The Lycan King's Secret Daughter novel Chapter 10

SYLRA’S POV

“Again,” I growled, planting my feet and pivoting hard.

Steel rang as my blade clashed against the royal guard’s.

The courtyard lit with moonlight and the smell of sweat and pine echoed with the sounds of training, metal against metal, boots scuffing stone, breath drawn tight. The royal wolves were fast, strong, and sharpened by years of elite discipline.

But I was faster.

I ducked a swing and drove my shoulder into my opponent’s gut, knocking him back.

Darian barked from the sidelines. “Good form. But don’t admire your work. Follow through!”

I did.

Spinning, I brought the flat of my blade to the guard’s ribs with a solid smack. He grunted and dropped to one knee, acknowledging defeat.

I stepped back, chest heaving.

The other wolves circled me, not with disdain but something close to respect. That still felt strange.

A slow clap echoed across the courtyard.

I turned.

King Maelric leaned against one of the stone pillars, arms crossed, a quiet grin tugging at his mouth.

“You fight like your mother,” he said.

I sheathed my blade and arched an eyebrow. “That supposed to be a compliment?”

He chuckled. “It’s the highest one I’ve got.”

Darian stepped forward, offering me a cloth. I took it, wiping sweat from my brow as the King motioned for me to follow.

“I take it I passed the physical trial?” I asked as we walked along the garden’s stone path.

“With distinction,” he replied. “Now it’s time you learned to use the sharper weapon.”

“What, sarcasm?”

“Politics,” he said with a grin. “Same thing.”

I laughed, but it faded quickly. “You mean alliances. Treaties. Manipulation.”

“Influence,” he corrected. “The court is full of wolves wearing human skins. Knowing how to read them, how to move them—that’s how you rule without lifting a sword.”

I fell silent for a moment, glancing at the high moon glowing above the palace towers.

“You’ll be expected to meet with certain alphas soon. Negotiate. Charm. Command.”

I exhaled. “Let me guess. Including Blackmaw?”

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “You already saw Rovan in the court.”

“Yeah. I saw the look on his face when I walked in,” I said, voice low. “He looked like a man who just realized he tossed away a crown.”

Maelric chuckled. “He did. Literally.”

“Did you know?” I asked, stopping under a vine-laced archway. “That he was my husband?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation.

“And you still let him kneel in front of you like nothing happened?”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify