The Shadow King's Alpha : The Cursed Bond

[Later — House Vaelric — Midnight]

The lights of House Vaelric remained ablaze; not a single servant had dared retire for the night. Silence lingered heavily throughout the grand hall.

Grand Duke Lior paced restlessly from one end of the chamber to the other, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. His usually composed face betrayed an anxiety he could no longer conceal.

Captain Riven and Butler Edric exchanged uneasy glances; neither of them had ever seen the Grand Duke this unsettled.

Finally, Riven stepped forward. "My Grace...Please sit down; there is no point exhausting yourself. We do not know when the Shadow King intends to return Lord Kael."

Grand Duke Lior abruptly stopped as he turned toward the entrance. "I cannot wait. I’m going to the Ashkarath Forest."

"My Grace!" Riven immediately stepped into his path. "You cannot; the forest could be dangerous. The Ashkarath’s are now too alert; whoever approaches the forest at midnight, they kill them."

"But Kael is alone with him!" Lior’s voice rose for the first time. "He has already suffered enough. I will not abandon my son again."

Edric lowered his head respectfully. "My Grace...please, the Lord of Darkness accepted Lord Kael; his presence at the temple is the evidence for it. If he wished him harm...he would never have appeared."

Lior’s hands trembled; every passing second felt like another blade twisting through a father’s heart.

Then—

Creak...

The massive doors of House Vaelric slowly opened; every head turned at once as footsteps echoed through the silent mansion as Kael stood at the entrance, his hair illuminated by the lantern light.

Behind him walked the Lord of Darkness, and the shadows themselves seemed to follow in Lytharion’s footsteps.

For a heartbeat the entire hall forgot how to breathe. Then everyone immediately dropped to one knee.

"Greetings to the Deity of Darkness."

Lytharion’s golden eyes swept across the hall as his calm voice carried the unquestionable authority of a god. "You may rise."

As everyone stood, Lior’s eyes never left his son; he crossed the hall in hurried strides, stopping directly before Kael as his trembling hands hovered in the air, almost afraid to touch him.

"Kael." His voice was barely above a whisper; he searched his son’s face. The unnatural paleness was gone.

The pain that had haunted his eyes had disappeared; only exhaustion remained. Grand Duke Lior released a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.

"Are you hurt?"

"...Just tired."

Relief flooded the Grand Duke’s face, and then he placed a gentle hand upon Kael’s shoulder. "Good...you’ve done enough."

Grand Duke Lior glanced at Lytharion and bowed, saying, "Thank you for acknowledging him."

"I could not ignore the plea that comes from the heart, so until my mortal mate’s life reaches its end...I shall remain beside him within this world."

Silence followed.

Captain Riven’s eyes widened ever so slightly; even Butler Edric looked momentarily stunned.

A deity...living within House Vaelric?

Grand Duke Lior slowly lowered himself into a respectful bow. , his voice carried genuine gratitude. "Thank you for answering the plea of a desperate father."

Lytharion regarded him quietly. "I merely fulfilled an obligation; a bond acknowledged beneath the Lunar Moon cannot be neglected."

Then, without the slightest embarrassment, he rested a possessive hand upon Kael’s shoulder. "So, where is our chamber?"

The entire hall fell into another stunned silence.

’Our.’

"House Vaelric welcomes the Lord of Darkness. Lord Kael’s chamber has already been prepared. I hope it will be the deities’ satisfaction." Edric bowed, saying.

Lytharion gave a single nod. "It will suffice."

Lior looked at Kael one last time; there were countless questions he wished to ask.

What had happened? What had Lytharion said? Had Kael truly accepted this fate?

But seeing the exhaustion clouding his son’s eyes, he swallowed every question. "Go and rest."

Kael nodded silently, and without another word, he turned and walked toward the eastern corridor. Lytharion followed only a step behind him like a shadow that would never again leave its owner.

The two disappeared into the darkness of the manor; only after they were gone did Captain Riven finally speak.

"My Grace...why didn’t you tell Lord Kael...about the judgment held at the Spirit Temple?"

Grand Duke Lior’s expression grew solemn as his tired eyes remained fixed on the corridor where his son had disappeared.

"He has carried enough burdens for one night; let him sleep. Tomorrow...his world will change again."

Neither Riven nor Edric spoke another word. Outside, the moon continued to shine over House Vaelric. Inside, Kael finally returned home...unaware that while he fought to survive his own fate...the Spirits of Qashmar had already chosen him...to become the next emperor of the empire.

***

[Kael’s Chamber — Later]

Shut!

