The Lycan King and His Dark Temptation Novel

---- It surrounded them like a curtain of smoke. The chant weaved into the wind, and the moon hid behind the clouds. The last thing Victoria saw was Rousse falling to his knees in front of the black silhouette of a woman passing through his body. She had never seen the most powerful man in her father's army look like he was in so much agony, and she nearly stepped in. Then her vision went black.

She stared at the swirling darkness spinning and spinning, until the wind slowly cleared the mist-and from it emerged the silhouette of a man. Victoria narrowed her eyes... and then they widened. She could count on one hand the times she'd been left speechless "Who... Who the hell are you and what did you do with Rousse?! Sorceress, if this is some kind of joke...!" "It's me... Miss Victoria... it's... Rousse..." ---- Victoria shook her head in disbelief.

She had known that man since she was born. Rousse had always been the shadow watching over her by her father's command. Whenever there was danger, he was the first one summoned. She knew exactly what he looked like-or at least, what he looked like as an undead. But the man with light hair and gray eyes standing before her looked very alive. She could even swear she heard a heartbeat. What kind of magic was this? "Can you imagine what you look like now?" she asked, and he frowned, confused.

Okay... there it was, that classic general expression. "Go look at yourself in the river," she pointed, and even her hand trembled. He walked hesitantly toward the shore. Victoria saw his broad back, the ash-blond hair falling down his ---- neck. Strands with a healthy shine, like his skin-pale, but with a golden glow. That sorceress's magic was a true miracle. Something capable of turning undead Rousse back into the man he once was.

When those intense, masculine gray eyes met his reflection in the water, a few wet drops slipped from them and rolled down his cheek. He didn't even remember how to stop them. Were these... tears? "Rousse, do you like my gift?"