Chapter 1: I Died, and Woke Up in His Arms
The last thing I remembered was the cold blade of a dagger piercing my chest, blood gushing out like a broken dam, and the cold, mocking eyes of the man I'd spent years obsessing over—Kael Voss, the most feared Alpha in the empire, the Dark Tyrant.
I'd been a fool, a pathetic, lovesick fool. As the useless younger son of a declining noble house, I'd clung to Kael like a leech, desperate for his attention, even when he'd made it clear he despised me. I'd plotted against his "true love," the gentle, beloved healer, Lior, and in the end, Kael had killed me with his own hands, his voice like ice: "You disgusting thing, you never deserved to breathe the same air as him.
" I'd died hating him, hating the world, and cursing my own pathetic existence.
But now…
I woke up to the soft, warm scent of sandalwood and iron—a scent I'd memorized, a scent that had haunted my dreams for years. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself pressed against a hard, muscular chest, strong arms wrapped around me, holding me like I was something precious, something fragile.
I froze.
The man holding me was Kael Voss.
His dark hair fell over his forehead, his usually cold, sharp features softened in sleep, his long lashes casting delicate shadows on his cheeks. He was asleep, his breathing steady, his lips slightly parted, and for a moment, he looked almost… human.
This wasn't right. This wasn't how the story went. In the book I'd been reborn into, Kael had never held me like this. He'd never looked at me with anything but contempt.
I tried to move, to pull away, but the arms around me tightened, and a low, rumbling voice, thick with sleep, vibrated against my ear: "Don't move, little one. Just stay."
My heart skipped a beat. His voice was gentle, almost tender—a tone I'd never heard from him before.
I stared up at him, my mind racing. What was happening? Was this a dream? A cruel, twisted hallucination before I finally descended into the abyss?
Then, I noticed the mark on my wrist—a faint, glowing silver omega mark, the mark of a fated mate. And on Kael's wrist, the same mark, glowing in response to mine.
My blood ran cold.
In the book, Kael's fated mate was Lior, the healer, the "true love" of the story. I'd been nothing but a pathetic obstacle, a nuisance to be eliminated.
But now… the mark on my wrist was glowing, matching Kael's.
That was impossible.
Unless…
Unless I'd been wrong all along.
Unless the book had been wrong all along.
Kael's eyes fluttered open, and his gaze locked onto mine. His red eyes, usually sharp and cold, were now soft, filled with a warmth that made my breath catch.
"Good morning, my love," he said, his voice low, his thumb brushing gently against my cheek. "Did you sleep well?"
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "K-Kael… what are you doing?"
He smiled, a small, rare smile that made my heart ache. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm holding my mate."
"Your mate?" I repeated, my voice cracking. "But… Lior—"
"Lior is nothing to me," he cut me off, his voice hardening for a moment, before softening again as he looked at me. "He never was. He was just a distraction, a lie I told myself to try to forget you."
I froze. "Forget me?"
He nodded, his fingers tracing the mark on my wrist, his touch gentle, reverent. "I've loved you for ten years, Elian. Ten long, agonizing years. I watched you from the shadows, I protected you from the shadows, I ached for you from the shadows. I thought if I pushed you away, if I made you hate me, you'd be safe. That you'd never have to be dragged into my dark, bloody world."
His voice broke, and he pressed his forehead to mine, his breath warm against my lips. "But I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't stand seeing you hurt, seeing you chase after a love that was never meant to be. So I killed you, Elian. I killed you to free you from this life, to free you from me. But when I held your dying body in my arms, I realized I'd made the worst mistake of my life. I couldn't live without you. So I brought you back. I used the forbidden magic, the magic that cost me my soul, to bring you back to me."
I stared at him, my mind reeling. Ten years. He'd loved me for ten years. He'd killed me to protect me, and then brought me back because he couldn't live without me.
The book, the story I'd thought I knew, had been a lie.
I'd been the villain, the pathetic obstacle, but in reality… I'd been the one he'd loved all along.
