Bloodbound to the Beastly King

The courtyard was silent, save for the occasional muffled sob. The bodies of the fallen were laid out carefully, draped in simple white cloths. Thorne stood at the head of the mass burial, his expression stoic as he watched.

He had opted for a mass burial. He didn't have the heart to send out the bodies to their families in such a state, with their torn limbs. He couldn't put his people through that, so he chose a mass burial.

Everyone was dressed in black, marking one of the saddest days in Obsidian.

The ceremony was almost done, with only a speech left to give.

Thorne stood tall and strong, visible to everyone, his voice carrying as he began.

"Dear friends, today we have gathered with the saddest of hearts to bid our loved ones goodbye. We have lost much as a kingdom. Our guards, our friends, our brothers and sisters in arms... they were taken from us mercilessly by those who have no honor, no mercy, no name but cruelty."

Heads bowed, the air thick with grief. The wind tugged at the banners above, whipping them violently as if sharing in their grief.

"I swear to you all," Thorne continued, his tone hardening, "I will not rest. I will not sleep. Every last one of those who have brought harm to our people... I will find them, and they will answer. For each and every one we have lost, that we have buried. They will pay. I swear it to you, the people of Obsidian. We will all get our justice."

The people whispered among themselves, eyes flicking to their king. There was fear, yes, but also hope. They all wanted revenge. They wanted justice. And Thorne? He would give it to them.

As the ceremony ended, he turned and walked into the palace, the head guard hot on his heels.

"We have narrowed down our search, my king. We have also taken the family of the alpha from the war. They've all been locked in the dungeon. More heat and they'll start to spill what they know."

Thorne nodded. "And Caelum? How is he?"

"Still unconscious, your majesty. The healers are working very hard. Beta Caelum will be okay," he said.

"Your majesty." It was Thessara, she had been waiting for him. The head guard took the cue and walked away, leaving the woman chasing after the king.

"Adina... she's awake," she said.

Thorne's heart flipped, but he didn't respond. He kept moving; there were too many things to do.

Thessara's pace quickened to catch up, her hand brushing his sleeve. "Thorne!" she called. "How long will you continue to ignore her? Both of you are grieving. You should—"

Thorne stopped, spinning to face her, his eyes ablaze. "Grieving?" His voice broke the night. "I am not grieving my child."

Thessara blinked, swallowing hard. "I didn't mean that, your majesty. I just—"

"You just what, Thessara? Tell me, what did you just?" His voice shook with rage. "Do you think I'm grieving my child? My pup is alive! She's alive, and yet here I am... being told to grieve?"

Thessara flinched but held her ground. "Your majesty, she—Adina—she did what she thought was right. She—"

"Right?" Thorne's laugh was hollow. "She lied to me. She said the core was gone. That she'd removed it. If she had just... if she had just..." His voice cracked, and he clenched his fists so hard his knuckles whitened. "If she had just done what she should have done... then maybe this wouldn't have happened! Maybe Carter wouldn't have our pup! Maybe he wouldn't have the core! Maybe—"

He swallowed hard, his throat tight, the words catching. Thessara stepped closer, hand out. "You can't change what's happened, Thorne. Adina was trying to protect the kingdom. She was trying to protect the people, just like you always do."

Thorne shook his head. "The people? Look where it's gotten them! Carter has the core, and he has our pup. Everything we fought for, everything we've bled for... it's gone. And she—she—" His voice broke completely, trembling with despair.

Thessara's eyes softened. "And you cannot carry this alone. Not now, not ever. You need to... see her, speak to her—"

He cut her off with a growl. "I will not grieve her! I will not mourn my child because my child is alive! And if she had just... if she had just told me what she was doing... then maybe I could have stopped this. Maybe I could've done more. Maybe I—" his voice broke.

He ran his hands through his hair frustratedly. The memory was fresh in his mind. He'd asked her. "Where's our child?"

And the response, oh the response... he wished with everything that he was, that he never heard that.

"C-Carter, he took her."

"Adina lied to me," he gritted out.

"Thorne..."

He looked her deep in the eye. "And you lied to me, Thessara."

A guard came rushing towards them, head bowed. "Your majesty. The Beta... he's awake."

Thorne didn't hesitate; he took that opportunity and walked away, leaving Thessara standing in the middle of the hallway, fighting the urge to scream.

Thorne arrived at the infirmary where Caelum was kept. The door swung open, and he stepped inside. His eyes landed on the beta. Caelum was propped up weakly, bandages wrapped around almost every part of his body. He was injured to the point where his wolf couldn't even heal him.

The beta's right arm hung at an unnatural angle. Thorne's stomach clenched as he remembered when he'd first seen it. Caelum had been unconscious with a shattered arm. His arm was shattered beyond repair, the bones broken and twisted. The healers had taken a look at it and said it was unfixable.

Caelum groaned, eyes darting towards the door, and only then did he see Thorne. Caelum's eyes flicked toward him, guilt and shame heavy in them.

He tried to sit up, but Thorne shook his head. "Don't," he said, and the beta stayed still.

"My king..." Caelum whispered, his voice hoarse and strained. "Forgive me... I could not protect the queen. I... I failed."

Thorne stepped closer, his jaw tightening, but his tone steady. "Don't apologize, Caelum. You did what you could. You survived... and that is more than enough."

Thorne's gaze softened, though his jaw remained tight. "Tell me everything. Start from the moment you were attacked. I need to know everything."

Caelum drew a shaky breath, the pain in his chest visible with every exhale. "It was... it was gruesome, my king. They came in the dead of the night. An army of beasts we couldn't match up to. They were led by Carter. They were... relentless. I tried to hold the lines, tried to buy time... I fought but... I... I couldn't reach the queen in time." His voice broke as he clenched the sheets, knuckles white. "I tried, your majesty... I failed."

"You didn't fail," Thorne said sharply. "You survived. You fought. You did exactly what you could. I will deal with Carter. I promise you that. Every last one of those monsters will pay for what they've done to you. To everyone."

For a moment, the infirmary was silent except for Caelum's uneven breathing. He had exerted himself too much from talking already. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a young guard stepped in, bowing deeply.

"Your majesty... something was delivered for you. It's... in the main hall."

Thorne didn't even respond; his entire body moved before his mind could catch up. "Show me."

The guard led him silently through the palace, down the grand hallway. And soon they stepped into the main hall. At the far end, resting alone on a low pedestal, sat a small package, roughly wrapped, tied with dark string. There was no note.

Thorne's stomach clenched as he stepped closer. His fingers tore at the wrapping, heart pounding. And when the fabric fell, his eyes caught the glint of red.

It was tiny, baby clothes. Stained dark with blood. The clothes fell from his hands, the blood stained his fingers. It was fresh blood.