Chapter 74: Her Betrayal

Chapter 74: Her Betrayal
Azarius
"Is it true, Rachelle? Is what you're saying really true?" My voice trembled as I confronted her, the goddess revered as the first daughter of the Moon Goddess and the embodiment of the Mate Bond. My heart raced, a storm of emotions threatening to consume me.
Rachelle turned to me, her expression solemn, her gaze unwavering. "Yes, Azarius," she confirmed, her voice steady yet heavy with meaning. "I gave Macedonia permission to tell you, but... it seems she has chosen to keep it from you."
The air felt thick, suffocating, as her words sank in. "Your Luna Queen," she continued, "is your destined mate. She has known since the moment of her first shift at eighteen."
A wave of disbelief crashed over me. My legs felt weak, my knees threatening to buckle under the weight of her revelation. "But... if that's true," I managed, my voice breaking, "why couldn't my wolf recognize her?"
Rachelle's lips curved into a bittersweet smile. "The bracelet she wears carries an incantation," she explained. "It suppresses the mate bond, masking it from your wolf. If you doubt me, confront her yourself. You’ll find your answers there."
Her words echoed in my mind as I turned and bolted from the sacred hall, my pulse pounding like a war drum. The royal palace blurred as I rushed through its corridors, my thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and hurt. When I finally reached our shared chambers, my breath came in ragged gasps, and the sight of Macedonia waiting for me only fueled the turmoil in my chest.
She looked up, concern flashing across her face. "Azarius," she said softly, rising to meet me. "You’re sweating. Did something happen?"
Her familiar voice, usually a balm to my soul, only fanned the flames of my anger and anguish. "Is it true?" I demanded, my tone sharp, raw with emotion.
Her brows knitted in confusion. "What do you mean?"
I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails biting into my palms as my patience frayed. "Rachelle told me something—something about you, about us. And you know it." My voice cracked with the weight of my words, and I searched her face for any sign of the truth. "Answer me, Macedonia. Is it true?"
Her complexion paled, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came. She took a small step back, her hands trembling. "Azarius..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I recognized her tells. The way her gaze darted to the side, avoiding mine, the subtle retreat in her posture. These were the signs of guilt, and I knew them as well as I knew her.
"Look at me!" My voice rose, breaking through the fragile silence. My chest heaved, and the sting of tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "Macedonia, I’m asking you one last time. Tell me the truth."
Her head dipped, and she let out a shaky breath. The room seemed to close in around us as the truth I had feared loomed on the edge of her confession.
"Macedonia," I said again, my voice low, a warning growl vibrating through my chest.
Her wide eyes met mine, brimming with tears that spilled over and streaked down her cheeks. "Yes," she whispered, the word trembling as it left her lips.
The confirmation struck me like a physical blow, the weight of it shattering everything I thought I knew. It felt as though my heart had been pierced by countless poisoned arrows, each one twisting deeper, leaving nothing but pain in its wake.
Betrayal coursed through me, sharp and unforgiving. The woman I had loved, trusted, and chosen as my wife had hidden this truth from me.
My mate—the one destined for me by the Moon Goddess—had been right beside me all along, and she had concealed it.
The raw ache in my chest swelled, threatening to consume me, and I made a decision I knew I’d regret. Blinded by my emotions, I instructed the chancellor to begin the process of dissolving our marriage. My hands shook as I signed the papers, my mind a fog of disbelief and anguish.
I wanted to hurt her, to make her feel the depth of my pain, but I couldn’t. Even now, as my world crumbled around me, I couldn’t bring myself to lash out at her. My love for her, deep and unrelenting, anchored me to restraint.
Yet the betrayal festered.
How could she have kept this from me? How could she not have told me that we were mates when she knew?
The thought clawed at my sanity, a cruel twist in a love story I had always believed was pure and true.
"Azarius, I just want to let you know that I—"
I cut her off. "Scoot now. I do not need to hear anything from you, Macedonia." My eyes shoot glares in her direction. "I do not want to hear any lies from your mouth."
Despite everything, Macedonia still tried to keep smiling, but her amber eyes looked melancholy. "I respect your wishes. One thing I can only say. I—"
"Leave now, Macedonia. Get out! I don't want to see you!"
