Caelan’s POV
Sleep did not co easily.
For soone who had lived for centuries, I had long mastered the art of controlling my mind, shutting out unnecessary thoughts, silencing emotions, and focusing only on what I wanted to.
But tonight, that control was fragile.
Every ti I closed my eyes, the sa words echoed in my mind.
"She has awakened."
"She belongs to soone else."
"Win her over as Caelan."
My mate.
After centuries of waiting... she was finally here.
And yet, she wasn’t mine.
A sharp pain clenched in my chest at the thought. It wasn’t physical, but it was real enough to make my breathing hitch.
The idea that another man standing where I should have been ignited sothing dark within .
Possessiveness.
Sothing I rarely allowed myself to feel.
I sat up abruptly, running a hand through my hair.
"This won’t work," I muttered to myself.
Lying here and drowning in my thoughts wouldn’t change anything. If anything, it would only make my emotions more unstable, and I had already done enough damage earlier.
My gaze drifted across the room, landing on the broken remains of a porcelain vase I had shattered without realizing.
I took a deep breath and reminded myself to stay calm. I needed to stay in control of my emotions, not just for , but for her as well.
If what Alma said was true, then my mate was already walking on a dangerous path. The last thing she needed was an unstable Alpha King charging into her life and exposing her to enemies she didn’t even know existed.
I saw her tonight.
I didn’t need anyone to confirm her identity because the pull I felt when she walked into that ball room was enough to announce who she was.
The overwhelming sll of roses mixed with an alluring vanilla almost made rush out of the private room to snatch her from that man’s arm.
She had walked in with her arm hooked around another man’s arm and it nearly drove insane.
However, rembering Alma’s words, I used all my willpower to hold myself back.
It even forced not to appear in the ballroom.
However, I had also noticed that the relationship between her and that man was not the best. They were like strangers forced to stay in the sa space.
I also noticed that she was not marked nor had she been claid.
That gave so comfort.
However, lying here on my bed alone made feel a kind of loneliness I have never experienced before.
I never thought that I could miss soone so much my heart hurt.
However, I also knew that I couldn’t get close now, nor could I show interest in her.
I exhaled slowly.
"Think, Caelan."
The first step was clear.
Investigate Jude Smith.
Everything seed to circle back to that man.
His execution... the false charges... the aura of the chosen one ntioned by Alma.
And most importantly....his daughter.
If she was really his daughter, and Jude carried the aura because of her, then....
My heart skipped a beat.
"Could it be...?"
No.
I stopped myself imdiately.
Jumping to conclusions would only cloud my judgnt. But the possibility lingered in my mind like a shadow.
I needed to investigate that case with a clear perspective.
God knows how I will manage that.
I couldn’t sleep anymore because I needed confirmation.
I needed to confirm if she was really his daughter.
Standing up, I walked toward my desk and pressed a button embedded beneath it.
Within seconds, the door opened.
The beta stepped in, his posture straight and respectful.
"My king." He wasn’t as playful as usual because he knew that for to call him in the middle of the night, it must be sothing important.
"I want a full report on the Night Claw Pack," I said without preamble.
He blinked, clearly surprised.
"The Night Claw Pack...?" he repeated cautiously.
"Yes."
My tone left no room for questions or argunts.
"I want everything. From the leadership hierarchy, internal conflicts, past cases, especially the betrayal case of Jude Smith eight years ago and everything else you can dig up. I want original records, not the edited versions sent to the council."
Casper hesitated for a mont, making suspicious.
It seems that my guess was right, the council was corrupt and the information sent to them was tampered with.
A dangerous glint flashed in my eyes.
"Is there a problem?" I asked coldly.
The beta imdiately lowered his head.
"No, my king. I will gather everything imdiately."
"That’s good. Get to work now."
He turned to leave, but I stopped him.
"And one more thing."
He paused.
"Find out everything about Jude Smith’s daughter."
There was a brief silence before Casper replied.
"Yes, my king."
He left swiftly.
The mont the door closed, the room fell into silence again.
I walked back to my chair and sat down slowly, my fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.
Jude Smith’s daughter.
If she was my mate...
Then so people would have a hell to pay.
Thinking about what Alma said and the prophecy, then everything made sense.
Why Jude was targeted.
Why he was eliminated, and why the truth was buried.
Because eliminating him ant weakening her protection.
After all, her existence concerned the power to rule the entire werewolf race.
I had heard sothing about her during the dinner party earlier.
She was said to have been a slave in the pack.
My expression darkened.
"That wasn’t a coincidence."
It was a strategy.
A slow, calculated move to destroy her and turn her invisible or soone unimportant. This way, not many eyes will look at her later.
My aura began to rise again, but I suppressed it instantly.
Anger wouldn’t help her.
If she truly was my mate... then she had survived eight years in that environnt. Being suppressed and alone.
Yet, she had still grown. Alma had said she was awakening.
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
"She must be strong."
A strange warmth spread through my chest at the thought.
Pride.
Even without eting her, I felt it.
But that warmth quickly faded as another thought surfaced.
"She has another mate."
The words felt like poison.
Was he aware of what he had?
Or was he one of those who manipulated the bond?
My fingers clenched tightly around the arm of my chair.
"If he forced it..."
I didn’t finish the thought.
The outco would not be pleasant.
For him.
I leaned back, closing my eyes briefly.
Alma’s words echoed again.
"Let her choose you."
That was the hardest part.
For centuries, I had ruled through strength, authority, and absolute control.
But with her...
I had to do the opposite.
I couldn’t use my identity as an alpha, the king, or even as her mate.
I just had to be Caelan.
Just a man trying to win over a woman.
A dry chuckle escaped my lips.
"This might be the hardest battle I’ve ever fought."
And yet...
It was the only one that truly mattered.
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