Aldric stood in the training grounds, his hands wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword. His muscles burned, his breaths came in heavy pants, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
One strike after another. His blade clashed against his opponent's, the force of the impact rattling through his bones. The soldiers around him watched in silence, none daring to question why their king had thrown himself into training with such reckless desperation.
He knew. He knew what Kairan was going through.
His court physicians had informed him—his mate was suffering, his heat stronger than anything he had experienced before. The pain unbearable.
And yet, Aldric had stayed away.
He swung his sword harder, driving his sparring partner back. His heart thundered in his chest, but not from exertion. He could still hear Kairan's broken cries, could feel his name echoing through the bond they now shared. It was agony—knowing his mate needed him, that only he could ease Kairan's suffering, and yet he did nothing.
His own body ached with restraint. Every instinct in him screamed to go to Kairan, to hold him, to claim him. But he couldn't. Not yet.
A king was not ruled by desire. A king did what was right. But is this the right thing...the question lingered in the back of his mind.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to remember why he had made this choice. His father's blessing had not yet been given. The court still saw Kairan as an outsider. If he took him now, claimed him fully, there would always be whispers that Kairan had been forced upon them.
He wanted Kairan to be accepted, not just as his consort, but as his equal. As the mate of their king, respected, not resented.
Another strike. His opponent faltered, and Aldric pressed forward, relentless.
The pain in his body was nothing compared to the torment in his heart.
When he finally collapsed to his knees, his breath ragged, he barely registered the concerned voices around him. His body trembled, but not from exhaustion. His hands curled into fists against the dirt. The ground vibrated a little as if responding to his turmoil. Water pooled at the edges of the courtyard, rippling unnaturally with each thundering beat of his heart.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, knowing Kairan would never hear it.
A familiar presence approached. His sister, Lyria, her arms crossed, disappointment etched into every line of her face.
"You should be by his side," she said sharply. "And yet, you left him alone. I know you are the king, but that is only a part of who you are brother. You are more than just your title. I understand the weight of the recent troubles, but that doesn't change the fact that he needs you."
Aldric's jaw clenched. "He told me to—"
Lyria scoffed. "And you listened? You were the one asked the physicans to give him the suppressants brother".
Her blue eyes burned with frustration. "You left him—your Vaireth, your omega—when he needed you the most. And you expect others to respect him? What a hypocrite."
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Do you even love him, Aldric? Or is he just a duty to you, a promise as the others say?"
"He is not—" Aldric's voice broke, raw with emotion. "I love him! How many times must I explain myself?"
Lyria shook her head. "Then prove it atleast to Kairan. Mother is furious. I barely managed to stop her from storming into the court to demand an explanation."
Aldric exhaled sharply, his mind flashing back to the past.
He had vague memories of that day—when he had slipped out of the palace into the forest. The rogue witches had attacked so suddenly. He had been fighting for his life when he saw them: a woman and a child, running towards him. Then darkness. When he woke, the child lay unconscious, the woman in a pool of her own blood. The royal guards had fought off the witches, but some had been reduced to nothing but ashes, the scent of burnt flesh lingering in the air.
He had known then—she had been a powerful witch.
He had rushed to her side, but she had only enough strength to grasp his hand, her voice barely a whisper. "Promise me… ta...take care of him."
Then she was gone.
They carried the child back to the palace, unaware that hidden figures watched from the shadows of the forest, silently observing the events unfold.
Aldric could still see the boy—curly, deep brown hair, sun-kissed skin. He looks so much like her. And when he had finally opened his hazel eyes, searching the unfamiliar room, his father had stepped forward.
Darian Eryndor, who was a village gaurd responding to his mate's call was the one altered the royal guards. But when the royal guards reach most of the witches were gravely injured his mate's imminent death forcing him to release the anger out on the witched. He was now appointed as the head of the royal guards.
Darian rushed to embrace his son. Kairan's voice had trembled. "Mother…?"
"I know, son," Darian had whispered, his arms tightening. "She's gone."
The older man had stood strong, but Aldric had seen the pain in his eyes, the unbearable loss of a mate. He had held his son, comforting him, even as his own heart bled.
They had told Kairan his mother's final wish. The boy had burst into tears, and Aldric—Aldric had held him, had promised to himself to shield the boy from everything.
And now… now he was the one hurting him.
His omega. His Vaireth.
Aldric forced himself to his feet, gripping his sword until his knuckles turned white. He had made a promise that day. It was time he kept it.
As he turned, the earth vibrated around him, the wind carrying the faint scent of rain. Somewhere in the distance, the sky rumbled, a storm brewing—not just in the heavens, but in his soul.
Aldric stepped inside Kairan's chamber, the dim candlelight casting flickering shadows across the room. His gaze landed on Kairan, curled in on himself, the weight of grief pressing down on his trembling frame. Silent tears slipped down his cheeks.
Aldric's chest tightened. He crossed the room in quiet strides, kneeling beside him. Gently, he reached out, his fingers brushing against Kairan's skin—cold, fragile.
"Kairan," he murmured, his voice soft, aching. "I'm here."
Kairan turned his face away, trembling. "Too late."
Aldric gathered him close, pressing a kiss to his damp hair. "I promise to never leave you again"
But Kairan wasn't sure if he could believe Aldric anymore.