Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 56: Half Human, Half Dragon.

Chapter 56: Half Human, Half Dragon.

The moment Theo turned and began walking away, Sorayah followed him quietly without hesitation. She trailed after him through the rocky terrain until she stepped inside a cave. The toxic stench of the outside world vanished in an instant, replaced by crisp, fresh air. A stream flowed gently inside, its waters glistening as they cascaded down from the rocks above, filling the cavern with a soothing coolness.

Theo settled onto the ground, his back against the stone wall, and smirked. His sudden expression startled Sorayah, who had been hiding in the shadows, unaware that he had already noticed her presence.

"Why did you follow me?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Sorayah hesitated before stepping forward, clearing her throat.

"Did you even listen to what I said back there?" Theo continued, his eyes now fixed on her. "Or did you ignore it entirely? Are you perhaps ready to die?"

"No one is ready to die," Sorayah answered, heaving a deep sigh. She hesitated for a brief moment before raising the dagger he had given her, showing it to him. "You didn’t teach me how to extract organs," she stated firmly. "I need to be taught first."

Theo scoffed, his smirk fading into an expression of disbelief laced with irritation.

"What’s there to be taught?" he asked, his tone slightly sharp. "You know where to find the heart, the brain. Strike until you reach the organ and pluck it out. That’s it. No one teaches that here. You figure it out yourself, or you get punished."

Sorayah stood still as silent tears slipped down her cheeks at the thought of the dead bodies she just left behind. She wiped them away quickly before Theo could comment.

"Will all the other captives in the mines be out tomorrow?" she asked, her eyes burning with curiosity.

Many human servants had been captured after the war, scattered across different parts of the werewolf kingdom. Some worked in the mines, while others were sent to various strongholds to labor under influential werewolves. Sorayah had yet to see all the captives, but she knew some of them had to be familiar faces. Her personal bodyguard and her cousin who was more like an older brother to her.

During the war, her bodyguard had been on a secret mission, one she had personally assigned him. His task was to gather intelligence on the werewolf kingdom, and because of that, she had never witnessed his death. Her cousin had been stationed on another battlefield, leading troops against a rival human kingdom. She had not seen him die, which meant there was a chance, however small that he had survived and was among the prisoners forced to work in the mines.

Theo scoffed. "Why are you worried about that when you should be worrying about your own life?" His golden eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "But then again, people like you, who end up here are always stubborn. That stubbornness leads to death. Only the wise live longer."

"I have my reasons," Sorayah said, her voice steady.

Theo smirked. "Since you might be dying soon anyway due to your stubborness , I assume you’re looking for someone? That why you asked?"

"Yes," she admitted without hesitation. "I’m looking for a friend and a brother. They’re strong, built for combat. If they were captured, I believe they would have been sent to the mines. Men like them wouldn’t be palace eunuchs, after all."

Theo chuckled darkly. "Oh, I see. But strong-built men don’t just end up in the mines, you know." He tilted his head.

Sorayah’s stomach twisted at the thought.

"One advice though. You should consider everyone you ever knew in the human kingdom dead," Theo added, his voice void of sympathy. "Unless you see them with your own eyes, don’t waste time hoping. Hope only leads to pain." He leaned back against the stone wall, stretching out his legs. "And yes, everyone in the mines will be out tomorrow. They bathe together, eat together, work together. You’ll see them all. But they’re divided into three sections."

"Three sections?" Sorayah’s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Not all of the captives are sent to the mines like I’ve said before," Theo continued, his voice steady yet indifferent. "Some are taken elsewhere, stronger ones, especially. Werewolves have different uses for laborers with powerful builds, so they distribute them accordingly." He heaved a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"And yeah, accidents happen all the damn time." His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable. "You might never find the people you’re looking for. They might have already been worked to death. That’s why I told you to let go of any hope and focus on yourself. Because sooner or later, you’ll die too. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll last a little longer."

Sorayah clenched her jaw, pushing down the sharp sting of his words.

My body guard and cousin wouldn’t die so easily. Even if they were at death’s door, they’d want to see me first before taking their last breath.

She inhaled deeply, but the cold air did little to calm the storm in her chest. But why haven’t I heard from them yet? Were they captured separately? Do the werewolves already know they served me?

"I can’t say anything for sure," she murmured to herself. "I’ll have to check the mines thoroughly, and if I get the chance, search other places too."

Her cousin and bodyguard both carried the royal family’s dragon scent. Since pledging their loyalty to her, they had been marked by the same power that flowed through her bloodline.

She exhaled sharply, her frustration mounting. I already used two of my dragon scales. Pulling it out was agonizing, not just because it was painful, but because I am a half-dragon. A rare one. Not a full-grown one. My transformation is incomplete.

She lifted her right hand, flexing her fingers. Even now, she could feel the lingering presence of her power. I can only summon my dragon form through this hand, my right hand alone, covered in scales, while the rest of my body remains human.

Her expression darkened.

If I had been a full dragon, if my powers had been complete, then what happened that night between me and Dimitri would never have happened. He would have died like he said, but I would have lived.

The realization sent a cold, bitter wave through her.

Dragon powers cleanse all illnesses, all curses. If my powers had awakened back then, I could have saved my kingdom.

But her abilities had remained dormant. Sealed.

Every royal human bloodline carries dragon power. But not a single one of us has ever fully awakened it.

She could still recall the hope in her parents’ eyes when she first manifested her ability, when the golden scales covered only her right hand, leaving the rest of her body untouched.

"They said I would save humanity," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

She scoffed, shaking her head bitterly.

What a joke.

Perhaps humans with dragon blood are meant to die without ever unlocking their true power.

But she refused to accept that fate.

Even if my full dragon form never awakens, I will use the power I have, whatever is left of it to kill my enemies. Then, and only then, will I die in peace.

Her gaze hardened as she remembered the ritual.

She had made both her cousin and bodyguard inhale the two dragon scales she had pulled from herself, binding them to her forever. Because of that, they carried her scent, the scent of a royal dragon. That alone gave them enhanced strength, but it also made them identifiable if they made use of magic.

Her heart clenched.

Could the werewolves have discovered this already? Were they taken hostage because of it?

She shook her head. No. They aren’t reckless. They know better than to reveal themselves.

Her mind raced as she tried to piece everything together. They would never use the dragon-enhanced strength recklessly. Just like me, they would rely only on their natural martial skills.

Then another thought struck her, sending a chill down her spine.

The scent.

Her hands curled into fists.

My magical scent is still unsealed.

Her cousin and bodyguard would be safe as long as they didn’t use their powers but to be completely saved, she had to seal her magical scent soon as her body guard and cousin scent would only be sealed then too.

"Hey," Theo’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked, realizing she had been lost in her own mind for too long.

He studied her with mild amusement. "What are you thinking about so deeply?"

She hesitated before shaking her head.

Theo let out a short chuckle. "Right." He stretched lazily, his muscles shifting under his torn clothes. "You should relax for the night. I’ll give you some of the organs I harvested. I got plenty today, so I’ll give you the extras to show the werewolf guards when they come."

Sorayah swallowed hard. Her body remained stiff with tension, but she forced herself to nod.

"Oh... thank you very much," she muttered.

She then lowered herself onto the cold stone floor, her thoughts already pulling her back into their suffocating embrace.