04~ Another Lie

Kaiden's Point Of View

The heavy oak door of my office creaked open, and Caspian stepped inside, his expression a mix of exhaustion and determination. He had been my beta for as long as I could remember, the only one who knew the full weight of the curse that had festered inside me since before I drew my first breath.

"Your Highness, how did the search for your mate go?" His voice was careful, laced with the same cautious hope he always carried, as if this time might be different. As if this time, the Moon Goddess might finally show mercy.

I didn’t look up from the map spread across my desk, my fingers tracing the inked lines of territories we’d already scoured... lands we’d torn apart in our desperation. The parchment was worn, the edges frayed from years of the same fruitless search. "Same as always," I muttered, my voice rough with a frustration that had long since settled into something darker, something more feral. "Futile."

The curse had been placed on me right from my mother’s womb. A punishment for sins I never committed, for crimes my ancestors had buried in the past. I was made the sacrificial lamb, condemned to a life of bloodshed and chaos, my hands stained with the lives of those I never wanted to harm. And the only cure, the only way to break this endless cycle of destruction, was to find my destined one. My mate.

But where was she?

"Three days ago, the boy," Caspian said quietly, as if the words themselves might set me off. "Two days ago, the horses. Yesterday, some of the elders."

Each reminder was a blade twisting in my gut. I could still see their faces... the child’s wide, terrified eyes as the curse took hold, the horses’ panicked screams as they fell, the elders’ betrayed expressions as life left their bodies. "How many more?" My voice cracked, the words tearing free like a snarl. "How many more do I have to kill to make up for my ancestors’ mistakes?! How many?!"

My fist slammed down on the desk, the wood splintering beneath the force. The map trembled, ink smudging under the impact. Slade, my wolf, paced restlessly beneath my skin, his fury a living thing, clawing at my ribs, demanding release. "The Moon Goddess is toying with me," I growled, my voice a thunderous rumble that shook the very air. "Every false bond, every shattered hope, it’s all just another way to punish me for crimes I didn’t commit!"

Caspian didn’t flinch. He never did. He stood there, steady as ever, his dark eyes filled with a resolve I no longer had. "We’ll turn Aethoria upside down if we have to, Your Highness. We won’t stop until we find her."

I wanted to believe him.

I needed to believe him.

But ten years of failure had worn me down, left me raw and bleeding. The curse was a living thing inside me, growing stronger with every passing day, every false hope, every life it forced me to take. And the Moon Goddess? She was silent. Indifferent. Or perhaps she was laughing.

"We’re running out of time, Caspian," I said, my voice barely more than a rasp. The weight of it all pressed down on me, threatening to crush what little was left of my soul. "And I don’t know how much longer I can hold on."

The heavy oak door of my office creaked open again, and Dalton, the pack’s Gamma, stepped inside. His usual confidence was replaced by hesitation, his shoulders tense as he bowed deeply. "Your Highness, the elders have requested an audience with you. They are waiting in the throne room."

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. What now? The last thing I needed was another lecture about my "failure" to secure a mate. But duty called, and I couldn’t ignore it, not when the pack’s stability hung in the balance.

I strode into the throne room, my boots echoing against the marble floor. The elders stood in a semicircle, their expressions a mix of false reverence and barely concealed fear. Elder Tim, the oldest and usually the most composed, stepped forward, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

"Your Highness…" His voice wavered, his gaze flickering away as if he couldn’t bear to meet my eyes. "It’s been over ten years since your search for a mate began, and yet…" He trailed off, his words hanging in the air like a sentence.

I didn’t sit. I didn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me as anything less than their king. "Speak," I commanded, my voice low and dangerous.

Elder Tim swallowed hard, his hand trembling as he scratched the back of his head. "We… we believe it may be wise to consider stepping down, so another... another with a queen, can assume the throne."

The words hit me like a physical blow. My blood ran cold, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. "You’re suggesting I step down?"

Silence.

Then, "We only wish what’s best for the pack."

A dark, bitter laugh escaped me. "And you think this is best?" Slade surged forward, his fury bleeding into my voice, my wolf’s presence filling the room like a storm. "You think dethroning me will save you?"

The elders recoiled, their breaths ragged as Slade’s power lashed out, a tangible force that made their noses bleed, their skin burn. The scent of their fear filled the air, sharp and metallic.

"Kneel," I commanded, my voice a deadly whisper.

