Kayden
Alpha Damian had been inside with Kane for a while now and I couldn't stop myself from pacing back and forth.
Normally, I would have forced my way in, I was a king, more powerful than those bastards, but this was far from normal. With my mate being accused of murder, I needed to be diplomatic, especially with Kane's involvement.
Why had the moon goddess decided to punish me with a significant half like Kane? He always caused chaos since we were younger.
When we were seven, we both shared a puppy, and one evening, when Kane had forgotten to be watchful like I had always told him whenever he played with his magic, Father caught him and said a lot of things to Kane that night.
It was the first night I realized how powerful his magic could be whenever he was pissed, because Kane killed our puppy with just a few words, then took it out and buried it in the backyard where it would stay dead forever.
That night we all stayed quiet after father left the room, not knowing what to do or say but I knew he would bring doom.
I had always kept it a secret that he still practiced his magic, I defended him whenever I could, especially from father.
But Kane was pissed when father had announced me, heir. I could only imagine how betrayed he felt, after all he was the older brother.
I knew that he didn't believe me about not wanting to be the heir to the throne and I could see that his anger never faded away from that.
Kane believed I had ratted him out to father because I was jealous he was the only one who got mother's magic. But that was far from the case.
Father found out due to Kane's constant practice, and one time during a battle, Kane had used his magic to destroy a whole pack.
He relayed the news to father, excitedly, thinking father would be proud he used magic because it was necessary. However, father's response was to banish him from the pack.
As much as I loved my big brother, it sometimes did make it hard to see through his façade. Even after he was banished, I still wished things played out differently.
An idea came to me, I tried mind-linking the girl, I didn't even know her name. At first it felt foggy and I could tell her mind was clouded but soon she caught on.
"Tell me what happened," I urged her.
And she went over from the very beginning until the last minute. She wasn't lying, my wolf could tell that she was speaking the truth.
Tonight, I was forced by father to attend this feast. Tonight I met my mate and somehow Kane managed to ruin everything, just like always.
Anger boiled up inside me at the thought, if Kane hadn't turned out the way he did, the world wouldn't be so messed up and none of this would have been happening.
"I will save you," I promised her and I could feel how relieved she had gotten.
"Alpha Damian would like to see you now" It was Kane who interrupted us, through the mind-link.
He had that same smirk I wanted to wipe off with a punch. I grabbed him by the collar, "you piece of shit, I know what you did and I will expose you," I yelled at him.
He shrugged and said "Go ahead Kayden, do your worse," he taunted, and laughed. His mocking laugh made me want to rip his throat out but I held back. The people around us didn't need to hear us get into a fistfight.
I let him go and walked inside.
"There is no need to waste your time King Kayden, she killed my brother and she would be executed, you know the rules," Alpha Damian explained.
"There must be some sort of mistake. I know she didn't do it. I am so sorry for your loss but I plead with you to name any price in exchange for the girl's life," I replied, hoping beyond hope that he would take pity on me.
"She is a witch, I have seen the results of witchcraft firsthand. And this is one of them, she will be executed, I want nothing from you." His tone held malice and finality.
He was done talking. I nodded before walking out.
I walked past the hallways, down to the quarters where the guests mostly stayed.
"Take me to my brother," I told one of the guards.
They took me to Kane's room but once the door opened I saw him with one of the slave girls, they were naked, kissing like our mate wasn't in danger. Her face was red and her body flushed.
"What, brother? Have you come to share my whore too?" Kane's irksome voice echoed.
Ignoring him, I turned to her. "Leave" I ordered her. "Now!"
She jumped up and ran out without looking back at me.
"Why have you come here to disturb my peace?" Kane asked, his voice cold, indifferent and filled with disdain.
"I know you killed Clint, why don't you own it instead of making an innocent woman suffer? She is our mate for fucks sake."
"Isn't it obvious? I don't care about the mate bond, if there was someone else there I would kill them too, that little fool embarrassed me in front of everyone, you know Damian forbids magic." Kane sounded annoyed.
"Lies, Kane. You could have won without your magic. Why did you do it?"
"Fine!" He threw his arms in the air, defensively. "Let's just say I wanted to kill that bastard from the moment he set eyes on her."
There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes, but he quickly masked it. "And now she has to pay for that?" I clamored.
"Not if you help her," he shrugged. "So what's it gonna be, brother? Will you betray your brother or will you let your mate die?"
"I will prove you are responsible for this, trust me."
"Your little witch would be long gone by then, don't you think?" Kane snorted.
I walked out of him in search of evidence and I was annoyed to say Kane was right, there was nothing pointing at him, and the trials for her execution had begun.
I couldn't prove that she was innocent.
"I need your help to save her, she is ours," I implored.
Kane shook his head "Future King Kayden, who would have thought that you could be so humble and weak?" Kane mocked.
I growled. "Just listen to me please," I begged. I was desperate and he knew.
He shook his head again and rolled his eyes, "You always manage to drag me into your mess, I don't want to do anything illegal." Kane's words reeked sarcasm.
I was disgusted at how relaxed he was. "What kind of a sick bastard would just let their mate die?" I hissed.
His lips curled up in amusement "So you know I am a freak? Yet you still believe you can save me."
I clenched my fists in fury. I knew exactly what he was doing and he knew I didn't like it.
"I will only help on one condition," he said in a dangerous voice.
I nodded.
Kane smirked, "You would give her up for me," he said.
I clenched my jaw "Never" I replied through gritted teeth. "Besides, she wants me."
"Come off it, Kayden, she wants me too, we're her mates, that's how it is. Well, she didn't say it, but she thought it."
"What? You can hear her thoughts?" I felt a pang of jealousy.
"Of course." He replied casually. "Seems like there's something else I can do that you can't."
"I don't believe you."
"That's how I knew she was thinking of killing Clint and I helped make her wish come true."
"That doesn't change my decision."
"Come on Kayden, she has to die today. You know you can't resist me forever...she would be better off alive with me than dead…" He chuckled.
How dare he! "You are sick!"
But it was that very moment Luna was brought out and her head was placed in the execution throne. I watched her eyes move around helplessly, my hands felt tied.
I looked at Kane who was smiling triumphantly. I watched the executioner raise up his ask and I couldn't deal with it.
"Do it" I told Kane.
"I knew you'd agree," he smirked.
That was all it took for him to open a portal and they both vanished.
I'd find you, I said through the mind-link.