By the time she was done speaking, the cruelty of the situation made the very blood in her veins freeze over. They were fated to each other and yet their fates were worse than unmated wolves.
Cassandra wished she could forgive and forget, but the image of Kela’s naked body and his cock buried deep inside her was singed into her eyes forever.
A constant ache had birthed inside her chest, especially the place where he had pushed her away. It was going to become a permanent part of her, constantly increasing with every passing day.
Her words turned his heart into a desert, she was his water, the source of life, his only light.
"I...I will do as you say. I won’t enter your chamber or try to touch you. Thank you for staying," he answered in a broken voice.
"I am not doing it for you. I am doing this for the pack," she told him flatly, ignoring the aching bond in her chest and shoving it down.
"I know, I don’t even deserve your forgiveness, so I haven’t asked for it, but I appreciate you staying. If you want we can continue your training," Siroos hopefully asked, in hopes that he would get to see her at least.
"I will train with Faris from now on. You can take a breeder or keep a concubine. I don’t care anymore, whatever pleases your mother or Elders."
Her words hammered against his already wounded heart, the pain they carried almost brought him to his knees to beg for forgiveness.
But he stayed quiet and accepted her decision with a slow nod of his head while tightly clutching his hands shut until the blood seeped out of his palms.
The light she had ignited in his heart dimmed as Cassandra slowly turned and walked away from him.
He helplessly watched, the tears he thought he would never shed finally fell from his burdened eyes.
’We hurt her, Siro. We deserve the pain,’ the dragon whispered in his head and Siroos could only agree.
Her addicting scent lingered all around him like magical specs, soaking into his skin as he greedily inhaled for he wasn’t sure when he would be in her proximity again.
Mind linking Tara, he informed her to stay with Cassandra before turning and storming towards the stone hut. The dissolving of the Elder council was a big risk but he couldn’t work with people he didn’t trust. So he had asked his mother to put together a new council who would take a binding oath to not betray him.
He was going to approve the members his mother had chosen and complete the oath with them. Then they would wade through the leather-bound tome they unearthed from Walan’s chamber. He needed to learn about the curse and why it was placed on the pack.
Sirros entered the stone hut and the five new members who had been chosen by Haylia quickly stood up and bowed.
"Alpha!" They chorused in respect.
"Settle down," he instructed and took his time observing them.
Pallia was a middle-aged man, wise and mature. He had been chosen as the lead Elder.
He noticed that this time his mother had chosen two females as well to be part of the Elder council.
Females were known to be more level-headed than men and could help in decision-making related to family matters, health, cultivation of the Saffron, exports and other important factors which could benefit them in making better trade choices.
Sometimes, decisions needed to be made from the heart, so a feminine touch would be a welcoming addition.
"I appreciate all of you stepping up to take the vacated positions. It is very unfortunate what transpired yesterday, but I do hope that it’s clear by now that no one will have the right to get involved in the affairs of me and my mate."
This was unanimously passed as the oaths were taken and they were handed over the responsibilities.
Once all traditions were out of the way, the tome was brought forward by Haylia and she placed it in front of her son.
"None of us had a clue something like this existed. I think it was their monopoly, holding it away from us just giving us glimpses out of it. But Walan finally crumbled, knowing you could Alpha command him; he just wanted to survive."
Everyone nodded in agreement as Siroos reached out and began to unbind the leather straps holding the old tome close.
His heart pounded at the thought of revealing the secrets it carried as his thumb and index finger picked up the leather cover and opened it, revealing the crumbly yellow pages with faded handwriting.
The council expectantly watched as Siroos began to read, turning page after page. Haylia leaned in, trying to decipher what it said.
The writing was wobbly in places, and different people seemed to have jotted down notes in it, which was clear from multiple styles.
The dates had been mentioned at the top of the pages.
Some points were the same, the ones he already knew, but then his eyes focused on the word cursed, and he began to read the entry, which was made almost 500 years ago.
{Alpha Kael had been secretly pursuing someone which angered the gods, especially Arkiam. He was taken by Arkiam’s sentries, led by a man with flaming red hair, he had fire in his eyes.}
Siroos flipped the page quickly and there was another entry.
{Alpha Kael never returned but the flashes of thunder which fell for weeks burnt most of our lush lands. The stream dried up and our orchards withered away. Only an oasis has been formed with a single plant, the one never seen before. We have been cursed by the gods as this divine revelation came to me from Arkiam.
"I, god of thunder curse the lands of Dusartine for a grave sin your Alpha Kael has committed. He will be reborn again and again and he will remain mateless until I grant him a mate and yet he won’t be able to mate with her.}
So that explained it, he was originally Alpha Kael and due to whatever reason he was now being punished by being reborn. It meant he was the cursed Alpha and was the very reason his pack was placed under the curse in the first place.