Power isolates.
But nothing isolated me quite like last night.
I could still feel the weight of the Choosing heavy on my shoulders, the taste of ash lingering in my mouth as if the fire itself had branded me.
The Temptress.
The word rang in my skull like a curse, echoing again and again until I wanted to tear the walls of the throne room apart just to silence it.
No Alpha in history had ever been bound to that mate. It wasn't a blessing. It wasn't even neutral. It was doom written in flesh.
And it was mine.
The council chamber was silent as I entered, though I could feel the weight of their eyes, sharp and accusing. Torches lined the stone walls, their flames dancing in the draft, casting shadows over the faces of my elders, my generals, and my brothers.
Caleb, the eldest after me, leaned lazily against the wall, his smirk sharp as a blade. He loved this. Loved seeing me carry a burden he didn't have to.
"You should have resisted," he drawled, his voice laced with mockery. "You should have broken the bond before it sealed. Now we're tied to ruin."
My jaw tightened. "Do you question the will of the Goddess?"
"I question you," he shot back. "You're supposed to be the King, Damien. The one who leads us into glory. And instead you've chosen destruction as your companion."
"Chosen?" I laughed, bitter and sharp. "Do you think I wanted this? The Goddess gave me the vision. The bond sealed itself. Do you think I could undo it with sheer will?"
Caleb sneered. "You've always been weak when it comes to control."
Elias, my youngest brother, finally spoke, his voice calm but cold. "Weak or not, the mate is sealed. The Temptress will come. And when she does, she'll be the death of us all."
The elders shifted uncomfortably, murmuring prayers under their breath. My generals avoided my gaze, their loyalty stretched thin by superstition and fear.
I slammed my hand against the table, the wood cracking under the force. "Enough."
The room fell silent.
I rose to my full height, letting the Alpha aura roll off me in waves. My wolves lowered their gazes instinctively, their spines bowing beneath the weight of my dominance.
"You will not speak of weakness in this hall again. You will not speak of fear." My voice was steel, cutting through the tension. "The Temptress may be my myth, but I am your King. And no woman, no fate, will undo me."
For a moment, no one breathed. Then slowly, one by one, they bowed. Reluctantly. Fearfully.
But not Caleb. Never Caleb.
His smirk only widened.
That night, I found no rest.
The vision haunted me. Her eyes, golden, glowing, endless burned behind my lids every time I closed them. The curve of her smile, the way the fire bent toward her as if even the flames themselves worshipped her.
I had seen many women. Desired many. Conquered most. But never, never had a single look unraveled me the way hers did.
And she wasn't even real.
Not yet.
By dawn, I stood on the balcony of my chambers, the cold wind biting my skin as I stared out at the kingdom sprawled below. Towers and ramparts stretched into the mist, the forest beyond dark and endless.
This kingdom was mine. Bought with the blood of my ancestors, guarded by the bones of our enemies. Every stone, every shadow belonged to me.
And yet… it all felt fragile now.
Because somewhere out there, a woman I had never met was bound to me by the Goddess herself. A woman who carried the name Temptress. A woman destined to destroy everything I had sworn to protect.
A soft knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Enter," I commanded.
My Beta, Garrick, stepped inside, bowing low. "My King."
"What news?"
He hesitated, his jaw tight. "Scouts on the eastern border spotted movement last night. Vampires."
My eyes narrowed. "How many?"
"Too many for a hunting party. Too few for war."
"Then what are they doing?"
His gaze flickered uneasily. "Watching. Waiting. Tracking something. Or someone."
My chest tightened. Vampires had been quiet for years, licking their wounds after the last war. If they were moving again, it meant only one thing.
They wanted something badly enough to risk my wrath.
And I had a sinking suspicion it was connected to something.
"Double the patrols," I ordered. "No one enters or leaves the borders without my knowledge. And Garrick?"
"Yes, my King?"
"If the vampires are hunting… I want to know who their prey is."
Later, in the war room, Elias approached me alone. His eyes were steady, sharp, calculating.
"You feel it too, don't you?" he asked.
I didn't answer.
"The mate isn't just a vision, Damien. She's real. Somewhere out there, she exists. And the Goddess has tied her to you."
I gritted my teeth. "If she's real, then I'll find her. And when I do, I'll break whatever curse binds us."
Elias's lips curved in the faintest ghost of a smile. "Or she'll break you."
That night, sleep finally claimed me, but peace did not.