The Play-Toy Of Three Lycan Kings-Chapter 417: Worried

ADAM

Sage’s absence sat in my chest like ice.

Even with the mate bond humming steadily between us—even with the steady, undeniable proof that she was alive, strong, unbroken—I couldn’t shake the tension coiled in my spine.

She was still out there. Alone.

I could feel her through the bond: a fierce, focused presence, a mind burning with purpose. Every so often, a soft tug brushed against my awareness—a silent reassurance. Don’t worry. I’m fine.

But I worried anyway. I always would.

I wanted to go after her. Wanted to abandon the council hall, shift, and run until the world blurred, until I found her. Wanted to stand at her side the way I should have from the beginning.

Instead, I stood in the council hall, surrounded by power that could shatter kingdoms.

Twenty Ancients filled the chamber, their presence bending the air around them. They were fewer than the vampires we’d faced—far fewer—but they had been enough to slaughter over sixty attackers in a single, brutal wave.

Their strength lingered like ozone after lightning.

My parents were here. So were my brothers. Elders. Warriors. Leaders who looked like they had aged years in a single day.

Beyond these walls, most of the pack remained locked inside their homes—shaken, frightened, waiting for news of whether they would survive the night.

My father stepped forward, his voice steady despite the exhaustion etched into his features.

"Our gratitude," he said, addressing the Ancient who stood at the center of the group. "You arrived when we needed you most."

The Ancient inclined his head slightly.

Feliq. That was his name. Prince of the Ancients.

He carried himself like a blade wrapped in silk. The faint glow in his eyes marked him as older than he appeared, older than most beings in this world.

"I accept your thanks," Feliq replied smoothly. "But I wish to speak with Sage."

The word tightened something sharp in my chest.

Darius, standing beside me, answered before I could. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"She has likely gone after the Queen," he said. "The one who misled her. Used her."

Feliq’s gaze flicked toward me, then back to Darius. "Is that wise?"

Darius shrugged, his expression unreadable. "Sage is more than capable of handling the Queen. Especially since the Queen doesn’t know she’s coming—or that Sage has abandoned the plan she was manipulated into."

That didn’t soothe me. If anything, it deepened the knot in my stomach.

"She’s strong, yes..." I said quietly. "But strength doesn’t erase risk."

Xanth stepped forward from the cluster of Ancients. Unlike many of the others, she wore battle like a crown. Her posture was relaxed but ready, as though she would welcome another fight rather than dread it.

"Someone should still check on her," she said. "Even if only to confirm she hasn’t walked into a trap."

"I will," Darius said. "Adam and I are tied to her. Through bond and blood. We’ll know if something goes wrong."

My jaw tightened, but I nodded. "She’s okay right now," I added. "I can feel it."

Feliq tilted his head slightly. "Then your priority should shift to the rest of your territory."

He wasn’t wrong.

"I’ve been trying to reach our outposts," I said. "The ones I stationed at the borders. There’s been no response."

My father’s expression darkened. "Then the vampires may have reached them first."

The implication hung heavily in the room.

He turned to Feliq. "We may need additional support. If the colonies have fallen—"

Feliq raised a hand, halting him gently. "We can assist," he said. "But nothing is without cost."

My father hesitated. "What do you want?"

Feliq’s gaze sharpened. "The Abstenum."

The word rippled through the hall.

My father stiffened. "How do you know about that?"

Darius answered calmly, "Sage..."

My father looked torn. The Abstenum was rare. Powerful. Dangerous in the wrong hands.

"I don’t know if we should—" he began.

"We won’t misuse it," Darius said quietly. "And we don’t want possession. Just access, if ever necessary. It can remain here."

Silence fell. Every eye turned to me.

I was the ruling king in this region now after all. Not my father.

I felt the weight of that truth settle onto my shoulders. If granting them access meant protecting more lives, then hesitation would be cowardice.

"You’ll have access," I said firmly. "When needed. Under my oversight."

My father glanced at me, surprised, but said nothing.

Feliq nodded once. "Then we will aid your colonies." He gestured subtly, and ten of the Ancients stepped forward, their movements silent, efficient.

"They will leave immediately," he said. "To reinforce your borders and locate survivors."

Relief stirred in the hall. Still, my mind remained tethered elsewhere.

To Sage. To the pull of our bond. She was moving.

She was angry, focused. Determined in a way that made my chest ache.

"She’s furious," I murmured under my breath.

Darius glanced sideways at me. "She has every reason to be."

"I know," I said. "I just wish she didn’t have to carry this alone."

"You’re not letting her," he replied evenly. "You’re here. You fought beside her. You stood when others would have turned away."

It didn’t feel like enough.

I thought back to the battlefield earlier—the courtyard slick with blood, bodies of vampires dissolving into ash.

I could still see her. Entirely unstoppable.

I had watched her tear through enemies with a calm that bordered on divine wrath. Magic swirling at her fingertips. Fire falling at her command. Her hands driving into the chest of a vampire as though it were nothing more than parchment.

I had broken necks with my jaws, crushed bones with my weight—but she had been something else entirely.

A force. A storm. And she was mine.

My mate. My equal.

And yet... my greatest fear.

If anything happened to her—

The bond flared suddenly. A flicker of heat. A pulse of emotion that wasn’t mine. More anger. Resolve.

I inhaled sharply. She was still fine.

Be careful, I sent through the bond.

A faint tug responded. Always, came her silent reply.