Maximus woke up with great determination to get out the goddess forsaken bedchamber, utterly tired of having to remain bedridden as he watched the days breeze by him to never be relived again. The first day he had woken up, he had awakened only to feel like he had fought a grizzly bear and lost about a thousand times as it kept pummelling his body down. He could still remember the pain he had felt for but a second yet in memory it felt like he had felt it for minutes on end as it tore through his every vein in absolute anger. He wondered where it had come from.
From then on he had felt his body without energy, as if with every single blink awake, he lost a percentage on his battery life. He couldn't fathom just what ailed him so to the point he could barely walk without feeling like he was a mere toddler learning to walk for the first time. Maximus was oblivious to the poisonous flowers that decorated the bedchamber that was clearly not his, that filled the air with toxin with every breath they took only to release it in a form of death.
Death, for surely being around the flower for as long as he had was sure to lead to his demise. Even though he had no knowledge of what caused him to be so bedridden, when it seemed like a week had gone by, he thought he couldn't stay in the damned bed any longer. He figured perhaps fresh air might do him some good, an excuse he planned to use for armour should his betrothed question his reasons for being out of bed.
He had found it rather peculiar that they had placed him in her bedchamber, when he had asked why he was in bed feeling as he had, he had found out that he had happened to collapse out of nowhere. He had then asked Clair the very question of why he was in her bedchamber and not his, the woman had simply claimed that it was so she could take care of him, being that she was now his intended and all.
She had been acting quite differently toward him since then, like a psycho that finally got their price, he couldn't help but wonder just for how long Clair had kept her affections for him a secret when she has finally been sure to confess them to him. He thought her to be truly psychologically impaired, for the woman had admitted that she had gone as far as to kill her own mate simply because she has been smitten by him since the first time she had laid her eyes on him, he shuddered to think how long ago that was.
Maximus had avoided telling the princess that he already had a true mate, one he intended to mate instead of her, hence the determination to get out of bed despite his unsteady legs. At the thought of his mate, he remembered then that his Beta was yet to call as he glanced at his phone on the bedside table, with no sign of any missed calls or messages, yet he found that he was partially glad because that meant should Clair go snooping around on his phone, he did have a protective pass code therefore, she'd find nothing either way.
His feet could feel the chill of the marbled floors that carried on the theme of the room with the swirly gold designs. Even though he knew he could never tire of Amoura's golden skin that always seemed to glisten in his dreams, he was sure he had had enough of anything else gold because the princess' bedchamber was filled with it. from the gold lace that hung form the canopy of the bed only to pool out to the floor, to the golden curtains, the bed's comforter also held the colour just as the chandelier that hung from the high roofed ceiling.
He wore silky black long legged pyjama bottoms as well as a matching long sleeved pyjama t-shirt.
Not caring to put on shoes, he slowly padded for the door that almost seemed to be miles away. It happened that by some miracle, or perhaps the princess hadn't thought that Maximus would make yet another attempt to leave after the countless failed times, no one came to stop him, not a servant nor the woman herself.
Therefore, no one was there to witness Maximus step out of the quarters only to come to the most startling yet unfathomable realisation. As Maximus stood in the wide hallway of the castle with no spec of other life present,
the revelation was instant. He took a breath in as if he were finally above surface after having had to swim from the depths of the ocean toward the light in attempt to find the
air.
His body's reaction seemed to follow along as it slowly but surely repaired it's energy back. He felt it then, the distinct difference, the absence of a certain scent of the flower, gone was its nectary sweetness, for the air he breathed in now was clear as if purified. Turning his head back to look into the bedchamber, only then did his eyes fall on the flower, what stood out more to him was the fact that it was the same kind of flower yet multiplied all over the room, from counter to counter to the small table that sat between the crisply white couches. His mind worked on over drive when he finally realised another reason if not the main reason, for why Clair had had him sleeping in her room and not any other. For he could tell from his impeccable memory, it was his first time ever seeing that type of flower dressed in its purple and blue hues.
It was then he surmised that they were reason for his ailment, perhaps the reason why he had passed out with no idea of the reason behind it, pushing through his memory, he could swear he had seen the flower the day he aimed to leave. It was clear then that Clair had planned to keep him at the castle, not only for herself, but for her father as well, he truly couldn't put it past the king to know of it.
His mind ran off again when he wondered if whether the flower had the same effect on the king or not, questions were endless as they kept on popping up. Refusing to be overwhelmed by them, he closed the door and walked with intent to never go back to Clair's bedchamber again. He was sure to keep a keen eye out for the flowers, in case the princess had them placed someplace else.
When he reached his bedchamber without a hitch, he searched it for the same flowers, and when he found none, he locked the door, and went straight for the bathroom. He came to realise that thankfully, his suitcases remained in his room and hadn't been kept hostage as he had apparently been without his knowledge. When he felt that he fully had his wits about him and fresh from the shower, dressed in black dress pants and a burgundy V-neck sweater, still barefoot, he settled onto one of
the couches in his bedchamber and made a call to his Beta.
