Chapter 25 - Finding Out The Truth

Xavier’s POV



I found myself irritated with Adrian having interrupted my time with Eloise. Though I couldn’t deny how my mind was clouded with indecent thoughts of her body, especially lately.



Ever since we became intimate, all I could ever think about was how I was going to bend her body to my will at any chance in the bedroom. Time spent at my meetings was almost unbearable because I just wanted to experience her touch over and over again.



For someone whose virginity I had just taken, Eloise has already learned the art of pleasure so quickly…



I shooed the thoughts away. No time to think about that now… no matter how hard it is not to.



“I have something important to tell you, my Lord.” Adrian bowed and interrupted my thoughts. “I’m just sorry I had to take you away from Lady Eloise.”



I waved my hand dismissively. “No need to apologize. My duties come first. What have you found?”



“We found a clue that confirms Douglas’s collusion with the vampires, my Lord.” Adrian set down the piece of paper on my table.



“Oh?” I cocked my head to the side and grabbed the paper.



“The prisoners we’ve captured were Douglas’s former subordinates. Generals that had retired some time ago but ended up joining the ranks of the Royal Guard instead.”



“Hm, maybe they should’ve stayed in retirement and gone somewhere nicer. Now they rot in our cells.” I scoffed.



Adrian nodded his head. “The only problem is that they’re refusing to talk. Our interrogators have been at it day and night but the prisoners haven’t spoken a single word.”



“They’re on borrowed time. It sounds like it’s time for me to pay them a visit.”



We made our way down to the dungeon to find Douglas’s old generals chained to a wall with bruises peppering their bodies.



The place smelled of iron; undoubtedly from the blood that my interrogators spilled trying to force information from their lips. If it wasn’t for the dimly lit fire torches, the dungeons would’ve been dark, too.



When the interrogators noticed I had arrived, they bowed at me and left the room immediately.



Smart. They don’t need to be here for what I’m going to be doing anyway.



It was a huge win for us after we stormed the Royal City. During our raid, we were able to capture some of Douglas’s best men. They were his generals from when I was just a child.



If anyone close to him would know anything about what Douglas was planning or what his motives were, it would be them.



I knelt down in front of one of the prisoners. “None of you will ever see the light of day, so there’s honestly no use in refusing to tell us what you know. I suggest you start by telling me why Douglas felt the need to inquire for the help of the vampire family.”



The prisoner in front of me spat out blood. “Fuck you! We’re not telling you anything!”



I nodded my head to Adrian who took out a whip from inside of his coat pocket. The sounds of the whip cracked throughout the entire dungeon. No matter how many lashes he gave them, they still refused to talk.



Bloodstained their backs as bruises and cuts decorated their skin.



“I expect nothing more out of a dog than for them to follow their obedient masters until the end.” I sneered.

“At least we know what loyalty is! Unlike you, a pathetic little lord pretending to play the king in his castle! No matter how much you feign, you will never be a true king!”





I scoffed. “How cute. The little whelp has found their bark. I wonder if they have the bite to back it up!”



In the blink of an eye, I shifted into my wolf form and wrapped my jaws around one of the prisoner’s necks. The other could only watch in horror as tears streamed down their faces.



“Okay, okay! We’ll tell you the truth!” One of them already had their spirits broken as they yelled.



I refused to move my teeth from the neck of the general until they told me everything.



Adrian nodded at them. “Keep going. Lord Xavier will not let go until he hears the entire truth.”



“Douglas made a deal with the Vampire Kingdom that he would never invade their territory if he was the one to ascend the throne instead of Xavier!” One of them cried.



“Douglas didn’t believe that Xavier was fit to rule an entire kingdom. He didn’t even think Eric was a good leader either. So, he bribed the Vampire Kingdom to do his dirty work,” the other spat.



“He pulled gold and silver from the Royal City treasury every year and sent it to the Vampire Kingdom. Because the vampires saw profit behind Douglas’s words, they helped him with killing Eric.” Another spoke.



“And what of the Wisdoms?” Adrian asked. “Surely they had a hand in getting them to comply, right?”



One of the prisoners nodded. “Together, they came up with the idea to bribe and pressure the witches. After all, what were they going to do? Their own people were dying off and they definitely didn’t have the strength to take on two Kingdoms at once.”



“It was easier for the witches to comply and say that Eric died of an accident. Standing up to both the vampires and the werewolves meant that their entire little family would’ve been wiped off the face of the Earth… I wish Douglas would’ve just done it anyway.”



Adrian looked at me with concern.



I was only 15 when it all happened. I lost my father and at the time, Douglas was taking care of me. I was still going through training and preparations to take the throne despite being so young.



I thought he was trying to get to the bottom of who killed my father… yet it was him this entire time!



I remembered waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. For weeks I wasn’t able to shake the feeling that I was being watched by someone. My suspicions were right when I found a vampire in my own bedroom.



They didn’t even utter a single word before they bore their fangs and lunged for me. I fought them off easily but that was when it all fell apart.



I fled the kingdom that same night along with those from the family who supported me. I got word of Douglas becoming king the next day.



I released my jaws from one of the prisoners and took a step back. Anger began to consume me. Not only did Douglas attempt to kill me–his own damn nephew–but he also chose to betray the glory of the werewolves by siding with those filthy bloodsuckers.



I let out an ear-piercing howl before lunging myself at the prisoners and throwing their bodies against the wall. As much as I wanted them dead, I knew that they were only of use to me.



I shifted back to my human form and walked out of the cell. “Don’t let those fools in there die,” I commanded the soldiers who waited outside.



“And you,” I turned to Adrian. “Continue to gather as much information as you can on Douglas’s past and go over the evidence. His hypocrisy will be exposed to the world and they’ll see how unfit of a ruler he really is.”



Adrian fisted his hand over his heart and bowed to me. Without another word, he jogged away to start on his work.



I returned to the bedroom smelling of blood. I thought about heading to the bathroom to wash everything off until I got a look of Eloise out of the corners of my eyes.



Eloise was sleeping so peacefully and it was then that my heart started to flood with various emotions. “These petty feelings are making things rather complicated for me, aren’t they?” I whispered.



The Witches Council were tasked with one thing–to be just and judge accordingly. Had they not succumbed to the threats of the Vampire Kingdom and Douglas, Douglas wouldn’t have become king. My father’s death should not have been in vain.



And here I stood before Eloise, a daughter of the Wisdoms. My wife. I stroked her neck.



“I could kill you right now. You’re so fragile, I could do it with one hand…”



Yet, she sleeps in my bed and I’ve explored her body instead of tearing it to pieces.



For the last 10 years, I held hatred in my heart towards the Wisdoms. Even after having known the truth, I still wasn’t able to entirely be empathetic towards them.



They should’ve chosen honor over cowardice. Even if it meant the death of their bloodline, they should've upheld the laws they were sent to protect.



I placed my thumb on Eloise’s lips. They should’ve sought justice in the face of evil!



I knew that marriage was expected of me as an Alpha. After all, my family was going to need an heir after I took my throne back from Douglas. But I never thought that my wife was going to come from the family I hated the most.



I stood in front of Eloise’s bed for a long time before I decided to leave the room silently.