Ch. 8 - The Cast-Out Alpha

Kael’s condition was deteriorating more frequently because he still couldn’t come to terms with the situation he was facing. Without his sight, Kael felt completely useless in this life.

Eira patiently cared for Kael despite being constantly subjected to insults and abuse from her husband. Sometimes, Eira had to lie to Kael to get him to eat so he could recover quickly.

“Kael, your condition will get worse if you don’t take your medicine,” Eira told him.

“So, if I take the medicine, will my sight come back?” he replied sarcastically.

Eira let out a long sigh. She’d run out of ideas on how to persuade Kael. Not only was her own body growing weaker, but she also had to constantly care for Kael, which left her many times more exhausted than before.

Even without being reminded, Eira hoped for Kael’s recovery more than her own. She’d forgotten the fact that her body was in pain because she wanted Kael to live a healthy life again.

“Isn’t this what you want, Eira?”

Eira looked up slightly at Kael’s face.

“I know you’re actually grinning from ear to ear seeing me in such a terrible state, aren’t you? You chose to watch my mental crumble instead of just killing me outright.”

That accusation was nothing new to Eira. She knew that everything bad that happened to Kael would be blamed on her as the source of the problem—even when she hadn’t done anything.

“I’m sorry,” Eira said.

Eira was also tired of apologizing for mistakes she hadn’t made. She was too weak—that was what she realized when it came to Kael. Her soul truly seemed designed to submit to Kael.

Suddenly, Kael let out a small laugh. It wasn’t a laugh because something was funny or meant to be mocking. His laugh was strange—it sounded like someone angry in his despair because he could no longer express himself by crying.

“Why are you apologizing, Eira? It won’t change anything,” he said softly. “At least I made you laugh out loud, even through my suffering.”

“I’m not happy about your suffering, Kael.”

“Don’t lie, you bitch! Doesn’t this mean you can have fun with so many men? Lucas, maybe?”

Eira lowered her head. There it was again—the same old topic. She was so sick of it. Kael’s accusations against her were endless, without even trying to find out first what had actually happened.

“I—”

“Excuse me.”

Eira’s words trailed off when someone knocked on the door. She turned and immediately saw two unfamiliar men standing in the doorway, dressed entirely in black.

Eira’s gentle gaze shifted into a protective mode. Her crystal-clear eyes flashed, causing the two men to swallow hard—their faces filled with fear. Fear of the curse Eira might carry and pass on.

“Excuse me, Ma’am. I am an advisor from the Valerius Clan.” One of the men introduced himself, showing the clan’s symbol on his palm.

“Come in!” Kael immediately invited them in upon hearing who had arrived.

Eira stepped aside slightly to let the man who had approached Kael pass. Meanwhile, the other man waited outside, clearly uncomfortable with the way Eira stared at him with her crystal eyes, which never dimmed.

“Is there a problem with the clan?” Kael asked, breaking the silence.

“No, sir.” The man pulled out a scroll and unrolled it.

“I’ve come on behalf of the pack of the Valerius Clan. The fact is, the entire pack has rejected you as the Alpha Leader of our Clan. Because clearly, we can’t expect anything from a blind Leader.”

Silence.

Kael never imagined he’d find himself at his lowest point as the Alpha Prince of his own Clan.

Yes, Kael had been cast out.

Eira, who heard this, was also deeply shocked; she hadn’t expected the Advisor to say it so bluntly—without choosing words that—at the very least—wouldn’t cause Kael pain upon hearing them.

“Do you think that just because I’m blind, I’m also deaf and paralyzed?” Kael’s voice was slightly strained as he held back the emotions boiling at the back of his mind.

“It’s not like that, Sir. But the leader of the Valerius Clan is the embodiment of the Moon Goddess’s perfection. So we’ve chosen Lord Lucas to be our leader.”

CLANG!

Kael swept everything off the bedside table in front of him, sending it scattering across the mattress and onto the floor.

“Sir—”

“GET OUT! YOU'RE DONE HERE, AREN'T YOU? SO GET OUT OF HERE!” Kael shouted—his hands groping around in every direction, searching for something he could throw.

A commotion broke out. Kael’s rage took aback the advisor. Though his eyes were still covered by gauze, his wolf fangs and claws emerged as the muscles in his jaw and hands tensed.

His rage was on the verge of boiling over.

“I was just saying—”

Eira touched the man’s shoulder to silence him. “Mr. Kael has heard it all. Leave, before he kills you,” she threatened.

Hearing that, the advisor chose to back off. Kael’s screams could still be heard even after he was quite a distance from the door to Kael’s hospital room.

Eira tried to calm Kael, who continued to rage and scream, venting all his frustration. It got to the point where Kael tried to shred his own neck with his long fingernails.

“Kael, no!” Eira stopped Kael’s hand.

“Why? You want to see me suffer and die, right?! If you don’t kill me right now, I can do it myself!”

“I’ve never wanted you to die, Kael.”

“Liar—”

“By the Moon Goddess, I don’t want that!”

Kael suddenly stopped when Eira began shouting right in his face. They were incredibly close right now—their noses were practically touching.

Kael’s heavy, short breaths hit Eira’s face roughly,

“Because I can’t live without you,” Eira said honestly.

“Oh, is that so?” Kael replied, running his fingers over Eira’s face for a moment before his hand moved to wrap around her neck—choking her.

“Fine, if you can’t live without me, then the only way is for you to die, you bitch! Because I can live without you!” he said, tightening his grip on Eira’s neck.