Chapter 1
Zane’s POV
“Weak,” I snorted at my son as he sprawled on the ground, struggling to get up after the harder-than-necessary blow I’d just delivered.
“I-I’m sorry, father,” Cain whined, tears in his eyes. A part of me felt bad. A part of me wanted to reach out and comfort him. To tell him that he did well. That I could see the improvements and the efforts of his hard work. But then I remembered the prize of those emotions. How they made me weak and who, in the end, paid the ultimate price…
The death of my mate!
“Don’t be sorry,” I snarled, spinning on my heels and heading back towards the castle. “Be better!”
I heard someone approach him and help him off the ground. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Noah, my Beta. This past year he’d been more of a father to the boy than I could ever be. And that was a good thing. Once I was gone, he’d still have that bond and it would help him.
Make him a better king…
Usually, I’d yell something at Noah, telling him to stop coddling my son. But today I let them have their moment. My son was a great warrior, even for someone his age. But he needed to be better. It wasn’t enough to be good or great. When it all came down to it, the only thing that mattered was being the last one standing. And more importantly, standing between your enemy and the people you loved. If you couldn’t do that…
You were useless!
I still remembered it like yesterday…
The enemy had infiltrated our castle and taken our baby girl. I pleaded with her to stay but she wouldn’t budge. And like a fool, I didn’t deny her…
My weakness…
I could never deny her anything…
We caught up with them – and they were waiting for us. It was an ambush and we fell right into it. There were twice as many of them. But I kept fighting. I fought until all I could see was red.
And then kept on fighting…
I linked my mate – my wife and queen – to take Eve and run. To protect our daughter. And instead of making sure she did what I told her, I trusted her. Trusted that she’d do as I told her. That they were safe…
Another weakness…
Never trust anyone!
The enemy was on me, and I needed to get a better purchase. Blood was draining from my body as if someone had turned on a bloody faucet. I was slipping in a pool of my own blood when I heard her scream…
I looked up and---
My heart ran cold…
The wolf had his teeth locked around my mate’s throat. And without any mercy, he bit down.
Hard!
Her blood was everywhere. Sprayed around mercilessly as the wolf shook her from side to side. Her body was lifeless as he continued his assault.
And I was helpless to do anything about it…
Too weak…
I let out a roar of anguish and anger. My wolf howled, his fury giving me the strength I needed to fight the rest of them off. They continued to attack me, but I killed them all. I was relentless. I needed to get to my mate…
Everything hurt…!
My body…
My heart…
My soul…
I didn’t care what was in front of me. It got in the way it died. I needed to get to my mate. I needed to be with her. I needed---
But the closer I got to her, the more I could feel her slipping away. Our bond – the mate-bond we created in love and ecstasy – was fading. What once was a solid formation was now slipping between my fingers like sand…
Blood soaked my fur, as I watched him. The wolf who killed her! His eyes met mine and a sinister smile crept across his wolfish features. Her blood was still on his lips.
My mate’s blood…!
I killed the wolf standing between us. But as I looked up, I realized that he was gone. The enemy was retreating. We won…
But at what cost?
I dragged my battered and beaten body to where my mate lay. My legs weren’t working and I barely had the energy to shift. She’d already changed back – what wolves naturally did if he died in---
The thought shook me like nothing else had before.
My mate was---!
“NO!” I roared, putting my hand to her throat, praying it would stop the bleeding. Praying that the missing part of her wouldn’t take her away from me…
Praying for a miracle…
But there was none for me that day…
“No! No! No!” I panted, as salty tears mixed with the blood. “Love? Please? Talk to me?”
She clung to me, as her eyes filled with fear. She knew what was coming.
And she was scared…
Yet I could do nothing for her!
Nothing to take away her fears…
I held her hand, trying to push my strength toward her. Fighting to keep her. Fighting to hold her here! But soon there was no more to give. The blood loss was too much…
I was too weak…
“Please…?”
The mate-bond snapped. Like an elastic band, it snapped, leaving behind nothing but the stinging pain. It felt like a grenade went off in my chest. As if someone tore through my chest and ripped my heart out. And then---
There was only pain...!
For that reason, I kept on walking. I didn’t turn back, and I didn’t help my son back to his feet.
He wasn’t going to be weak!
He wasn’t going to fail the people he loved!
I was going to weed any such weakness out of my son. He was never going to go through what I had. He would never experience such loss.
Because he wouldn’t be weak!
He wouldn’t be like me…
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