Cursed and Fated: Offered To The Wicked Alpha Prince
Chapter 19: Annihilate those old fools

Chapter 19: Annihilate those old fools

Gideon stepped into his chambers. Micah was waiting, standing alongside a man whose stiff posture and tactical gear marked him as one of the Alpha King’s most capable commanders.

"Connor," Gideon said. He moved to his desk and lowered himself into his chair, resting his forearms on the armrests in a relaxed posture. "What brings you here?"

"The Alpha King’s orders, Your Highness," Connor replied, wasting no time. "I am to escort you to the Southern Borders. I have already secured a private jet to transport you and Miss Adeline tomorrow. However, the territory is currently infested with notorious rogue packs. To avoid their scouts, we will be taking a secondary route to rendezvous with the main operation base."

Gideon’s expression remained unreadable, though his eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the threat. "See that the safety measures are not compromised," he commanded. "I want no risks taken regarding our transit."

"Rest assured, Your Highness," Connor replied with a sharp bow before exiting the chamber, leaving the heavy oak door to click shut behind him.

Micah turned his attention to Gideon, his expression drawn with concern. "Taking Adeline to the front lines is a gamble, Gideon. The Southern Borders are chaos. Surely, you don’t believe the Luna Queen would dare move against her now? Not when her existence is already known to the Alpha King?"

Gideon stood and paced toward the window, looking out over the palace grounds. His silhouette was rigid. "She never stops scheming. I know her better than anyone. She plays the long game, and she is patient. And my father? He sees only what she allows him to see. He remains silent while she rots this kingdom from the inside out."

He turned back to Micah, his eyes flashing. "A few more months. That’s all the time she has left. Once I ascend as Alpha King, I will strip her of every ounce of influence she holds. She won’t stay in this palace a moment longer."

Micah stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low, cautious murmur. "Careful, Gideon. Even the walls have ears in this place. If the wrong people hear you speaking of your father and the Queen this way, they won’t see a future King making necessary choices. They’ll see a man who is the villain."

Gideon turned to look at his beta fully. "I am the villain, Micah."

Micah let out a short chuckle. "You never speak plainly, do you? Regardless, the palace is buzzing. Pictures of you and Adeline are already circulating. Everyone is dying to know who she is. I still don’t understand why you chose her. Your wolf reacted to her touch, fine, but what about the scent? Does she even have one?"

Gideon didn’t answer immediately. He stared at the floor, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. "She isn’t just a broken omega, Micah. There is something there—something the rest of us are failing to see."

Micah frowned, his brows pulling together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Fifty lashes," Gideon said. "Fifty lashes are enough to kill any ordinary omega. She didn’t die."

Micah went quiet, the humor fading from his face as he considered the gravity of that statement. "Perhaps," he offered, though he sounded unconvinced, "her healing capabilities are simply... exceptional."

Gideon leaned forward, his expression hardening as he countered Micah’s dismissal. "Omegas’ healing is never exceptional. Give me one instance, any case in our history, where you’ve seen an omega survive such a beating and recover in such a short period of time."

Micah sighed, pacing the length of the room. "Man, you are overthinking this. You’re looking for a mystery because you want her to be more than she seems, but sometimes, a stroke of luck is just that." He stopped, his voice dropping to a more serious register as he shifted the topic. "Regardless, you need to be prepared. Your younger brother will be back from training soon."

Gideon rolled his eyes, his posture tensing with immediate irritation as he sank back into his chair. "Don’t even speak his name."

"Why not? The Luna Queen is adamant about seeing him on the throne. He is no less than she is when it comes to weaving plots," Micah insisted, his brow furrowing with genuine concern. "And there’s more. I’ve heard a rumor that he is in possession of a Moon Stone. I don’t know to what extent it’s true, but if he has it, he will use it to sway the Council against you. You know better than anyone that they have never been in your favor."

"Fuck that council," Gideon muttered. "I plan to annihilate those old fools soon."

Just then, the predatory edge in his eyes sharpened, but the intent vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Someone is outside," he said, his tone instantly shifting from ruthless to guarded.

Micah stepped to the door and pulled it open, finding Adeline standing in the threshold.

"I heard from the servant that I would find Prince Gideon here," she said, her voice soft but steady despite the intimidating atmosphere of the wing.

"Bring her in," Gideon’s voice carried over to her.

Micah stepped aside, allowing Adeline to walk into the opulent chamber. She looked delicate against the backdrop of the massive, dark room, her gaze fixed on Gideon with a fragile, hopeful warmth that felt out of place among the talk of treason and death.

"I hope I didn’t disturb you," she murmured, her fingers nervously pleating the fabric of her skirt. "I wanted to give you something."

"You could never disturb me, Adeline," he replied, gesturing to Micah to leave them alone, who shut the door from outside.

"So, what is it?" Gideon asked.

Adeline walked to him and placed a simple chain with a pendant into his palm. "My mother left this for her future son-in-law," she said with a small, wistful smile. "I know I should have given it to you earlier, but it slipped my mind."

Gideon held the tiny pendant, his eyes tracing the ancient letter carved into its surface.

"When did she give you this?"

"I was quite young," Adeline replied. "I was curious about mates, and she told me she had something kept safe for my future partner. When she passed, her belongings were passed to me."

She watched his face, suddenly acutely aware of how small and plain the metal looked against the opulence of his chambers. A pang of insecurity hit her. "It’s very small. If you don’t want it—"

"I like it," Gideon interrupted, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. He turned slightly, offering his neck. "Make me wear it."