CHAPTER 378: WHEN A LYCAN DEFENDS HIS NEST

"Now, where’s your queen, Your Majesty?" Weston’s eyes glimmered with something vile as he mentioned Primrose. "Why don’t we trade? Give me your mate, and I’ll leave this place at once. After all, if I can breed a woman as beautiful as her, my children will surely inherit her extraordinary genes—"

He never finished his foul words because Edmund’s sword was already whistling through the air, aimed for his throat. Weston jerked aside at the last second, the blade striking sparks off the stone wall instead.

"Your filthy mouth has no right to speak of my wife."

Dark energy burst from beneath Edmund’s feet, crawling like black fire across the floor, racing up the walls, consuming the hallway in its suffocating presence.

Edmund looked at him with disdain, determined that he had to end Weston tonight for the sake of his wife and child.

"You’ve toyed with me long enough, Weston." He deepened his voice as he said, "It’s time for you and your pack to sleep for eternity."

Lycans were different from werewolves. They did not live in packs and had no hierarchy like wolves did. Instead, they lived in solitude, and if they wished to form a community, it was usually through building a kingdom, ruled by the strongest among them.

Because they were so used to living alone, their sense of territory ran deeper than blood. Once they claimed a home, a mate, or a family, they would defend it to their last breath.

There was a saying: a mother would bite every hand that dared to harm her offspring, while the father would slaughter every predator that tried to destroy their nest.

Edmund was the very embodiment of that saying.

He was not just a king, not just a lycan, but a husband and soon-to-be father. His territory was not the throne nor the palace walls. It was the woman waiting for him in the underground chamber, and the fragile life growing inside her.

For years, Weston and his pack had always managed to escape after attacking the palace. They lived another day simply because Edmund never carried the will to kill them all.

But that mercy ended the moment he had Primrose. She was the one he loved so fiercely that he would do anything—absolutely anything—to keep those filthy hands from ever touching her.

From that day on, Edmund swore he would slaughter every last member of the Blackpeak Pack. Not one of them would be left alive.

Dark energy bled from beneath his feet, crawling across the palace like living shadows. It spread outward, covering the halls, the courtyards, and even the land beyond the walls, until it rose high, forming into a massive barrier that nothing could breach.

Weston only grinned, nudging the black wall with the tip of his sword as if mocking the power around him. "And what do we have here?" he said playfully. "Do you realize that you won’t be able to escape if you place something like this around you?"

"No." One of Edmund’s eyes shifted from icy blue to a vivid emerald. Symbols resembling ancient runes suddenly appeared across his face, crawling down to his arms like burning marks. "You’re the one who is trapped here."

Beside him, Leofric instinctively stepped back from Edmund. Then, without hesitation, he bolted down the corridor with the speed of a deer fleeing for its life. "Damn it, at least give me a warning before you pull something like this!"

On his way, he caught Sevrin just as the man was stepping out of his office. Leofric shoved him back inside and sealed the door with a flick of magic.

"Sir Leofric, what are you—"

"Shh." Leofric cut him off, a wide grin spreading across his face, almost giddy with anticipation for what was about to happen. "I trust he knows the difference between enemies and his own people, but ... let’s not risk it."

Sevrin held his breath. "Has His Majesty lost control like last time?"

"No," Leofric answered calmly. "This time he can control it, all of it." Then he added with a crooked smile, "But maybe you should start thinking about how much it’ll cost to repair the palace after this ... and we’ll probably have to hire new staff too."

Although Leofric didn’t explain further, Sevrin understood perfectly. Once the room fell silent, they heard loud screams and crashing sounds echoing through the palace.

Edmund was cleansing the palace from the bottom to the top, making sure not a single intruder left alive.

Meanwhile, Primrose couldn’t hear anything from the underground chamber. Dr. Celdric had asked her to take a short nap, but with anxiety and fear filling her heart, she simply couldn’t sleep no matter how exhausted her body was.

She had no idea how long they had been down there. With no clocks and no sunlight, time felt endless.

In the end, it felt to Primrose as though she had been waiting for an eternity, and Edmund seemed to have truly cut off her access to see him through their wedding ring.

Sometimes, she thought it was unfair. He could watch her anytime, yet he could shut her out whenever he chose.

But deep down, she knew it wasn’t wrong. He was only protecting her. Her pregnancy had made her more vulnerable, and Edmund probably didn’t want her to witness the bloody massacre he carried out against those filthy dogs.

Still ... no matter how much she understood, her heart only longed for him. She just wanted to see her husband again.

At last, after what felt like forever, the heavy door above them creaked open.

Everyone in the underground chamber instantly straightened. Callen and Solene stepped forward, shielding Primrose with their bodies.

Her fingers tightened so hard around the poison vial that she feared it might break in her hands. She prayed she wouldn’t have to drink it, that she would see her husband’s face instead.

Then, a tall figure appeared on the stairs. His body was drenched in blood, his face so stained that it was almost impossible to recognize him.

But Primrose had already leapt from the bed and bolted toward him.

"You came back," she whispered, almost choking on her tears as she threw herself into Edmund’s embrace.

He caught her instantly, holding his wife so tightly as though he feared he might lose her. "I did."