CHAPTER 10- BELKAM&LORELEI

The man was sneaking into a room, it was a strange thing to watch, like I was there, he looked down at his mate sleeping and stabbed the red blade into her heart.

Immediately I felt like a hot punch and then a large amount of blood spilled from her body, it was not until the adrenaline faded that the struggle with the pain began once I saw his expressionless faces I could not stop screaming.

BELKAM POV

"What ails you, my son? I have entrusted you with the legacy of my realm, bestowing upon you my kingdom and vast lands! Yet, you repay my generosity by harboring affection for that accursed girl, who even your primal instincts have not deemed worthy of recognition as your mate!" Alpha Magnus's fist collided with my face once more, but the pain seemed distant and irrelevant.

"Alpha, I implore you to release me so that I may retrieve Lorelei. She must be in a state of distress. Given her delicate constitution, the limited oxygen reserves will dwindle rapidly," I pleaded, only to be met with a menacing growl from my father, silencing my plea.

"I should have allowed her to perish in infancy... You fail to comprehend the gravity of the situation," my father's callous words pierced through me. It became abundantly clear that his love for his daughter was nothing but a facade.

"She has been trapped for hours! Her survival is imperative for our future endeavors," I beseeched, my desperation evident in my voice.

"Indeed..." he muttered, his hand stroking his chin in contemplation. "Retrieve her at once."

"We must convene a meeting with Alpha Castien and his progenitor," Magnus instructed his beta, completely unaware that Lorelei, the object of our discussions.

LORELEI POV

My eyes struggled to open against the oppressive darkness that enveloped me in the solitude of the cell. Time had slipped away, leaving me alone with the thick, suffocating air. The searing pain of silver coursing through my veins dulled my senses, rendering me immobile and devoid of the strength to cry out. A strange sense of calm began to wash over me, lulling me into a drowsy state.

"Forgive me, Historia," I whispered, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my lips, as if hoping she could sense the warmth of my thoughts.

"Do not despair, child. This is not your end," her gentle voice echoed in the recesses of my mind.

Suddenly, the heavy door of my cell swung open with a resounding crash, and a figure rushed toward me, their frantic cries muffled by the insidious presence of silver. With determined effort, they managed to free me from my prison.

Though I teetered on the edge of consciousness, I sensed the palpable fear emanating from my rescuer through our unspoken connection. I attempted to offer words of reassurance, to apologize for causing such distress, but my voice failed me, shrouded in a fog of exhaustion.

"Lorie... forgive me. This is my doing," Belkam's anguished voice pierced through the haze of my fading consciousness. But why did he shoulder the blame for my suffering? It was not his burden to bear, yet the thought of him in pain because of me stirred a deep ache in my heart. I yearned to convey that I was safe, that everything would be alright, yet the words eluded me as I succumbed to the overwhelming weariness.

Upon regaining awareness, I found myself in the comfort of my own room, lying on the bed while Belkam sat vigil by my side. The dull throb of pain still lingered, and my head pounded relentlessly as I took in his disheveled appearance – a testament to his unwavering concern and care for me.

Struggling against the agony that wracked my every movement, I managed to sit up on the bed, only to catch sight of the nightgown that had been placed before me. A sense of unease crept over me at its revealing nature, and Belkam's words only served to heighten my discomfort.

"I have dressed you. I have seen you unclothed before," he spoke softly, his gaze meeting mine with a mixture of understanding and vulnerability.

Though we had shared such intimate moments in the past, the current circumstances left me feeling oddly exposed and unsettled.

"I have been chosen as a mate... but he refuses to accept my rejection," I lamented, the weight of my words heavy on my heart as I tried to cleanse myself of their implications.

"I cannot blame him for that..." Envy tinged my voice as I acknowledged the truth of his feelings.

He, destined to become the alpha of our pack, bore the burden of his responsibilities, including the inevitable duty of siring pups with his future Luna. Yet, deep down, I knew his heart and soul belonged to me, even though my own desires no longer aligned with his.

"Belkam, perhaps you should seek a worthy female and release yourself from the hold I have on you..." The words slipped from my lips unexpectedly, and both of us were startled by the unforeseen confession.

"What did you just say?! Is this because of your new mate? I thought you had rejected him! You did so with Sigurd," His voice carried a fierce edge, his frustration palpable.

"Yes, I turned him down!" I responded, my voice breaking as tears threatened to spill from my eyes, a fear of losing him clutching at my heart.

"And now what? Your wolf failed to recognize him, yet you still pine for his presence!" His bitterness laced each word as he grasped me by the collar, his eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and anger.

"Belkam, please release me! It still pains me!" My skin prickled under his touch as I attempted to free myself, pleading for him to let go.

"Prove to me that you still hold affection for me, or reject me outright!" Belkam's grip tightened around my neck, cutting off my breath, leaving me gasping for air.

"Belkam... I cannot... You... you are not my chosen mate!"

My words only served to stoke his fury further, his hold on my neck growing tighter, rendering me helpless.

With a heavy heart, I closed my eyes, turning my face away from his intense gaze. If I were not his mate, why did my heart ache at the thought of rejecting him?

He seized my face, forcing me to meet his gaze, our faces inches apart. My heart raced in my chest as his hot breath mingled with mine, the tension between us growing palpable. Before I could protest, his lips claimed mine in a possessive kiss, my feeble attempts to push him away proving futile as he deepened the embrace.

As the kiss intensified, his hand began to wander, sending a sharp, searing pain through my chest as if a blade had pierced me from within. In that moment, my wolf, driven by an instinctual need to protect me, lashed out, leaving a deep, bloody gash across his face.

"He is not our mate! We are causing him harm!" My wolf's voice echoed in my mind, clear and resolute, before Belkam vanished, leaving me alone in agony and anguish.

The door burst open, and the beta and Gamma entered, swiftly ushering Belkam away, their voices urgent and commanding, seeking to avert any further disruptions to our pack's delicate balance.

As the pain radiated from my chest to every corner of my body, it felt as though I was being pierced by a thousand burning knives, the torment unbearable even by the standards of silver's bite.

For hours on end, I cried out in anguish, the pain relentless and unyielding, my body and soul wracked by the repercussions of that fateful encounter. And amidst my suffering, I couldn't help but wonder if the agony I endured was but a fraction of the pain that Castien, too, might be experiencing.