CHAPTER 130: TWISTED ANGER

• DREVON •

I was done with the court, after making all the necessary adjustments, our court was merged. The coming of the Fates still rattled me, but I didn’t want to show it and get Eloise more worried.

I do not know why they decided to be involved; their reason may not have been stated, but I knew why they were coming. Fueled by the whispers circulating in the empire and the stirs from the noble houses, even Diana was uneasy about this.

The entire castle walls were shaking; the last time I recalled such unrest in the empire was years ago when the Fates were involved in the line of succession.

I have already made my choice... if Sloane were made my Queen, I’d step down from the monarch’s position and retire to one of the Balthar’s lands in the countryside with Eloise. Damon can have the throne for all I care; he may be a reckless person, but maybe his reign will kickstart some sense in him.

I thought of how Eloise’s life would be without the pressure of my family and the weight that came with sitting on the throne. I knew one thing... it might not be everything Eloise envisioned when she married me, but I’ll make sure it’ll be everything she needs, I’ll build her castle if I have to.

I needed to see her, to hold her close and tell her everything will be alright. I asked my knights in our wing about her whereabouts since I couldn’t find her. They told me they saw her headed in the direction of the Moonhall.

I had no idea why she chose to go to that place, but I had a feeling my sweetheart was burdened by the Fates coming. I shouldn’t have left her alone when I knew she needed me the most.

I saw Ravyn and Osha at the entrance, and they told me they had been waiting for over an hour and more, so I decided to go inside... and the scene I met fractured something inside me.

Seeing Damon there and the panicked look in Eloise’s eyes made it seem like I had caught them in an act or something. Did I?

A deep feeling unleashed, crawling from my insides out as Damon sprouted his nonsense, but were they really nonsense? Eloise wasn’t calling him a liar; if anything, she got more scared. I don’t want to believe Damon, I really don’t, but her expression and begging eyes were breaking me.

He spoke as if they had numerous encounters; he spoke as if there was something between them. I’m losing my fucking mind, and I don’t think I can stop myself from drowning in the abyss.

"Drevon...Please stop!"

Her voice made me realize I had my hand on Damon’s throat.

"Listen to her," he murmured lowly. "She doesn’t want to see me get hurt."

I held his throat tighter, but I didn’t break. I was close, but I didn’t because in this moment I didn’t want to wound him, I wanted to erase him, rip his heart out, and fucking devour it.

Damon grinned as if he could read my thoughts. Clenching my teeth, I released him, turned on my heels, and stormed out of the Moonhall.

"Drevon!" Eloise called to me, but I didn’t stop, because if I did, I don’t know what I would do.

I heard her shoes as she tried to catch up, but I didn’t give her the time to do so. After a long walk, I could no longer hear her.

I pushed open the doors to my study, strolling down the aisle to my table.

I halted then, placing my hands on the polished marble table. My gaze leveled, and I saw my reflection, and what stared back was a face I thought I had forgotten, the face of the ruthless Lycan Monarch.

I couldn’t even read my expression because there was nothing, just blank.

In the blink of an eye, I tossed the table like it was paper, and it crashed into one of the shelves, knocking them down upon impact with a loud boom, maybe more followed, I don’t care. I did this to expel the roaring in my veins, but it did nothing to calm me.

How long were they in there? How long has Damon been secretly meeting my wife? How long has Eloise kept this from me? I thought back to the distasteful rumor spread about her. Were Sloane’s accusations out of thin air, or did something encourage her to slander Eloise?

"D-Drevon..."

I flinched when I heard her voice. It took a few minutes before I turned to her and found her watching me with sad eyes.

"I’m sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"I think I should," she mumbled, leveling her gaze. "What Damon said—"

"Damon..." I uttered. "Have you always been so free with him?"

Eloise opened her mouth to speak, but paused as if choosing her words carefully. After what seemed like a minute, she clenched the sides of her gown and walked up the stairs to me.

She stopped, within arm’s reach, but didn’t reach out because I was afraid I might break her because I had no control over how I would react any given minute.

"I—"

"How long have you been meeting with Damon?"

Her lips hung apart, but eventually closed. "I didn’t do it in secret, I just..." she wavered, not meeting my eyes. "...Didn’t tell you."

Her trembling hand clamped together, and my jaw tightened. I didn’t want to see her like this, afraid, uncertain, I knew I wasn’t giving anything to make her understand how I felt, so I said it.

"I’m angry, Eloise." Those words were enough to describe this, for I had nothing more to say.

Eloise snapped her gaze to mine, and they were glassy. A look of fear crossed her face as she tried to read me, but it’s pointless.

I turned my back on her and said. "Leave."