"Levi, how is it you haven't called in a week, have you not found her yet?" Maximus didn't bother with pleasantries as he shot straight to the question
"I take it you're feeling better then" the Beta said, "And I did call, but the third princess said you were out of it, so I told her to let me know when you're okay enough to talk, but judging by your question, she didn't" he finished. It hadn't crossed Maximus' mind that the reason his phone yielded no missed calls was because said calls had already been answered and by non-other than the woman behind his ailment.
"You told her nothing right?" The Alpha questioned, internally panicking at the notion of the woman finding out about Amoura, for if she did, he had no doubt that she would go straight for her father only to spill it all over tea.
"What do you take me for, I do value my life you know, anyway, we've found her, she's safe here at the pack, your folks have been flying on cloud nine since, I swear they love her more than you" the Beta jested. Maximus drew in a huge gulp of air at the information. His mate was found and it truly was her for if anyone knew Amoura anywhere as close as he did, was his parents. He couldn't help but cuss himself for not having tried harder to escape the clutches of the third princess, for by now he'd finally be with his true mate.
"Good, keep her there, and under no circumstances is she to ever find out the king's intentions nor step foot in the direction of the castle, am I understood Carson?" the Alpha commanded, the fact that he addressed the Beta by last name portrayed toward the second in command just how serious his Alpha was as well as the threat toward his life, should he fail.
"Yes, Alpha" the Beta responded
"I'll see you in a few hours" those were the Alpha's last words before he hung up. Oblivious to the fact that his mentioning of such a detail would be the reason his whole world was about to be shaken. Just as he hung up, the doorknob to his bedchamber slowly twisted, as if whoever it was aimed to sneak in, only to be disappointed when the doors didn't give way. The Alpha walked toward the doors, knowing that it was just the prince that stood on the other side.
"I see that you've finally escaped from my sister" the prince jested as he walked in when Maximus held them opened for him.
"And why had you been no help?" the Alpha questioned blandly as he walked toward the small table by the corner that held a decanter with the brown liquid toxin inside.
"The woman had such a close watch on you, I swear that her defences were impenetrable" Eurich defended as he threw himself on one of the couches
"Right" Maximus scoffed as he poured about a quarter of the small glass.
"How did she succeed in keeping you in there for so long though, seduction, blackmail?" Maximus gave a cold chuckle at the ridiculous notion that the prince thought he could be seduced by Clair enough so to have him willingly locked in her bedchamber.
"I'm afraid it was something as little as a flower that had me so bedridden, hadn't realised it though, until I left the damned room." He clarified, taking a gulp of the burning liquid.
"A flower!?" Eurich exclaimed, finding it hard to believe that the Alpha before him could be bested by something as fragile as a flower.
"I believe he's talking about the Blue rocket, the queen of poisons" The king informed as he entered through the door. "Lethal if ingested by a normal werewolf, and dangerous
when inhaled by a lycan, quite the marvel it is mhmm?" the king had a smirk on his face as he helped himself to the decanter on the table by the corner.
"Wait, so you mean to say there's such a poison out there, and my sister knows about it?" Eurich's question was aimed at Maximus, who was not surprised that the king knew about such a thing.
"Quite smart your sister is, I underestimated her truly, anyhow, do tell her when you see her that no matter how much she has those disloyal servants add the poison to my food, it will never have the desired effect on me, so it would be really better if she gave up on the notion of weakening me" the king spoke, his words aimed at his son who merely looked at his father in slight shock, for it seemed something was happening that everybody was aware of and he had no idea what it was.
"Now, do excuse us son, I need to have a talk with Maximus here" he ordered, to which the prince could only give an uncertain nod as he made to leave the bedchamber. Now alone with the king, Maximus knew
"So I was right, you knew, was it your plan?" he enquired, to which the king gave a mere chuckle before settling on a single couch, a leg crossed over the other as he leaned back to get a good look at the young man before him.
"She sure did a number on you huh, you power sure feels weak" he tutted "Anyways, I'm afraid all credit is to go to my cunning daughter, I suppose I should find myself proud that she's almost a spitting image of me, yet I'm saddened by the fact that she
aimed to use the poison on me. oh well, I'll give her props because she aided to my plan" he gave a smile, before dropping it and continued
"You on the other hand, might as well give up on the notion of running back home to your lovely Human mate, because it will be a cold day in hell before I ever let the two of you mate. So, this is how this is going to go, you will mate my Clair without any objection, or else your pathetic human dies. You'd be surprised just what a man would do for their mate, hence I trust for your Beta to do as I command" the Alpha sat stunned at the revelation that the king knew about his mate, and because he did, just how much did he know? He felt his heart give at the thought of his Beta's betrayal, it felt like a knife had plunged itself right through his heart, and twisted with twirls when the threat toward the life of his Amoura ricocheted through his mind.