She must leave before I could do something that I might regret later. I was so close to hurt her, and thankfully, I still had an ounce on respect of her as a woman.
"I-I shall take my leave, Your Majesty."
Her words reverberated in my mind, cutting deeper than any blade. The way she avoided my name, opting instead for my title, struck a painful chord. It was as though a chasm had opened between us, one neither of us could cross. Unspoken emotions lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating. I hadn't realized it then, but that was the last time I would see her.
The memory of the moment still haunts me.
"Your Majesty, Luna Queen Macedonia is nowhere to be found—not in her chambers, nor anywhere in the palace!"
The guard’s frantic voice echoed through the halls, but his words barely registered. My body stiffened, the weight of his statement sinking in. The air around me grew cold, and a sickening sense of dread coiled in my stomach.
She was gone.
I replayed every interaction, every word, wondering what I had missed, what I could have done differently. The pain of her absence was unbearable, a hollow ache that consumed my every thought.
Macedonia, my Luna Queen, my mate, had vanished without a trace.
"FIND HER! DISPATCH A SEARCH PARTY! FIND HER IMMEDIATELY!"
My voice thundered through the palace, rattling the very walls. Fury coursed through me, unchecked and relentless.
The weight of my emotions—anger, betrayal, and despair—was too much to bear. My hands trembled as I lashed out, sweeping objects off the table, shattering vases, and sending anything within reach crashing to the ground.
The destruction did little to quell the storm inside me.
I didn’t know what to feel anymore. Anger at her, anger at myself. It all blended into a searing ache that refused to subside.
My breaths came fast and shallow, my chest heaving as the realization of her absence sank in deeper.
All I wanted was to see her.
Nothing else mattered. Not the betrayal, not the lies, not the shattered trust. I just wanted her back. I needed her here, in front of me, so I could understand, so I could... do something—anything—to fix this, or at least make sense of it.
Why, Macedonia?
The question tore through me, each word a dagger to my heart.
You committed sins against me, deceived me, and yet... you chose to run? You chose to hurt me even more by leaving?
Why? Why did you run away, Macedonia? Why couldn’t you stay and face this with me?
"Azarius, you cannot continue to neglect your duties as Alpha King." Alucard's voice was steady, but the concern etched in his face betrayed his composure. He stood in the doorway of my chamber, his gaze taking in the disheveled state I was in... the empty bottles, the dried tear stains, the despair written across my features.
"Azarius," he tried again, his tone softer this time. "Please... you have responsibilities."
I barely registered his words, my voice a low, broken mumble as I lay sprawled on the bed, my gaze fixed on the ceiling. "I just want to see her... I need to see Macedonia..." My voice cracked, and fresh tears burned at the corners of my eyes. My grip tightened around the bottle in my hand. "Bring her back to me, Alucard. I’ll forgive her... just give her back."
Frustration flared in my chest as anger mingled with my grief. My voice rose, laced with venom. "How is it possible that the shadows, those highly trained, ruthless warriors, can’t find one woman? How useless can they be?" My knuckles whitened around the bottle, trembling with the force of my grip before throwing it on the floor.
I wanted to lash out at the world, at fate, at anyone who had allowed her to slip away from me. But most of all, I wanted her back. Nothing else mattered.
Desperation drove me to seek out Macedonia's parents, clinging to the hope that they might be sheltering her, but my efforts were in vain. Their grief mirrored my own, their eyes heavy with worry as they admitted they, too, were searching for her.
Her mother, usually so composed, broke down before me, tears streaming as she confessed her disbelief that Macedonia could vanish so completely. Her father, though stoic, carried the same weight of shock and sorrow in his posture, his words laced with frustration and helplessness. Their anguish only deepened the hollow ache in my chest.
Alucard yanked the curtains open, flooding the room with harsh daylight. I growled in protest, my voice low and feral, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, he turned to face me, his expression firm.
"Don’t you dare growl at me," he snapped, his tone sharp as steel. "Mother is worried sick about you, Azarius. It’s been six months since Macedonia ran away. Six months." His words cut through the haze of anger clouding my mind, though his voice softened as he continued. "Brother... you’re the Alpha King. You can’t keep doing this."
