Chapter 3 False Hope

Kaiden's Point of View

"Your Highness, how did the search for your mate go?!", Caspian my beta asked as he walked into my office.

Almost everyday, the both of us go out in search of my mate. I had instructed him to stay back today cause of the important business we had at the pack. But for me, finding my mate was more important, so I had to go while he stayed back.

"Same, it was futile. And the curse is growing stronger by the day!", I said as frustration clouded my mind.

"Three days ago, I killed a little boy, two days ago, I killed all the horses in the stables, yesterday I killed two pack elders, who am I going to kill today?!"

"Calm down your Highness, we're trying every means possible to find your destined one", Caspian said.

"Don't tell me to calm down!!! Do I have to wipe out the whole pack before I find her?! How many do I have to kill to make up for my ancestor's mistakes?! How many?!! And the Moon goddess isn't making things easier for me!!", I thundered as I stood up from my seat.

"She's making things extremely difficult for me by making me feel false mate bonds with other werewolves. How am I supposed to find my mate then?!", I asked as frustration gnawed at me.

A curse had been placed on me right from my mother's womb. A curse to kill, to destroy and create havoc. It was said to be the punishment for the sins my ancestors made. I was made the sacrificial lamb. And the only cure was for me to find my destined one.

But it's been over 10 years, yet she's nowhere to be found.

Why am I the one bearing the punishment for what had happened a thousand years ago?! Why am I suffering for something I knew nothing about?!

"We won't give up your Highness, we'll keep on searching, even if it requires us turning the whole Aethoria upside down, then we'll gladly do so. We won't stop till we find her", Caspian assured and I could only smile gratefully at him.

He has been the only one who knew about my situation. Suddenly someone walked into the office and it turned out to be the pack's Gamma, Dalton.

"Your Highness, the elders have requested for an audience with you, they are all waiting in the throne room", Dalton said, then he bowed and left my office.

I sighed tiredly as I combed my fingers through my hair. What was it again?

I walked into the throne room and sat lazily on the throne, clearly uninterested in what was going on. My mind was only focused on finding my mate and nothing more.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!! Your Highness!!!" The urgency in their voices sliced through my thoughts, pulling me back to the room. I looked up, meeting their anxious stares. They shifted uneasily, eyes darting away as if frightened by what they saw in mine.

"What was it again?" I said, feigning a disinterest I knew would unsettle them.

Elder Tim, the eldest and usually the most composed among them, cleared his throat but couldn't meet my gaze. "Your Highness... it's been over ten years since your search for a mate began, and yet..." He trailed off, his voice barely more than a whisper, as if he feared invoking my wrath by completing his thought. The other elders exchanged nervous glances, and I could almost taste their fear.

They think I'm weak, I realized, a bitter surge of anger tightening my jaw. They see me not having a mate as a burden that tarnishes their precious throne.

Elder Tim swallowed hard, his hand trembling as he scratched the back of his head. "We... we believe it may be wise to consider stepping down, so another can-another with a queen-can assume the throne." His words stumbled, like each one was heavier than the last, but his meaning was clear.

A dark laugh rumbled from my chest, and I straightened, letting my gaze pierce through each of them. "So, let me understand," I sneered, feeling Slade, my wolf, stirring just beneath the surface, feeding off my fury. "You all think it's wise to dethrone me?"

As I stood, a deadly silence filled the room. The elders recoiled, as though my anger had its own physical weight. Their faces drained of color, and the scent of their fear-sharp, metallic-permeated the air. Elder Tim's eyes widened, and he took a shaky step back.

"Please, Your Highness," he stammered, voice barely above a whisper. "We meant no disrespect..."

"You dare question my judgement!! I think you all needs to be reminded of who the Alpha King is". I sneered as my wolf, Slade took over.

The elders all jumped in fright as the aura in the room completely changed, I stood up from the throne and walked closer to them. The closer I move to them, the further they all moved away from me.

