bChapter /bb75 /b

bThe /bbstorm /bboutside /bdoesn’t calm. Thunder refuses to stop. It roars again–louder, angrier–shaking the pce walls with every strike, raging in Lync with the bchaos /bbrewing inside.

The chandelier’s crystals tter above. Stone pirs groan. Paintings crash to the floor, shattering like fragile bones. The entire bworld /btrembles.

But the Alpha King doesn’t move or care if the heavens rip the pce in two. Because his world–his en

world is bleeding out in his arms.

“Father,” she had whispered. And that single word had shaken something deep within him. His wolf howled in return, a desperate confirmation,

Kali’s skin is pale now, her lips trembling with thest ghost of warmth. Blue Blood soaks the front of her gown, pooling around the sword still buried in her chest. Her breath is barely there–shallow, uneven, like the fragile whisper of life is slipping away.

He lowers her gently to the marble floor, cradling her head like it’s the most precious thing he’s ever held.

“What have you done?!” His voice rips through the air like a beast set loose. “What have you done?!”

It’s the first time he’s ever raised his voice at Lady Celestia.

She simply smirks, stepping back as she admires the bloodied de she had so proudly driven into Kali–as if it were a piece of art.

“I did what needed to be done,” she says coldly. “What you couldn’t do, Father.”

That word–Father–burns like aciding from her lips. A mockery. So different from when Kali said itb, /bsoft and sincere.

He stares at her–this girl he raised, protected, gave everything for despite not being his true blood. The daughter he once promised peace in exchange for his soul. And nowi, /ias her smile twists with malice, he sees it clearly–the madness. The obsession. The selfishb, /bdangerous hunger to controlb, /bto take what was never hers.

This was all his fault.

He saw the signs–the way she looked at Jack with those wild, desperate eyes. How she wanted him, despite him belonging to another. How her judgement wavered with every emotional outburst, how entitled she had be. How unfit she was to lead.

But he looked away.

Because what else did he have?

He had no heir.

No one else.

Until now.

The moment he stepped into the grand hall earlier, something had changed. The air shifted. Time warped. His wolf stirred violently in his chest, and he had to clench his fists to keep from howling. Pup. Pup/PUP. His wolf had howled, breathless and crazed, as if it had just found something sacred.

He thought he was losing his mind.

Until he saw her.

Chained. On her knees. Her head bowed in submission–or maybe terror. He couldn’t see her face, but the second gripped him. It wasn’t pity. It wasn’t curiosity./

It was instinct.

his

eyes fell on her, ba /bstrange pull

Protect her.

He bwanted /bbto /bbrip /bbthe /bsilver chains from bher /bwrists and tear apart banyone /bwho bhad /bdared bto /bbbind /bbher/b. His heart bthundered /bbwith /bba /bbwarning /bk bdide /bky bunderstand/b.

bThen /bbshe /blooked bup/b–and the air left his lungs.

bThose /bbeyes/bb. /b

Emerald. Just like his.

bJust /blike his mother’s. Just like his grandmother’s.

He couldn’t breathe.

She had called him father.

And now–now she lies dying.

He doesn’t pull the sword from her chest. He knows better. Removing it would quicken the bleeding. Instead, he presses his hands around the wound, voice hoarse as he screams toward the towering doors.

“Call in the royal doctor–NOW!”

Seconds pass.

Then the doors fly open.

Fifteen guards rush in, eyes wide, trembling under the pressure of the King’s fury

“S–sire-

“ARREST her!” he barks, pointing a bloodstained hand at Celestia. “Lock her in her room. I don’t want to see her face. Not until I say so.”

The guards freeze–hesitant. Uncertain.

This is Lady Celestia. The chosen heir. His only daughter.

But one look at the Alpha King’s face silences their doubt. Fury burns in his eyes. Pure, unfiltered

He ismanding.

Two guards move. Then four. Then all surround her.

“What?” Celestia snaps,ughing bitterly. “You’re arresting me? For her?”

She res at Kali with disgust wishing she could finish the job and sever her head this time.

rage.

He is not asking.

“She’s not going to survive, Daddyi,” /ishe sneers. “We both know it. No one survives after being stabbed by your sword.”

Then she throws her head back andughs.

“No one.”

Herughter echoes down the hall as the guards drag her away, a haunting sound–sharp, fracturedb, /bunhinged. She was broken beyond repair.

The King doesn’t look at her.

He can’tb. /b

His eyes are on Kali. Only Kali.

bHe /bbpresses /bbtrembling /bbfingers /bbto /bbher /bbcheck/b, bbrushing /bback a bblood/bb–/bmatted bstrand /bof hair.

bNo /bbhe /bbmurmurs/bb, /bjaw btight/bb. /bbNot /bbyet/bb… /bbstay /bbwith /bbme/bb. /bbYou /bbcan’t /bbdie/bb./bb” /b

bBut /beven bhe /bknowsb–/bbCelestia /bmight be right.

bNo /bone survives bhis /bbsword/b.

It’s bnot /bbjust /bbany /bweapon. It’s the deadliest de in existence–forged with dark magic and soaked in ancient silver blessed bby /bbthe /bmoon bgoddess /bherself. One bstab /bbto /bthe heart means certain death.

bUnless/bb… /b

bUnless /byou share his blood.

