the open glass casket. That fucking bastard! The snarl threatened to leave her lips, possibly alerting Lucien of her rebirth. The urge to laugh almost overpowered her. He surely wasn't expecting her to come back from the dead, that was for certain. Had he planned to place her in a tomb for all eternity? Or perhaps he would have buried her and let her to rot? It was enough to send her beast on a frenzy, and given her current state, that was very dangerous territory.
From the corners of her eyes, she saw the shadows shift and mould, clinging onto her body with earnest excitement. A price to pay for her never-ending life, then; a darkness that would not float or fade away, taunting her mind. She heard it's whispers of blood and death, pain and suffering.
He's coming, he's coming, he's coming, the shadows seemed to say.
Alice snapped her head towards the large double doors where she could hear Lucien's velvet-like voice and his guests. Rage spread through her body and all the way down to her toes. Was he planning on marrying her dead corpse? Hide, Hades' voice echoed in the crevices of her mind. She wanted to kill him too, for the sheer fact that he had shoved her back into her body without giving her enough time to process the new tattoo made of magic that he had burnt onto her chest, with whatever magic he had as a God. But there was no time.
On instinct, Alice tugged at the deep and primal part of her that had awakened with her death and lunged towards the height of the ceiling. It took her a moment to realise that she had become the shadow itself, blending into the in-between of the world as if she had merely placed herself in a pocket. There but not there, dead but not dead. The tendrils of darkness smoothed over her skin, gliding down her cheeks as she scaled to the corner of the ceiling.
She smelt him then; Lucien's tangy scent of blood and musk. The doors opened and his voice came to a halt.
"A casket?" Someone in the crowd murmured.
Alice barely stifled the rage and thirst for death as she pushed herself farther into the corner. It was her chance to kill him, even with the crowd of Lycan's that had clearly come to witness their wedding. Strange that they had not known of her passing. Though perhaps it wasn't as strange as the howls that echoed somewhere outside of the palace walls.
Eyes snapped towards the doors, sheer panic crossing their faces. It took several long seconds for the screams to begin. Several long seconds before curses left Lucien's mouth as he smashed through the chairs. The moment he turned his back towards her, nostrils flaring and eyes locked on the door, Alice dropped to the ground with a quiet but taunting thud.
He whirled around, eyes blood red and claws extended. Yet the moment the shadows peeled away from her skin and he registered her pitch black eyes and darkened veins that decorated them, his face slackened.
"Alice?" Disbelief laced his words.
She stepped forward with a snarl of her own, body trembling from the rage that she had repressed.
Kill him, kill him now, the shadows shrieked, whispering into her ear.
A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth and as the candlelight hit her face, Alice smelt the fear that pulsed out of Lucien's pores. Her smirk turned into a grin that exposed her razor sharp teeth, "Hello, Lucien," she purred, "you didn't think I'd miss my own wedding, did you?"
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If you're wondering why the chapters are so short near the end it's because I separated them. The last few chapters were meant to be joined, but I know from being a reader myself that there's nothing worse than long and lengthy chapters when there is action. I prefer it this way. And if I hadn't done this the book would only have been around 30, maybe 31 chapters long lol. What did you think? Honestly, the next chapter will be so fucking juicy ugh! I can't wait for you to read it.