His loud roar echoed across the buildings, and the walls shook with intensity.
Serena's body was covered up with a cloth, and the King almost couldn't believe his eyes.
"She's gone? Just like that?"
"Serena! Please don't do this!" He growled, but the infant's wail snapped his focus downwards.
As he stared at the baby with sadness, he noticed something odd—his eyes.
His were dark grey, and Serena's —dark brown. But this pup's eyes twinkled with a shade of gold.
How?
"Your Majesty, the Luna needs your presence" A guard informed, and Kaden stiffened .That's right. His Luna had also given birth the exact same time as Serena, but he'd forgotten her entirely.
He had rushed in here without checking on his wife. Reluctantly, he dropped the pup with the nurses and went to the Luna's room.
There she was, patting her newborn pup. She raised her head with smiles, but that smile dimmed when she saw the look of sadness on his face. He had tried to mask it , but she knew him well. This wasn't the look she was expecting when she had just given birth to his heir.
Yes, she had been informed that his mistress also gave birth to a male, but that was no bother at all. She's the Luna, and she just gave birth to the next Alpha.
Kaden's lips thinned into a smile, as he tried to put on an happy expression, but she wasn't buying it.
"What's wrong? You don't seem as excited as I thought you would. You aren't happy because I gave birth to my replica?" She grinned, trying to gauge his reaction.
"Of course, I am happy. Why won't I be?" He said
"Hmmm...if you're happy, shouldn't you be rocking your pup in your hands right now?"
"Aah..yes" He said, collecting the little male from her hands.
"Kaden.. what's wrong?" She asked, her brows arching.
"You should be resting, Elsa." He said, as he guided her head to rest. "His name would be Darius" He said, looking at the pup, and Elsa nodded.
"Darius..I like it" She mumbled, as she fell asleep.
The two babies were brought side by side, wrapped in a shawl. King Kaden stared at the two, and couldn't help but compare Darius to Axel.
While Darius had a completely normal eyes and look, Axel's were a bit...odd. While Darius took Elsa's look, Axel took his look. The little child even had a birth mark in the chin, just like him. Axel was no doubt his child, even with the golden eyes.
While Darius whined and cried like every newborn baby should, Axel's face was calm. His hands and legs were in the air, his eyes on the king.
King Kaden just knew...there was something mysterious about this child.
THREE WEEKS LATER,
Serena's body has been buried, and even though she was only the king's mistress for six months, the palace mourned her demise.
The king stood on his porch, his hands behind his back. He stared at a particular spot for minutes, before sighing out.
How could she make him fall for her, vanish for months, return heavy with his child, then die in his arms?
He could still vividly remember the first time he saw her. So full of life. And now... she's gone. She died immediately after giving birth to his pup. That single thought made his heart ache so bad.
Would she had been alive now if he didn't approach her that night? Would she be well if his seed didn't develop in her? Was he the sole cause of her death?
He took in a deep breath again, as the thoughts swayed in.
He looked up to the sky, his eyes a little misty; and as though he could see her up there, he whispered,
"Forgive me, Serena,"
*
Darius and Axel grew side by side; both suckled from Luna Elsa. And even though the nurses were terrified of Axel, because of his eyes, she had allayed them of all their fears.
"He's just a child with beautiful special eyes. You should love him as you would love your own pup. He's still the King's son, and you should treat him like one." She said to one of the nurses who was tending to Axel with shaking hands, and the nurse gained courage.
The fact that Axel rarely cried was another thing to worry about. While Darius acted as a normal babe would, Axel would only stare all day and night.
Soon gossips started spreading around the palace,
"How can a baby be that cute?"
"You're talking about cuteness? You should be talking about his eyes.
A wolf's eyes is only like that if he shifts, not when he is in his human form" She added.
"No matter how I try, I'm still scared of that little thing. He looks adorable.. yet ominous at the same time"
"How dare you!" Dre, the King's personal guard walked in.
He had been listening to their gossips without them knowing, and from the the fury in his eyes, he had been listening to them for long.
They bowed, fear evident in their eyes.
"It would take me nothing to slay your filthy necks. How dare you talk about the prince in that manner! Seems you don't value your lives" He bellowed, and they cowered in fear.
Dre was the king's most trusted guard. He doesn't need to take permission before carrying out some tasks as he deems fit. He's the most feared guard in the pack, and the closest to the Alpha.
"Leave my sight!"
The maids quickly scurried out, thanking their stars that he didn't actually slay them. Like he said earlier, it'd cost him nothing.
"Those fools" He muttered under his breath, as he headed to the throne room.
The throne room stretched a distance. It's gate adorned with pure gold. The decors was heavenly, and unmatched. Dre entered the inner throne room, and was greeted by the rows of ministers and royal workers in the palace.
The king sat regally on his throne, his regalia a perfect fit for him. Queen Elsa sat beside him, holding the two pups with a smile on her face.
As a custom, a divine consultation is usually made for every princes borne into the palace.
Dre had been sent to receive words from the seer, and he's back with the seer's message. He already swore an oath of truth before leaving the palace.
As he walked, eyes followed him, till he got to the front of the king.
He went on one knee, and bowed. "I have returned, your Majesty,"
The throne room was silent as Dre brought out a scroll handed to him by the seer.
Alpha Kaden cleared his throat as he collected the throat. He had ordered that the consultation should be done for the two pups. Axel might not be a full blooded royal, bur he still had the Alpha's blood in him.
Alpha Kaden slowly opened the scroll, and he lowered his gaze to read it. His brow furrowed as he read through.
"Two souls, one destiny—yet the moon whispers of a divided throne. One is the storm's wrath, the other the shadow's whisper. One the cry of war, the other the silence before slaughter. Both will wear crowns of ash and blood... but only one is carved from the stars."
And secretly, almost as fast as it came, Axel's golden eyes glowed.