They dropped to their knees instantly, their bodies trembling, their expressions twisted with terror. Some of them were already bleeding from their noses, their skin flushed with the effort of resisting Slade’s dominance.

I leaned in, my voice a blade. "Remember this moment." My gaze swept over each of them, ensuring they felt the weight of my words. "Remember who your Alpha King is."

Elder Tim’s voice was a broken whisper. "Please, Your Highness, we meant no disrespect—"

"You dare question my judgment!" Slade’s growl tore through me, his fury uncontrollable. "I think you all need to be reminded of who the Alpha King is."

The aura in the room shifted, the air thickening with Slade’s power. The elders whimpered, their bodies pressing closer to the ground as if trying to disappear. I stepped away from the throne, my steps deliberate as I closed the distance between us. The closer I moved, the further they scrambled away, their fear palpable.

"Why don’t I give you all an award for the stunt you just pulled?" Slade’s smirk widened as he saw the terror in their eyes. With a snap of my fingers, the elders screamed in agony, their bodies convulsing as if flames licked at their skin.

"Your Highness, please forgive us!" one elder sobbed, his voice shaking.

"We’re sorry! Please make it stop burning!" another cried, his hands clawing at his arms as if he could tear the pain away.

Their pleas fell on deaf ears. I wasn’t just an ordinary werewolf, I was blessed with powers that came with a curse, and right now, that curse was a weapon.

I leaned closer, my voice a deadly whisper. "The next time any of you think to question my reign, remember this moment." My eyes burned into theirs, ensuring they understood. "Remember how quickly I can bring you to your knees."

Then, without another word, I turned and left the throne room.

I stormed out of the throne room, my chest heaving with barely contained rage, Slade’s fury still simmering beneath my skin. The weight of the elders’ betrayal pressed down on me, but I refused to let it break me. Not when the curse was already eating me alive.

Then... A scent.

Raspberries. Wild honey.

My steps faltered, my body tensing as the fragrance wrapped around me, sweet and intoxicating. My heart stuttered, a flicker of something dangerous... hope, igniting in my chest.

"She’s here."

Slade’s voice rumbled in my mind, his tone thick with conviction, his presence pressing against my ribs like a living thing. "This time, it’s real, Kaiden. I can feel it."

I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. "Don’t," I warned, my voice a low growl. "You said that last time. And the time before that. How many more false hopes do I have to endure before you learn?"

"This is different," Slade snarled, his frustration bleeding into my veins. "Her scent, it’s not like the others. It’s hers. I know it."

I wanted to believe him.

Gods, I wanted to.

But ten years of heartbreak had taught me better. The Moon Goddess had made a game of my suffering, dangling false bonds in front of me like carrion before a starving wolf. Each time, the hope had been ripped away, leaving me more hollow than before.

"We can’t keep doing this," I muttered, my voice raw. "The curse grows stronger with every failure. I can feel it, Slade. It’s eating me alive."

"Then let’s end it," he snapped, his determination unwavering. "Follow the scent. Find her. This time, it’s real."

I hesitated, my body torn between the desperate pull of Slade’s certainty and the crushing weight of my own doubts. But the scent lingered, wrapping around me like a promise, and before I could stop myself, I was moving, tracking it through the halls of the pack house.

It led me to Maya.

She stood in the hallway, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her smile hesitant as she caught sight of me. "My King," she murmured, dipping her head in respect.

I didn’t return the greeting.

Instead, I closed the distance between us in three long strides, my hands gripping her shoulders as I turned her, my breath catching as I searched for the one thing that would prove Slade right.

The bond mark.

The proof.

The salvation.

But there was nothing.

Just smooth, unmarked skin.

The hope that had flickered to life inside me snuffed out, replaced by a crushing, familiar despair. My hands dropped from her shoulders, my body sagging as if the weight of the world had just settled onto my spine.

"Another lie," I whispered, my voice breaking.

Maya’s smile faltered, her eyes widening as she sensed the shift in my mood. "Kaiden—"

I didn’t let her finish.

I turned away, my chest tightening as Slade’s frustration roared in my mind. "We’re close," he insisted, his voice a snarl. "She’s out there. I know it."

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to destroy.

I wanted to rip the gods from their thrones and demand answers for why they had cursed me to this fate.

But I couldn’t.

Because if I stopped now, the curse would consume me completely.

And Aethoria would burn with me.