Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 74

“Whatever happens, don’t you dare leave your seat, Nala,” Aiden grumbled as he stepped away from the canopy and approached the large crowd.

Hot sun. Large crowds. A thundering heart. And a troubled mind.

All were a combination of my current situation as I sat below the canopied space saved for the royals. The loud chants of the crowd were getting to me, so much so that I wished I didn’t agree to be here.

But I needed to be here. After all, I was the queen, and the man in question was my ex.

Sweeping my gaze around, I took in the open spaced area. It was the same place where the Kalmanshe festival had been carried out. Each pack was present as well, making it twelve canopies down there. The Malakarians however, were set aside.

Right in the center of the space, was Matteo, held in place by tight chains that made it nearly impossible for him to move even if he tried to. But he didn’t move. He kept his head down while the hot sun bartered his bare skin. There were strange markings on his skin, most of which I can’t make out what caused them.

Beside him was a cage, and in there sat the goblin. It looked around curiously, smiling at people when he made eye contact. It didn’t look fazed or scared one bit, and today, unlike five days ago, there was no foul smell.

Inna Laniya stood beside the cage, her body covered in black clothes, including her head, leaving only her eyes open. The Council of Elders sat on the far right, while the Malakarians were on the left. The remaining packs were facing us. Mav stood behind me, with Tiffany on his side. Sherneil didn’t come today, but Ivayne did. Baba sat at the same spot he and Mama sat last time but unlike last time Mama wasn’t here today.

Yesterday had been a stressful day, especially with Aiden’s new behavior. I just can’t seem to understand him no matter how hard I try. The block around us seems to be growing stronger as time passes, and I didn’t like it.

But Aiden doesn’t seem to want to talk. The most shocking and hurtful part of this was that he didn’t spend the night yesterday in our room. Aiden chose to sleep in the other room, while I waited with bated breath for his return so we could talk. He never did.

When I couldn’t wait any longer, I went to find him. However, the door to the room was locked from the inside, and no matter how many times I knocked, he didn’t answer, nor did he open the door.

So, for the first time in months, I slept alone in a cold empty bed.

‘I wonder if we caused the change in him,’ Erin mumbled. ‘I can’t reach Leo too, no matter how hard I try.’

‘It’s like they blocked off our connection. I can’t mindlink Aiden or do anything either. I hate this, Erin. And it is making me really reconsider my decision that I’m needed here.’

‘Of course you are! We just need to show him what he’s missing by acting this way. Above all though, we need to figure out why he’s this way. We still aren’t sure what made him this way now, are we?’

‘No. But the timing is…’

‘Forget about the timing. He’s our mate and…’

‘We’ll be there for him, Erin. I won’t be giving up on him, not when I love him this much. Not when he’s my man. This time, I guess I’ll just have to do the wooing.’

‘Now, that’s the spirit, Your Majesty,’ Erin teased, a sad smile in her eyes. ‘We can get our mate back, Nat. I trust you’ll make that possible.’

I didn’t answer, instead I stared at the tall handsome man that is my mate, the man who owns my heart. The one I’ll try to woo. Today he didn’t wear a caftan. He wore his official king’s cloth which was a long white Alkyabba placed over a silk yard sewed into a trouser and a knee length shirt.

I struggled during our drive here to keep my hands away from him, because it is obvious he doesn’t want to be touched by me now, so, I tried to keep my hands to myself, which was a real struggle. Because all I wanted was to feel his arms around me, hear the sound of his soothing voice flow into my ear as he whispers into it, feel the thud of his heart against my palm.

I really just want…my man.

Thankfully though, Donald was getting better and Amma, Mama, and Lacie stayed back with him at Inna’s house. David had also returned, and I was eager to see him and ask him about Phillison. To ask if he knows anything about what was going on between Donald and Phil. But Lacie said he’d be leaving again later in the day, and I can’t help but think if he’s going to Phil.

The sound of the drum cut off my train of thoughts, and conversation with Erin. I sighed, rubbed my temple for a few seconds before I focused my attention ahead.

Aiden stood in the center of the space, in between Matteo and the Goblin. His hands were clasped behind his back, which I could clearly see because he had his back to us. Kane and Kamal, who still looked sick, stood behind him. They were both wearing blue caftans and each held a long spear in their hand.

