Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 254

The king pov

I lie wide awake in the dark and stare up at the ceiling. The moonlight spills through the crack in the curtains, but it doesn’t comfort me the way it used to. The light is cold, the kind of cold that seeps into your bones and refuses to leave. 

I should be asleep. I should have fallen asleep hours ago, but every time I close my eyes, I see Kaiden’s face. That look in his eyes when I finally confronted him about everything he has done. 

He didn’t care. He didn’t feel any remorse. In fact, he went and doubled down on his insanity. And now, three of my best warriors are dead. Killed by my own son. The thought won’t leave me. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to make it right. All I can do is step back, let the silence fill the space he’s leaving so empty.

What kind of father am I? What kind of king? I’m supposed to lead this pack with strength, with wisdom, and yet I can’t even fix what’s broken in my own blood. I haven’t seen Kaiden since the fight. I can’t bring myself to look at him again - not after what he’s done, not after what I’ve learned.

I roll over and rub my eyes, trying to push the thoughts away. I’m so tired, so damn tired. But sleep won’t come. Not tonight. Another hour passes, or maybe more, and just as I start to doze off, I hear a knock at the door. Soft at first, tentative, as if whoever it is isn’t sure I’m awake.

I groan, pushing myself up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My feet touch the cold floor, and I stand, making my way to the door. I don’t need to ask who it is, I already know. “Enter.”

The door creaks open, and a figure steps inside, his face hidden in the shadows. I recognize him immediately - one of my guards. Tall, broad-shouldered, his uniform dark against the dim light of the room.

“My king,” he says with a bow, his voice low but urgent.

I nod, already sensing another incoming blow. “What is it?”

The guard hesitates for a moment and glances over his shoulder as if making sure no one else is listening or following him. “It’s the prince, my king. He tried to leave, and sneak away like the last time..”

I feel my heart skip a beat. “Leave?” I repeat, my voice low and tight. “Where?”

He shifts, clearly uncomfortable. “I don’t know yet. But I’ve sent someone to follow him.”

I want to scream, I want to demand answers, but I can’t. Not right now, not with the worry crawling up my spine like this. I take a deep breath, willing myself to remain calm. “Why? Why would he try to leave the pack?” I can’t keep the edge of desperation from my voice.

The guard seems to choose his words carefully, glancing at me before speaking. “I believe he’s trying to escape, my king. Maybe he’s running from what he’s done, you know, from the guilt. I’m not certain, but I’ll find him.”

I nod again, my thoughts racing. Of course, Kaiden doesn’t know what to do with himself anymore. He’s lost, completely lost in his own mind. The weight of what he’s done is too much for him to carry, and I know he feels the eyes of the pack on him, judging him. There’s no place for weakness here, and he knows that better than anyone, that’s why he started his reign of horror.

But the idea of him leaving, of abandoning us? I don’t know if I can stand it. The thought twists something deep inside me, a mix of fear and rage. It’s unfair I’m the one who loses my son because of his actions.

I look at my guard and clear my throat. “Where is he now?”

“I have eyes on him,” the guard replies quickly, his hands clasped behind his back. “He’s still within our borders. We think he’s trying to leave the territory.”

The words send a shiver down my spine. Kaiden can’t leave the territory. If he does, the consequences will be far worse than the horrible things he has done around here. Out there, I can’t guarantee anyone would be safe. 

I step back from the door, rubbing my temples. “Then we don’t have time to waste.”

The guard watches me closely, then steps forward slightly, lowering his voice. “There’s something else, my king. Something that I believe gives us some hope.”

I turn back to him, confused. “What do you mean?”

The guard leans in slightly and whispers. “The witch, my king.”

My pulse quickens, but I keep my voice steady. “What about the witch?”

“The prince can’t leave the pack’s territory because of the witch’s spell. She bound him here when she sold him the power. My scout just mind-linked me, he’s hiding aside, watching the prince and the witch interact as we speak. He can’t step over the pack border and if he ever finds a way, I believe the witch will find a way to pull him back here.”

I stop breathing for a moment. I’ve heard the rumors, of course, whispers of the witch’s power, her connection to every royal bloodline, even to our bloodline. She’s always been an enigma, a force we’ve never fully understood, but to know that Kaiden can’t leave the land, it’s a relief I didn’t expect.

“I see,” I murmur, trying to process the information. The witch holds the key to our survival, to Kaiden’s ability to come back to us. If she’s truly bound him here, if he can’t escape, then there’s still hope. Still a chance to fix what’s broken.

I turn to face the guard again, my mind racing with new possibilities. “Tell me more. What else do you know?”

The guard looks uncomfortable but presses on. “I don’t know the full extent of the spell. But the witch has always been protective of the pack, of the royal bloodlines that have ruled these lands. Kaiden might try to leave, but he won’t get far. Not while she’s watching over him.”

I nod, my mind already making plans, strategies. I’ll find him, I’ll bring him back, and I’ll make sure he understands the consequences of his actions. I’ll make him see the weight of his choices, and I’ll make him face it. But I won’t do it with anger, I won’t drive him further away, especially not when I know how lost he truly is.

“Make sure someone stays with him,” I tell the guard. “Make sure he understands he can’t leave and keep me informed.”

The guard bows again, his hand over his heart. “Of course, my king.”

He turns to leave, but I stop him before he can close the door. “Wait... thank you.”

The guard looks at me, nods and steps back into the shadows. The door closes softly behind him, and I’m left alone once more, standing in the quiet of the night.

I look out the window again and watch over the land, just as the witch clearly does. Knowing that creature gave my son the power he misuses had me angry, but now, her mere existence is giving me hope I didn’t know I’d ever find.