Chapter 6 Episode 6

The next day, the chaos in the palace disappeared as suddenly as it had started.

It was as if the bloodshed, the betrayal, everything had never happened.

By royal decree, Kai had officially renounced his claim to the throne. His words, written in flawless script, declared that he was too young, too inexperienced, and too unworthy to rule. That for the sake of the pack's future, he would given his birthright to Darius.

And so, under the pretense of divine will, Darius took the throne.

A grand coronation ceremony was held in the heart of the palace. The great hall was alive with celebration, Lords, warriors, and courtiers toasting the new Alpha.

But far from the revelry, in the loneliest corner of the palace, Raina stood in the bitter silence of her new prison.

The Forsaken Keep.

That was what they called it.

The place where unwanted things were locked away and forgotten.

She had known, from the moment Kai surrendered, that she would never be allowed to leave.

A pair of slightly trembling hands wrapped around her waist from behind.

She froze.

Turning her head, she saw Kai.

He was still wearing the formal robes from the ceremony, white and blue which was the colour of the pack. The robe threads woven into intricate patterns. But in this desolate place, the regal fabric looked hollow.

Without a word, he rested his forehead against her back.

She felt his breath against her skin.

"Kai..."

"RiRi..." His voice was low, reaching her ear like a whisper carried by the wind.

"I only have you now."

There was something in his tone, something unbearably fragile.

"You can't leave me. You have to stay."

Raina's throat tightened.

Tomorrow was supposed to be his eighteen birthday.

The day she was meant to be released from the palace.

The Alpha had promised her.

But she knew now, there was no escape.

A tear slipped down her cheek, falling into the dark strands of his hair. It vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

"Alright," she whispered. "I will stay. I won't leave you."

The arms around her tightened.

Then, he turned her to face him.

Before she could react, his lips pressed against hers.

"...!"

Raina's eyes widened.

He was taller than her now.

Stronger.

Somewhere along the way, without her noticing, the boy who once clung to her like a shadow had become a man.

He held her firmly in place, and she couldn't even break free.

She didn't know how long the moment lasted before he finally pulled away, his gaze locked onto hers.

"RiRi..."

She couldn't speak.

Couldn't even breathe.

His next words sent a chill down her spine.

"When I say stay, I mean forever. Stay with me. Always."

Her whole body began to tremble.

Because she suddenly remembered! The Late Alpha was wrong after all...

Five days ago, when the Alpha had summoned her.

His voice had been weak, but his words were clear.

"Raina, you have been by Kai side for years. I thought it was simply a bond of kinship, like a sister and brother."

"I had planned to keep you in the palace, to serve as a keeper of royal decrees."

"But then... he made a request."

"He demanded that on his eighteen birthday, you be named his mate. His future Luna."

"Raina, you should know that the Luna and I have already chosen his betrothed."

"He cannot simply have what he wants."

"So listen carefully, on his eighteen birthday, you must leave the palace."

But now, She would never leave.

And worse, Kai was no longer just the young heir she once was his servant.

He was something far more dangerous.

Something she wasn't ready to face.

Raina couldn't remember what she had felt in that moment.

Perhaps the shock was too great, so overwhelming that it shattered every emotion, leaving behind only emptiness.

But it wasn't true that she had never felt anything for Kai.

She had felt it when he would insist on seeing her face first every morning before he could start his day.

She had felt it when she woke from naps in the garden to find him watching over her, as if guarding something precious.

She had felt it when he coldly dismissed the daughter of an important Lord, saying, "As long as I have RIRI, I need no one else."

That subtle, unspoken throb in her heart, it had always been there.

But she had ignored it.

Because he was the heir to the throne.

Because she was just a servant.

Because she was four months older than him.

She had known her duty.

She had buried her feelings.

But the fall of the pack had destroyed everything.

The moment she met Kai's gaze, she felt as if she was staring at someone she no longer recognized.

That familiar face, the boy she had guided, served, and cared for, was now twisted by something raw and dangerous.

Desperation.

Possession.

"RIRI, stay with me forever."

Stay with him. Forever.

Once, she had chosen duty over her heart.

Once, he had been the untouchable heir, while she had been a mere servant of the palace.

But now!

Now, he was no longer the heir.

Now, he had lost everything.

And she was the only thing he had left.

Raina clenched her fists.

She couldn't abandon him.

She lifted her head, meeting his eyes. And nodded.

Kai breatg almost stopped.

"Really?" His hands gripped her shoulders. "You promised me, you'll never leave?"

A promise.

She let out a shaky breath, and when she spoke, her voice cracked.

"I promise you."

A tear slipped down her cheek, falling onto their clasped hands, sealing the unspoken oath between them.

If fate had made this choice for them...

If he had nothing left but her...

Then she would become his strength.

"RIRI!"

His arms tightened around her, holding on as if she were his last tether to reality.

Above them, the night sky erupted with fireworks.

From the distant palace, golden bursts of light painted the sky, celebrating a new reign.

But here, in the cold darkness of their prison, only the moonlight bore witness to two lost souls clinging to each other.

That night under the most beautiful moon Raina had ever seen,

She promised to stand by his side forever.

But what she did not know was that what awaited her in the days to come...

Was not love.