Chapter 63
Gavriel was still panting when he returned to the palace, his body shifting back into human form as the first light of dawn spilled over the stone walls. Instead of heading to his bedchamber, he went straight to his meeting chamber, ordering a servant to summon Simon at once.
He poured himself a glass of wine and sank into the chair, the cool burn sliding down his throat. His chest still heaved from the run, but it wasn’t from exhaustion—it was from the gnawing ache in his chest, the restless clawing of Chaos inside him.
Every fiber of him itched to go back upstairs, to throw open the doors to his bedchamber and see her. To assure himself that she was still there. That she was safe.
Chaos snarled in his mind, [Stubborn p>
His grip tightened on the glass. He downed another swallow, ignoring the beast pacing inside him. If he gave in now, if he so much as looked at her, he would lose the fragile leash of control he still held.
She was Cain’s daughter. The daughter of a traitor. She wasn’t supposed to matter. She was supposed to be a captive, nothing more… A breeder p>
Uriel’s warning echoed in his head like a curse: Althea must not become your weakness.
Gavriel poured another glass and forced the wine past his teeth, his jaw set hard. He would not allow a girl—a prisoner, no less—to unravel him.
Not her. Not ever.
Moments later, the door opened and Simon entered, bowing curtly. “Alpha King p>
“When will Osman and Candice arrive?” Gavriel asked as he sat down.
“Osman sent word that he has just reached Velmora. It will take him at least seven more days to return with Lady Candice if they travel by horse and carriage,” Simon replied. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on
Gavriel gestured for him to sit and poured him a drink as well.
“My King, isn’t it a bit early for this?” Simon commented, though he accepted the glass.
Gavriel only let out a long sigh and asked, “Do we have any update on Althea’s mother p>
“Nothing yet,” Simon admitted. “We’re still trying to track down the Trader who sold her into the Black Market on the Sanguira Continent p>
Gavriel nodded. The Sanguira Continent, better known as the Vampire Continent, lay to the south of the werewolf lands. That was where Thea, Althea’s mother, had been sold as a slave. Cain had found her there and taken her back to his pack as his mistress. Strange, since Thea was said to be the only woman Cain had ever cherished—a human slave.
“She wasn’t an ordinary human,” Gavriel corrected. “Althea told me her mother was a Mage Healer. She was the one who taught Althea what she knows of magic. Althea lost her memory after an accident in the forest when she was ten—the same day her mother died. But now her memories are back, and with them, her power. She told me that much p>
He glanced at Simon but chose not to reveal Althea’s other gift—the ability to read minds.
Simon would only grow wary of her, and Gavriel wanted that secret kept between the two of
them. After all, Althea couldn’t read his thoughts. He believed her, too. He was a powerful lycan; no hypnotism or compulsion could work on him.
“I’ll keep working on it, Alpha King,” Simon assured. Then, after a short hesitation, he added, “But there are already rumors spreading about Lady Althea p>
Gavriel’s brow furrowed, and Simon quickly explained, “They say she’s practicing witchcraft and trying to harm the princess p>
“I was there when she calmed Riela,” Gavriel growled in annoyance. “Uriel can attest to it—there was no dark magic involved p>
Simon swallowed hard. “What should I do, My King? Should I let the rumors spread, or silence them p>
There was a heavy pause before Gavriel gave his command. “Silence them. Find out who started this. I won’t allow such lies to spread like wildfire and destroy an innocent woman. Althea risked her life p>
“I understand, My King,” Simon said firmly. Then he creased his forehead as he watched him pour another drink into his glass. “You haven’t rested yet. Tomorrow will be a long day in the assembly. Many will question how you removed Lord Thanos so suddenly,” Simon reminded him.
Gavriel let out a low laugh, then smirked. “That bastard finally gave me a reason to strip him of his seat. For years, I’ve gathered evidence of his corruption and illegal dealings, not to mention his injustices in law and judgment p>
He leaned back, his voice firm. “His removal was inevitable—it simply came earlier than expected. Make sure every piece of evidence is presented in tomorrow’s court p>
Simon hesitated, then added, “And what about Lady Ava? She’ll be implicated in this. You know how the people adore her. Many even see her as the perfect choice for your Luna… for Alpha Queen p>
“I don’t play favorites just because I shared her bed, Simon. You know that,” Gavriel replied with a frown. “Ava will understand. And tomorrow, we’ll see whether she is truly fit to be Alpha Queen or not p>
In the past, Gavriel had once considered Ava for the Luna’s role. Their bond had been smooth, their visions for leadership aligned. It had been convenient, practical… never love. A partnership of comrades guiding the kingdom side by side. But now, even the memory of it made something inside him recoil.
The thought of Ava standing at his side as Luna felt wrong. Almost offensive. For reasons he refused to name, it irked him to even imagine her in that role anymore.
“Also,” Simon continued, his tone steady, “Lord Midas will be returning from his trip to the Sanguira Continent. Two days from now p>
Gavriel cursed under his breath. Midas. His cousin on his mother’s side. The man had always been impulsive. And when Cain’s revolt happened, Gavriel’s twin died that night. Midas had never forgiven, and his hunger for vengeance had only grown stronger.
“You know what he’s like,” Simon continued. “If you want Lady Althea to survive, you should teach her the mindlink. Midas won’t hesitate to use her if it means reaching Cain. And Lady Althea Simon paused, then finished, “she’s the perfect bait p>