I'd been his fated mate.
His obsession.
His everything.
Kael's lips brushed against mine, soft, gentle, a question. "Elian… do you hate me?"
I looked into his eyes, the red eyes that had once filled me with fear, and now filled me with something else—something warm, something alive, something I'd never felt before.
I reached up, my fingers tangling in his hair, and pulled him closer.
"No," I whispered, my lips brushing against his. "I don't hate you. I never did."
And then, I kissed him.
Chapter 2: The Truth Behind the Mask
The kiss was soft at first, tentative, like he was afraid I'd break, like he was afraid I'd disappear again. But then, it deepened, his arms tightening around me, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, claiming me, marking me as his.
I kissed him back, hard, desperate, pouring all the years of longing, all the years of confusion, all the years of love I'd never dared to admit, into that kiss.
When we finally pulled apart, breathless, Kael rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed, his breath ragged. "I've wanted to do that for ten years," he whispered.
I smiled, a small, shaky smile. "Me too."
He opened his eyes, and his gaze was filled with a fierce, possessive love that made my heart race. "You're mine now, Elian. No one will ever hurt you again. No one will ever take you from me."
I nodded, my fingers tracing the mark on his wrist. "I'm yours, Kael. Always."
But as the days passed, and I began to adjust to this new, strange reality, I realized that there was more to the story than Kael had told me.
Lior, the healer, the "true love" of the book, wasn't just a distraction. He was a threat.
He'd known about Kael's feelings for me, had known about our fated bond, and he'd spent years manipulating Kael, feeding him lies, making him believe that I was a monster, that I was a danger to him. He'd wanted Kael for himself, and he'd been willing to do anything to get him—including framing me for crimes I didn't commit, including turning Kael against me.
And when Kael had killed me, Lior had been there, watching, smiling, thinking he'd finally won.
But he'd been wrong.
Kael had brought me back, and now, we were together, stronger than ever.
And Lior was going to pay.
Chapter 3: The Reckoning
Lior came to the castle, pretending to be concerned, pretending to be a friend, but I could see the hatred in his eyes, the greed in his smile. He thought he could still manipulate Kael, still turn him against me.
He was wrong.
Kael stood in front of me, his body a shield, his red eyes cold, his aura dark and dangerous. "Leave, Lior. You are no longer welcome here."
Lior smiled, a sickly sweet smile. "Kael, you don't understand. He's a monster. He's using you. He's—"
"Silence," Kael cut him off, his voice like thunder. "You are the monster, Lior. You've been lying to me for years, manipulating me, using me for your own gain. You thought I was a fool, that I'd never see the truth. But I see it now. I see you for what you are—a pathetic, greedy, little man, who will never have what you want."
Lior's smile faded, his face turning pale. "You… you know?"
"I know everything," Kael said, stepping forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "And now, you're going to pay for everything you've done."
Lior tried to run, but Kael was faster. He drew his sword, and in a single, fluid motion, he struck.
Lior fell to the ground, dead, his eyes wide with shock.
Kael turned to me, his sword still in his hand, his red eyes softening as he looked at me. "He's gone, Elian. He can't hurt you anymore."
I walked to him, my hand resting on his arm, the blood on his sword warm against my skin. "I know," I said, smiling. "And I love you."
He kissed me, hard, passionate, the taste of blood and love on his lips. "And I love you, Elian. More than anything in the world."
Chapter 4: Forever Yours
The empire was in chaos after Lior's death, but Kael was strong, and together, we ruled with a firm, but just hand. We brought peace to the land, we brought prosperity to the people, and we brought love to each other.
We were no longer the villain and the tyrant of the book. We were two men, in love, fated to be together, forever.
And as I lay in Kael's arms, watching the sun set over the empire, I knew that I'd been reborn for a reason. I'd been reborn to love him, to be loved by him, to finally find my place in the world.
I'd been a fool, a pathetic, lovesick fool, but in the end, I'd found my happy ending.
And it was all because of him.
My mad tyrant.
My love.
My forever.