That was the condition he had carved into the sword’s creation. It would kill anyone–everyone–but inot /ia true–born royal. He bhad /bdone bit /bbto /bbprotect /bbhis /bbloodline, to ensure he’d never identally kill his own.

And now–her blood.

Blue.

Blue.

His breath hitches as he stares at her, his heart thundering.

Could she really be…b? /b

He doesn’t let the thought fully form.

Not until the doctor arrives.

Not until there’s hope.

But deep inside, his wolf howls again.

Not in pain this time–In recognition.

Pup, it cries again.

And this time…

He allows himself–just for a second–to believe it might be true.

Then, as if summoned by fate, the doors burst open again.

“Alpha King,” the royal doctor breathes, rushing inside with sweat on his brow, “I’m sorry–I came as soon as I could.”

“Do whatever it takes bto /bsave her.” The King’s voice is sharp. Commanding. But beneath it lies something else. Fear.

The doctor drops to his knees beside the girl’s limp body, his hands already moving with urgency. He pulls open his satchel, grabbing vials and bcloth/bb, /bmuttering under his breath. But the moment he catches sight of the blood pooling beneath her, his entire body stills.

His eyes widen.

He slowly lifts a blood–soaked piece of clothi, /istaring at the colour–blue.

*Dear Goddess,” he whispers.

bThe /bbAlpha /bbKing’s /bheart bskips/b.

He bleans /bbforward/bb, /bbhis /bbvoice /blow and desperate like a man asking a question he already feared the answer to b“/bWhy bit /bbher /bbblood /bbluer

bThe /bbdoctor /blooks bup/bb, /bbeyes /bflicking to the King’s face. “Your Majesty…your sword… everyone knows it was forged with ancient magic. Deadly to pati those bof /bbroyal /bblood. It’s designed to identify its own.”

The King’s breath catches in his throat.

He knows this, but hearing it said aloud twists something deep inside him.

Kali–bleeding, dying—was still alive despite being stabbed by the cursed de. Could it really be?

His lost daughter?

The one who had mysteriously vanished without a trace… who he had searched for, desperately, for years… until he was told she had died. He bhad /bbelieved it. He had felt it an unbearable disconnection. It was that belief that shattered his Queen… and ultimately destroyed her, as she never recovered from the loss.

“Transfer her to the clinic,” he orders, voice tight. “Do whatever you must. And while you’re at it… run the test. Find out if…” He hesitates. “…if she’s really-”

“My blood,” he finishes in a whisper.

The doctor nods solemnly and returns to his workb, /bslowly easing the de out of her chest. The wound gushes violently for a moment, and he quickly applies pressure with thick bandages, working fast to stabilize her.

Just as the doctor begins to prepare her for transportb, /bthe heavy doors m open again with a bang that echoes through the throne room like gunfire.

And then-

A roarb. /b

“KALI!!!”

Jack storms into the room like a hurricane. His eyes, wide with rage and horror, lock onto the blood–covered figure on the ground.

“No… ino/i, ino/i, no,” he breathes, stumbling toward her.

He drops to his knees, grabbing her face gently in his hands. “Kali, baby–wake up. Please–look at me, open your eyes–please!”

She doesn’t stir.

His breathing turns erratic, chest heaving as tears fall freely. Then–like something inside him snaps–he lunges for the doctor, grabbing him by the cor.

“Who did this?!” Jack growls, voice cracking with fury. “Who the fuck did this to my mate?! bI /bswear to the goddess–I will tear this whole damn ce down if she dies!”

The guards flinch, unsure if ithey /ishould intervene.

Then Jack’s bloodshot eyes turn to the Alpha King

And the rage explodes.

“You-” he snarls, stepping forward. “I don’t care if you’re the fucking King–if you or your psychotic daughter had anything to do bwith /bbthis/b–I bswear /bbon /beverything I own, I’ll go to war with your whole damn kingdom.”

His body shakes, shoulders rising and falling rapidly as his voice cracks again.

“bYou /bbbetter /bbpray /bbto /bbthe /bbgoddess /bbherself /bbthat /bKall bdoesn’t /bdie, bJack /bsays, voice btow /bbnow/bb, /bbtrembling /bwith barely contained pret “Baenga fay bmake /bbsure /beveryone bresponsible /bfollows her bto /bthe grave”

bThe /bbAlpha /bbKing /bbdoesn’t /bspeak right away.

bHe /bbsimply /bstares.

bAt /bJack.

At the fire in his eyes.

At the tears running freely down his face.

This—this is why he had always admired Jack. Why he’d wanted him to seed him. Not because of bloodlines or status. But because Jack fights for love. Because he weeps. Because he rages at the edge of the world for the one who means everything.

This is why he once considered him for Celestia. Why he supported her delusions. Why he was willing to bend tradition–to rewrite history–just to make Jack a King.

But now, he sees the truth.

The Moon Goddess had already chosen.

If Kali is truly his daughter… then fate has already bound her to the only man worthy of the crown.

Still kneeling beside her, the Alpha King swallows hard and looks Jack in the eye. He hadn’t wielded the de–but he is responsibleb. /bResponsible for Celestia’s madness. For letting it go this far.

He should have stopped heri. /i

And he didn’t.

“Now’s not the time,” the King says quietly. “We save her first… and then-”

He pauses.

“Then you

take your revenge. On whoever is responsible.”

His eyes darken.

“Including me.”