Before Xavier could utter another word, King Killian wrapped his hand around his neck and slammed him to the wall. "You will not lay a hand on my mate!" He yelled, his teeth elongating and his eyes turned red as his wolf threatened to come out.
Xavier still remained unfazed, the grin on his face widening. "Your mate?" He scoffed. "You say that as if you really love her." Killian's grasp tightened around his neck but he managed a calm expression.
Xavier's eyes suddenly flashed with anger. "I won't kill your mate like you killed mine," he snarled. "But I'll make Elena's life so miserable that she'll regret ever meeting you. That way, you will never get—"
Before Xavier could finish his sentence, King Killian delivered a hard blow across his face, his hands still wrapped around Xavier's throat.
"If you dare lay a finger on Elena, I will make you regret ever being born as my brother in this lifetime." King Killian growled, his voice laced with venom.
Xavier chuckled darkly even as the air in his lungs grew short. "Then kill me." He rasped.
His lips curled up mockingly before he continued. "Oh. Wait…you can't kill me."
King Killian's grip faltered, but his eyes remained dark.
"If you kill me, you die as well," Xavier whispered, leaning closer despite the pain around his neck. "That's the downside of your curse, brother."
"So tell me, if I choose to kill your precious mate, what are you going to do to stop me?"
King Killian's jaw tightened, his green eyes blazing with rage.
The smirk still remained on Xavier's face as he eased out of his brother's grasp. "I mean it though—I won't kill her. I will only do everything to make sure she regrets meeting you." He said in a mocking tone.
King Killian stepped forward, his presence suffocating as though a dark cloud loomed over his head. "I'll show you something worse than death if you dare hurt my mate in any way."
Xavier rolled his eyes as he brushed off imaginary dust from his shirt then walked out of his brother's study.
"Welcome back, Prince Xavier." King Killian's beta, Garrett, greeted as he bowed in respect.
"Garrett, for the hundredth time, stop adding that silly title to my name. If you do it again, I'm going to make sure I cut that tongue of yours." Xavier warned.
Beta Garret swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on the floor as Xavier sauntered past, hands buried casually in his pocket, whistling his signature tone that sent shivers down Garret's spine.
When Xavier disappeared down the corridor, Garrett let out a shaky breath. "I don't even know who's scarier. The King… or his brother." He muttered under his breath.
Straightening his back, Garrett pushed the thought aside and entered into the King's study, as he braced himself for the storm that awaited. He knew that whenever the king called at such late hours, something bad had happened or someone was about to die.
"Where's the new wolf?" Xavier asked the first Omega he saw in the hallway, his tone calm, yet commanding.
The Omega, Zoe, began shaking as she lowered her gaze to the floor. Jeez. She was already having a hard time working under the King. Why did the prince have to return?
Zoe's voice trembled as she responded. "S-sorry sir, but I can't disclose that information to you. T-the King will kill me."
"And do you think I'll let you live if you do not give me the information I need?" Xavier asked, his tone cold and deadly.
Trembling like a leaf caught in a storm, Zoe swallowed hard, her knees threatening to give way under Xavier's piercing gaze. Slowly, she stepped aside, revealing the white oak door behind her. "S-she is sleeping inside," she stammered.
"Good girl," Xavier muttered with a smirk as he ruffled the maid's hair. "Now, scram." He commanded, and the Omega did just that, running away as though the ground were on fire.
Pushing the door open, Xavier stepped into the room arranged for Elena. He paused, his keen eyes scanning the dimly lit space until they landed on her figure. She was curled up on the bed, her red hair spilling over the pillow like a cascade of silk. He moved closer, his steps deliberate and silent, stopping just beside the bed.
Xavier's brow furrowed in confusion as he suddenly felt his wolf stirring within him. His heart skipped a beat, and he took a step back. What was happening to his heart? Was the little figure before him a witch? Why was his heart racing?
He pressed his hand against his chest in an attempt to calm his racing heart. Folding his arms, he tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Not so bad," Xavier muttered under his breath as he studied the girl.
She was beautiful, with striking red hair and pale skin that glowed faintly in the moonlight streaming through the window. She appeared serene, like a child finally having the chance to sleep in a castle. Despite the scars on her face and skin, she still looked very beautiful.
Xavier's wolf stirred again, more insistent this time, a low growl rumbling in his mind. It wasn't anger—it was something far more confusing. His wolf, Zuko, seemed drawn to her as if linked with an invisible thread.
Xavier frowned when he noticed he was admiring the girl he was planning to destroy and he shook his head, trying to dismiss the sensation.
Leaning closer, he let his gaze linger on her peaceful expression, his smirk fading into something more unreadable.
Xavier's heart skipped again when the girl's eyes fluttered open, revealing the most beautiful red eyes he had ever seen.
"Mate! Mate! Our mate!" Zuko, Xavier's wolf, which had retreated years ago, suddenly emerged fully as he pounded around in excitement.
Xavier's face instantly turned pale. "No. No. No," he muttered to himself, moving back in shock.
MOONSHINE PACK.
"No. She's gone. She can't be gone. She's not supposed to be gone. I would never hurt anyone. I could never hurt an innocent girl, especially not my mate!" Alpha Enzo's voice cracked as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his eyes wild with horror. His chest tightened as the weight of his thoughts threatened to crush him.
He stopped pacing around his room, fists clenched at his sides, and took a deep, shuddering breath. "What have I done?" he whispered to the empty room, his voice raw with anguish.
The memories of that night—of what he had done—played in his mind like a haunting melody. He couldn't understand if any of it was real, as the flashes of memory came and went almost immediately.
"Argh!" Alpha Enzo groaned in pain as he collapsed onto the floor, his head buried between his knees. He saw another vision of his mate, her eyes pleading with him not to reject her, but he had. He had fucking rejected his mate!