“People of Deshtu,” he began, his voice a loud boom around. “Today, we stand here to witness the punishment of a national criminal who had put the kingdom in jeopardy these past few days, hurt the life of many others and caused damage to some. But before we do that, we’ll choose a new Alpha for the Malakarians and strip Matteo Sanda of his title as the Alpha.”

Murmurs rose before loud cheers filled the space. Everyone from the 11 packs were cheering save for the Malakarians, which makes perfect sense. They are about to go through enormous pain of breaking the bond.

Movement from the cage caught my eyes, and I turned to see the goblin shape-shift into a blue colored bird and tried to get out of the cage. But it couldn’t.

“The criminal will be stripped of his title and every right he once had as a citizen of Deshtu. Then he will be handed to the guardians of the borders,” Aiden continued, glaring at Matteo who was still unmoving and still had his head down.

Slowly though, he looked up and our eyes caught. However, unlike a few days ago, the fire in his eyes wasn’t there anymore. Nor was the rage. He looked as though he had lost all hope, but I’ll be a fool to believe anything about him.

It was then I noticed the cuts on his mouth, as though a razor had been used to make them. They looked exactly like the marks on his skin. Dried. Cracked. Burnt like. And surprisingly enough, I felt nothing towards him today.

“He looks…different,” I murmured quietly.

“Because Aiden fvcked him up,” Mav replied grimly. “He’s been messing up from here,” he pointed to his head and continued. “Mentally exhausting him through dreams and traumas.”

“He can do that?” I asked, shocked.

Mav smiled softly. “Aiden has lots of gifts he does not like using, because they not only mess up his opponent but him as well. When he projects mental imbalance into someone, he gets affected too. That’s why he looks so tired these days. He has been torturing Matteo his own way without touching him. Through the mind torture, he took Matteo’s zeal to fight back or have the zeal to continue living. Hence why he looked so docile today.

I sucked in a ragged breath, turning my gaze towards him and watched as he spoke to Baba, his hand flaring around. Perhaps that was another reason he became distant?

“And those marks on his skin? And the ones on his mouth?”

“The goblin’s poison. It’s affecting him too because a goblin’s poison is strong, and even as an Alpha, he can’t get rid of it completely.”

I nodded. He’s getting punished even before the official judgment for his crime has been passed on. I simply want to see him punished for his crimes. Which was why, when I faced him again, I smiled, although I don’t know why, but I felt I needed him to see me smile.

“But who will replace him? He is an only child.” One of the Elders called.

“Which is why we found someone,” Aiden replied, nodding at Kane. A few moments later, two guards escorted a young man to the center. He looked a bit familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I had seen him.

“He will be the new Alpha of the Malakarians,” Aiden announced.

“Does he have the Alpha b***d?” Another Elder asked.

“Yes, he does. He shares the same bloodline with Matteo. He comes from the line of the Alpha bloodlines of the Malakarians,” Kane explained.

“Has he been tested?” This time, Baba was asking.

“Yes, he has been. We tested him all day yesterday,” Kamal said.

“Then you may proceed,” Baba nodded.

Aiden turned to face me briefly before he turned away again. “We’ll start by stripping the old Alpha of his title,” Aiden waved his hand twice before he took three steps back. “Unfortunately, we will be using the Tandaya strip ritual,” he announced.

My eyes widened at his words, and while I hate Matteo with everything within me, that seemed like a cruel fate for him. Gasps filled the area, and murmurs rose. Everyone knew how agonizing that ritual was, and how much pain it causes.

Perhaps he had realized just how bad his situation was now, because a loud painful howl left his mouth. He struggled to move, but with each movement, the silver chain around him tightened itself more. And just like that, right before the thousands of people watching him, he wet the white, dirty trousers he wore. Right where he was kneeling, in between his legs, was pee dripping.

Dearest Nyala! I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth to cover it.

“Is he peeing?” Someone from the crowd called.

“Look, he’s peeing!” Another yelled.

“He’s a disgrace to the Alpha b***d. Strip him now!”

“What a shame. So the rumors were true! He really does pee with no control!”

