Chapter 97


    Reuben


    Willow fell into Dark’s trap because of me! My heart sank with this dreadful realization. She sensed


    my wolf disappearing and on the brink of death. If I had resisted the effects of the silver and


    wolfsbane earlier, she wouldn’t have panicked. Clearly, if Ceri had also vanished, I would have


    been triggered as well. The most triggering thing for her must have been the imperial decree for my


    execution. She must have gone somewhere to prove my innocence, but where? Pce or Wade


    Moon!


    I clenched my fist in anger, my ws emerging as I grabbed ck’s hair while he coughed and


    rolled on the ground for air.


    “WHERE HAS SHE GONE?” I yelled at his flushed face and wet eyes. He had just returned from


    the gates of Hell, his whole body was shivering, his throat burned like crazy. “TELL ME QUICKLY


    YOU F**KER, WHERE HAS SHE BEEN LURED TO?!” I gritted my teeth, nearly ripping his hair


    out.


    He gasped out in pain as he red into my eyes for a moment before an evil smile crept onto his


    lips. “My dear cousin, you always were everyone’s favorite, the powerful Alpha Reuben that the


    entire world is afraid of, wants me to reveal where his soulmate is?” he taunted, relishing in my


    panic.


    As he said that, my hand gripping his hair shook in anger. ck was a few months older than me


    and the only son of the Alpha King. We grew up in the pce together, but ck and I were like


    Earth and Moon. He believed that he was the best at everything, studies, sports, fighting, even


    when it came to proper etiquette. He was the perfect Prince, a gem to the Kingdom and its future.


    On the contrary, I was the rebellious carefree Prince who disregarded rules and regtions, never


    took anything seriously, and believed in living in the present. The future didn’t concern me; I simply


    studied, fought, and engaged in activities to pass the time asionally to avoid my father’s


    nagging. Simply put I was temperamental and loathed being constrained byws and regtions.


    However, when we turned sixteen the Alpha King selected me as the Crown Prince instead of his


    own son. I became his primary choice to ascend to the throne in the future. Naturally, ck, who


    had meticulously groomed himself into the very image of a wless King since childhood in order to


    inherit his father’s position, couldn’t bear the fact that his father didn’t deem him worthy of wearing


    the crown.


    Since that day, things between ck and I had be strange. He distanced himself from me


    without a word. I was not blind to his actions or the cause behind them. I detested when power and


    money disrupt rtionships. Therefore, I personally informed my father of my decision to abdicate


    the throne. I had never aspired to the throne. Naturally, my father was enraged. He desired nothing


    more than for me to be King and govern the realm. As always, we engaged in a heated


    argument that concluded with his inquiry: why had I refused the crown? At that moment, Icked an


    answer to his question. However, a few dayster, when I encountered Willow, I discovered my


    answer. She gave purpose to my life, loving a person who could not love himself. She embraced


    the real me, ws and all.


    I yearned to live a life filled with love alongside my soulmate, where no one would dictate our fate.


    Therefore, I informed the King that I refused to ept the crown. While he expressed


    disappointment in my decision, I cared little as being with Willow was my sole desire. In order to be


    relieved of my im to the crown, I had to ept a term of service to the royal family of five years,


    that consisted of wars and fights. Following my rejection, the King had no other option but to crown


    ck. From that day forth, I visited the pce sparingly, ensuring that the chances of encountering


    ck were slim to none. I simply couldn’t bear the sight of him, as it served as a constant reminder


    of how he showed his colors because of the crown during that time. In essence, I unofficially


    severed ties with him that day.


    Over time, I moved on from what happened, but ck remained trapped in the past. Unable to


    come to terms with being his father’s second choice, he clung to the crown I had discarded.


    “You….” I seized his throat, locking eyes with him. “How dare you involve my innocent soulmate in


    your pathetic vendetta? Trading your dignity as a person and a royal to Dark just to spite me?” My


    eyes burned with fury, my ws poised to tear into his throat.


    “Did you misunderstand something?” he chuckled, causing me to pause, “I can’t deny that I wanted


    revenge against you and used your beloved mate’s betrayal, but I desire something greater.


    Something far superior. Something only attainable through the deal I struck with Dark,” he looked


    proud.


    “YOU F**KING MUTT!!” I lost my mind and started punching him continuously. “WHAT KIND OF


    DEAL DID YOU MAKE USING MY MATE?!” I roared, nearly ruining his face, never giving him a


    chance to defend or attack.


    escape


    His eyes shed with pain and fear. He realized that after a few more hits he was going to die.


    There was no way he could


    from the hold I had on him. That’s when ck did what could save his life. He used his royal


    powers that we could use once in our life to escape. With his energy, I was thrown away from his


    body. Ignoring the pain and my bleeding head, I looked over only to find him gone.


    “F**KKKK…” I roared in anger, punching on the ground. What kind of deal had he made with Dark?!


    It was obviously rted to Willow. “AAAARRGGHH…” I punched the ground again and again


    before I got up and nkly looked up to the sky.


