CHAPTER 15- BELKAM
BELKAM POV
Gradually regaining consciousness, I found myself utterly battered and bound tightly to the bars of my cell. It had taken five skilled fighters to subdue me at the border, yet the agony of my exhaustion and the fierce resistance I had put up paled in comparison to the torment of betrayal. An immense void consumed me from within, filling the cavity of my ribcage with a crushing weight that almost suffocated me. Each pulsation felt like a burden, as memories of her, like sharp needles, pierced my wounded heart. How could she have allowed herself to be marked by another lycan? What had become of our love, our sacred bond? She deceived me, her own mate—such a cruel betrayal.
Unless she had been coerced. Perhaps by her father, or worse, by that arrogant wolf who had claimed her. I knew in my very core that she belonged to me, and all others were mere pretenders, conspiring to keep us apart. Alpha Magnus entered the dungeon with his retinue, undoubtedly intent on stripping me of my title, his disapproving gaze piercing through me. But I cared little for their machinations. Behind the Alpha stood three unfamiliar men, their essence betraying their true nature as fellow wolves. One, older in his late twenties, and the other two, younger barely twenty.
"Belkam," Magnus addressed me with a voice as cold as steel. The hatred seething within me flared at the sight of his contemptuous visage illuminated by the flickering torchlight. "Today, you have made history, my son. You are one of the most formidable alphas alive, and we shall proceed with your succession ceremony on the morrow," Magnus proclaimed, his words ringing with finality.
My eyes narrowed in disbelief at his words, struggling to comprehend their meaning. "How can that be? I have not claimed a Luna, and you still draw breath," I retorted, glaring defiantly at the Alpha. The older man, Vastos, stepped forward and bowed before me. "Alpha, I am Vastos, your Beta for the Rougaroo Pack."
The two younger wolves followed suit, introducing themselves as Dominik, my Beta, and Leon, my first warrior for the Black Shuck pack. They pledged their unwavering loyalty to me, their new Alpha, with heads bowed in submission. As they loosened my bindings from the cell bars, allowing me to massage my sore wrists, I inquired about the absence of the Rougaroo's first warrior. "Where is the Gamma of the Rougaroo Pack? And why has he not sworn his allegiance to me as Alpha?" I demanded, my tone grave and commanding.
"Nolan has been sacrificed," Vastos revealed, assisting me to my feet.
"For what reason?" I pressed, my gaze searching their faces for answers.
"Nolan has imprinted with the Luna," Dominik confessed, kneeling before me with eyes downcast. Rage surged within me, and I seized Dominik by the collar, forcing him to meet my furious gaze. "Where is my mate?!"
"Our eyes caught her in the act of attempting to flee with him, and Alpha Magnus swiftly commanded us to pursue her. She is currently being detained in your quarters, Alpha," Dominik managed to articulate through a strained voice as he sought support from the ground.
A surge of relief washed over me - she loves me, she didn't abandon me. A smile involuntarily crept onto my face, and without waiting for anyone's approval, I hastened to my room. The flutter of butterflies in my stomach intensified as I raced towards her, feeling almost weightless as if I were soaring. The scent of her lingered faintly in the air, intermingled with an unfamiliar fragrance, as I approached the door. Overwhelmed with anticipation, I flung the door open with such force that I collided with the wall. Once inside, my eyes fell upon a desolate young woman, weeping on the floor, clad in one of Lorelei's dresses.
"Who is this female? Where is Lorelei?!" I demanded, seizing Magnus by the collar as he entered the room with his retinue, followed closely by mine. I tightened my grip gradually, intensifying the pressure.
"It's your new Luna, Lady Margerite, Alpha Rhylan's younger sister. Alpha Magnus informed us that she is your mate," Dominik explained, eyeing me with a questioning gaze.
"If you wish to claim this pack as your own, you must mark her and accept her as Luna. Lady Margerite hails from a respectable lineage," Magnus added with a twisted smirk. I was tired of yielding to him - I wanted him gone.
Drawing my sword from its sheath, I impaled him against the wall with all the strength my body could muster, while the anguished cries of Lady Margerite echoed throughout the room, mingling with the splatter of Magnus' blood on the floor. Upon his demise, his Entourage growled at me, revealing where their loyalties lay. With a single glance, I signaled to my brother Lorcan to slit our current beta's throat with his dagger, while Dominik plunged his blade into the first warrior's back before he could retaliate. Swiftly withdrawing the sword from Magnus' lifeless form, who crumpled to the ground, I turned my gaze to the terrified young woman cowering before me.
"Alpha, if I may... Lady Margerite, being of noble birth, will enhance your standing as Alpha with a Luna of her caliber by your side. Moreover, her pregnancy will bolster your strength against any rival Alpha," Vastos insidiously pointed out, and I handed him the sword.
"Dominik and Leon, provide me with a detailed report on the Black Shuck pack. Vastos, take my brother Torkan as the new Delta of Rougaroo. I want him acquainted with the pack and our territory. Lastly, Lorcan and Andrew, make preparations for my ascent to Alpha tomorrow," I commanded, and they all bowed before departing.
Lady Margerite continued to weep uncontrollably on the floor, undoubtedly reeling from the agony of the broken mate bond and the violence she had just witnessed.
"Please, Alpha, I beg of you, please spare me..." she implored amidst tears, but I was resolute in my resolve - I needed that army to reclaim Lorelei. Without hesitation, I seized her arm and sank my fangs into her neck, eliciting a piercing cry of pain.
There was no turning back now - this was the path I had chosen, the path to reclaiming my true mate.