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Chapter 226
~Kaid’s POV~
—The Lycan Kingdom—
The scent lingered in my mind in a maddening and elusive way like a puzzle I couldn’t solve.
My pacing echoed through the chamber, boots striking the wooden floor in a rhythm that matched the restless churn of my thoughts.
Every breath brought it back—that faint, intoxicating trace I’d picked up in the forest.
Her—Zara.
My wolf stirred uneasily, growling low in my head. "What was she doing there?"
The question clawed at me, and I let out a growl of my own, the sound reverberating around me. Pacing wasn’t helping; it never did.
My frustration built until I stopped abruptly, fists clenching at my sides.
"Richard."
The mind-link snapped open instantly, and his voice came through, steady and familiar. "Alpha?"
"I need you to find Priestess Siona," I ordered sharply, my tone leaving no room for discussion. "Bring her to my study. Now."
There was a pause, just long enough to test my patience. Then Richard replied, "She’s not easy to track, but I’ll manage. Give me a couple of hours."
"Good," I said curtly, cutting the link shut before he could say anything else. I didn’t want interruptions. Not now.
Time dragged, the hours stretching like an eternity. I stayed in my chambers, staring out of the window at the darkened landscape.
I watched as the treetops glowed faintly under the moonlight, though their stillness made a mockery of the storm raging inside me.
I couldn’t shake the questions. The scent, the timing, the way it unsettled my wolf—it all pointed to something larger, something I wasn’t yet seeing.
A sharp knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned swiftly, my wolf bristling. "Enter," I barked.
The door creaked open, revealing one of my guards. He bowed slightly, his tone respectful but concise. "Alpha, your beta is waiting in the study. He’s brought the priestess, as you requested."
I didn’t bother replying. With a nod, I brushed past him and I made my way down the hall.
The tension coiled inside me like a spring, ready to snap. Whatever Priestess Siona knew, I would get it out of her. One way or another, I would have answers.
The moment I stepped inside, the tension in my study was intense. Priestess Siona sat in one of the leather chairs opposite my desk, keeping her posture regal and her expression unreadable.
Richard stood nearby, his sharp gaze darting between the two of us.
I dismissed the guard at the door with a curt nod, the heavy oak creaking shut behind him. The room was quiet, save for the faint crackle of the fire in the hearth.
"Richard, stay," I said firmly as he moved to leave.
He hesitated, his brows knitting together in confusion, but he complied, leaning casually against the wall as if unaffected by the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
I settled into my chair, my eyes fixed on Siona. "Priestess," I began, my tone low but commanding, "thank you for coming."
She inclined her head slightly. "You didn’t leave much room for refusal, Alpha Kaid. What is it that you require of me?"
I leaned forward, my hands resting on the desk. "I’ll get straight to the point. Were you in the Northern Forest recently?"
Her lips curved into a faint smile, but her gaze remained sharp. "No, I haven’t been near the Northern Forest in weeks."
I narrowed my eyes, studying her carefully. "Then tell me why your scent was mingled with Zara Zarek’s—no, Zia Gold’s in the Northern Forest? What business do you have with her?"
The shift in Richard’s expression was immediate. His eyes widened slightly as he glanced between Siona and me, his usually casual demeanour replaced with sharp interest.
Siona’s smile didn’t falter. Instead, she tilted her head, and her tone was calm and even when she spoke. "Is the Lycan King so idle these days that he concerns himself with the visits of an ordinary priestess?"
Richard chuckled under his breath, but I shot him a glare that silenced him instantly.
"Whenever Zara is concerned, my attention and focus will always be there," I said, my voice cutting through the room like steel. "Now answer the question. What is your connection to her, and why were you present?"
Siona leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepling in front of her. For a moment, she said nothing, the silence stretching until it felt like a physical weight pressing down on us.
Then, she laughed—a soft, melodic sound that made my wolf stir uneasily.
"Why aren’t you seeking out Zara to ask her, hmm? Considering this territory belongs to the Lycans. I never trespassed, did I?"
"She has a fair point," Richard chimed in.
I glared at both of them this time. They knew how to get under my skin and to see Richie siding with someone else... Tsk.
"Zara is not a citizen of this kingdom, you are and you are under my very command to say the truth."
"Truth," Siona voiced immediately making me rub my hands over my face.
I groaned in frustration and slammed my palm on the table, shkocking both of them. My chest rose and fell as I watched her.
"Last time, Siona. Speak."
She hesistated briefly before nodding. "As you wish."
I glanced at Richard, silently telling him I did it and he rolled his eyes.
"I see the prophecy is already weaving its threads," she said cryptically, her eyes glinting with something I couldn’t quite place.
"Prophecy?" Richard asked, his voice breaking the tension. "What prophecy?"
Siona’s gaze shifted to him, and for a moment, it was as if she saw straight through him. "You’ll come to know it soon enough, Beta. Your role is written, just as Kaid’s is."
My patience frayed. I slammed a hand onto the desk again, the sharp sound reverberating through the room. "Enough riddles, Siona. If you value your position in this territory, you’ll speak plainly."
She met my gaze, unflinching. "You’re as direct as ever, Alpha. Very well."
She straightened, her expression growing serious. "The prophecy speaks of a convergence—when the threads of power, loyalty, and love intertwine to determine our kind’s fate. Zara, or Zia Gold as you call her, is at the centre of it. And so are you."
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