As the murmurs increased, so did the shaking of Matteo’s body and the peeing increased. It was like there was nothing he could do to stop it. After what seemed to be like ten long minutes, he finally stopped, and never dared raise his head up again.

“He deserves more!” Mav growled from beside me. “The fvcker deserves more. But one way to embarrass an Alpha is to strip him of his title and take away his wolf,” he added, a hint of smile in his voice.

I watched on, as did the crowd as Inna stood beside Matteo and drew a circle around him. Then dusted a white substance around it before she stepped back and hit her staff on the ground.

Thick wind rose, swirling with all the dirt scattered around. I covered my eyes with the sleeve of my dress, while the wind continued to hit hard. The wind began to die down as Inna began chanting.

I pried my eyes open, and like everyone else, I was eager to see how this turned out. Matteo was howling and screaming, thrashing around while still tied in the chains. Like a flimsy sheet of paper, he was picked up by the wind and twirled around for seconds before he was dropped back in a loud thud.

He howled loudly once, before everything died down.

Then came the gasps and strangled cries from the Malakarians. Stripping an Alpha from his title puts not only him, but members of his pack in pain as well. This is because the connection between an Alpha and his pack is sacred. Severing it like this – by force through the Tandaya strip ritual – will not only put the Alpha through immense pain, but all of the pack members too. The connection will forever be broken and cannot be restored in any way.

My eyes welled up with tears as I watched them howl in pain, some of them falling off their chairs and rolling on the ground. Some held onto each other tightly, and in that moment, my eyes caught something. Camila was trying to desperately hold onto a young Omega man standing beside her, but the man didn’t spare her a single glance. Instead, I watched as he shoved her away from him and hit her on the face, hard.

Something curled in my stomach and I shot up quickly and ran towards her. As much as I hated her, I hate violence even more. And I particularly do not like it when men hit women.

“Nala!” Aiden yelled after me but I didn’t stop till I reached where she laid helplessly, her body shaking from muffled cries. That was when I also felt it, the snap of something within me, like a twig when stepped onto. It was fast, allowing me no time to feel pain or anything. I was a Malakarian, after all, and Matteo was my Alpha. There was still that connection between us, but now it’s broken off and I didn’t feel pain like the rest of the pack members.

“Hey, are you okay?” I crunched down to her level to help her up. She sat up with a g***n, a part of her body leaning against mine. I gasped when I registered the look on her face, the bruises around her eyes and lips. The large scar on her cheeks. “What happened to you?” I asked quickly, her head lulling back.

“Nala, what are you doing?” I heard Aiden hiss from behind me.

“She’s hurt. He was hitting her,” I replied, pointing towards the Omega who was now on his knees, howling slowly in pain.

Aiden eyed us for a moment before he snapped his fingers at one of the guards stationed in front of every pack. “Take her to the hospital,” he commanded, then clasped his hand in mine and walked us back to the seat. “I told you to sit still. We’re in the middle of a ritual right now and some of those pack members can go feral due to the pain. You could be in danger!”

“He was hitting her,” I said, my eyes unfocused as my mind was reeling with how I saw her face, and the image of him hitting her still played in my memory. It brought back memories of my past, memories of days I was being hit, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit. “He was hitting her Aiden,” I added, my eyes growing misty with each passing second.

“F*****g hell,” Aiden growled as he pulled me into his chest in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Nala,” he breathed at the crook of my neck.

I sniffed, snuggling more into his embrace, taking in his scent, his warmth, the feel of him being pressed against my body. I missed this. I missed my man so much it hurts.

“I’ll make sure she’s taken care of, and while we’re at it, I’ll investigate every part of the kingdom to find any form of abuse. I promise you that it will be part of our new system.” Aiden said, his arms around my waist tightening even more.

“We should include therapy too. I’ve seen how that helps,” I murmured, timidly kissing his chest because I was afraid I’d push him too much.

“Anything for my Queen,” he replied. “Anything for you, Nala.”

“I love you so much, Rabin Rai,” I whispered, hoping that would break the barrier between us.

Aiden’s body stiffened in mine before he pulled away. The crumbling wall was back in place, and it felt stronger than before. His face was devoid of any emotions as he lowered me to the seat and walked back to the center of the field.

My throat was clogged with raw emotions, emotions I wanted to set free. But I dare not show them right now. The time will come for that, and I’ll make sure Aiden regrets what he’s missing.