My voice dropped, a dangerous edge slicing through the silence. "Kneel," I commanded, letting Slade's strength infuse my words. They fell to their knees instantly, their breaths ragged, their expressions twisted with terror as if the very air burned against their skin. Most of the elders were already bleeding from their noses. It was a miracle that they were all still alive.

"Why don't I give you all an award for the stunt you all pulled just now?" Slade smirked widened as he saw the fear in their eyes, with a snap of his fingers, the elders started screaming in sheer agony.

"Your Highness, please forgive us!!"

"We're sorry!!! Please make it stop burning"

Their voices shook as they begged for mercy, each word punctuated by trembling lips and wide, terrified eyes that darted to the exits.

All their pleas fell on deaf ears, I wasn't just a werewolf, I was blessed with powers which sadly, came with a curse.

I leaned closer, my voice a deadly whisper. "The next time any of you think to question my reign, remember this moment. Remember how quickly I can bring you to your knees." I turned and left the throne room.

Before I could get back to my office, my nose picked up a scent, an unfamiliar scent mixed with raspberry and wild honey.

"She's here." Slade's voice echoed in my head, an eager rumble that made my heart race. Could it be... finally?

I clamped down on that spark of hope, knowing it would only lead to another disappointment. "Calm down, Slade," I muttered inwardly, though my voice was strained. "You say this every time. What makes you think this is different?"

"Because I feel it, Kaiden. This time, it's real". Slade's voice held a fierce conviction that, despite myself, I wanted to believe. Yet his words were both a balm and a curse, stoking that fragile ember of hope I fought so hard to extinguish. How many times had he said this? How many times had I let myself hope-only to have it crushed?

"And how many times has it been false?" I whispered, a bitterness bleeding into my voice. Images of past encounters flickered through my mind-faces, fleeting touches, empty promises from my wolf's instincts that never held true. The Moon Goddess had twisted my fate, taunting me with false bonds that shattered my heart and fed my curse.

"I can't keep doing this, Slade." My chest tightened, a heaviness pressing down on me as I struggled to contain the resentment seething within. "The curse... it only strengthens with each failure. You're pushing me to the edge."

But Slade was relentless, his presence surging through me, fierce and unyielding. "She's close. I can smell her scent, Kaiden-like wild honey and raspberries. It's unmistakable,"

I clenched my fists, torn between the sharp tug of my wolf's certainty and the cold weight of my own doubts. What if... I pushed the thought aside, refusing to hope. Not again.

As I traced the scent, it led me to Maya, a familiar face in the pack-a woman I'd once shared nights with in an attempt to soothe the loneliness clawing at my soul. My heart sank. This is just another trick, I thought, though Slade was nearly growling in frustration. I approached her cautiously, searching for any sign, any proof that she was my mate.

"My King," Maya greeted, dipping her head respectfully, but I barely acknowledged her words. Instead, I stepped closer, inspecting her neck with a sense of desperation, dread creeping in with each passing second. Come on, I pleaded silently. Please, let this be real.

But as I turned her neck, all I found was smooth, unmarked skin. No bond mark. No sign that she was anything more than a mirage the curse had conjured to torment me. The realization hit me with brutal clarity, and the ember of hope sputtered and died. The curse had toyed with me yet again.

"Thank you, Goddess," I muttered bitterly, my voice thick with sarcasm. "Another day, another lie."

Slade retreated, his rage simmering beneath the surface. "You don't understand, Kaiden. We're close. She's out there-I know it."

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, Slade." The weight of despair settled heavily in my chest, gnawing at my resolve. Each failed bond brought me one step closer to the breaking point, feeding the darkness within me, the urge to lash out, to destroy.

"I understand", Slade murmured, quieter this time, almost as if he shared my pain. But we have to keep looking. We have to.

I let out a long, shuddering breath, knowing that my fate-and the lives of those in my pack-hung on this impossible search. I couldn't tell if the curse or the chase would be my undoing, but I had no choice. My destined one was my only salvation.