The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 222: Accusation.

Chapter 222: Accusation.

Kai met his Beta on the snowy plains, his features etched with silent fury. An unyielding grudge simmered behind his eyes, sharp just like the cold wind. He had come here not for training, not for bonding, but for answers. And if his suspicions proved true, Coran would have no place as Beta of the King once the war was over.

"Your Majesty, why are we here?" Coran asked, scanning the endless stretch of frostbitten earth.

The landscape was a sea of white, cold, barren, and wind-swept. In other years, the shifters would have welcomed the winter, using it to sharpen their instincts and test the strength of their animal forms. But this year, everything felt... off, tense, mournful.

Kai’s voice cut through the silence like a sharp breeze. "Coran, if I fall in this war... what will you do, as heir to the Mountain Wolves?"

The question struck Coran like a slap. His breath caught. Why did that sound like an accusation instead of a trust? Had Kai’s faith in him been shaken, or cracked by the betrayals of Elaika and Zaira?

Coran dropped to one knee, the weight of Kai’s words making the cold bite deeper into his bones. "Please don’t say that," he whispered. "I would give my life for you."

"Answer my question!" Kai snapped, his voice trembling with more than just anger, it carried the edge of something brittle, something hurt.

Coran’s thoughts scattered. He had never imagined a world where Kai wasn’t leading them. "I’ve never thought about it," he admitted, his voice low. "But if that day ever comes, I’ll make sure the crown stays in the Luna Queen’s hands."

Kai’s next words hit like a whip. "Would you marry her?"

He had blurted it out, and couldn’t take it back, eyes fixed sharply on Coran, watching for the smallest flicker of hesitation.

Coran bowed deeply, shame burning through him. "Your Highness, I would never do that. How could I possibly claim..."

The words withered on his tongue. Why was Kai pushing him into this corner? What darkness had stirred such cruel doubt?

Then, without warning, wings split the silence, and massive, casting a shadow on them. A gust of wind swept the plain, scattering snow-like ash.

The griffin descended from the sky, talons digging into the frost. The Luna Queen dismounted with quiet fury in her stride.

"Rise, Beta Coran. Leave me with His Highness," Ren commanded, her voice shaking with sorrow and fury.

Beta Coran obeyed without protest. He rose to his feet, waiting for his Alpha’s command. When Kai gave a slight nod, Coran vanished in a streak of motion, eager to escape the suffocating tension.

"Why are you here, wife?" Kai asked, his voice biting like frost.

He had been so distant, so cruel to Coran lately as if he could no longer tolerate the Beta’s presence near Reneira. As if jealousy had poisoned every corner of his trust, again, like in earlier days.

"You’re the one who owes an explanation," Ren said, stepping closer. "I heard you, through the bond. You were so consumed with rage, you didn’t even realize you were speaking into it."

Kai turned his face away, avoiding her gaze like it might burn him. But she didn’t let him drift far. Instead, she stepped into his space and wrapped her arms around him, grounding him. If he had a problem, they had to solve it here.

"Beta Coran found his mate recently," she said softly. "Why are you tormenting him? And guess what, his mate is from the River Clan. The elder’s granddaughter. The elder refused to let his granddaughter meet Coran. It was already so hard for him. We hoped you interfere but look how you behave."

Kai stiffened, his eyes going wide. "He didn’t tell me!"

"You didn’t give him the chance," she grunted, her voice low but piercing. "You’ve treated him like a threat as if he were going to take everything from you."

She drew back slightly and looked up into his face. Her hands rose to cup his cheeks, gentle but unflinching. "I know what’s bothering you."

Kai rolled his eyes, a storm brewing behind them. "Do you?"

"Yes," she replied. "When you were unconscious, you told me everything."

His breath hitched. Shock flickered across his face. A pulse throbbed at his temple, betraying the sudden churn inside him.

"What?" Kai breathed, stunned.

"At least your unconscious self is honest with me," Ren noted, her voice trembling between tenderness and mischief. "You saw our twins. I’m jealous of you."

Something shifted in Kai. The stiffness in his shoulders melted, and the wildness in his eyes gave way to something softer, something burning. Without a word, he leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue hungrily claiming her mouth as if he could taste the future he’d seen. He remembered and still felt the longing for her that burned hot inside him.

When he finally pulled away, a sly smirk curved his lips. "You used the moment to pull everything out of me."

Ren laughed, the sound light and knowing. "I knew you wouldn’t say a word otherwise," she admitted. "And as for Coran, he has no eyes for me. Don’t let the whispers in those tunnels poison your mind. You’re the one who stands with me."

Kai tried to brush it off, to shake the doubt from his mind, but it clung like a leech, gnawing at the edges of his trust. The gods’ torment was cruel.

"Fine," he muttered. "I won’t bring it up again."

Ren smiled, warm and steady. "Time to go back. Talk to your Beta, and help him marry his mate later. I know how hard it is for the shifters to be away from their mates."

"I will. I plan to hold a mating ceremony each year, enabling mates to find each other. Do you like it?"

Her cheeks flushed, "That would be awesome."

"But, there is a big problem in Coran’s case. The elder is afraid of Elaika. And I don’t trust her either."

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