Fated To The Cursed Werewolf King

Silence filled the throne hall as everyone stared at the bodies. Even though they knew Caius was dangerous, watching him kill two high-ranking demons so easily was a reminder of why he had once been feared throughout the immortal world.

Caius didn’t even spare the bodies another glance. He turned around and began walking toward the exit, looking as calm as if he had simply finished an ordinary conversation.

Ethan and Alexander immediately followed him, while Rita walked behind them, still thinking about the demons they had needed for her plans.

Janet watched the three men disappear through the doorway before releasing a long sigh.

”He’s back to being the old Caius,” she muttered. ”I thought he would continue being nice after waking up, but I guess that was too much to hope for.”

Akeelah glanced at the guards who were already cleaning the mess on the floor before turning toward Janet.

”Do you think Hazel will be able to tame him? Because I’m very sure he doesn’t only drink her blood.”

Janet stared at her for a second before a knowing smile spread across her face.

”I saw the evidence this morning,” she whispered. ”I was called to heal Hazel while she was sleeping, and I’m very sure she was naked when I arrived. So...”

She paused dramatically, making Akeelah lean closer. ”Well, they did it.”

Akeelah’s eyes widened before she burst into laughter, while Janet covered her mouth to keep the sound from reaching the men outside.

Perhaps the Werewolf King hadn’t become a completely different person after all, but if Hazel could make him show even a little kindness, then maybe there was hope for everyone who had to live with his terrifying temper.

....

Hazel sat on the edge of the bed with her head lowered, wishing the ground would open and swallow her whole. Janet, Akeelah, and Rita were all in her chamber, and the way they kept looking at her made her feel as if she had done something terrible instead of spending the night with her own mate.

She had tried to act normal when they arrived, but it was becoming impossible because every time she remembered Caius holding her in his arms that morning, her cheeks warmed up again. She couldn’t even look at them properly, especially Janet, who seemed to be enjoying her embarrassment far too much.

Akeelah finally rolled her eyes. ”You should be thanking me instead of sitting there looking like someone has just caught you stealing. You might not even be feeling this healthy if I hadn’t healed you while you were sleeping. Mating is normal among werewolves, dear, so why are you embarrassed?”

Hazel’s head shot up. ”Akeelah!”

”What?” Akeelah asked innocently, pretending not to understand why Hazel was glaring at her. ”Did I say anything wrong?”

Janet burst into laughter, making Hazel wish she could disappear into the bed. Rita only shook her head, although the small smile on her face showed that she wasn’t any better than the other two.

Unable to bear their teasing any longer, Hazel pulled her hair away from her neck and revealed the mark Caius had left on her skin.

Janet’s eyes immediately brightened with amusement as she leaned forward to examine it.

”Well, of course, he would claim you after mating with you. You’re his fated mate, and now that he has marked you, there’s a high chance you’ll become the Luna Queen.”

Hazel sighed and covered the mark again. ”I don’t mind staying low-key. Why does everyone have to make such a big deal out of it?”

She had never dreamed of becoming a queen. All she wanted was a peaceful life, and although being Caius’s mate meant she would probably never get that kind of life, she still hoped she could avoid being dragged into every royal matter in the immortal world.

However, when she looked at the three women, she noticed something strange about their expressions. They had been teasing her only a moment ago, but now Janet looked thoughtful, Akeelah seemed troubled, and Rita was wearing the kind of expression that made Hazel wonder whether someone had died.

She looked between them before finally asking, ”Is something wrong?”

Rita released a long sigh and folded her arms. ”He’s back to being Caius.”

Hazel blinked. ”What does that mean?” Isn’t Caius always Caius?

”It means the old Caius is back,” Rita explained. ”We thought he had changed after he woke up, but it turns out he was only behaving differently because he knew how weak he had become due to the curse. Now that he has recovered some of his strength, he’s acting like the man we knew before.”

Hazel stared at her in surprise. ”But he looked so calm and cute this morning.”

The words escaped her mouth before she could stop them, and the moment she realized what she had said, she quickly covered her mouth.

Janet’s lips twitched, while Akeelah turned her face away to hide her laughter. Rita simply raised an eyebrow at Hazel, making the poor girl wish she could take her words back.

”Did you just call Caius cute?” Rita asked.

”No!” Hazel answered quickly. ”I mean... he wasn’t doing anything scary this morning.”

”Of course,” Janet said with a knowing smile. ”He was probably too busy holding his mate to remember that he’s supposed to scare everyone.”

”Janet!” Hazel cried, her face turning red again.

Rita shook her head and returned to the subject they had been discussing. ”You may think he’s harmless because you’ve only seen that side of him, but you have no idea what he was like before his long sleep.”

Hazel slowly lowered her hands from her face. She was curious now, and despite her embarrassment, she wanted to understand why everyone seemed so worried about Caius’s return to his old self.

”What did the old Caius look like?”

Janet frowned at her question. ”I thought you would have learned about him in the academy. His history is one of the most important subjects, especially for werewolves. He’s the perfect example of why you should never be tempted by a handsome face.”