Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King

Chapter 106: 0106

Kaelen POV

"Shai’ren, Nae Ekan varo." (Look at that, my twin.) Kalu said, leaning back in his leather chair the second we stepped inside the dimly lit chamber. "The King chooses now to remember we exist."

His tone dripped with sarcasm, a sharp, teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Keeping my expression neutral, I offered a polite, measured smile before bowing my head respectfully.

"I’m deeply sorry that my arrival kept you waiting, Prince Kalu. Matters at the estate demanded my attention," I lied smoothly, while Darius raised a brow.

But Kalu only raised a hand, waving me off dismissively.

"Ah, ya, ya, ya," he said, rising to his feet as he smoothed down the front of his tunic. "Enough of that. We did not travel here for speeches and diplomacy. Though..." He looked me over with an amused smile. "Being late does not belong to you, Kaelen. It almost had me wondering if you had finally found something more interesting than curses. The bath is nearly ready, so all remains well."

"Thank you for your understanding," I replied, clasping my hands together before bowing my head once more to maintain the diplomatic front.

Only then did Princess Nala finally speak.

She was sprawled lazily across a velvet chaise lounge nearby while a young male guard knelt silently beside her, feeding her fresh green grapes one at a time. Her golden eyes, identical to her brother’s, slowly lifted to meet mine, studying me with an intense, calculating curiosity.

"Your presence carries another rhythm today, Alpha King," she observed, her voice smooth and melodic. "The unrest around your aura has grown quiet. It almost gives the impression you have found proper sleep. If that is so, why does this blood bath still call for you?"

"If that were truly the case, I wouldn’t have inconvenienced you by asking you to travel all the way from the N’zari Kingdom," I replied, letting the polite façade slip away. "My wolf is pushing me closer to the edge than I care to admit. What you’re seeing right now is nothing more than a temporary mask."

Nala chewed on her grape thoughtfully, her golden eyes narrowing as she tried to see through the defensive walls I had spent years building around myself.

"If that is what you believe," she murmured, resting her chin lightly on her hand. "Yet it is curious. A feral Alpha close to breaking should feel like a storm tearing the sky apart. You do not. It feels as though the storm has already passed."

"Let’s just say I found a temporary anchor," I replied, my chest tightening as Ella’s face flashed through my mind. "But it isn’t a permanent solution. I still need the blood bath if I’m going to keep complete control for much longer. I can’t afford to lose it."

"Alright, alright," Kalu interrupted, clapping his hands together once. Turning toward his attendants, he called out, "Zora, Amari. Evara Varazhan. Sorei na’vath." (Zora, Amari. Take the Alpha King and get him ready for the ritual.)

Immediately, two young women stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

They were dressed in sheer black linen wraps that draped over one shoulder and fell to their knees, revealing their arms and collarbones, which were adorned with intricate white tribal markings.

Unlike werewolf females, whose scent could easily provoke a feral response and destabilize my wolf, women from other supernatural races had no effect on me whatsoever. My wolf remained completely still as they escorted me out of the main hall.

Once inside the private preparation chamber, they removed my clothes, leaving only a narrow strip of black fabric secured around my waist. Afterward, they dipped their hands into a bowl filled with thick, cool charcoal paste and carefully painted dark ceremonial symbols across my chest, shoulders, arms, and back.

When the preparations were complete, they led me into the ritual chamber.

The room was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by dozens of thick black candles whose flames danced across the ancient stone walls. At the center of the chamber rested a massive hollowed stone tub, wisps of steam curling lazily from the clear water.

Kalu was already waiting beside it, dressed in nothing more than a pair of loose, low-slung dark trousers.

Standing beside him was Princess Nala.

A short length of sheer fabric was wrapped securely around her hips, while her chest was concealed beneath her thick, waist-length white braids and layers of heavy golden chains draped across her collarbones.

A thin black veil covered the lower half of her face, leaving only her glowing golden eyes visible through the dim candlelight.

I walked toward the bath, following a ritual I had gone through countless times over the years.

Stepping over the stone ledge, I lowered myself into the steaming water until it reached my chest, allowing the heat to settle over my skin.

Kalu moved to the edge of the tub and slowly closed his eyes. A low, rhythmic chant rolled from his lips in an ancient language that had long been forgotten by most of the world. With one swift motion, he drew a small silver blade across his palm before holding his bleeding hand above the water.

The first drop of blood struck the surface.

Almost instantly, the crystal-clear water darkened into a deep crimson, the color spreading through the entire bath within seconds.

The chanting intensified, echoing through the stone chamber until the walls themselves seemed to hum with its rhythm.

My wolf erupted.

It slammed violently against my consciousness, clawing and snarling as it fought to tear free and slaughter everyone in the room. The water exploded over the edges of the stone tub as my body convulsed uncontrollably. A raw, agonized groan ripped from my throat.

The crimson water began seeping directly into my skin.

Every vein across my chest, neck, and arms bulged violently beneath the charcoal markings as though something alive were crawling through them. My vision blurred before the world dissolved into shades of crimson. My amber eyes burned with lethal intensity, while my already crimson hair seemed to glow an even deeper shade of red beneath the candlelight.

Through the haze, I caught sight of the two attendants standing at opposite corners of the chamber. Their hands moved gracefully through the air, weaving glowing strands of magic into intricate patterns that wrapped around the stone tub.

At the same time, Nala stepped closer and scattered a handful of dark powder across the surface of the water, her quiet whispers blending seamlessly with Kalu’s chant.

The fire raging through my veins intensified until it reached an unbearable peak.

Then, without warning, it vanished.

The violent frenzy consuming my wolf slowly faded, and it retreated once more into the darkest corners of my mind.

The sudden calm left me completely drained.

I lurched forward, choking violently as water rushed into my lungs. Before I could collapse beneath the surface again, Kalu seized my arm with a firm grip and hauled me out of the tub.

I stumbled against the cold stone ledge, coughing violently as I struggled to draw in a full breath. Crimson water streamed from my body and pooled across the floor beneath me.

"It is done," Kalu said, draping a fresh white towel over my shoulders.

He watched me carefully as I wiped the remaining charcoal paste and crimson water from my face while Nala stepped forward, carrying a small obsidian cup with thick black steam curling lazily from the dark liquid inside.

"You know the way," she said, offering it to me. "The rite does not end until this is taken."

I took the cup without hesitation. The moment the liquid touched my tongue, an overwhelming bitterness flooded my mouth. It was so vile that my jaw instinctively clenched, but I forced myself to swallow every last drop.

The burning came a heartbeat later.

It tore down my throat like molten metal before settling deep in my chest, spreading through my veins with an uncomfortable heat that made every muscle in my body tense. I shut my eyes briefly, exhaled through my nose, then handed the empty cup back to her.

Nala accepted the empty cup with a small nod.

"Evara," (Take it,) she said quietly to the attendant waiting nearby, who immediately stepped forward and took the cup from her hand.

"You speak true, Kaelen," Kalu continued. "The curse has grown stronger. That much is clear. The last time it fought the purge with such hunger... was after that woman walked out of your life."

My expression instantly darkened, and my grip tightened around the towel.

"Then why the hell is it happening again?"

Kalu met my glare without the slightest hint of concern, his golden eyes remaining perfectly calm.

"The Eyes of N’zari do not see all things, Alpha. They see only as far as fate allows. Yet this much stands before me: something still holds that darkness within you. Whatever it may be, it continues to feed the curse."

He paused briefly.

"This rite will quiet it... but only for a little while."