Chapter 74 Chapter 73
Evelyn.
Startled, I looked around and I discovered it to be the alpha king, Kieran staring at me as the dagger stayed poised on his chest. I froze, my brain short circuiting for a second. Realizing the state that I was in, I tried to jump away from him but he held my hands, pushing the blade back to his chest. Shock was an understatement of what I felt in that moment.
"I didn't tell you to stop now, did I? Go ahead with it, kill me if you want to. If that's what's going to make you feel better." He said, his voice insistent. Then, his gaze grew somber, almost pleading. "End my suffering, please."
His words struck like a whip and I renewed my struggles, desperately trying to get away from him now. Still, he didn't seem to budge as he poised the knife against his chest, urging me to stab him with it.
"Are you out of your mind!? Let go!" I finally screamed, managing to get away from his grip, running away from him, my eyes wide with terror. He stood up from the chair, watching me as I scrambled to a corner of the room, panting heavily. The dagger now in his hands, I felt horror fill me to the brim as I wondered what he was going to do to me now.
His face an icy mask, he walked towards me, lowering himself to my level as he stared into my eyes, a strange bleakness settled within their depths. He stretched the blade towards me and I curled into a ball, bursting into tears then.
"Why you!?" I screamed at him, crying bitterly now. "Why did it have to be you of all people! After what you did to me! After what you mad me go through! Why did it have be you!?"
Unable to take it anymore, I buried my face into my hands, sobbing hysterically. "Why did you blame me for my sister's death? You know I didn't kill her... You know. Why did you choose to make me suffer?" I choked outz, tears leaving my eyes like rain.
"I... Couldn't take the blame." I heard him mutter after a while, his voice grating. I glanced at him and paused slightly in my crying. His eyes were hollow with pain, his face ashen with bone-deep despair. He swallowed, the sound clawing at my ears. "I couldn't take the blame for another person's death." He repeated again, staring at the dagger in his hands, the figure reflecting in his eyes. "Knowing that another person I cared about died because of me. I couldn't bear it. There's only so much a man can take before he breaks down."
Then he smiled pitifully to himself. "But I suppose... I never really deserved it from the start. I don't deserve anything."
I watched as the light in his eyes faded, and my heart shriveled in fear. Only then did I notice how gaunt his face had become over the past few days. He stood to his feet, the dagger still in his hands and walked out of the chambers, quietly closing the door behind him.
I gaped at the door, stunned. Forgotten was my pain, my heartache. All my attention was on the shadow of a man that had just exited this chambers without so much as a fight. Leaping to my feet, I ran out of the chambers to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found.
A chill prickled over my scalp and I felt my body stiffen with fear. Tremors went through me as I stood in the corridor, unsure of what held me there.
What is happening to Alpha king Kieran??
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The castle was shrouded in a heavy silence, an unsettling aura that lingered like a ghost. A whole day had passed since the Alpha King's inexplicable disappearance, and the eerie quiet had left everyone on edge. Soldiers had scoured the land, from the castle's deepest dungeons to the far reaches of the forest, but there was no sign of him. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
My heart ached with worry, every passing moment intensifying my fear. I couldn't shake the unsettling sensation that something terrible had befallen him. But when Duke Ethan arrived at my crib, his usually composed demeanor fraught with distress, it was clear that my fears were shared. Amaris was a few meters behind him, an equal expression on her face.
"Evelyn," he said, his voice filled with urgency. "Did the Alpha King mate with you before his disappearance?" He asked, peering at me.
I shook my head, my mind reeling from his question. "No, he didn't," I replied, confusion and worry muddling my thoughts. "Why are you asking?" From the corner of my eyes, I watched Amaris bite her fingers, gazing at Ethan worriedly.
Duke Ethan's eyes darkened with concern. "I fear something has gone terribly wrong. The Alpha King wouldn't just disappear like this. It's unheard of."
My chest tightened with anxiety, mirroring the turmoil in his gaze. "What do you think happened?" I asked, a whisper of dread in my voice.
He hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "I'm not certain, but if he hasn't mated, it could mean that he's in grave danger. I've ordered a secret search party to scour the forest again, but we must tread carefully. We can't afford to expose our kingdom to any threats. I have to go now, I need to look for him before people discover something is amiss."
My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, the uncertainty and fear gnawing at me. "Let me come with you." I offered, taking a step forward. Duke Ethan shook his head. "You must remain here, Evelyn. Your safety is crucial." He stated. With that, he turned around, walking out of the room but not before placing a kiss on Amaris's forehead, slightly reassuringly her. I watched as he disappeared with a group of trained soldiers, my heart aching painfully in my chest. Amaris, came to meet me, squeezing my hands reassuringly.
"I hope they find him quickly. This is not good news. Not after the attack we suffered recently." She revealed, her voice low.
"There was an attack?" I asked, dumbfounded.