4

FEW DAYS LATER.

KENDRICK'S POV.

I scanned the file Knox had just brought into my study, a frown settling on my face. The whole situation was beginning to seem far worse than I had imagined.

Wolfless at the age of Twenty-two?

"No." I dropped the file onto my desk, shaking my head. "This can't work."

Knox sighed in exhaustion. "Kendrick..."

"What?" I snapped.

He pinned his gaze on me for a few seconds, then answered. "The goddess knows best."

"Oh, does she?" I queried. "The girl is a wolfless omega. Who is to say her genes aren't recessive?"

"Actually, from everything this file says, she already established a connection with her wolf since she turned sixteen. She just hasn't shifted yet."

I looked at him with slight irritation.

"Does that even make sense to you?"

He shrugged. "If you're a werewolf-demon hybrid, then anything is possible. We don't make the rules, the Moon Goddess does."

"This is a curse, not strength." The words tasted bitter. "I’m not a hybrid. I’m a cursed King," I pointed out. "And surely, the goddess wants me destroyed. That girl cannot anchor me."

"What if she can?" he countered.

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm my thoughts. Only I knew the pains that plagued me during those rut nights when my demon surged forth and completely took control.

I released a low sigh when I remembered that yet another rut night was approaching.

"So, what now?" Knox asked. "You just want to leave her at Night Fang pack and pretend she never existed?"

I let his question sit in my mind for a brief moment, before answering.

"I would reject her."

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I can," I said, enunciating each word. "And I will," I finished in a tone of finality.

"You will be endangering yourself!" his voice rose. I shot him a hard glare and he looked away in mild annoyance.

My frustration increased and I could feel my demon stir restlessly within me.

It was time to stop discussing this aggravating topic.

I pushed to my feet and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Knox called out behind me.

"I'm done talking."

"Seriously?"

"See you at lunch, Knox."

I opened the door and made my way out.

*******************

LATER THAT NIGHT.

I walked into my quarters and started stripping off my clothes the moment the chamber doors closed behind me.

I felt hot. Very hot.

It was unusual, especially since my demon rut wasn't supposed to start for another couple of days.

Sweat broke out across my forehead as I let out a low grunt and shoved the bathroom door open.

My breathing grew heavier, and the heat inside me only got worse. I felt the familiar surge of energy race through my veins as my senses sharpened.

The bathroom walls suddenly seemed to close in around me, while everything else became unnaturally sharp.

Cursed furs...

This wasn’t supposed to happen now.

"Fuck," I rasped, quickly climbing into the bath that had already been prepared for me.

"Nngh…" A helpless growl escaped through my clenched teeth the moment the warm water touched my skin. The heat inside me only grew worse.

My Demon, Varyx, stirred beneath my skin, and I fought to suppress another growl, struggling to stay in control.

But when had I ever won a fight against Varyx?

"Nooo..." I gritted out, panting hard. "Not now, Varyx!"

I jumped out of the bath and rushed into my bedchamber. I had to ensure the High Priestess came before things spiraled out of control. Nobody should die by my hand. Not again…

I opened my mindlink and tried to connect with Knox.

'Knox...' I panted. 'Knox... I'm... Get Nadiaaa...'

Another wave of heat crashed through me before I could finish.

'Kendrick?!', his agitated voice filtered through. 'Are you okay?'

I was gradually losing sense of my surroundings, a clear sign that Varyx was already emerging.

'Call the priestess...' I muttered weakly as I fell to the floor, 'Call Nadia'.

I felt my connection to our mindlink slowly fade, hoping that none of the Deltas guarding my chamber would rush in to check on me. If they did, they wouldn’t make it out alive.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before I sensed another presence in the room.

At first, everything was hazy. Then, the High priestess’s voice gradually became clearer. She was chanting.

"Nondum tempus tuum est."

‘It is not yet your time’.

"Humi permane."

‘Stay grounded’.

Varyx let out a low growl before retreating once more beneath my skin.

Moments later, I felt something cold against my forehead. When I opened my eyes, I realized Nadia had her index and middle fingers pressed against my forehead.

I sucked in a sharp breath and scrunched my nose as every scent in the room hit me all at once.

"Your Majesty!" Nadia called over me, but my ears rang like she had screamed.

I swallowed, letting my vision settle on her face, then on Knox.

"Are you with us?" she asked again and I nodded weakly, feeling quite drained.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked. "Varyx… It’s not his time."

"First of all…" She rose to her feet and quickly looked away. "You should cover yourself, Your Majesty."

She and Knox both tried to hide their laughter as I realized I had been naked the entire time. Before I could move, Knox grabbed the fur blanket from my bed and threw it over me.

"Thank you," I muttered.

I got to my feet and wrapped the blanket securely around my waist before turning to Nadia.

"That wasn’t funny," I said, emotionless.

She let out a low sigh and looked down. "I apologize, Your Majesty."

The side of my lips lifted in a small frown. "Are we talking about the same thing?"

She exchanged a confused look with Knox before looking back at me. "Aren’t we?"

I shot her one last look before walking over to my wardrobe and pulling out a pair of pants. Not caring she was still there, I let the blanket around my waist fall to the floor, before slipping on my pants.

She visibly gulped. Quite silly of her to think I gave a fuck who saw me naked.

"You really had to traumatize her even more, didn’t you?" Knox muttered with a sigh.

"She didn’t exactly look traumatized the first time," I shot back before turning to Nadia. "What just happened with Varyx wasn’t funny," I clarified. Silence fell as I held her gaze. "What the fuck is happening?"

She looked at me as though I already knew the answer.

"Varyx has already sensed his mate," she said quietly. "He’ll keep fighting for control until you return to Night Fang and claim her."

Silence filled the room.

"You must be joking," I snapped.

"I wish I was," she said. "Bring Lyra Blackthorne to the White Citadel as soon as you can, because whether you choose to accept her or not… both your Wolf and Demon already have."

"This is insane," I spat grimly.

"You need her close," Nadia insisted. "Ignore the bond, and Varyx will only grow more restless. The next time he takes control…" She paused. "I may not be able to stop him."