Chapter 216: Refused to surrender
"Greetings to Your Majesty," Lucien said, offering a respectful bow before taking the seat offered across from the desk.
Cesar had excused himself at the entrance, returning to his own quarters and his wife.
"A drink?" the Alpha King offered, gesturing toward the crystal decanter.
"No, thank you, Your Majesty," Lucien replied politely.
"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" Lucien asked, cutting straight to the point.
The Alpha King leaned back, his sharp eyes weighing Lucien thoughtfully. "Lucien, I have always placed a great deal of trust in you. In this entire kingdom, if there is one alpha outside my own bloodline whom I respect and rely on, it is you."
"It is my honor to hold your confidence, Your Majesty," Lucien answered, keeping his tone modest.
Inside, however, a rage burned beneath his calm exterior. The urge to end the tyrant sitting just paces away pulled at his instincts, but he held his ground. Striking now would be reckless, he needed to wait for the right moment.
"Why did you betray me then?"
The Alpha King’s tone shifted instantly, turning ice-cold as his glare locked onto Lucien. "I want you to hand over those two bastards you’re harboring in your pack, along with the last pure she-wolf."
"Your Majesty, I cannot do that," Lucien replied, his voice firm. "You are asking for something far too precious to me."
"Are you daring to defy me?" The Alpha King’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing to sharp slits.
On cue, his most formidable knight, a highly trained beta, emerged silently from the shadows behind the desk.
Lucien stood up from his chair just as the beta lunged, reaching to crush his throat.
But Lucien was faster. Ducking under the knight’s reach, he slammed a fist directly into the beta’s abdomen, throwing the knight off balance before stepping smoothly out of his line of sight.
"Surrender yourself now, Lucien, or I will burn your pack to the ground," the Alpha King commanded, his voice booming through the chamber.
Before Lucien could respond, the double doors swung open, and a witch glided into the room.
Lucien whipped around to face the new threat, but the spell hit him instantly. A weight crashed over his body, forcing him down to his knees as the dark enchantment bound his movements.
"Your Majesty, hand Lucien over to us," Molly said, her eyes gleaming with dark intent. "He is the sole reason our coven lost so many in the past."
"Shut your mouth, Molly," the Alpha King barked. "You are not to kill him. Keep him bound and under control—nothing more."
Even pinned under the suffocating weight of the spell, Lucien gritted his teeth and forced his head up, his gaze locked on the King. "You killed my parents, didn’t you? Why?"
Molly’s jaw tightened as the ambient air shifted. The force of Lucien’s sheer willpower began to crack the spell, threatening to break the physical bind entirely.
"What kind of monster are you?" Molly muttered under her breath, sweating as she doubled the output of her dark magic just to keep him on his knees.
"Tell me, Francis, why did you kill my parents?" Lucien’s voice thundered through the chamber. "Why did you align with the witches and force me into things I never wanted to do? You wiped out Leia’s entire bloodline, the direct descendants of the Moon Goddess! But Grayson and Renzo survived, and now your true face is exposed. You think you can keep manipulating me, but you’re dead wrong."
"Shut your mouth!" Francis roared, stepping down from his seat and marching directly toward Lucien. "Do not force me to drag your mate here by her hair. How dare you accuse your Alpha King!"
"Don’t you dare touch my mate," Lucien growled, his eyes flashing a deep red despite the weight of the spell. "I swear to you, Francis, the moment you put a single finger on her, I will rip you apart piece by piece."
"Lock him in the dungeon! Send the forces to wipe out his very pack and bring his brothers, his mate and those two bastards to me!" Francis ordered.
"I dare you to do that," Lucien spat, his voice echoing off the vaulted stone walls. "Your true face will be exposed to the entire world right here, right now."
"What?" Francis let out a low, sinister laugh. "My true face? How so? Everything I have done has been for the greater good of our people. If anyone in this room is a traitor, Lucien, it is you."
"I did everything you ever demanded of me—while you secretly slaughtered my parents," Lucien provoked, muscles straining against the invisible weight pressing down on him. "Do you really think this magic can contain me forever? Do you honestly believe I lack the power to destroy you?"
"Your Majesty, shall I silence him?" Molly asked, her fingers twitching with dark energy.
"No," Francis commanded, holding up a sharp hand to stop her. "Let him speak. Consider it his final words before his execution."
"I am not dying until I avenge every drop of innocent blood you spilled," Lucien declared. "Leia’s bloodline is sacred. You murdered her mother to erase them. What is your true motive, Francis? Tell me before you try to take my life. I dare you to speak the truth you’ve hidden all these years!"
"If there’s any man who deserves to sit at the top, it is me," Francis sneered, looking down at Lucien. "That fucking bloodline refused to surrender to me. They refused to bow their heads. That is why they suffered that fate. I am the Alpha King, and my command should carry the weight of divine law."
He paced slowly around Lucien, his expression hardening into coldness.
"And as for Leia’s mother, she was foolish enough to cross my path years later. I had no idea she was still alive, let alone that she had a daughter," Francis revealed, a smile touching his lips. "She begged me on her hands and knees to spare Leia. She swore the girl was powerless, utterly devoid of the abilities that plagued the rest of her lineage. So, I showed mercy and agreed. But looking back now... I should have poisoned the child right alongside her mother."