The cold chamber
Raphael's POV
The air in the chamber was cold, so cold it made my bones ache. As I slowly woke up, the first thing I saw was Caleb sitting cross-legged at the doorway, meditating. I looked around the room to see what damage Grey had done. It was bad, but at least no one died, and Ava didn’t see this side of me.
Most of the time, from what I can remember, the spell can’t keep the beast down. Sometimes, he even hurts me to get what he wants, like he did now. Grey and I were supposed to be in harmony since we’ve been together for over a decade.
The trouble began centuries ago when we couldn’t find our mate. Grey gave in to something that could fill the empty space where a mate should be, a bond that felt exciting and thrilling.
The bloodlust, I should have been stopped the moment Grey, started killing people like they were nothing. But no one could stop me. I was the most powerful Lycan that ever existed, and no one wanted to challenge me. They all knew what would happen if they did.
Even the bloodlust Grey gave into didn’t help either of us. I tried to control him. It never worked well, but I tried. To keep the people happy, I started conquering nearby kingdoms. That’s how other species joined us.
Even after all this, Grey didn’t stop. He kept killing. “I never harmed innocent people,” Grey said in my mind. He was right. Grey only killed those who attacked us or tried to kill us.
But over time, he couldn’t tell the difference between innocent people and those who were evil. That’s when we angered the Moon Goddess.
“Caleb, are you going to keep sitting there?” I asked. He winced like I had hurt him, but I wasn’t mad. I understood why he would be scared of me.
I knew Caleb was scared of me. He didn’t trust me. Last time I broke free, there was a bloodbath in the palace. Since there were a lot of people at the banquet hall, he wanted to make sure it was me speaking and not Grey.
Caleb stood up, looking at me carefully to make sure it was really me, not Grey pretending to be me. He was the first to get hurt last time, left in a pool of his own blood. Luckily, his wife, Gemma, saved him.
Lucky bastards, I thought. I chuckled at the thought of two opposite people the Moon Goddess brought together. Caleb started chanting the unbinding spell, but then he stopped and looked at me.
“What’s so funny, your highness?” Caleb asked, watching me carefully.
I knew what he was thinking. One thing people didn’t know about me was that I could read their minds. Caleb thought it was Grey pretending to be me. I understood why he thought that.
“You said I was needed at the banquet, right?” I asked. Caleb still looked at me suspiciously but came closer and continued chanting the spell.
“Let the enemies of Lystra be bound. They should be tied and left like rogue wolves who have abandoned their pack…”
As he chanted, the pain got worse. It felt like thousands of needles were being pulled from my skin. I wanted to scream, but I knew I couldn’t.
A king is never supposed to show weakness in front of his people. I tried to focus my mind on something else. I thought of one person who could make the pain go away.
Ava, my little strong mate. I wondered what she would ask for as a reward for winning against the others. I already knew what the others would ask of me, but I had no idea what Ava would ask for. It was exciting and thrilling to think about.
I was happy Ava won against Anastasia. I didn’t want an innocent girl like her to die because that’s what Grey would’ve done. He would’ve killed her without feeling bad, like he did to so many others.
Ava’s victory was amazing. It was so quick, especially considering how good the prime minister’s daughter was.
“It means our mate is strong! Stop thinking too much. Get us out of here! I want to see her,” Grey’s voice shouted in my mind.
“Shut up, Grey!” I felt a sharp pain in my head, like when I trip or hit something while training. The pain was bad, but it wouldn’t stop.
“My king, I’m done,” Caleb said. I looked up and saw him looking down at me in pity, seeing me in my weak state.
“Good! Did you bring the tonic?” I asked. The tonic was made by a powerful witch, but she was either dead or maybe still alive.
“Yes, my king,” Caleb said, handing me the bottle. I drank it all at once. The taste was awful, but it worked quickly.
The needle-like pain in my head stopped, and the throbbing in my bones faded. My strength returned. I stood up, ready to face the day. I couldn’t wait to see Ava.
We walked out of the secret chamber, heading toward the sounds of music and talking coming from the great hall. I started heading that way, but Caleb grabbed my sleeve.
“My king, you don’t look presentable,” Caleb said, looking at me like I was clueless. He pointed to my torn, bloody clothes, thanks to Grey. I looked at myself in the mirror and understood what he meant.
“Well, lead the way!” I snapped impatiently. I missed Ava. I wanted to see her so badly.
We walked toward my palace, which was different from the king’s palace. The hallway was quiet, showing that everyone was at the festival. The noise from the banquet hall confirmed it.
I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. There was blood on my skin. Grey had made a huge mess this time.
“It’s all your fault,” Grey grumbled in my mind.
“Yeah, Grey, blame me,” I muttered. I wanted to yell at him, but not today. I needed to remind him that if he kept being careless, the Moon Goddess might punish us. She might even take Ava from us.
“My king?” Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow.
I looked at him and read his thoughts. Why is he talking to himself? Should I have left him alone?
“ Shut up, Caleb! You think too much,” I said. Caleb went quiet, and we walked in silence. When we reached my room,
Caleb acted like my valet since all the servants were in the great hall.
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