Klaus
I floated in the abyss, a realm of hazy consciousness, neither asleep nor awake. Time seemed to slip away, and the pain in my heart remained ever-present, like a relentless tormentor. In the distant echoes of my thoughts, I could sense the presence of voices, but they were muffled and distant, like whispers from another world.
‘Klaus, my love, can you hear me?’ A soft, melodic voice penetrated the darkness, pulling at the tethers of my awareness. It was Scarlett, my mate, calling to me with a voice filled with desperation and love.
I struggled to respond, to reach out to her, but my body remained unresponsive, trapped in this agonizing state of paralysis. The burning pain in my heart intensified, a reminder of my helplessness.
'Amber,' Todd's voice trembled with uncertainty. 'She might be our only hope to wake you.'
As if in response to Todd's suggestion, I sensed a surge of energy, a presence drawing closer to me. It was Amber, the powerful witch whose abilities had saved me once before. I felt her magic brushing against my consciousness, delicate and determined, like a gentle hand trying to rouse me from a deep slumber.
"Klaus, you have to wake up," Amber's voice echoed in my mind. "The pain in your heart—it's the key to your awakening. You need to embrace it."
I focused on the searing pain, letting it flood my senses. It was excruciating, an inferno raging within me, but I clung to it, searching for a way back to consciousness.
Then, like a dam breaking, I was pulled from the darkness, my body jolting with the intensity of the pain. I gasped for air, my eyes snapping open, greeted by the worried faces of Amber and Marcus.
"Klaus!" Amber exclaimed, her relief evident in her eyes.
As my senses fully returned, I became aware of my surroundings. I was in a dimly lit chamber. The scent of herbs and medicines hung in the air but the faint scent of my mate disappointed me. She was not here… She was gone. I remembered the things I heard in my slumber. Scarlett was facing a dangerous adversary, and I needed to be by her side. I tried to push myself up, but my body protested, weakened by my recent ordeal.
Xavier stepped forward, his gaze assessing me. "You've been through a great ordeal, Klaus. Rest for now. We'll do everything we can to help you regain your strength."
As I lay there, frustration gnawing at me, Amber and Xavier engaged in a heated conversation in hushed tones. I strained to listen, catching snippets of their discussion.
"Amber, you know the consequences of this," Xavier warned. "If you persist in this marriage, it will bind you both in a way you may come to regret."
Amber's voice was resolute. "Grandfather, we weren't fated mates. Our marriage was a desperate move of our family to hide my true identity. The Moon Goddess's choice should prevail."
Xavier sighed, his age-lined face wearied by the weight of responsibility. "I understand your reasoning, Amber, but your father will want you dead if you return to our pack and I’m helpless.”
Their discussion was interrupted by a sudden commotion outside the chamber. The sound of hurried footsteps and raised voices reached our ears, and I tensed, sensing trouble approaching.
The door burst open, revealing two figures that sent shockwaves through me. Albert, my father, stood there, his face a mask of anguish and anger. Beside him was Harold, Amber's father, a man whose cruelty and greed had caused untold suffering.
"Klaus!" Albert's voice held a mixture of relief and concern as he rushed to my side. "Are you all right, son?"
Harold, however, wasted no time on pleasantries. His eyes were cold and calculating as he spoke, "Amber, it's time for you to fulfill your duty. You will become the Luna of the Black Moonstone pack, and Klaus will join our ranks."
Amber's defiance flared, her eyes blazing with anger. "I want a divorce. I won't be a pawn in your schemes, Father."
The tension in the room was palpable, and I struggled to sit up, my strength slowly returning. I couldn't let Amber be dragged into this twisted game of power and control. She had helped me, and saved me twice, enduring her father’s scorn.
Harold's gaze shifted to me, and a sinister smile twisted his lips. "Klaus, it seems you have a choice to make. Allow Amber to become the Luna of the Black Moonstone pack, or face the consequences."
I met his gaze with defiance of my own. "I will not yield to your threats, Harold. Amber is not my mate so she will not become my Luna."
Harold's smirk made me feel uneasy, and I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of foreboding. His machinations were far from over, and I had a sinking feeling that he held more cards in this dangerous game.
As if on cue, Harold's phone rang, the shrill tone breaking the tense silence in the room. He answered it, and I strained to catch the snippets of conversation.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Harold said with a sickeningly obsequious tone. "I understand."
He ended the call and turned his predatory gaze back to me. "Well, Klaus, it seems the Lycan King, Samuel, is rather curious about your relationship with Scarlett."