"So you know" it was a statement that slipped through the Alpha's lips as he looked at the king, incapable of keeping his pained expression at bay
"That you're in a way my nephew, yes." The king smiled, yet it wasn't the kind one offers when they have reunited with their kin, but the smug kind when one realises that they held the winning hand of cards.
"Then why let me live when you chose to kill the rest of them?" the Alpha's voice was low as if he were a deflated balloon without reason to float about anymore
"Because of this moment, that defeated look on your face, the very image of you pummelled down into nothing and knowing I'm the reason behind your anguish. Your grandfather had thought himself better that all of us, and right now I'm the happiest knowing he must be rolling in his grave that I won. Now that this history lesson is over, you be a good boy and behave, yes?" the question was rhetorical as the man walked out, laughing as if already the victor of the war he had begun.
The Alpha was left reeling, his mind overwhelmed. The king knew everything and that very thought alone was a huge blow to his plans. For if he knew who he was, it was possible that he had been the one behind his mate's disappearance. Out of fear that if he did end up mating his Amoura, that would awaken the slumbering power within him. Hence the king felt so threatened by descendants of The Originals hence he had had them all killed. The Alpha was neither oblivious to the fact that even if his power awakened, it would be nowhere near the king's.
Then there was the issue with his Beta, the king made it seem like the reason the man had betrayed his Alpha was because the king had his mate, hence he now waited in his pack for any signal should the Alpha misbehave, to kill his dear little red. Maximus couldn't find it in him to be angry at the Beta, for he now understood, he himself would do anything to keep his mate safe, even if that meant breaking her heart by mating
another woman.
He understood that dreams to Scileria were real, that all you felt in that dream was a reflection of what you feel in reality. He understood that it was their souls that met, something Amoura was yet to understand, he wondered if one could call it an astral projection into the realm of dreams or not. The sound of screams brought him out of his thoughts and he realised that they came from the outside of the castle, their tones stretched out only to caress his ears through the open windows of his bedchamber. He was quick to get up from the couch in order to investigate.
In a distance outside the castle was the grand town that you had to drive through before you could reach the castle, and it seemed in disarray as werewolves ran all over the place either in their human form or wolf form. It was then that he saw the crimson eyes creatures with sharp teeth that drooled and fur black as night, they tore at any living being before them that wasn't a rabid.
He could only see three and wondered if there were more. He wondered if whether they had escaped the cells or had been brazen enough to hunt so startlingly close to the castle. Although he knew he was still to gain his full strength back, for the Blue rocket had truly made a number on him, he still shoved on a pair of sneakers and made for the doors.
As he rushed through the hallways of the castle, he could see frantic servants and he became alarmed that perhaps one had made in inside the castle, yet as he approached the doors, seeing them sealed shut, he knew that wasn't the case. Although it seemed that the servants were frightened, the royal king seemed unbothered as a butler hurried his way to inform
"I'm sorry Alpha, but the king has given strict orders that the castle doors remain sealed" the grown servant trembled out the words, most probably out of the fear of incurring the Alpha's wrath at being told what to do, however, he released a sigh of
relief when he saw the young Alpha give a mere nod before he walked toward one of the windows.
"And what is being done about all this?" Maximus questioned, fleetingly glancing at the grown man before looking out the window that stretched long only to curve at the top end of it.
"His majesty has the trained warriors dealing with the rabids, Alpha" the grown man informed
"And what of the injured?"
"I believe, should there be any left alive and injured, I'm afraid if their injuries are too great then they'll be put down, and if their injuries aren't too bad, they'll be treated when the warriors have made sure that no rabids are still around" the grown man couldn't help but gulp, sure that if there was anything to make the young Alpha snap would be the carelessness of the king's orders. For he was aware that Alpha Maximus was known to be quite a compassionate man, that was always fair and took great care of those that need it. Hence why he had been a great help when rogues had plagued the
packs all over the country and abroad.
Whereas the king hadn't lifted a hand to help the redeemable werewolves that were bordering on the rabid edge, only caring for rabids for he could make profit from that, Alpha Maximus, being Alpha to the second largest pack to the king's, had dispatched warriors to assist, which led to is pack growing when he decided to save the rogues he could, those that only needed a pack link to pull them from their insanity. However, one man can't truly save everyone can they? for the existence of rabids showed just how many more turned rabid and only then did the king step in, as if he always waited for such rogues to turn just so he could swoop in and make something out of it.
The grown man, found himself yet again glad at the lack of the young Alpha's reaction, although he didn't miss the fisted hands and clenched jaw, he couldn't help but wonder then, just what the king had over the man's head, to have him behave so docile where he was certain had the circumstances been different, he would have bolted through the doors to help.
The grown man couldn't help but feel sorry for him only to grow more afraid of the king, for if he had the man everyone whispered had the ability to be their salvation, under his control, there was no hope of them ever being free from the king. It seemed the king's lack of care for a life that wasn't his was the reason the werewolves weren't so pleased with the man, never mind the fact that he had strict laws that if were broken, the punishment would be death.