CHAPTER 222: _THEY ALWAYS FALL FOR THE FACE

Axel’s POV

*****

The Lunarian palace has never been so quiet.

He walked through the hallways calmly, noticing how empty they were. All because of the death of a king. A king whom the people once saw as untouchable.

Gone.

Ah... Life was such a fickle thing.

When he finally got to his room door, he stepped in without looking through, closing the door behind him. The balcony door was wide open, illuminating the dark room slightly with the light of the new moon.

He moved toward his mirror, a small smile curling his lips when he stared at his reflection. Those golden eyes which shone with so much warmth.

"They always fall for this face..." He remarked, bringing his fingers to his shirt. "It’s a shame dear old Arian won’t be here to see what we have planned next."

His smile soon twisted into something ice-cold, his golden eyes glinting as his mind went through a multitude of memories from long ago.

The Alpha king deserved it.

The fact that he was able to let himself bend to the Dark Hand’s whims simply because he wanted to hide his father’s dirty secrets was proof enough.

"Now to the next phase of my..." He was about to unbutton his shirt when he caught an odd smell.

Like ozone and sulphur. It was as if the air itself was on fire.

Slowly, his eyes focused on a shadowy reflection in the mirror, revealing a figure sitting on a couch so casually behind him.

He couldn’t make out his face due to the darkness, but he recognised those cold crimson eyes from anywhere.

"Do you always talk to yourself like this?" Kyren’s voice was mocking but also laced with genuine curiosity. "Or are you so self-absorbed that you don’t realise when someone else is in the room?"

Axel froze, his fingers tapping rhythmically. "How long have you been lurking in my room for?"

Silence.

The Rogue king didn’t say anything for several seconds, instead drawing out something that made Axel frown.

A glowing crystal shard, pulsing with sickly green energy.

"Long enough to track down the source of the Alpha king’s curse to you." Kyren sniggered.

"It was pretty easy. Once I found out the curse from my dead maid and the Alpha king had the same magic signature, I realised I was looking for one culprit." The crystal shard pulsed, as if reacting to his words.

"One culprit who happened to be in both crime scenes."

Kyren slowly rose to his feet, his tall figure looming in the darkness like a phantom. His eyes glowed with a darker shade of red until they seemed to bleed out like mist.

"There are traces of that curse energy on you, Beta Axel." The Rogue king took a step forward, then another. "I’ve always suspected you since that poison attempt in my Palace. You did well cleaning your tracks, I’ll give you that."

Axel was getting bored with this.

He turned around, his eyes trailing from Kyren’s face to his feet.

"I never expected it would come to this so soon." He finally uttered.

Kyren’s frown was visible even in the darkness. "Come to what? Me clawing my way into your brain if you don’t start explaining yourself?"

Ah... Naive little Kyren.

Axel shook his head, folding his arms in front of his chest. "No. You confronting me like this before I can prove myself."

The visible confusion on Kyren’s face was amusing.

But that confusion soon shifted into a cold sneer as the Rogue king took a step forward. His movement was a blur, his form appearing just a few feet in front of Axel in the blink of an eye.

However, Axel was far from impressed.

Before Kyren could land a strike or cast a spell, a force bubble made of golden energy surrounded Axel, shielding him completely.

"Coward!" Kyren snarled, raising his right hand in a motion ready to strike.

Axel grinned. "You pride yourself on always being under control, but yet look at you... Acting so impulsively."

There was a flicker of hesitation on the Rogue king’s face. Just for a moment. But he still pushed through regardless, lowering his fist on the force bubble.

Big mistake.

The second the Rogue king’s fist connected with the force bubble, it exploded into a wave of golden energy that instantly sent him flying backwards.

Kyren grunted, rolling through the ground like a rag doll before crashing on the couch he’d been sitting on seconds ago.

"Have you learnt nothing, Kyren?" Axel watched as the great ruler of the Dark Lands struggled to get on his feet.

Actually struggled.

He clutched his chest, placing his hand on the couch for support.

But Kyren soon turned his head to him, his crimson eyes sharp with shock.

Axel was about to say something when the bedroom door swung open. The false Alpha Prince waltzed in, followed by his mother and Aurora.

"What the heck is going on here?" Lucian demanded, his eyes fleeting from Kyren, who had finally gotten on his feet and then to Axel, who merely smirked.

"We all sensed the energy fluctuations," Aurora added

They were all here.

Well... Not all of them. There was still that fascinating Omega.

"Lord Kyren." Elowen’s voice shook with realisation. "Does... Does this mean he..." She pointed at Axel with a shaky finger, terror brimming in her eyes.

All eyes settled on the Rogue king now.

Lord Kyren’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching beside him as he glared at Axel. "Yes. He’s working with the Dark Hand. He’s the one who killed your husband."

’Cue the dramatic gasps.’ Axel scoffed to himself, watching as they did as predicted, gasping with shock.

He didn’t flinch, shrugging casually. "It was necessary."

Suddenly, the princess flared, her eyes glowing with a burning silver light. "You two-faced bastard! How could you?!"

But before she could act, Lucian held her back, shaking his head at her.

"All these years... Arian kept you under his protection. Under his care." Elowen trembled. "And you... You stabbed him in the back?"

Really?

"Woman, please." Axel nearly laughed. "You weren’t a saint either. Don’t think I didn’t know about you and little Kyren’s schemings."

That shut her up instantly, although her lips twitched with anger.

"What is he talking about, mother?" Lucian’s silver eyes narrowed.

But Kyren spoke before anyone else could. "Who are you, truly? What’s your goal? Stealing a throne that doesn’t belong to you?"

Axel arched his brow. "My plans go beyond Lunaria and this continent, child. But yes, the throne is rightfully mine so... Why not?"

Those words seemed to finally make something click in Kyren’s mind. His eyes widened, his lips parting with disbelief.

"You’re... It can’t be..." The Rogue king took a step back.

And underneath all that mask of calm... Axel could smell it. Something the lad hasn’t felt in centuries.

True fear.

He stretched out his arms, his voice deepening as he finally dropped the act. "I am Garrick Ironclaw. True king of Lunaria."

His smirk widened, cruel and knowing.

"Missed me, son?"