Chapter 103: The Blood Throne
Killian’s POV
“The King has entered the palace!”
The voice of the royal advisor echoed throughout the grand halls. The wolves present scattered, swiftly moving into their positions to clear the path for their king. I walked forward, flanked by my four formidable warriors. Every head bowed in reverence. As I stepped into the hall, an invisible pressure filled the air. The wolves loyal to the kingdom stood rigid, tension coiling around their throats like a noose. No one dared to breathe too loudly in my presence. They obediently refrained from any reckless behavior that might provoke my ire.
“Royal Advisor. Has the core family arrived?” I inquired.
The man hurried toward me, stumbling slightly before bowing at a precise forty–degree angle.
“As expected, Your Majesty. However, Lord Irwin appears to be running late,” he stammered.
“Hmph. Forget about that spineless creature.”
I strode toward the center of the hall, ascending the steps leading to the grand throne. My gaze never wavered from the figure before me, my Beta, my most trusted confidant. I never imagined this moment would come. If I had a heart, perhaps I would feel sorrow. Instead, all I felt was anger, tinged with a trace of disappointment at his decision.
Leonidas knelt before me, his shoulders squared, his expression as calm as the ocean. There was not a flicker of hesitation or regret in his demeanor. And that enraged me more than his betrayal of duty. I sat upon my throne, my piercing gaze fixed upon him like the Grim Reaper, ready to claim his soul.
“Beta Leonidas.”
The name slipped from my tongue like a sword being slowly unsheathed. “You stand before me, stripped of your rank, your title, and your place in my kingdom.”
He did not flinch. I leaned forward, my fingers curling over the armrests of my throne. “You abandoned centuries of loyalty, your position as the royal Beta for what? A peaceful life?”
I let out a mocking laugh. “Tell me, Leonidas, do you truly believe that peace exists for creatures like us?”
At last, his dark eyes met my crimson gaze. Boldly, he threw me a confident smile. My blood boiled.
“I no longer wish to live in your shadow. I’ve come to realize that I have lost myself, Your Majesty.”
A wave of murmurs rippled through the grand hall. The spectators stood as tense as a drawn bowstring, as if dreading the wrath I would unleash upon fully grasping the underlying meaning behind my former Beta’s words. My jaw clenched, claws beginning to emerge from the tips of my fingers.
“You are nothing without my name behind you, Leonidas,” I sneered.
“It doesn’t matter, Your Majesty. I will accept that.”
“Even if you end up hunted by enemies lurking beyond these walls? You know your reputation, you were once my most beloved wolf in the art of destruction.”
Leonidas stood firm, unwavering in his choice. “I will accept whatever consequences come my way.”
My nostrils flared as I fought to contain the searing rage coiled within my ribs. I wished that this man would reconsider all his choices with the brain he was given. What a waste of my mercy, letting him live yesterday. I would ensure his days in exile were anything but peaceful. Every second, every minute, every hour–his existence would be shrouded in fear until he saw no other option but to crawl back to his King and beg for his place once more.
I eagerly awaited that moment.
“Then you leave with nothing.” My voice rang with authority, my chin lifted high. “You are banished, former Beta cast out from my palace, my kingdom, my sight.“.
And yet, he remained still, as if I had not just stripped him of everything he had ever known.
“Your choice is your virtue. It will be honored by your people,” he said.
He rose to his feet with the stance of a warrior. The hall watched in silence as he squared his shoulders, exuding the same strength and prowess that once made him my most trusted wolf. He gave me one final salute. Then, just as he turned to leave, he halted casting one last glance in my direction
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“One day, Killian, you will see that everything before you is but a mirage
My brow furrowed, hard as my heart. “Are you giving sermons now? You’ve been banished for less than five minutes, and you’re already preaching to me?”
Leonidas‘ lips curved into something that was not quite a smile vet not
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Chapter 103: The Blood Throne
“The truth.”
And then, just like that, he was gone.
The heavy doors slammed shut behind him, and with them, something inside me cracked. But I buried it deep and rose to my feet, cloaked in the dignity of a king.
“Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks they can walk away from me unscathed.”
The day after Leonidas‘ departure, the kingdom buzzed with whispers. The halls were thick with hushed voices and murmured disgrace. The wolves who resided within the main palace formed their little groups, as if I wouldn’t notice their nervous glances, their hurried steps, their treacherous tongues wagging like vipers around me.
Pathetic. Idiots.
I silenced them with a single look as I strode toward the royal chamber of Sundrench Kingdom, my boots striking the marble floor like the tolling of a funeral bell.
“Enough of this petty gossip. Shut your mouths before I carve them closed with my claws,” I hissed.
The shadows of solitude followed me as they should.‘
I sat in my chair, exhaling as I stared at the stacks of parchment piled atop my desk. I could feel the dull throb in my head intensifying. All these documents were driving me insane. I remembered the one person with whom I used to share my frustrations, the one I had often threatened to set fire to these accursed papers with. And then, without fail, he would fly into a rage because some of them actually did end up singed.
I pushed those memories away. There was nothing left to be done about a man who had chosen a life of peril over the comfort of staying by my side. That truth gnawed at me more than I cared to admit.
The creak of the door broke my thoughts, and in walked Irwin. A man who had the audacity to share my bloodline, yet none of my strength. Greasy, frail, a rat draped in noble silks. He approached with the same sycophantic smile he always wore when pretending to be some innocent creature.
“My King,” he began, dipping his head in an exaggerated display. “It truly wounds my heart that our dear Leonidas has left our palace.”
I bared my sharp teeth. “Watch your words, Irwin. If you wish to join him in exile, go ahead say one more sentimental thing.” The color drained from his face. He raised his hands in surrender, letting out a small, nervous chuckle.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. My only intent is to serve. I merely wish to offer a solution. Surely, you will need a new Beta.” I stiffened, my eyes twitching slightly. I hated the offer, hated the truth of it but he was right. I could not leave the position vacant for too long. For the kingdom’s sake, for the sake of governance.
The Beta’s role was too vital to remain unfilled in the absence of its king.
I waved my hand dismissively. “Fine. Find me a suitable candidate. Make yourself useful for once.”
Irwin lit up like a rat catching the scent of a feast. “Of course, Your Majesty! I will gather only the most capable-”
His words were cut short as my hand slammed into his ribs.
A sickening crack echoed through the chamber as he choked, his eyes widening, his mouth opening and closing like a gasping fish. I twisted my grip inside his body, feeling his lungs tremble around my fingers.
“Y–Your Majesty,” he wheezed, saliva bubbling at his lips.
“You’re boring me, Irwin. Why don’t you take a little nap?”
I offered him a cold smile before yanking my hand back, letting him crumple to the floor, unconscious.
Wiping my fingers clean, I refused to let any trace of him linger on my skin. I turned back to my cursed stack of work, only to be interrupted by a sharp, searing pain stabbing into my gut.
I stumbled, gripping the edge of the table’s armrest as a searing heat engulfed me like molten fire. My breath came in ragged gasps. Something inside me twisted and clawed at my flesh.
Then red. A thick, dark stream of crimson spilled from my lips, splattering onto the marble floor. My vision blurred at the edges as murmurs of shock rippled through the hall. I barely registered the sound of my head maid, Beatrice, rushing into
the room.
“Your Majesty!”
“Oh, for the love of the gods! Someone, help! Guards!”
“Call for a healer!”
At her cry, several guards stormed in. Beatrice tried to steady me, joined by two burly warriors who moved to support my weight. I growled, silencing their pitiful panic around me.
“Quiet!” I roared, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “I am not d
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Chapter 103: The Blood Throne
But my body betrayed me. My knees buckled once before I forced myself to stand tall, swallowing the metallic taste of my
own blood.
Dozens of eyes stared at me in fear, all scrambling to aid me. Damn it. Another mouthful of blood hit the floor, and I cursed whatever force dared to weaken me. Something was wrong. But before I could grasp what it was, my consciousness slipped into the void.
