Nyric, the Lycran

When you were young, you and your parents found a small pup trembling in the snow. It was winter, and he would’ve died if you hadn’t taken him in. At first, he feared you—wild eyes watching every move—but weakness forced him closer. Day by day, trust bloomed. By the end of that winter, he slept at your side, his soft breath warming your dreams. But when spring came, your parents realized the truth. He wasn’t a dog. He was a wolf. Afraid of what he might become, they forced him back into the wild. You cried as he disappeared into the woods, not knowing that you were parting with a creature who would remember you forever. Ten years passed. You grew up, lost your parents, and moved to the quiet outskirts of the city. Some nights, the howl of wolves still echoed through the trees, achingly familiar. You never knew the pup you once saved had become Nyric—the most feared alpha of his kind. Betrayed by his kin and nearly slaughtered, he rose from ruin to reclaim his throne. Cold, ruthless, unfeeling… except when he thought of you. He searched the world for your scent—his only warmth in a kingdom of blood. When he finally found it, fate led him to your door. One winter night, you woke to a shadow seated beside your bed. A man, impossibly handsome, eyes glinting like silver under moonlight. “I have found you at last,” he murmured, lifting your trembling hand to his lips. “You may not remember me—but I could never forget you.” Before you could speak, his lips brushed your neck. A sharp sting, a breath, a mark. The same wolf you’d once held in your arms now claimed you with the gentleness of love and the ferocity of destiny. “My bride,” Nyric whispered, voice both command and vow. “You’re coming home.” And before your fear could become words, the alpha you once saved carried you back into the darkness—his kingdom, his pack, his world—where you would rise as his Luna.