Cursed and Fated: Offered To The Wicked Alpha Prince
Chapter 21: A powerful, ancient wolf

Chapter 21: A powerful, ancient wolf

"The Alpha King will be furious if we keep them waiting," Adeline said, her voice strained as she tried to steer the conversation away from his demand.

"Answer my question first," Gideon countered.

"Not now," she replied quickly, pivoting toward the door before he could press further.

Gideon followed suit, matching her hurried pace. They made their way to the main hall, where a heavy, expectant silence hung over the room.

As they entered, Adeline’s breath hitched.

Her family was seated on the sofa directly opposite the Alpha King and the Luna Queen. Their eyes locked onto hers, but she quickly averted her gaze, refusing to acknowledge them.

The High Priestess occupied the couch on the left, an aura of profound tranquility radiating from her. A soft, ethereal glow touched her features, clearly marking her as a vessel of divine power.

After offering respectful greetings to the elders, Adeline took her seat beside Gideon, acutely aware of the weight of the room.

"This is High Priestess Morticia Harlow," Huxley introduced, gesturing toward her. "We called this sudden meeting because Prince Gideon departs for important work out of the capital tomorrow."

"What is your name?" Morticia asked. She rose to her feet as she approached Adeline.

"Adeline," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

Morticia stopped directly before her, extending a hand in silent invitation. Adeline hesitated, her pulse quickening, before she cautiously reached out and placed her palm into the High Priestess’s steady grasp.Adeline’s heart hammered against her ribs as she wondered what the High Priestess could possibly see in her. She felt like an imposter in this room, a "broken omega" who had no right to be the future wife of an Alpha Prince.

"What do you see, Morticia?" Presley asked, her tone laced with skeptical curiosity.

"A wolf stronger than anything I have ever witnessed," Morticia replied, her voice calm and absolute.

"That’s impossible!" Janessa interjected, her composure shattering as jealousy flared in her eyes. "She doesn’t have a wolf. She’s a broken omega!"

Gideon’s rage rose, but he didn’t shout; he simply turned his gaze toward Zason, his eyes darkened with a warning that promised consequences. "Did you not teach your daughter not to speak in the presence of royalty unless she is addressed?"

Zason paled, his shoulders slumping as he quickly ducked his head. "Apologies, Your Royal Highness. It won’t happen again."

"Are you certain, Morticia?" Presley pressed, ignoring the outburst to focus on the High Priestess. "None of us can sense even a trace of a wolf in her."

"It hasn’t awakened yet, Your Majesty," Morticia explained, gently releasing Adeline’s hand and retreating to her seat. Her eyes, however, lingered on Adeline with a knowing intensity. "But I saw it clearly. A powerful, ancient wolf... I have never seen its equal."

A heavy hush fell over the hall. Huxley leaned forward, a slow smile spreading across his face as he gazed at Adeline. "Perhaps," he mused, "it is a force that will only awaken once she is bound to my son."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Morticia replied. "The stars have aligned. They are a perfect pair."

"Wonderful!" Huxley exclaimed, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. "Then, when shall the union take place?"

"In one month, on the night of the full moon," Morticia declared.

"Excellent," Huxley said, shifting his gaze toward them. "A significant night for such a union. Do you both agree to this timeline?"

Gideon’s response was instant and unwavering. "Yes."

The hall fell silent as all eyes turned to Adeline. She felt the weight of their gazes pressing down on her, Gideon’s intense stare, the King’s calculating look, and the burning, hateful glare of her stepsister, Janessa.

She knew she had no choice, but the reality of being bound to Gideon, this powerful, volatile, and dangerously possessive prince, on the night of the full moon sent a shiver down her spine.

She forced a shallow breath, nodding slowly. "I agree."

~~~~~

Returning to her chamber, Adeline’s mind flooded with frantic questions.

"I can’t have a wolf," she murmured to the empty room, her fingers gripping the velvet of her chair. "And certainly not a powerful one. The Priestess must be mistaken."

She collapsed into the chair by the window, gnawing on her lower lip. "It is a fact that I failed to reveal my wolf at the pack’s ceremony when I was thirteen. Even their elders and priests, who have spent lifetimes studying the wolves, saw nothing in me. What if the High Priestess lied? What if this is just a political ploy to ensure the union goes through?"

Her spiraling thoughts were cut short by a sharp knock at the door.

"Miss Valois?" a servant announced from the hallway. "Your father wishes to see you. He is waiting in the drawing room."

Adeline panicked. She didn’t want to see him, but he might return later and the meeting with him was unavoidable.

Adeline stood and made her way to the drawing room, where she found Zason perched on the sofa, his gaze roving greedily over the opulent furnishings.

"Adeline, dear. Please, take a seat," Zason said. Adeline was struck by the cloying, fake kindness dripping from his tone. She caught the eye of the nearby maidservant and gave a subtle gesture for her to leave them alone.

"Why are you here, Father?" Adeline demanded, her brow furrowed.

"To apologize," Zason replied, offering a practiced, remorseful look. "If not for you, we wouldn’t have been spared yesterday. I am sorry for failing you as a father. But please, trust that I never wished you harm. Look around you—you have all of this because of me. Had I not agreed to give your hand to Prince Gideon, you would never have known such luxury."

Adeline watched him, her skepticism deepening. Her father was nothing if not cunning.

"Why don’t you simply tell me what you want?"

Zason leaned in, dropping the pretense of fatherly concern. "Just put a good word in for me with Prince Gideon and the Alpha King. If you can, help your father secure a better position within the pack."

Adeline chuckled, a cold sound of disappointment. "I won’t. Do not come here begging me to facilitate your personal greed."