Chapter 1

Intro.

Centuries ago, in a world far, far away, werewolves and weretigers did not live in harmony. Both clans were constantly engaged in feuds, their disdain for each other was always visible and prominent. Each clan was on guard around the other, seeking to find weaknesses and use them against one another.

As time passed, the werewolves grew in number, size, and power, becoming a mighty kingdom that rivaled any neighboring realm, shifters and humans included. The weretigers, though smaller in population, were just as powerful, and this caused many riots to break out between them.

That was until a male weretiger rose to power. His name was Aeron. Stronger, bigger, and more ruthless than his counterparts, he ruled his clan with an iron fist and steelier words, uniting the unruly beneath his reign. Through him, a peace treaty was signed with the werewolves, and the fights ceased.

Peace reigned. Or so everyone thought.

A problem soon arose. Centuries passed, but Aeron could not bear an heir. He searched high and low for a woman who could conceive his child among his clan, but none could. And that was when he stumbled upon Annette, the werewolf princess.

Rumored to be a late bloomer, at age twenty-three she had yet to find her mate and, stranger still, had never completed a full shift. Regardless, her family loved and cherished her, and her father, the werewolf king, doted on her, for she was his favorite — the child borne to him by his late wife and queen in his old age. Aeron saw her, claimed her as his, and took her to his kingdom, where she was defiled.

King Rowan and his sons flew into a rage. Forgotton was the peace treaty, they ambushed the weretiger people, killed Aeron, and decimated his clan. Princess Annette was rescued and returned to her home. But things did not return to the way they had been.

Annette had concieved and was carrying Aeron’s child — his son and heir. Unfortunately, she died in childbirth, leaving the poor child an orphan. Aggrieved by the loss of his only daughter, King Rowan declared war. A deadly conflict broke out, thousands of weretigers were slaughtered, and the rest were taken into slavery. The once-powerful weretiger clan was reduced to nothing but ashes, a shadow of its former glory.

An even greater tragedy awaited the innocent child’s future. For inside him lived two powerful beasts, permanently at war, each fighting to gain control.

Today, we bring you the unfortunate story of King Lylall Xenon Valtherion — the Hybrid King.

Chapter 1

(A century later)

Growing up, Rayena had always heard tales from her mother about the shifter beings that lived among them. She heard about their powers, brute strength, and savage behavior.

"They rule powerful kingdoms, Raye..." her mother told her one night when she was six, her arms wrapped around her as they lay in bed. Rayena turned to look at her mother, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Really?" she asked, her voice filled with awe.

"Yes. And they are terrifyingly huge too," her mother added, tensing around her daughter. Rayena gasped, eyes bigger than saucers.

"Bigger than Papa?"

"Much bigger than your father."

"Wow..." Rayena trailed off, lost for words. In the past, she had always been curious about them—wondering what they looked like and if she would ever meet one.

Well, not anymore. Because, as fate would have it, her father had promised her to one.

She could still remember how shocked she was when he broke the news to her on the eve of her twentieth birthday. It ruined the entire day for her, that's for sure.

"It was to save the kingdom, and it happened such a long time ago!" he protested when she confronted him about it. "Either I gave you to him, or he would raze my entire kingdom to the ground! Do you want that for me, my dear daughter?"

No. No, she didn’t want that for him. But still, it was unfair.

She was standing in her chambers now, watching as her maids prepared her for the long journey back to their territory, because according to her father, she was now of age and they were coming to collect her. Her lips curled into a frown as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, balling her hands into fists. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them back. She would not cry.

Yet, her lips trembled. She had turned twenty only three days ago. Why was the world so unfair to her!? The door opened, and her mother stepped in with a panic-stricken look on her face. Rayena’s heart skipped a beat, a shiver running down her spine.

"What is it, Mother? Why do you look so agitated?" she asked, turning to her as the maids stepped away, bowing.

"They’re here... those shifter beings are here!" her mother cried as she rushed towards her, flailing her hands helplessly. Rayena’s blood turned to ice.

"W-what!? So quickly!?"

Her mother grabbed her hands—more to reassure herself than her daughter. "They’re in the council room with your father. I-I tried to plead for more time, but they would hear none of it." Her voice broke, eyes already brimming with tears. "I don’t know what to do..."

