BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 273: TWILIGHT AT THE ROGOURAU KEEP

Chapter 273: TWILIGHT AT THE ROGOURAU KEEP

{"The beast bows to no one... except to loyalty freely given."}

The stone walls rose like giants from the cliffside, scarred by time but unbroken. Moss draped over the battlement, and thick vines clung to the outer gates, yet the keep stood proud.

Finally, I was home.

We passed through the archway, the weight of the gate stones pressing like memories on my shoulders. Qadira’s hand was still in mine, warm, grounding. The courtyard lay still, dust curling with our every step, until the howls began one after the other, echoing from the surrounding ridges. I felt the recognition and the welcome, and then they emerged. From the side halls, upper terraces, and the shadowed paths of the keep, the remaining Rogourau clan began to gather tall figures with dark hair and piercing eyes, the unmistakable grace of highland shifters in every movement. Their expressions were a mix of awe, disbelief, and quiet respect.

"Rolan," one of the elders murmured, stepping forward. Gray streaked his beard, but his eyes burned with pride. "The mountain told us you were coming. And now... You stand before us."

I inclined my head. "Not as a ghost this time, Elder. I have come home after so many years imprisoned in Bloodstone Mountain. "A murmur passed through the gathered crowd.

"You came with a Vampire?" One of the Elders raised their eyebrows.

Qadira released my hand only to bow respectfully. "I am Qadira Kayne, a vampire of the Paradise Coven, Rolan’s mate. I offer my loyalty to the mountain and the clan it shelters."

The elder studied her, then smiled a wide, almost feral thing. "You have chosen well, Rolan. She has the fire of the wind wolves, and I can sense the magic from the earth."

More stepped forward now, warriors I had trained with, cousins, even pups I had not seen since they were children. They reached out to touch my arm, clap my back, or nod.

"You’ve returned in strength," one said.

"Not alone," said another.

"The mountain blesses this," whispered a third.

I breathed and felt the stillness inside me settle, something long restless finally finding its place. "I’ve come to take my place," I said, voice steady, rising above the murmurs. "To lead the Rogourau as Alpha if you will have me. Rou has led you for a long time, and now he wants to rest. He is back at Bay Shifter Pack and was blessed with a mate, Commander Elle from the Mortas Plan.

Then the elder raised his hand to the sky and howled deep and low, ancient. The others joined in, one by one, then all at once, a chorus that shook the stone beneath our feet and stirred the birds from the cliffs. Qadira looked up at me, pride shimmering in her eyes. I squeezed her hand once more, and then I bowed as they acknowledged me as Rolan Rogourau, Alpha reborn.

It was hours later, the fire pit crackled with life, casting long shadows on the ancient stone walls of the great hall. The clan had gathered, filling the space with a silent, expectant energy. Warriors stood shoulder to shoulder, elders lined the edges in stoic rows, and even the young sat wide-eyed, watching. I stepped forward into the circle of flame and stone, and my shadow stretched behind me like a promise.

Qadira stood at my side, her gaze fierce and unshaken, my ancho, and she raised her head like a true queen. I took a breath and let my voice rise. "I stand here, not just as a son of the mountain... but as one who has walked the path of imprisonment, of service, of sacrifice."

Murmurs stirred the silence as the heads nodded. "I have bled for this realm. For its peace. I have fought battles where no glory followed. I have lost friends, brothers, kin... and still, the mountain called me back. "I looked around the hall at each pair of eyes, every weathered face, and proud stance. "We are the Rogourau. Born of stone. Shaped by wind and frost. We are the storm that holds the line when the world forgets its oaths."

A few voices growled softly in agreement. "But it is not enough to guard. We must rise. Our strength is not meant to fade in the shadows of the world. The time has come to return not in fear, but in purpose. I will guide us forward. I will rebuild our clan. And I will ensure that the bloodline of the Rogourau will never again be silenced."

The old Elder who had welcomed me stepped forward, his voice rough with pride. "Do you swear to lead us not only with strength, but with honor?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to carry the will of the mountain, to protect the land, and the pack beyond our gates?"

"I do."

"Then rise, Alpha Rolan. Let your name be carved in stone, and your howl be the one that guides us forward."

I raised my head and howled. The sound ripped through the chamber, and the clan joined in, their voices merging with mine, filling the hall with thunder.

Qadira looked at me, eyes glistening, and whispered through the roar, "You were always meant for this."

The elders sat before me in a crescent, their expressions unreadable. Qadira stood beside me, silent, poised, her eyes calm as snowfall, unmoving, yet full of depth. It was Elder Fael, old and sharp-eyed, who broke the silence. "You ask to lead us, Rolan Rogourau. And many welcome your return. But your bond... your mate... she is not of our clan. Not of shifter blood. She is a vampire. Our mortal enemies."

His words hung in the air like a blade, and then another elder chimed in. "The old laws do not speak of such unions. Will your bond weaken our bloodline?"

I met their stares without wavering. "You speak of bloodlines, of purity, as though the world outside these mountains has not bled and changed a thousand times over." I reached for Qadira’s hand and held it before them. "My beast, the very spirit of the Rogourau within me, chose her.

Qadira’s chin rose, proud and unyielding. "She saved my life," I said quietly, "Not only with her strength... but by seeing me as I am. Even in my truest, rawest form. When I could not bear to look at myself, she looked at me... and stayed."

A silence followed. "You say the laws do not speak of such unions," I continued. "Then let this be the first. Let the Rogourau be known not for retreating into the past, but for stepping forward into what the future demands."

I looked each elder in the eye. "I do not ask for your approval of my bond. I ask for your loyalty to your Alpha. And know that anyone who dares question her place beside me will answer to me directly."

Elder Fael leaned back in his chair, studying us both. "It is true," he said at last, voice gravel deep. "The mountain has changed. It is time we did too."

Before I could speak again, Qadira gently slipped her hand from mine and stepped forward.

"I am Qadira Kayne," she said, and just the sound of her name shifted the air. "Daughter of Dunco Kayne, the former Coven Lord of Paradise Bay. My bloodline is of nobility, and I bear the Mira magic passed through the Kayne women for generations." I watched the way her eyes locked with every elder who dared doubt her presence. My heart swelled in my chest not out of pride, but reverence. This was the woman my beast had claimed. This was the soul that had accepted me, fully and without fear. "My brother is Freyr Kayne," she continued. "Heir to the Paradise Coven and the mate to Alpha Tor Gale of the Bay Shifter Pack."

That name Alpha Tor Gale parked something in the chamber. She pressed forward, unshaken. "Bonds have changed. The world has changed. And while you may fear what is different, what is new to know is this: my union with Rolan is not born of politics or desperation. It is forged in truth. In trust. In love."

I had never heard her speak this way. Like a queen without a crown commanding respect simply by being. She turned to glance at me, eyes soft for the briefest second, then returned to the room. "The Mira magic in me is not just a legacy. It is a strength. It is healing. And it will be used to protect the Rogourau, I would protect Rolan. As I would protect this clan."

One of the elders rose, the oldest among them, her hair silver, her gaze as sharp as the wind outside the keep. She studied Qadira for a long moment, then turned to me. "You’ve chosen well," she said to me. "Perhaps the mountain doesn’t call us back to repeat the past but to finally rise beyond it."

The others nodded slowly, murmurs of agreement rolling like distant thunder, and I stepped forward and took Qadira’s hand again, lifting it gently to my lips. "She is not just my mate," I said, "She is my future. And with her, I will lead this clan not only as an Alpha but as a bridge between what we were and what we must become."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.