The cries finally died down, and Inna raised her staff and hit the ground again, causing a burst of lightning to snap before everything settled once more.

“He’s not an Alpha anymore, and the split is completed,” Inna announced.

Cheers filled the area, and I was surprised to see people rejoicing over the pain of another. Is this what humanity has turned into?

However, before the celebration could continue, Matteo’s loud cry filled the entire field before he shot up from where he was laying. He was flung to the side, by what, I had no idea. But it didn’t stop at that, it continued for minutes, as his cries, which were loud at first began to grow faint. He reminded me of the time Leo went feral.

No one neared him though, and his once clear eyes turned red as he fought with himself. Hitting himself, thrashing and rolling on the ground.

“I thought it was done?” I asked Mav, who still stood behind me.

“That’s him struggling with his wolf. The worst pain ever. He and his wolf are no longer together. Once an Alpha is stripped of his title, it means his wolf is not ranked anymore, and so, they turn feral. But it becomes worse when the initiation for splitting them happens, and that is what is going on right now. But you’re yet to see how bad this is, until Aiden takes away the last string holding them together,” he explained.

“As the king…”

“He holds the last power to finish this,” Mav said.

I didn’t know what to feel about this. I didn’t like that Aiden had to do this, but it was needed. This isn’t him punishing Matteo for what he did to me, but for everything he’s done to the kingdom so far, and that is well deserved. However, I was grateful no form of physical violence was used here.

“It’s time,” Mav said when Aiden walked up to Matteo, gripped him by the neck, and raised him up with one arm. Everyone stood up, and when Aiden howled, everywhere reverberated with the sound, before everyone joined him in howling. It was as though a silent command had been passed and no one could resist doing it.

Then he brought his forehead against Matteo and simply stood still. One of the girls with Inna walked up with a tray, as another followed closely behind. They stopped behind Matteo. The first woman held the tray up, while the other took a long silver knife and made three large cuts on Matteo’s back down the side of his spine. The contact of the silver knife with his skin made him scream, a high piercing scream that echoed in the drums in my ears. It reminded me of the biting pain of silver against the skin.

Once she was done making the cuts, she stepped back, allowing the b***d to tickle down, instantly covering his back with it.

Then the woman clapped her hands twice, and Matteo bent his back upwards, as though he had been broken into two from the waist. His body was rigid, and I could see the tense look on his face, which had frozen into an agonizing scream, but no sound came from him except for the loud sound of bone cracking, before a cloud-like smoke appeared from his back in a wolf form, growling and fighting from the chains clutching it.

“That’s his wolf, now no longer a part of him,” Mav whispered. “The woman who made those cuts is called Rebecca. She’s a living guardian among the wolves, and only she can make those cuts. Those were a gateway for the wolf to leave through as Aiden chases it away from the bond,” he explained.

I nodded while holding my hand in front of my mouth. I had never witnessed the split, so this was all a new thing for me. A terrifying new thing. And the sight had made me sick.

The howling had stopped, and we all simply stared at the scene before us. Right before my eyes, Matteo’s once strong frame turned limp, before Aiden threw him to the ground and roared.

We joined in again. One last time, before everything quieted down.

“Matteo is no longer a wolf. He’s been stripped of his title and separated from his wolf. We all know he won’t last another day before the complete connection between them is severed. However, we won’t be there to witness that because the guardians are taking him with them. And we all know what happens when they do!” Aiden yelled.

“Long live the king!” Kane cheered, causing everyone to join in.

Soon, the sounds of drums registered around, which lasted for a few minutes before three cloaked figures waltzed in. They wore white, just like Inna, and had only their eyes open. They wore a large hat and each held a long, white staff. They bowed before Aiden, and he did the same, before he turned and faced Matteo.

“We have been summoned,” they spoke at the same time, voices faint and strange. “And we shall fulfill,” they added.

Then they faced me, bowed even lower than they did for Aiden, waved their staffs and vanished with Matteo, and the cloudlike form of his wolf, still trashing and fighting against invisible chains.

“What happens to him now?” I asked Mav.

“He’ll meet the fate he deserves. The worst punishment for a wolf begins when the Guardians are involved.”