"It’s okay... it’s not like this can be reversed any longer. I will have to go with them." Rayena said, thankfully, her voice didn't betray the panic she was feeling.

"Oh, my poor child," her mother cried as she engulfed Rayena in a hug. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t know about this. I don’t want you to go with them. They do not look like good people, Rayena." She sobbed into Rayena's neck, her petite frame shaking. Rayena patted her back, allowing her mother to cry.

"We don’t have a choice, Mother," Rayena finally muttered as she pulled away. "It’s better I leave with them now before they do something rash. I’m almost done here." She said, gesturing at her dress.

Her mother sniffed, dabbing her tears with a handkerchief. Rayena tried to put on a brave face, even as her insides quaked with trepidation.

"In that case, it would be better to not delay you even more. What about her things?" her mother asked no one in particular.

"They’re already packed and waiting outside, Your Majesty..." another maid answered, startled, her head still lowered.

"Come, let me accompany you," her mother said, holding her hands and leading her out of her chambers. The hallway was eerily silent, save for the shuffle of feet. The knot in Rayena’s stomach twisted tighter, cold sweat running down her spine. What energy did the shifters have to render everywhere and everyone deathly still?

Together, they approached the council room, and the guard stationed there bowed upon their arrival, pulling the doors open and gesturing for them to enter. Taking a deep breath, Rayena steeled herself and walked in.

The sight she met shocked her beyond words. Her father, once so huge and regal, now looked tiny and weak beside these... foreigners, for lack of a better word. There were only three men present, yet they carried the aura of a thousand soldiers. Two had blonde hair and serpentine green eyes that seemed permanently drawn into slits. The one with dark hair had a scowl that made him several times more terrifying than anyone she had ever met.

"Is she the one we’re waiting for?" the one in front asked, turning to her father, who flinched at the sound of his voice. He glanced at Rayena, shame in his eyes before quickly diverting it away.

"Y-yes, that’s my wife and daughter. Her name is Rayena," her father answered, lowering his head to the floor. Rayena looked between them, lost for words. Why wasn’t he trying to save her from these giants??

"You’re coming with us," the dark-haired one said, stepping forward. "We have to take you now."

"Right now?" Rayena stuttered, and her mother whimpered beside her, the tone filled with anguish.

No answer came. He simply stepped to her side and pulled her away from her mother.

"Hey! Unhand me right now! How dare you lay your hands on me!" she screeched, struggling against his hold, but it was as useless as fighting a stone wall.

"We thank you for keeping your end of the bargain, Sir, Alfred. If you had resisted, I shudder to think what would have become of you, your family, and your kingdom. Please know this is the last time you’ll be seeing your daughter. Do not attempt to search for her, and do not venture into our territory, or you will lose your head," the blonde one before them spoke.

Shock was an understatement of how Rayena felt when he uttered those words. "What do you mean this is the last time my parents will see me!? Where are you taking me!? I do not consent to this!! Let me go!"

"Quiet!" the one holding her gritted through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing as his grip tightened. Rayena jumped, startled. Her mother began to cry.

Tears spilled from Rayena’s eyes as well, but there was little she could do now. As they began to drag her away, her father tried to follow, but one menacing glare and a furious growl froze him in his tracks, his face white as snow.

"Rayena!" he called out as the distance between them grew. "Please, be well!! We love you and will miss you!" She heard him cry, and her wailing grew louder.

The council doors closed behind them, and Rayena burst into tears. Her captors paid her no heed, their steps uniform as they marched her out of her home and into a carriage they had prepared. One official followed after her while the rest remained outside, barking orders for the drivers to move.

Rayena was still crying when the man in the carriage shoved something in her face. In his hands were three red pills.

"Wha... what is this?" she stuttered, sniffing as she glanced at the frowning male in front of her.

"Swallow it," he ordered, his voice tinged with steel. She was about to argue when he growled at her.

"Do not waste my time."

Stricken with fear, she took the pills from his hand and slipped them into her mouth, swallowing them down. Seconds later, a wave of dizziness crashed over her, and before she realized what was happening, she fell unconscious.