Cursed and Fated: Offered To The Wicked Alpha Prince
Chapter 23: Reclaim the moon stone

Chapter 23: Reclaim the moon stone

The moment he told her he was ready to give her anything she desired, Adeline realized she was on the verge of using him.

Guilt flared in her chest, sealing her throat. She couldn’t utter a word, only taking a step back while wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"I—I may use your name," Adeline stated, forcing her eyes to meet his. "Whenever I feel my family is troubling me... Can I do that?"

"Did they say something to you?" Gideon’s brow furrowed. He remembered seeing them disappearing down the corridor just moments ago.

"You need not confront them for me. I don’t want the Alpha King to scold you later for this," Adeline asserted, her voice gaining strength. "They are my family, and I have to deal with them in my own way."

He studied her eyes for a long moment, searching for the resolve behind her words, before finally nodding. "You can use the entirety of me," Gideon said, taking a step closer until his shadow enveloped her. "Don’t hesitate in using my name, and the power it holds."

He reached out, his fingers gently brushing her long lashes to sweep away the remnants of her tears.

She flinched instinctively at the contact, the tension between them broken only when a maidservant interrupted. "Lunch has been served, Your Highness."

"Come, let’s go to the dining hall," Gideon said.

They headed to the room together. Once there, he pulled out a chair for Adeline, waiting until she was comfortably seated before taking his own place. They ate in silence, though Gideon’s attention never truly wavered from her; his eyes repeatedly drifted toward her plate, silently monitoring her to ensure she was eating enough.

Adeline, on the other hand, felt the weight of his penetrating gaze. She refused to lift her head, focusing entirely on her meal to avoid the intensity of his stare.

Just then, she noticed the valet bowing deeply to Gideon before leaning in to whisper something in his ear. Gideon finished his water and dabbed a silk napkin across his mouth with practiced grace.

"Finish your meal. I’ll see you at night," Gideon told her. He stepped closer, his hand briefly hovering over her head in a protective gesture. She looked up to meet his eyes, but before she could utter a single word, he disappeared.

"What was that?" she gasped, her heart leaping into her throat. A hazy blue light lingered for a fraction of a second where he had been standing, but he was gone.

"The Alpha Prince can use teleportation, Miss Valois," the valet answered calmly, noting that her plate was almost empty.

"Does such a thing truly exist?" Adeline questioned, her expression one of pure bewilderment.

"Only the Golden Alphas possess that gift. In this entire kingdom, only Prince Gideon has the capability to use it," the valet replied. "Miss, would you like anything else? I can have the maidservant serve you another portion."

"No, thank you. I am finished," Adeline replied breathlessly.

She remained in her seat, reeling from the shock of his sudden departure. A new, daunting realization settled over her: Gideon was no ordinary Alpha. He was a being of extraordinary, terrifying power.

Drinking the water, Adeline thought, ’He could have seriously put me to death for defying him and listening to the Luna Queen who’s adamant of ruining him.’

~~~~~

Gideon pressed his hand tightly against Hudson’s throat, watching as the man’s face turned a violent shade of red from the lack of oxygen.

"I will ask you one last time," Gideon inquired, his voice a low, lethal silk. "Does my brother possess the Moon Stone?"

Micah had been hunting for the informer since the moment rumors of the stone reached his ears, and it hadn’t taken long to track down Hudson.

"Tell... Route," Hudson managed to choke out.

Gideon shoved him away with disdain. Hudson’s back slammed into a nearby table, which splintered under his weight as he slumped to the floor. He gasped, his lungs burning as he clawed for air. Gideon stepped toward him, and Hudson scrambled backward until his spine hit the cold obstruction of the wall.

Dropping to one knee, Gideon rested his forearm on his leg and peered directly into Hudson’s terrified eyes. "How did you help him find the Moon Stone?"

"I—I merely told him the location, Your Highness," Hudson begged, frantically rubbing his palms together. "Please, forgive me. I—I promise I will never involve myself with the royals again."

"But you already have. Isn’t that why you are living in a luxury now?" Gideon’s eyes glowed as they changed into deeper shade of red. "I don’t forgive those who create troubles for me, Hudson."

"Your Highness, I thought it was a myth. I didn’t know he would have his hands. I merely said what I heard from people around me about that mysterious mountain where the stone was present. Please spare me this once," Hudson again pleaded.

Gideon stood up and turned to his Beta.

"Throw him into the dungeon," he ordered.

At Micah’s signal, the guards seized Hudson, dragging him away despite his frantic protests and desperate pleas for mercy.

"I had hoped it was merely a rumor," Micah stated, turning back to Gideon. "How do you plan to take the Moon Stone from Ensley? He will bring destruction to this place in your absence, and his mother will undoubtedly support his every move."

"I cannot fight on two fronts at once," Gideon muttered, his expression grim. "Let’s deal with the rogues first. Then, I will address Ensley. The Alpha King still holds the ultimate power, so Ensley wouldn’t waste the Moon Stone’s energy on an all-out attack just yet. Does the stone manifest its power during specific events?"

"Indeed," Micah replied. "Its power peaks during the full moon."

"Then we have one month," Gideon noted. "The last full moon was only three days ago. We still have time to reclaim the Moon Stone from him."

Micah nodded at the Alpha Prince. "If we won’t be able to stop him, everything will be ruined, especially for you."