The heavy wooden doors closed behind them with a deep echo that swallowed the silence of the corridor.

Kael instinctively stiffened for a long moment...the chamber was eerily quiet as he let out a slow breath before turning around.

"...?"

Empty.

His brows furrowed as he mumbled, "Where did he—"

"Are you looking for me..." A deep, familiar voice interrupted him. "...my Queen?"

Kael’s head snapped toward the bed, and his eyes widened. Lytharion had somehow crossed the room without making the slightest sound; he was reclining lazily against the headboard as though the chamber had belonged to him for centuries.

One leg was bent comfortably while the other stretched across the edge of the bed.

A loose black shawl rested carelessly over his broad shoulders, exposing the powerful lines of his collarbone and part of his well-defined chest and nipples.

The rich fabric slipped just enough to reveal sun-kissed skin, giving him the effortless elegance of an ancient king rather than someone trying to impress.

He wore dark leather trousers fitted neatly to his long legs, accentuating his commanding frame. His boots had already been discarded beside the bed, leaving him looking far too relaxed for someone who carried the title of the Lord of Darkness.

Long strands of obsidian hair cascaded over one shoulder, catching the silver moonlight that poured through the window, and golden eyes regarded Kael with quiet amusement.

One arm rested lazily behind his head while the other drummed slow, patient fingers against the mattress; every movement was unhurried, and every gesture carried absolute confidence. It was as though he expected the entire world to revolve around him.

Kael simply stared. "How...you were standing right behind me."

Lytharion tilted his head ever so slightly. "I was, and now...I am here."

Kael blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "You’re fast."

For a fleeting instant, the corner of Lytharion’s lips curved upward. "I merely crossed the distance; you simply failed to notice."

But then the warmth vanished, and the air itself grew heavy as his expression darkened as his gaze locked onto Kael with terrifying intensity; his voice dropped into something cold enough to freeze the room.

"But when did I permit you...to become comfortable in my presence?"

Kael’s fingers instinctively tightened around the fabric of his shirt; his heartbeat stumbled. "I apologize."

Lytharion remained silent; his gaze lingered on Kael for several unbearable seconds before he lazily patted the empty space beside him on the mattress.

"Come."

It wasn’t a request. It was an order.

Kael hesitated; every instinct screamed at him to refuse. Yet after a long breath, he stepped forward until he carefully sat on the edge of the mattress, leaving as much distance between them as dignity allowed.

"...Closer."

Kael reluctantly shifted, only a little. Lytharion then leaned forward; their faces drew uncomfortably close.

Kael immediately stiffened. "What are you doing?"

Before Lytharion could answer, Kael raised a trembling hand between them. "Don’t. If this bond means anything...then don’t touch me without my consent."

For the first time...Lytharion paused, his eyes narrowed, studying Kael as though he were encountering an unfamiliar creature. "Consent, as though you believe you can place conditions upon a god."

Kael refused to lower his gaze. "I’m placing them upon the one standing before me, at...my mate."

The room fell silent; several long moments passed before Lytharion leaned back against the headboard.

"Hmm...Is it?" There was no anger in his voice, only curiosity as his gaze slowly swept over Kael before settling upon his abdomen.

"What kind of Alpha are you?"

Kael frowned. "A recessive alpha."

"I see." Lytharion rested one arm across the back of the bed, his expression unreadable. "That simplifies certain matters."

Kael’s brows knitted together. "What matters?"

A slow smile appeared on the Dark Deity’s face. "The future."

Kael’s unease deepened. "I don’t understand."

"You will," Lytharion answered calmly. "When you bear my child."

Kael’s eyes widened as he stood and stumbled back, saying, "What are you speaking? I am...an Alpha; I cannot bear a child."

A quiet chuckle escaped Lytharion. "You continue speaking as though destiny is negotiable."

Lytharion glanced at him and slowly rose to his feet; now his towering figure cast a long shadow across the chamber.

"You still misunderstand. I possess no second gender." His voice echoed with ancient authority as he stopped several paces away, making no move to touch Kael.

"The laws governing mortals have never governed me, as your mate...you can bear my child, even though you’re an Alpha."

His eyes held Kael’s without wavering. "If I desire to reshape fate itself...I can, so stop measuring me by the limits of your world, my Queen, because I have never belonged to it."

Kael felt a chill run down his spine; for the first time since awakening beneath the Sacred Pond, he realized something far more terrifying than Lytharion’s strength.

The Dark Deity did not threaten impossible things. He spoke of them...as though they were already inevitable.

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