Chapter 144 : Claws in the Storm

Chapter 144 : Claws in the Storm

KAI’S POV

I woke to the roar of rain hammering the castle roof. Thunder cracked overhead. The bed felt cold beside me. I reached out and found empty sheets where Elias should have been. My heart slammed against my ribs. I sat up fast, eyes scanning the dark room. Our son slept soundly in his cradle, undisturbed by the storm. Elias was nowhere in sight.

I pulled on boots and a heavy cloak, grabbed a lantern, and stepped into the corridor. Wind howled through the open windows at the end of the hall. Rain blew inside in sheets. I moved quickly, checking every alcove and side room. No sign of him. Panic clawed up my throat. I pushed open the outer door and stepped into the storm.

Rain soaked me instantly. Lightning split the sky and lit up the grounds in harsh flashes. I called his name into the wind, but thunder swallowed my voice. I followed the path toward the gardens, boots sinking into mud. Another flash revealed a figure near the old oak tree. I ran forward.

Elias stood there, staring at his hands. Mud covered his clothes and streaked his face. Blood stained his sleeves and chest, dark and wet from the rain. He looked up when I reached him, eyes wide and confused.

“Kai?” His voice sounded hoarse. “I do not know how I got here.”

I grabbed his arm and pulled him close. The blood smelled fresh. I could not tell if it belonged to him or someone else. “We need to get inside. Now.”

He followed without resistance. Rain poured over us as we hurried back to the castle. I kept one arm around him, supporting his weight when his steps faltered. Inside our rooms I stripped off his wet clothes, cleaned the worst of the mud from his skin, and checked for wounds. None. The blood was not his. I burned with questions but kept silent. He crawled into bed exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately. I sat beside him for a long time, watching the rise and fall of his chest while the storm raged outside.

Morning brought no relief. The gong sounded across the castle, low and mournful. Death. I knew the tone too well. Elias stirred beside me, still groggy.

“What is that sound?” he asked.

I dressed quickly. “Stay with the baby. I will find out.”

He ignored me and pulled on his clothes. “We are going together.”

We stepped into the corridor where guards already rushed past. We followed them outside to the training fields. A crowd had gathered around a body dragged from the mud. Lucien. Liora’s husband. Deep claw marks tore across his chest and throat. The wounds gaped open, raw and brutal. Blood still seeped into the wet ground. He had died recently.

My stomach dropped. Elias stiffened beside me.

Liora pushed through the crowd, face pale. She dropped to her knees beside Lucien and touched his cold cheek. A broken sound escaped her. Warriors stood in shocked silence around us.

One guard stepped forward. “We found him near the outer wall. Looks like claws from a shifted wolf. Deep ones.” His gaze flicked to Elias, then away.

Another witness, a stable hand, spoke up. “I saw Beta Lucien last night in the rain. He argued with Luna Elias near the gardens. They spoke loudly. I stayed back because it seemed private.”

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

A third man, one of Lucien’s close friends, raised his voice. “Lucien told me he planned to check on Luna Elias after he saw him wandering alone in the storm. He worried the power surges had taken him outside.”

Elias stood frozen. “I remember none of this. I went to bed with Kai. The storm woke me and then… nothing.”

Liora rose slowly. Tears mixed with rain on her face. “My husband is dead. Clawed apart. And you stand here covered in questions.”

I stepped between them. “Enough. We investigate properly. Elias has no reason to harm Lucien.”

But the words felt hollow even as I spoke them. The blood on Elias’s clothes last night flashed in my mind. The claw marks matched a powerful wolf. Whispers grew louder around us.

An older warrior pointed at Elias. “We all saw the power bursts these past days. Tables flipped. Lights exploding. What if the white wolf took control last night?”

Elias turned to me, voice low and urgent. “Kai, you found me in the garden. Tell them.”

I swallowed hard. Every eye fixed on me. “I found him outside during the storm. He seemed confused. But he carried blood on him.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Liora stared at me in disbelief.

“You knew?” she asked. “You brought him inside and said nothing while my husband lay dead in the mud?”

I kept my voice steady. “I needed time to understand what happened. Elias remembers nothing. We do not accuse without full facts.”

A young scout pushed forward. “I saw them too. Lucien tried to guide Luna Elias back inside. Luna Elias pushed him away. They argued near the trees. That was the last time anyone saw Lucien alive.”

Elias shook his head. “I would never hurt Lucien. He was family. He helped us.” His hands trembled at his sides.

I wanted to defend him. The words sat ready on my tongue. But the evidence stacked too high. Blood. Witnesses. The uncontrolled power surges. My own memory of Elias standing lost in the rain with someone else’s blood on his skin. I could not lie to the pack. Not when justice for Lucien hung in the balance.

Liora stepped close to Elias. Her voice broke. “He trusted you. He called you brother. If you did this, even without memory, I will never forgive it.”

Elias looked at me, eyes pleading. “Kai, you believe me, do you not?”

The crowd waited. Rain continued to fall steadily. I stood torn between my mate and the dead man at our feet. Lucien had served loyally. His wounds screamed wolf attack. Every clue pointed straight at Elias.

“I believe something happened last night that none of us fully understand,” I said carefully. “But we will lock down the castle. No one leaves until we have answers. Elias stays under guard in our rooms.”

Elias recoiled as if I had struck him. “You think I did this.”

I met his gaze. “I think we find the truth before more blood spills.”

Guards moved closer. Elias allowed them to escort him back inside without resistance, but the look he gave me over his shoulder cut deep. The crowd dispersed slowly, casting suspicious glances. Liora stayed beside Lucien’s body, shoulders shaking.

I stood alone in the rain for a long moment. The storm had brought death to our doorstep. Evidence pointed at the person I trusted most. I had no easy defense to offer. Not yet.

The investigation would begin immediately. I would tear apart every detail of last night if I had to. Because if Elias had truly lost control and killed Lucien, our family stood on the edge
of breaking apart completely. And I refused to let that happen without a fight.