Three Alpha Princes for an Unwanted Omega

"What is it?" Damon asked.

Kieran did not answer immediately.

His gaze remained fixed on the darkened corridor beyond the gardens. For a moment, he was certain he had heard something.

"I thought I heard something," he said. "From over there."

Damon followed his gaze. "Do you want me to go check it out?"

Kieran looked again before exhaling slowly.

"No," he finally said. "It must be my imagination. What were you saying?"

"What were you saying?"

Damon opened his mouth to answer before they are interrupted.

"Alpha Kieran."

They both turned to the sound.

Henry, Celeste’s father stood at the edge of the grass path, wringing his hands.

"Henry." Kieran said flatly "What brings you here?"

Henry swallowed.

"My lord..." He hesitated.

Kieran immediately grew impatient.

"If you have something to say, say it."

Henry lowered his head.

"I would like to apologize again for what my daughter tried to do to Lady Ayla."

The mere mention of this event was enough to make something dark stir inside Kieran.

His expression became colder.

"I know there is nothing I can say that will excuse what Celeste did," Henry continued quickly. "What she attempted was unforgivable, and I understand why you would want justice."

"Do you?" Kieran cut in. "The only reason I have not had your daughter beheaded, Henry, is because of how much I value your friendship but not mistake that for an opening to beg for her life."

Henry immediately shook his head.

"I would not presume, my lord." Henry said. "But if it pleases you to spare her... I have something to tell you, something that I think you will want to hear. Something about the rogue king.

Kieran and Damon exchanged a brief glance.

"Speak," Kieran said.

Henry took another breath.

"His family were all executed for treason," Henry said. "Down to the infants. The whole Veyr line."

"I know that."

"No, my lord. I don’t think you know the extent of what went down."

Kieran approached him.

"Then tell me. What happened? Who removed the event of that day from my memory."

Henry’s eyes shot up.

"You know about that?"

"Yes and from the lack of surprise in your eyes, I am assuming you also know who did it."

"Yes, I do." Henry said, lowering his voice.

"Who is it?"

"The priestess..." His voice faltered.

"Miranda?" Kieran interjected.

Henry pressed a hand to his chest, coughing suddenly. Kieran could see his face pale.

"Henry?" he said carefully. "What about Miranda?"

"She..." Henry’s throat worked, fighting for the words. "She..."

Henry sucked in a sharp breath, his fingers clawing at the fabric over his heart.

"My lord..."

He doubled over, one hand braced on his knee and the other pressed to his mouth as the coughs tore out of him in ragged bursts that shook his entire frame.

When he straightened, his hand came away red with blood.

"Father..." Damon started forward.

Henry stared at his own palm as if he did not recognize it. Blood welled in the corner of his mouth and spilled over his chin. He lifted his head to Kieran, his eyes wide.

His mouth worked but no words came out... only the sound of him choking on his own blood.

"Henry!" Kieran lunged, catching the man as his knees buckled. "Henry, look at me. Look at me!"

Henry’s eyes rolled back. Blood poured from his nose now, streaming over his mouth and jaw, and thin red lines traced from the corners of his eyes down his cheeks like tears. The sound he made was wet and terrible, a gurgle that went on and on.

"Henry... what is... Henry, stay with me."

His eyes darted wildly around him, his body arching repeatedly before he went limp in Kieran’s arms, his head rolling sideways.

Damon stared in horror.

"Gods...What is happening to him?"

"I do not know." Kieran muttered. The blood kept coming even after the man had stopped breathing.

"Get the healer!" Kieran roared.

Damon took to his heels while Kieran held unto Henry’s limp body.

"Henry?" Kieran shook him once, gently, the way a man shakes a sleeper. "Henry."

The garden was very quiet and the only sound was Kieran’s own ragged breathing as he stared at the dead man in his arms.

"What the hell?" he whispered. "What the hell was that?"

...

Master Aldric returned with Damon. He took one look at the scene before him.

"Goddess" he swore. "What happened?"

"He was fine mere minutes ago," Damon answered. "He came to speak to my father and then he started coughing blood...I don’t even know what happened."

Aldric dropped to his knees beside Henry, placing two fingers against his throat even though he knew the man before him was dead.

"What is it?" Kieran asked.

Master Aldric said nothing.

He examined Henry’s bloodied eyes and then his nose. He ran his fingers over the man’s neck and chest, searching for anything that could explain what had happened.

There was no wound or obvious injury. He had merely bled and died.

"Forgive me, my lord," he said. "I do not have an explanation for this."

"You’re telling me a man was standing here perfectly healthy and died within minutes, and you have no explanation?"

Aldric’s expression was grim.

"I have never seen anything like this."

"Then find me an explanation."

"My lord..."

"Find one!" Kieran thundered.

"The blood vessels in his skull and his chest simply... burst. All at once. As if something inside him had been wound too tight, and let go."

"Wound too tight," Kieran repeated. "By what?"

"Not by anything natural." Aldric’s voice dropped. "No poison I know acts this fast, or this violently. There is no herb, no venom, no blade that could do this to a man in the space of a breath...There is only one thing I can think of." Master Aldric said.

Kieran’s eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"Dark magic."

"Dark magic?" Damon echoed.

Aldric nodded slowly.

"What do you mean by dark magic?"

Aldric turned toward him.

"Someone wanted him dead. Did he perhaps say anything to you before this happened?"

Kieran’s stomach dropped.

He immediately thought of Henry’s words.

The priestess, Miranda.

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