Chapter 254
Blood streamed down from the corner of Daranâs mouth.
He touched his ripped lips with one hand.
His face darkened.
The crowd was so astonished by Casperâs bold behavior that one of the guests gasped:
âAlpha Casper! That That is the King for Moon Goddessâs sake.
Daran was their King now, in procession of a superior power.
If Daran was pissed and decided to take it back on the Blood Moon Pack, none of them could stop him!
Yet Casper didnât look afraid.
He stood there with his fists tightly clenched and snapped, âSo what if he is the King? I am not anyone disturbing my daughterâs birthday party! And I certainly will not endure his fucking madness!â
The crowd winced in silence.
None of the others had the gut as Casper did.
âWhat are you all doing here?â Casper looked around the bystanders with an icy face, âThere is cake and wine at the other side of the hall.â
The crowd got his hint and hastily scattered away.
Casper waited for everyone to leave and walked up to Daran, offering him a hand. After a little hesitation, Daran took that hand and straightened his back.
âYou are fucked. You know that?â Casper said in a harsh tone.
Daran let out a snort, looking scornful.
âThe entire room of people just saw you throw an innocent man at the wall for absolutely no reason at all-
âHe was fucking talking about my business-â
âThere are a lot of people on this planet talking about your business, Daran! God, the way you have been behaving yourself, do you honestly expect people to not notice it and not to talk about it?â
Daranâs chest heaved. âWhat the fuck are you talking.
Daranâs chest heaved, âWhat the fuck are you talking-â
âAgitated, fretful, cranky, violentâ¦Shall I go on?â Casper said icily, âYou are crowned as the King. People expect you to rule. But how can they trust you if you keep on acting like that? A mad person?â
Daran put a shaky hand over his eyes.
After a long pause, he spoke up in a hoarse, broken voice, âI donât know Casperâ¦I seriously donât knowâ¦I only wanted this kingship before because it could help me get Janet back. But now, it is only a burden for me.â
âI know, man. I get it.â
Casper patted his shoulder, âYou are not the only one who is in pain here. Fuck I lost my own sister! But Janet made her choice. We have to respect thatâ¦and move on.â
He stopped there, hesitating, and asked Daran after a little pause:
âHave you considered naming a Queen?â
ââ¦What?â Daran raised his head up, frowning.
Casper let out a sigh, âI know that the elders in your pack have been discussing it. They believe that a Queen can help you patch up the pain and get back on the right track. Since none of them have the gut to bring it up to you, they sent me to do the talking-â
âIt is not their fucking business,â Daran gritted.
âCome one. They are only looking out for you. New love can heal wounds faster than you think. And I am not saying that Janet is replaceable-â
âYou shouldnât. Because she is not.â
Daran turned his back on Casper and said, âI am leaving.â
âWait!â
Casper chased him up a few steps, âI am not done talking hereâYou havenât even seen my daughter yet!â
But Daran had already walked through the crowd and disappeared behind the doors.
Originally, he planned to spend at least one night in Blood Moon Pack, to meet with Balvina and her newborn and offer his congratulations to the happy couple.
Yet he couldnât stay there for another second now.
It was sad to admit to itâ¦but other peopleâs happiness just reminded him of the darkness he was currently in.
Daran shifted into his wolf and ran at his full speed, heading back to the Riverside Pack.
He dashed through the woods, across the plain, down the mountains, bathed under the silver moonlight.
He hoped that a good run could help him shake off those pains.
But it didnât.
It only intensified the pain.
He arrived at Riverside Packâs packhouse a little after dawn.
He walked into his room, still slightly out of breath, and found that there was somebody in his room.
A Woinan
To be more precise, a halfânaked woman.
She was on his bed, checking out a picture that he picked on his nightstand, a picture of him and Janet when he walked in.
She heard the footsteps and jerked around, eyes round with shock.
âM
My King!â she straightened her back, panicked, âThey told me that you wouldnât be back till tomorrowâ
He stepped out of the shadow, his cold eyes fixed upon her..
âWho said you can come in here?â he asked in a croaky voice.
The woman swallowed, apparently worried, but she plucked up the courage to face this seemingly dangerous man.
âThe elders asked me to comeâ¦â
She knelt on the bed, taking her hands to loosen her nightrobe.
The nightrobe slid off from her delicate shoulders, revealing her smooth skin and plump breasts.
âThey said thatâ¦you need someone to keep you warm at night,â she breathed.
She was very beautiful, with an attractive body and curves.
But Daran didnât take a single glance at her before hissing: âOutâ
âBut my kingâ¦â
Daran bared his fangs, which gleamed coldly in the moonlight.
âDonât make me tear your fucking throat apart,â he growled. âOUT!â
The woman was frightened.
She quickly jumped off the bed and hurried towards the door.
Before walking out, she turned around and looked at him once more, a reluctant look on her pretty face.
âAre you still in love with her? With Princess Janet?â she asked, stubbornly. âBecause everyone in this world knows that she ditched you for another man. You can do so much better than her. You will be a fool if you let yourself keep thinking-â
A sharp blade went at the womanâs face before she could finish.
She screamed and stumbled back in horror, but her back was against the wall- âNO DONâT-â
The blade stopped half an inch from her throat.
Daran, still holding that blade in his hand, looked down at the womanâs
scaredâlooking face
âI am not still in love with her. She has made herself my enemy. So you can tell those nosy elders that â he sneered. âAnd pass on another message for me: you are a lucky one. But I will slit the throat of the next woman they send to me. Got it?â
The woman nodded hastily.
âNow fuck off.â
She didnât waste a single second before dashing out of his room
Daran paced back to his nightstand and picked up the picture of him and Janet.
He studied that picture in the darkness for a long time.
Then he tossed it into the trash with a cold face.
Those peopleâ¦they were right about one thing:
Janet would never come back.
He hated her, so much, for that.
May they never meet again in this life.
And if they did-
He would avenge what she did to him, with his own hand.
8 years later.
Janet stepped out of the woods and raised her head, gazing at the clear blue sky.
The sky looked the same from here and from the castle.
But Janet could sense something different.
The air smelt fresherâ¦it smelt like freedom.
It was the first time she left the misted woods in 8 years.
âQueen Janet!â
A soldier ran over and saluted to her.
âAny sign of Prince Aspen?â Janet asked.
âWe found traces of Prince Aspen heading up north. It is possible that he has entered the werewolf world.â
Janetâs face changed slightly.
Then she nodded, âAlright. Then we should better catch up with him.â
âYes. My Queen!â
Her son Aspen never came back home after school last night.
Later on, soldiers at the borderline told her that Aspen crossed the border by himself
and had run off.
No one knew what that kid was up to. And why he ran away.
Westin wasnât in the castle at the moment, and he took Clemente with him.
As reluctant as the elders were, they still agreed to let Janet out of the woods and let
het search for her missing son.
Janetâs heart was filled with worries as she hit the way, following the steps of her
son.
What happened to Aspen?
Was he safe?
And most importantly-
If Aspen went into the werewolf world, he might meet with people that he never meant to meet.
Casper, Balvina, andâ¦
Daran.
Aspenâs true father.
And that was what truly worried Janet.