Chapter 18 THE DUAL MASK AND THE CURSED CONFIDANT
Leaving the Council Hall, the weight of victory settled heavily on Dorian’s shoulders. Marius was apprehended, but his kin (Vespera and Elara) kept the suspicion alive. Dorian tucked the Origin Seal into his inner jacket pocket.
"You spoke of collecting a debt, Luna," Dorian said, his voice tired but still commanding a threat. "Now, the entire palace is questioning our security. You will pay your installment first, and then you will follow me."
"The way I collect my debt begins by fixing your security problem, Alpha," Serra replied, her eyes quickly scanning the corridors. "We must clear out the last crumbs Marius left behind. I trust the Lupus Seals, but Vespera is right. Not only Marius, but Vespera also has eyes in this palace."
Serra led Dorian toward the palace's old Beta wing. Dorian was impressed by Serra's agility. She wasn't merely an assistant confined to a library for seven years; she was an operative who smelled danger.
"What is the price of honesty, Luna?" Dorian asked, closing the distance between them. "Will you always tell me the truth?"
Serra stopped abruptly, her face dangerously close to Dorian's. "I will tell you the truth that serves you. That is my installment."
🔪 The Confidants' Room and The Alpha’s Secret
Serra paused before a locked door in the old Beta wing. "This is where Marius met with his closest confidants. He must have orchestrated the silver trap plan from here."
Serra used her Moon Whisper power to unlock the door. Dorian watched. He admired the way her power temporarily froze the mechanism's function instead of forcing the lock open.
The room was cold and dusty, but on the central desk lay an unused tracking device and a half-burnt parchment.
Dorian reached for the burnt parchment. "What is this?"
"Be careful," Serra warned, grabbing Dorian's arm. "It could be a trap."
Serra swiftly swept the room. Dorian felt vulnerable against her Alpha-Queen alertness, moments when her Beta mask completely dropped. Serra's touch was becoming the only thing that soothed Dorian's Alpha power, quickly turning into a dangerous dependency.
"No danger," Serra whispered. "Just a Beta's office."
Dorian picked up the parchment. The handwriting was Marius's, but the text did not discuss Marius's plotting. The text was a letter from Dorian's father, Alpha Cassius.
Dorian's face went pale as he read the letter. The letter explained that Dorian's restricted power was not a curse, but a seal implemented by Alpha Cassius to shield Dorian from the Council.
Serra, sensing Dorian's shock, gently took the letter from his hands. The letter read: "…The Seal will keep their power away from you. You are the Alpha, but your power will be fully unleashed only by the Luna's blood (the Red King's Lineage). You can only trust her."
❤️ Collecting the Debt: The Intimate Touch
Serra finished reading the letter. Her eyes locked onto Dorian's. "Your father protected you, Dorian. The curse was a shield against the Council. And the key to that shield… is my blood."
Dorian struggled to face the reality. For seven years, he had believed himself a cursed monster. "All these lies… All this hatred…"
"The lies are over," Serra said. "Now it’s time to collect the installment on your debt."
Serra cupped Dorian's face in her hands. Dorian, as an Alpha, was completely unprepared for such unexpected tenderness.
"I demanded honesty," Serra whispered. "Right now, you possess only the restricted power of an Alpha. Who are you, Dorian, beneath that restricted power? Show me the truth of the hatred and loneliness you carried for seven years."
Dorian locked his eyes onto Serra's deep Red Alpha gaze. This moment was more vulnerable than the kiss. Dorian's emotional wall crumbled.
"I am merely a prisoner," Dorian confessed, his voice cracking. "Ninety percent of my power is locked away. And for seven years, the only thing that broke that lock was your hatred for me."
Serra’s heart raced. Dorian's confession made her feel both safe and endangered. Serra felt pity for Dorian, and this emotion poisoned her revenge plot.
"The first installment of your debt," Serra whispered.
Serra leaned toward Dorian's chest. This was not a threatening move. Serra gently caressed the seal with her fingertips. The seal softly vibrated under Serra's touch. This was the first, intimate, and compassionate contact made toward a restricted Alpha.
Dorian’s breath hitched. This touch gave him not physical strength, but emotional healing. Dorian remained still in Serra's hands, submitting to that moment of weakness.
"That is enough, Luna," Dorian spoke harshly, his control returning. He pulled away. "The debt is paid. Now, we have a life outside."
Serra backed away, but a flicker of triumph was in her eyes. She had seen Dorian's emotional vulnerability, and that was her strongest weapon.
"Do not forget, Alpha," Serra said, walking toward the door. "The collection continues. And I will collect the rest in the Council Hall"