I sat up, fury simmering beneath the surface. "Take the throne then," I spat, glaring at him. "You’re the Crown Prince, aren’t you? It’s yours. I don’t care anymore."
"Close the damn curtains!" I shouted, my voice raw with anger and pain, but Alucard didn’t move. He stood his ground, his silence speaking volumes. The sunlight bore into the room, exposing the wreckage of my emotions I’d tried so hard to keep buried.
He stepped forward, my cold gaze locking onto Alucard. "I’m this close to punching you," he muttered, narrowing the distance between us. Then, without hesitation, he grabbed my collar and delivered a sharp blow. "Actually, no. I will do it."
"Fuck you, Alucard! Do you have a death wish?" I snarled, my voice brimming with fury.
He barely flinched, his calm demeanor only fueling my rage. "Brothers," he called out, his tone casual as if nothing had happened. "Would you mind lending a hand here?"
Grinding my teeth, I followed his gaze to the doorway, where Alistair, Alejandro, and Atticus stood silently, their expressions a mix of melancholy and concern. Their presence only deepened the ache in my chest.
"Are you here to mock me?" I snapped, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. "Laugh at my misery? Go to hell... all of you!"
My eyes fell to the bracelet clutched tightly in my hand, the one that had once graced Macedonia’s wrist. It was all I had left of her. My grip trembled as the tears I had tried to suppress finally broke free.
"Mace..." I whispered, my voice shaking as I cradled the bracelet close, the ache of longing overwhelming me. "Please return now... I'm not mad anymore..." 
Alucard’s expression softened as he stepped closer, his hands raised in a calming gesture. "Azarius," he said gently, his voice free of its earlier sharpness. "You can’t keep tearing yourself apart like this. I know you’re hurting. I know you feel like you’ve lost everything, but this isn’t the way."
My grip on the bracelet tightened as fresh tears rolled down my face. The last thread of my restraint snapped, and I sank to my knees, clutching the small piece of jewelry as if it were the only thing tethering me to sanity.
"I just want her back," I croaked, my voice breaking under the weight of my grief. "She’s my mate, my Luna Queen. How can I rule this kingdom without her?" I looked up at my brothers, desperation etched into every line of my face. "How can I breathe without her?"
I couldn't function well. I had neglected everything.
Macedonia, where were you? 
I missed you so much.
Alistair approached cautiously, kneeling beside me. His hand rested on my shoulder, steady and grounding. "We’re not here to mock you, brother. We’re here to remind you that you’re not alone in this." His words were measured, his tone gentle but firm. "We’ll find her, Azarius. But you have to help us. You can’t spiral like this. The kingdom needs you."
Alejandro crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. "The search isn’t over," he added, his voice calm but resolute. "We’ll keep looking. No matter how far she’s gone, no matter how well she’s hidden, we’ll find her."
Atticus, ever the quiet one, finally spoke. "But you need to be ready for when we do." His amber eyes met mine, unyielding. "She’ll need her Alpha King, not this broken man drowning himself in despair."
Their words hit like a punch to the gut.
My brothers’ unwavering resolve forced me to confront the depth of my own self-pity. The room was silent save for the ragged sound of my breathing as their words sank in.
Tears blurred my vision as I looked at them, my chest tightening with a flood of emotion I couldn’t contain. "Brothers..." My voice broke, and before I could say more, their arms wrapped around me in a rare show of solidarity.
For the first time, the weight of my pain didn’t feel as crushing. This moment, raw, unguarded, and heartfelt, was unlike any we’d ever shared. Despite their stubbornness and our countless disagreements, I realized in that moment how truly blessed I was to have them. They were my anchor, my unyielding support when I needed it most.
"You reek, Azarius," Atticus said bluntly, his tone light but teasing. "Maybe start with a bath before you go declaring undying love."
The corners of my lips twitched, and a chuckle escaped me, quiet at first, then growing into laughter. It broke through the heavy atmosphere, drawing grins from them all.
In their presence, I found a spark of strength I thought I’d lost. My resolve hardened, and as I straightened, the weight on my shoulders lifted just slightly.
"I won’t give up on you, Macedonia," I murmured under my breath, a promise carried by the fire burning in my chest. "No matter where you are, even if it’s at the edge of the earth... I will find you, darling."