    I murmured to myself, “This world… can really not stand to see Willow and I together…”


    That’s when my sanity finally snapped.


    Willow


    In my life, my fear had a face and a name. I didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse, but I had the


    uncanny ability to recognize the real him.


    “Wee home, Rose,” Dark smiled at me.


    “You…” My eyes widened, and my voice stuck in my throat. How could he be in the Wade Moon


    Pack? Where was Alpha Benjamin, and why was the whole pack deserted as if everyone was


    dead? My limbs were paralyzed under his mismatched gaze,


    all I could feel was terror rising in my heart.


    I was not hallucinating this time. He truly was standing in front of me. His predatory mismatched


    eyes, aggressive aura, and superior evil presence all indicated that my living breathing nightmare


    was standing before me.


    But if Dark was in front of me then ck…


    Suddenly, my heart pounded in my chest as fear gripped me, I realized that I had fallen into a trap.


    ck with his imperial decree and the abduction of Reuben, had assisted in orchestrating all of this


    to trap me.


    “I love the look of surprise and fear in your eyes, Rose,” he walked closer to me, each step


    increasing my heartbeat to the point where I wondered if it would fail.


    “You… framed Reuben…” my voice was barely audible.


    His expression immediately turned ugly, “Did you just say another man’s name in front of me?” his


    eyes turned red. “How dare you disrespect me, Rose?” The look in his eyes was akin to a predator


    that was ready to pounce on its prey.


    I clenched my dress at my side, “I saw you in my dreams.” His expression immediately changed to


    surprise, but I continued. “You have not aged at all. You call me Rose and…”


    “And what?” his eyes shone in excitement at hearing the desired word.


    “And you are not my soulmate,” I remarked.


    As soon as he heard me, his excitement vanished and fury took over. “Rose, you…” just as he


    began to charge at me, I stepped back at lightning speed, but then something fell between us


    causing me to flinch. I looked down only to find the Crown Prince ck lying on the ground.


    I gasped at the sight of his almost lifeless state. His face was hardly recognizable. How was he


    suddenly able to appear in the Wade Moon packhouse? And if he was here, then where was my


    Reuben? And the execution…


    “D… Dark…” he crawled on the ground towards Dark’s feet.


    Dark remained unmoving, his emotionless gaze fixed on ck. “Ipleted my part of the deal,”


    ck wheezed out with great difficulty, giving a hard cough as he looked up to Dark, I separated


    Willow and Reuben and lured Willow to Wade Moon. Now… make me your heir…” a thickyer of


    greed shed in ck’s eyes.


    Heir? He made a deal to be Dark’s heir? I looked at them in a confused panic.


    “Make me your…” just before ck could continue, Dark grabbed his neck and dug all his ws


    into it.


    “Want to be my heir?” he whispered, causing ck’s eyes to roll back as arge amount of blood


    gushed out of his mouth, he could no longer struggle.


    I recoiled in horror, cing a hand over my mouth as I witnessed ck gasping for hisst breath.


    Then, in a swift motion Dark snapped ck’s neck with a flick of his wrist. “Try again in your next


    life,” he remarked coldly as he discarded ck’s lifeless body.


    I nearly screamed as I watched ck’s body be impaled on a sharp animal showcase.


    He could not even make a noise or struggle before he died. My entire body trembled at the sight of


    his broken neck and torn abdomen. Slowly, I shifted my gaze back to Dark, who stared at me with


    the intensity of a deranged beast.


    “Come here, Mate…” he ordered, his voice heavy and eyes emotionless.


    I took a step back in fear, looking at him with wide eyes. He had once again called me… mate. My


    whole body turned cold as the memory of him trying to vite me weakened my whole being.


    He saw me taking a few steps back and his eyes turned red.


    “F**KING COME HERE!” he roared.


    “NO!” Screaming in fear, I immediately turned around and ran to the door. Those five steps to the


    door frame seemed miles away when I was desperate to get away. However, just as I was a step


    away, the door shut itself. I paused flinching only to feel a violet grip on my hair from behind.


    “HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT RUNNING AWAY AGAIN?!” Dark turned me around and


    barked on my


    face.


    “Let me go!” I screamed, cing my hands on my hair to make him loosen his bloody grip as I


    stared at him with fearful


    eyes.


    “Are you not going to call your soulmate for help like you didst time?” he sneered.


    “Let’s call him together,” he remarked, clenching my hair tighter.


    “REUBEN!” he yelled, looking at me. “That is how you call him, right?


    “REUBEN, COME AND SAVE ME!” he yelled again, but his red eyes never turned away from mine.


    I witnessed a different level of insanity in his eyes. It was as if he wanted me to call Reuben.


    “REUBEN!”


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    “REUBEN!!”


    “REUBEN!!”


    “F**KING MAN TG4


    he in my face.


    My whole body shivered in horror as I realized one thing, that if Reuben came then…


    Before I could think more the door of the packhouse was broken down. Dark nced at the door


    and the corner of his lips raised lightly, “He came.”