Sienna Blackthorn, a half-human, half-fae hybrid, has lived her life as an outcast. Rejected by her small pack for her strange lineage, she's spent years in hiding, masking her abilities and struggling to belong. But when the Lycan King, Caspian Ironfang, declares a search for the true heir to the mystical Throne of Eternity, Sienna's life is upended. The throne, lost to history, holds the power to unite or destroy the shifter realms and it seems her mixed heritage might be the key to unlocking its secrets. However, a secret cult known as the Veilborn seeks to harness the throne for their own sinister purposes. Forced into a partnership with the cold yet tough loyal Lycan King, Sienna must try to come to terms with her growing feelings for the king she vowed to avoid. As the hunt for the throne takes them across magical realms and tests their very souls, Sienna begins to understand that rejection was not her end, it was her beginning. For she is not destined to be anyone's mate. She is destined to reign, but as a queen.
Chapter 1 Hybrid Without A Wolf
Sienna breathed heavily, as she knelt in the center of the stone clearing, her eyes fixed intently on the floor. She had just turned fifteen, and it was supposed to be her moment. Her first shift. The night her wolf would finally emerge.
But unfortunately, it didn't happen, no matter how she tried. And to worsen it all, she's the center of attention, as all wolves who'd gathered under the full moon fixed their gaze on her.
"She's not shifting."
"A hybrid without a wolf? Impossible."
Murmurs broke out among the crowd, and the Lycan king's face tightened in anger. A low growl erupts from his throat. "Get up," he ordered, and in panic, Sienna forced herself to her feet, her legs trembling.
King Caspian was someone everyone feared, especially when he was angry. Although he's young, but he's the most powerful king to reckon with. Her eyes darted to her father, who stood at the edge of the circle with a stern face, refusing to look at her.
"Again," King Caspian commanded, and Sienna closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Sweat dampened her skin as she reached deep inside herself, searching, begging for the shift to take hold, but still nothing.
"It's no use, my King. If her wolf was going to surface, it would have happened by now." Said Micheal, the pack's Beta as he stepped forward.
King Caspian's jaw twitched instantly, and he glared at her, his eyes burning fiercely. With a cold voice, he said, "A shifter who cannot shift is a disgrace. You are no daughter of this pack, Sienna Blackthorn. From this moment on, you are banished."
'' What?'' Sienna blurted out in astonishment, and her heart sank instantly. A gasp rippled through the crowd, surprise etched on their faces. Others were against it, claiming the punishment was too small, while others agreed with the King.
"Leave. Now!!." King Caspian roared, sending shivers down her spine.
Sienna turned to her father, her last hope. But to her surprise, he was silent. His hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the ground.
'' I-'' She opened her mouth to speak, to plead for a second chance, but gulped down instantly, as King Caspian's gaze met hers. Without a word, he began to walk towards her, causing her heart to beat rapidly against her chest.
Sienna felt like running away, to escape from the cruel man before her, but her legs were frozen, stuck at the spot.
Before she knew it, King Caspian was in front of her, staring deep into her emerald blue eyes, as if he was searching for something hidden deep within her soul. She couldn't look away either; for the first time, she stared directly at his face.
Although he was ruthless, he appeared to be the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Caspian raised a finger to her face, drawing a line on her cheek, and sending shivers down her spine. Seeing how soft his face had become, Sienna thought perhaps he would change his mind and allow her to live in the pack.
But his next words shattered her heart, forcing her to take a step backward.
'' You don't deserve to be banished, Sienna.'' he said and paused for a while, then added with a darkened face, '' A weakling in our bloodline is an insult to our kind. You deserve to die!!.''
A loud noise erupted from the crowd in support of the King's decision; this time around, it was louder than the previous. Knowing that she's rejected and alone, Sienna had only one thing in mind. As soon as the warriors lunged forward to grab her, she turned swiftly and ran into the nearby woods, inside the forest.
However, that didn't make the warriors stop; they chased after her, their fangs visible to rip her apart at any given opportunity.
''Faster! Faster!'' She said in her mind, ignoring the pain in her leg, as claws raked against her calf. She stumbled and crashed into the ground, and the warrior behind her snarled and loomed over her, his canines glinting in the moonlight.
"Pathetic," he sneered and charged towards her while she closed her eyes tightly, awaiting the pain to surge through her body and soul.
But instead, she felt a sudden force exploding from deep within her, raw and electric.
A shockwave of golden-blue energy pulsed outward, knocking the warrior off his feet. He hit the ground with a thud and yelped in pain.
The other warriors who arrived at the scene stopped abruptly, hesitating to go further. ''What just happened?'' Asked one of them, surprise etched on his face.
"She's not one of us," someone whispered.
"She's something else." Replied another, and at the same, Sienna's body began to tremble. She staggered to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the frightened warriors.
She didn't understand what had just happened, but she knew one thing, she couldn't stay.
Without a second thought, Sienna turned and ran away, disappearing into the shadows. Her limbs felt heavier with each step, her vision blurring every last second. After a long run, Sienna stopped under a tree, breathing heavily as she glanced back to see if she was still being followed.
'' I'm... I'm tired,'' She stuttered, rolling her eyes lazily. Her knees buckled, and she hit the ground, and sat down after a little while, leaning against the tree.
The memories of the earlier event slipped into her mind, and she bit her lips bitterly as if it would stop the pain surging through her heart. She could remember how the pack members clamored behind King Caspian when he pronounced her death sentence and her father's silence; it was the most painful thing she could ever think of.
''What will I do now? How...how will I cope? I don't even have anywhere to go.'' A sob escaped her lips, and tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. At the same time, her heart began to burn.
It started as a slow, smoldering heat in her chest, then spread wild, until it became uncontrollable. Sienna clenched her jaw, biting back a scream as a golden-blue light flickered beneath her skin.
Through the haze, she saw them.
A pair of golden eyes watching her from the shadows. Before she could get a grasp of who it was, darkness overshadowed her, and she fell on the ground, and lost consciousness.
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