I frowned, confusion gnawing at me. Why would Samuel be interested in my relationship with Scarlett? And why did Harold's expression hold such malevolent satisfaction?
Harold leaned in closer, his voice dripping with malice. "Samuel wants to know if you've rejected Scarlett as your mate. If she's still your mate, it means she lied to him, and he has a particular distaste for deception."
My heart clenched at the mention of Scarlett's name. She was out there, facing the Lycan King, while I was entangled in this web of deceit and manipulation. I had to be there for her, for my mate.
"What does he want from me?" I demanded, my voice laced with anger.
Harold's smile widened, revealing the depths of his cruelty. "He wants to know the truth. If the Alpha King tells him that you have rejected her and accepted my daughter, he will buy it but I shouldn’t lie to him, should I?"
"Fine," I spat out the word, my voice heavy with resignation. "I'll make Amber my Luna."
Harold's grin was victorious, but I could sense a lingering malevolence in his gaze. "Good choice, Kaus. I will invite the Lycan King to attend Amber’s Luna ceremony."
"Bring Scarlett to the ceremony," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me. "I'll reject her so Samuel won’t be hard on her."
Harold's satisfaction was palpable as he turned to leave, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was relishing in our suffering but he didn’t know what I held… The power of love, the power of the fated mates that overpowered every power he or that bastard Samuel held.
“I will not become the Luna,” Amber denied in a firm voice.
“You wanted to meet your mother, didn’t you?” Harold smirked, knowing all too well his daughter.
“Don’t be cruel, Harold. We’re the direct descendants of the Moon Goddess so we should value the mate bond of Klaus and Scarlett,” Xavier spoke, startling everyone. “We never should have forced a marriage on someone who was fated to someone else.”
“I’m the Alpha King so I get to make the decisions and everyone is obliged to obey me,” Harold snarled and his own father lowered his head in submission. I pitied Xavier, he never should have stepped down from the throne.
“Consider this as an opportunity to rectify the mistake we made,” my grandfather entered the room, looking at Xavier with remorse. “Let the kids be happy with their mates.”
Harold let out a menacing growl. “All of you are selfish. No one is thinking about my daughter who is a witch and she will be expelled from the werewolf's territory the moment everyone else finds out that she is a witch.”
“I care about you, my daughter,” Harold cupped Amber’s cheeks before pulling her in a warm hug.
She wasn’t naive to fall into his traps so she pushed him away. “Care and love, my foot. You care about your position which will be in danger if the other Alphas knew that you had a witch daughter.”
Amber let out a wry chuckle. “I’m capable of protecting myself, father and I know very well that you’re using my mom to make me do what you want but let me tell you that it’s not going to happen.”
“You bitch,” Harold spat, “I raised you for this? You’re nothing but a fool like your mother.”
“She will become my Luna,” I firmly told him, holding Amber’s hand.
Amber's eyes welled up with tears, and she reached out to touch my arm, her fingers trembling. "Klaus, I'm so sorry but I can’t do this.”
“Rest assured, Harold. I will do anything for my mate. The ceremony will take place tonight,” I assured him and he smirked before leaving.
“How dare you?” She landed a sharp slap on my cheek.
‘I tried to follow Scarlett to help her but Harold attacked and we lost many warriors. Scarlett needs you. Samuel will kill her and her mother, we need to save her,’ my father sent the message via mind link.
Everyone else left, leaving Amber, Marcus and I in the room.
“This is not the time to argue, Amber. We need your help” Marcus said, understanding the cue.
“You’re the witch, Amber. You can help us fight against the Lycan King,” I suggested, pleading through my eyes.
“He is too strong, Klaus, and I no longer wish to be part of all this nonsense. I will go to the human world,” she firmly said with tears stinging her cheeks.
“The nonsense which began because of you,” I grabbed her elbows fiercely. “If you would have understood all this earlier, none of this would have happened. You fucking married me despite knowing that I had a fated mate and then, you lied about your pregnancy and cast a spell on me to weaken my wolf. I would have fucking gone with my mate if you hadn’t weakened Todd so fucking fix the things before you leave, Amber.”
“I was in fucking love with you,” she barked, looking straight into my eyes with her blazing red eyes. “I did all that because I wanted to keep you but now, I just want to let you go. I want to do nothing with you.”
“Scarlett’s mother had a witch friend who cast a spell on her so she wouldn’t shift till she turned twenty,” Marcus chimed in.
“What do you mean?” She whispered as I removed my hands from her elbows.
“You don’t belong here, Amber. Only Scarlett’s mother can help you go to the coven where you might find your mother,” Marcus explained.