Azazeal sat on the huge throne. A dark red mask covered half of his face from his nose down to his chin. Only his eyes were visible, devoid of any emotion and the white silver curls of his hair fell perfectly between his brows as he watched everything from above.
This whole ceremony is unnecessary and useless, I wish I hadn't allowed Kael to convince me to come here.
He leaned back against the throne a little, running his gloved hands through his thick hair when suddenly
He froze.
There was a scent.
Lavender… and vanilla.
The scent took over his senses, and he could feel his heart race. The feeling felt very foreign to him.
His eyes sharpened, and the grey iris slowly turned into a crimson red as his wolf fought to take over.
Slowly, his eyes scanned the room full of humans and high-ranked wolves, searching for something.
And then— his eyes locked onto a tiny figure standing quietly in the center of the hall.
She looked so small and fragile, the blue gown she wore made her luminous skin shine like the moonlight, and her long raven-black hair cascaded down to her waist like silk.
His eyes raked over her body uncontrollably, watching her every move, her head was lowered and she paid with her fingers lazily as if she'd rather be anywhere but here.
His unwanted bride.
His wolf stirred.
Mine.
The voice of Anax was low and primal vibrating through his chest.
MATE.
Azazeal's fist clenched, and an unfamiliar feeling bloomed inside him
He didn't like it one bit.
And as if she sensed the weight of his gaze, the girl looked up towards his throne.
Their eyes met.
Her eyes were blue, like snowflakes and crystals, and they sparkled like crushed starlight
There was a hint of tears in her eyes if she'd cried, but her eyes narrowed as she stared back at his red eyes. Azazeal felt his lips tug up a little.
Her face was delicate and pale, like a doll's, and her brows creased slightly in dismay.
Azazeal took it all in, staring at her like a starved man.
She is sad. Why is she sad? , and why does my chest hurt?
A thousand emotions ran through him as he sensed her restlessness. He felt confusion, need, desire, and, worst of all, hope.
Throughout his existence on earth, Wolf King Azazeal ruled the world with an iron fist. From generation to generation, he ensured peace between the wolves and humans and protected them all from harm.
Every single creature that roamed the earth feared and respected him. Afterall,
He is the only living king that had been ordained by goddess Selene herself. He was untamable.
But all that power he possessed came with a price, one that made him cold and hollow from within.
Unlike the rest of his kin and humans, Azazeal felt no bond, nor does he feel emotions.
He was a mateless wolf, doomed to an eternal life of solitude, with a heart of ice.
His sole purpose on earth was to protect the world— nothing more.
But now, he could feel the ice wrapped around his heart crack as his wolf kept echoing the word.
Mate.
Anax growled, louder this time, full of possession and … excitement.
The grey in Azazeal's eyes dissolved fully, taken over by burning red. His breathing turned shallow.
Then she sent him a glare and turned away from his gaze with a frown on her beautiful face.
The whole room was unaware of what had happened, but Azrael's breathing spiked when he didn't have his mate's attention on him anymore.
His brows furrowed.
"Bring her to me." His voice was barely above a whisper but the command echoed through the halls, and the silence in the room felt eerie.
Elora's breath caught in her throat.
Now you've done it Elora, why on earth did you glare at him? Knowing fully well that he's a monster. You had one job, sit and go through the ceremony without losing your head.
Now it seemed this new life was given to her just so she could be beheaded and eaten by the wolf king, maybe as a thank-you gift from the goddess for his splendid service to the kingdoms.
Her hands trembled as a guard from her kingdom stepped towards her hesitantly.
His eyes instinctively glanced towards King Haze for silent permission.
But all of a sudden.
One of the Azazeal's men moved faster than anyone could have predicted.
One second, Kenan stood in front of her. Next, his body was on the floor a deep bloody hole in his chest as he coughed up dark red blood.
Terrified gasps filled the hall and Elora's eyes widened in horror.
The tall man stood over the unmoving body, a cruel cruel grin curled on his lips as his eyes circled the room like a predator, with his dark hair and forest green eyes, the man would've looked very ethereal, but the blood dripping from his blade to the ground made him look more demonlike.
"When the King Azazeal gives an order…"
His voice was low and vicious as he spoke making sure he had their attention"…you obey. Immediately."
His green eyes glinted coldly as he continued," Any form of disrespect towards the wolf king is unforgivable "
No one moved. They knew who this person was.
The powerful Beta of the crimson sky pack, Vael. He was second in command to the wolf king himself.
His strength and fierceness were second to none, and his Lineage has served Azrael for centuries. No one dared to question his coldness and brutality.
But—
A soft voice broke the silence
"Kenan?"
Elora dropped to her knees, beside the guard on the floor, her fingers trembling as she tore a piece of her gown and held the cloth to his bleeding chest. The sight of his blood soaking through the clothes finally brought the hit wave of tears she's been holding ever since the declaration of this marriage.
Not caring how she looked at the moment, her pleads echoed through the room
"No, no, please—help him, he didn't intentionally defy anyone, he was just scared for my safety."
In all of the people in the Crystal Tide Kingdom, Kennan was the only guard who had treated her as an equal instead of a cast-out bastard princess that she was. Despite being a high-ranked warrior, he was the only one who had made her feel safe and protected even more than her own family ever did.
Tears spilled down her cheeks freely, as she looked up at the silent crowd.
"Please just help him, I beg of you".