**Kael’s POV**
I stood frozen, watching Seraphina disappear into the distance. My heart twisted painfully. I couldn’t shake the suffocating feeling that something sinister loomed around her, like a shadow waiting to strike. She was my mate—my fated bond—but fate had cruelly decreed we couldn’t be together.
But I owed her protection. That much, I owed the moon goddess.
“How?” I muttered, pacing the room. “How can I protect her? How can she escape the burden of black magic?” My thoughts raced wildly, grasping at straws.
Then it hit me. My father. He must have researched this.
I stormed into his old library, pulling books and scrolls from the shelves with frantic hands. My breath caught as I spotted his tattered diary, lying dusty in a forgotten corner. Flipping through its worn pages, I devoured every word, desperate for answers.
My heart dropped when I found it.
“Anyone who performs the ritual becomes the next wielder of the destructive power. The magic consumes them, often before their time.”
The words blurred as a wave of cold sweat drenched my brow. My hands shook, and the diary slipped from my grasp, thudding onto the floor.
“What have I done?” I whispered, staggering backward until I collapsed into a chair.
I had failed. In my desperation to destroy the black magicians, I had ignored the full instructions. My own actions had cursed her with the very power we sought to end.
With a determined breath, I pushed myself to my feet and made my way to the dungeon. The door creaked violently as I swung it open, startling the imprisoned elder awake.
His lips curled into a sneer. “The Lycan King himself,” he drawled mockingly. “What brings you here? Your mate—she must have the black magic power, doesn’t she?”
I ignored his taunt and stepped closer.
“Elder,” I said, my voice dangerously low, “do you need her to stab you again to finish off the last of your power?”
His laughter echoed off the stone walls, sharp and cruel. “You forget, King, I have nothing left to lose. Your mate was already powerful before. Stabbing me only unleashed her true nature.”
“Enough,” I growled, fists trembling with barely contained rage. “Tell me how to stop this—how to free her—or I’ll cut your tongue out.”
His smirk didn’t waver. “There’s no solution, Lycan King. She must die, or she will be the end of your reign. She’s a witch—an ancestral one. You’ve sealed your fate by letting her live.”
His words struck me like a hammer. My fists clenched, and my vision blurred with fury, but deep down, I knew he was telling the truth. The diary had confirmed it.
Without another word, I stormed out. His mocking laughter trailed behind me, haunting. “Your mate is a witch, Lycan King. A dangerous one.”
Back in my chambers, I sank onto the bed, head in my hands. The elder’s words echoed endlessly in my mind.
“There’s no solution but death.”
The weight of my cruel fate crushed me. Why was I forced to choose between my kingdom and my mate?.
Nightmares plagued me when I finally drifted into a fitful sleep. In every dream, Seraphina stood before me, her eyes blazing with uncontrollable power, fire curling from her fingertips.
By morning, I couldn’t take it anymore. I dressed quickly and made my way to the council meeting.
“Your Majesty,” Elder Mike said, stepping forward as I entered. His expression was grim, his tone sharper than usual. “Is it true that you broke your engagement to Lunara because of your witch mate?”
Gasps erupted around the room, and the council erupted into whispers.
I straightened, keeping my expression neutral. “It’s true that I ended my engagement with Lunara,” I said carefully, “but it has nothing to do with my mate.”
Elder Scrolls narrowed his eyes. “Your mate is a witch,” he said firmly. “A dangerous one. The kingdom is at risk if she lives.”
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room.
“The late king wrote about this,” Scrolls continued. “Any ancestor who defeats black magic becomes a greater threat. She’s more dangerous than the elder she vanquished.”
“She must be executed,” Mike added, his tone cold and resolute.
My chest tightened. I stood motionless as their words swirled around me, demanding blood, demanding her death.
“I will handle it,” I finally said, my voice flat.
The council nodded in grim approval, but inside, I was unraveling. How could I kill her? She was my mate—and worse, I had made her this way.
The town square buzzed with activity when I arrived. I stayed hidden in the shadows, watching Seraphina from a distance. She stood in the middle of the street, her face pale and her movements weary. My resolve crumbled as I took in the fear etched on her features.
Finally, I stepped out.
Her emerald eyes locked onto mine, wide with fear and relief. “Kael,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Before I could respond, she ran to me, throwing her arms around my neck.
“I was so scared,” she sobbed, her voice breaking against my shoulder. “The black magic is getting stronger. I hate it, Kael. I hate it so much.”
Her tears soaked through my shirt as her body shook against mine. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her as tightly as I dared.
“I don’t want this,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
My throat tightened as a tear slid down my cheek. “Sera,” I murmured, “we’ll figure it out. I promise.”
She pulled away slightly, forcing a weak smile. “I’m sorry. That must have been embarrassing.”
“It’s fine,” I replied softly.
Her expression hardened with determination. “You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t associate yourself with me. I’m dangerous to you and your reign.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the words caught in my throat.
“Please, Kael,” she said, stepping back. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
She turned to leave, but I couldn’t let her go.
“Sera,” I called, my voice breaking.
She stopped, her shoulders tense.
“There’s something you need to know,” I said, forcing the words out. “You’re the next wielder of the black magic.”
Her body stiffened as she turned to face me, her face pale and stricken with disbelief. I told her everything, the words spilling out in a rush.
By the time I finished, her legs gave out beneath her. I caught her before she hit the ground.
“Sera,” I whispered, cradling her trembling body. "We'll figure this out."
She looked up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “H-how?” she stammered, her voice a broken whisper.
I had no answers. Only regret.