Chapter 70 Traitor

Chapter 70 Traitor
KING THEORON'S POV

“Why did the servant abduct me?” Reika asked, her voice breaking between sobs. Her whole body shook as though the weight of her past had finally settled over her. Tears streaked down her cheeks, her lips trembling, her eyes swollen with grief and confusion. “She’s a traitor… why would she do that to me?”

I clenched my jaw, my heart aching at her misery. Seeing her cry like that, my own daughter, stolen from me, treated so cruelly, was like having my chest torn open all over again. I lifted a hand, brushing away her tears, though more followed right after. 

“The servant,” I explained grimly, “held a personal vendetta against me. Her parents were traitors who plotted against the throne. They were thrown into the dungeon for their crimes, and there they perished. She never forgave our Kingdom for it. She waited, bided her time, and when the chance came, she took you. We do not tolerate betrayal, my little moonlight. Anyone who disobeys the crown will be punished. She knew the risk, but her hatred was greater than her loyalty.”

Reika shook her head in disbelief, her shoulders trembling beneath her sobs. “She ruined everything… my life, your life… my mother’s life.”

My hands curled into fists. “I need to talk to Alpha Martin,” I said, my voice heavy with restrained fury. “After that servant abducted you, she vanished. We never found her body, never heard word of her again. My instincts tell me Martin killed her once she outlived her usefulness. He only used her to get you.”

Reika wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her voice hardening through her grief. “I will accompany you when Apollo gets better. I want to hear what that asshole has to say. He ruined my life, Father. I will never forgive him.”

Her words, though raw, filled me with pride. My daughter was strong, blood of the Lycan King, blood of Lyanara. 

“Yes,” I said firmly, taking her hand in mine. “You are coming with me. Together, we will face him. But until then…” My voice softened as I studied her face, her tear-streaked cheeks, the determination burning through her sorrow. 

“I cannot help but think about the life you endured in the Shadow Claw pack. How did they treat you, Reika? Tell me everything.”

She lowered her gaze, her tears dripping onto her lap. “When I was young,” she whispered, “Nyx, Alpha Martin’s son, treated me like a friend. We used to play together, even when I was staying in the servants’ quarters. I thought he was kind. I thought he was my only friend. But… Everything changed when we grew older. When we became teens, he started avoiding me, ignoring me as though I were beneath him.”

Her shoulders shook harder, and the sight shattered me. My little moonlight was crying, her hands clenched together so tightly. I reached over, holding her shoulders, but she continued speaking, her words broken by sobs.

“The pack turned cruel. They bullied me every single day. They told me I didn’t belong, that I was nothing but a burden, a weak Omega they were forced to take in. They laughed at me, mocked me, and made me believe I was worthless. I always believed them, Father. I truly thought I was just a weak Omega.”

Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in her hands, crying openly. My chest constricted with rage and sorrow. I could hardly breathe for the fury building in me, fury for the years stolen from her, for the cruelty she endured, for the lies she was forced to believe. My daughter, heir to the Lycan throne, was made to think she was nothing but dirt.

I pulled her into my arms again, her sobs shaking against me. “My little moonlight,” I whispered. “You were never weak. You were never an Omega. You are my blood, my daughter, born of the most powerful Lycan line to walk this continent. They will pay for every tear you shed. I swear it.”

Reika’s voice softened as she continued to share her story with me, her eyes still wet from her earlier tears. “Alpha Martin… he had been showing me kindness,” she said, almost as if she were reluctant to admit it. “He never raised his voice at me, never struck me, but… he never gave me a better place to stay either. I remained in the servants’ quarters even when I was older. I always felt like I was… tolerated, not wanted.”

Her words cut into me. To think my daughter, the heir of the Lycans, had been forced to live like a servant, stripped of her birthright, left in a corner as though she were nothing.

She paused, taking a deep breath. Her hands trembled in her lap. “When I turned 18, Nyx and Martin began fighting because of me. I thought it was my fault. I couldn’t stand it, Father. I… I ran away.”

I froze, staring at her in disbelief. The thought of her so young, so fragile, alone in the wilderness with no protection sent a chill down my spine. My chest tightened painfully. 

“You escaped? Alone?” I asked, though the answer was already clear.

Reika nodded slowly, her lips quivering. “Yes. It was terrifying. I didn’t know where to go. I had never been outside the Shadow Claw’s territory before. Every sound in the forest felt like a threat. I kept telling myself I would die out there… but I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t be the reason for more fighting.”

I could not imagine the fear she must have endured, the shadows pressing in around her, the howls of strangers echoing in the night. For her to survive that alone proved her strength.

“And then,” she whispered, and I noticed the faintest glow in her eyes, “I met Apollo. Eventually, I learned he was my mate. Everything changed in 
that moment.”

Her voice warmed, though the sorrow still lingered. I could see it clearly: Apollo had given her hope when she had none. My daughter had been broken and battered, but she had found light in him.

I let out a slow breath, rubbing my face with one hand. “There is so much we need to speak of, Reika,” I said, my voice low but firm. “Your life, the lies you were told, your future… But one thing is certain above all else. I will confront Martin. He will answer for what he has done.”

Before she could reply, a sudden sound cut through the room. A low growl rumbled from the bed. My head snapped toward it instantly. Reika gasped, bolting to her feet.

“Apollo?” she cried, rushing to his side. She sat on the edge of the bed, brushing strands of damp hair from his forehead. Her hands trembled, but her eyes shone with desperate hope.

Apollo stirred faintly, though he wasn’t awake yet. His breaths were shallow, but steadier than before. The grayish pallor that had clung to his skin was fading, replaced by a faint warmth. His complexion, though still pale, carried a healthier undertone now, as though the antidote was beginning to take root in his veins. The bluish tint around his lips was softening, his features no longer gaunt but slowly regaining life.

I watched carefully, my own breath caught in my chest. The antidote was working, though it hadn’t fully restored him yet. Reika pressed her forehead gently against his, whispering his name again and again, her tears dripping onto his cheek.

At that moment, I remained silent, watching my daughter cling to her mate, praying for his survival.