His obsession

Kael POV. I was looking at the big map on the wall of my office. I'd drawn some red lines to show the surveillance area, and little dots showed where the Hunters were last known to be. But I was looking at one name, one dot on the edge—Ashvale. That dirty human city. "Any movement from Ashvale?" I asked without taking my eyes off the map. My voice was low, cold, and full of authority. Jake, my trusted Gamma, had a deep voice that came from behind the desk. He sounded respectful but tense. "Yes, sir. The girl... Elara. She used to move from inn to inn, but for the last three months, she's been staying put. She works at a small tavern on the outskirts of town." My hands slowly clenched on the thick, dark wooden table. "A shop?" "Yeah, it's a shop owned by a guy named Rolf. We made sure there were no indications that he knew who Elara really was." I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. I felt a mix of anger and guilt that I couldn't shake. "And there were no signs of the Hunter Guild around there?" Jake shook his head. "Not yet, sir. But some of our scouts have reported some strange activity on the northern road. They may have already detected her presence." I looked out the big window behind me. Outside, the forest stretched out in silence, lit up only by the pale, mysterious light of the moon. "Make sure no one touches her," I said in a firm but gentle tone. "If we need to, send two of our best soldiers to keep an eye on her from a distance. She must not know that we're keeping an eye on her." Jake gave a big bow. "Order received, sir." Then there was a few seconds of silence. The only sound was the crackling of the fire in the corner. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a second. I couldn't stop thinking about Elara—she had a cold, fragile look, but she was also full of strong determination. The girl wasn't just a fugitive... she was a wound that hadn't healed yet, and an obsession I couldn't shake. "You can go, Jake," I said coldly. Jake immediately took off, and only the sound of the door closing broke the silence in my office. The girl kept moving, and I still couldn't catch her because the Bloodmoon Elders kept blocking me, saying there was "regional instability." What do they know? To be honest, I'm haunted by a curse that makes me feel terrible every time the red moon appears in the sky. This curse isn't going anywhere anytime soon, not unless Elara becomes my Mate right away. I punched the desk in front of me, furious. The loud thud of wood hitting my fist was deafening, but it didn't ease the pain in my hand one bit. Before I could catch my breath, another knock on the door made me snort in annoyance. "Come in," I said, not even a little bit friendly. It turned out to be Sera, my stepsister. She was calm like always, which was really different from the storm inside me. "What is it?" I asked directly, without any lead-in. Sera took two steps, stopping in the middle of the room. "Are you still on the lookout for that lone wolf, Kael? What for? Let her live freely. You've already destroyed her pack. What more do you want?" Her tone was soft but also sharp. My jaw tightened. I got up and started making my way over to her, but I was moving pretty slowly. "What else?! I'm bound to her by a curse, Sera! She's the only one who can break this curse that makes me suffer every full red moon." "You're the one who caused all this chaos," Sera retorted, her eyes narrowing. "And now, you want to make her the second victim? You want her to suffer too, just so you can heal?" I laughed, but it was kind of a sarcastic laugh. "Absolutely! I want her to become my Mate right away, before this curse spreads any further and drives me insane. Besides," I said with a cold smile, "she's used to being tortured. She likes it." Sera shook her head slowly. "Selfish. You're a bit of a jerk, and you're only in it for yourself. The curse isn't going to just vanish just because you make her your Mate. It's not that simple, Kael." I moved closer, leaving a distance of one inch. I looked into Sera's eyes. "Hey, Sera, I gotta tell you something. Are you the elder of Bloodmoon? Or are you one of those know-it-all Council of Elders?" Sera wasn't worried about it. She stood tall, meeting my eyes. "I'm running for Beta advisor! So follow my advice." I gave her a dismissive snort and turned my back on her. "I don't take advice from a candidate for Beta advisor. Pay attention to that." Sera took a step forward, her voice more urgent and worried. "You have to remember, she hates you with a passion. I'm pretty sure she'd choose death over living with you, or she'd stab you in the neck when you're off guard, in retaliation for slaughtering her pack. Kael, you're an Alpha King. We can't just lose our Alpha." I spun around in a flash, my gray eyes narrowing at her, my jaw tightening. I dismissed the concern. "You think I'm weak, Sera?" My voice boomed, the suffocating aura of an Alpha instantly filling the room. I took two steps forward, leaning slightly toward her. "I've conquered many pack territories; I'm the strongest Alpha in our world. Just because of Elara's small, weak hands, I'll die? Don't be ridiculous." I laughed again, this time louder, feeling pretty smug and proud. I knew my strength. No one could match me, especially not a scared wolf girl working as a tavern servant. Sera didn't back down from my threatening gaze. "You're being way too arrogant, Kael! Elara may be weak, but she's got a vendetta etched in blood. Revenge is more dangerous than your arrogant power. Besides, the curse itself will make you vulnerable!" "My vulnerability is only a matter of time!" I growled, then slammed both palms onto the table, causing the large map on the wall to shake and several documents to fly off. "You don't understand this suffering, Sera! I feel every inch of her skin, every beat of her fear, but also the crazy, burning pull! And it will all end only if she is by my side, locked as my possession!" "That's obsession, Kael, not a bond!" Sera shouted back, her voice finally breaking with emotion. "You're trying to fix things, but it's actually hurting her! And what if you manage to bind her, but the curse remains? She'll become the Luna who hates you, and you'll remain the Alpha who's threatened with madness! Is that what you call a victory?" I narrowed my eyes, staring at Sera as if she were a traitor. "I don't need your opinion, Sera. I need her. And if The Council and the Bloodmoon Elders continue to stand in my way, I will burn them to the ground." I swung my hand in the air, angry, and grabbed at nothing, like I was choking someone. "I've sent scouts to Ashvale. I don't care about the risks or consequences. I'll get her. I'll make sure Elara becomes my Mate. I'll take what's mine." Sera closed her eyes for a second, looking totally defeated. When she opened them, her usual calm returned, but there was still a hint of sadness. "Okay, Kael. Do what you want," she said in a low voice. "But remember, sometimes the strongest aren't the most resilient. You've already destroyed her pack. Don't go overboard for that girl." Sera didn't wait for a reply; she turned and walked quickly to the door. The door closed quietly, and I was left alone in the room. I could smell the wood smoke and feel the flames inside me. "Damn her," I said, breathing heavily. Absolutely. We always argue over trivial things, things that she has no right to talk to me about in such a tone. I'm the Alpha around here! I've got the upper hand here! I walked quickly over to the table and opened the drawer with a rough pull, and then I heard the sound of wood scraping. I grabbed a cigar and quickly lit it with a metal lighter. There was a lot of thick smoke right away. I took a big drag on my cigar—it tastes bitter, but it helped me chill out a bit. Then, I blew the smoke out into the air roughly. The gray smoke spread through the room, carrying with it all my disappointment and anger toward Sera, the Council, the Bloodmoon Elders, and especially the damn curse that bound me to Elara. I looked at the map again, focusing on the Ashvale area. I didn't need advice. I didn't need approval. I just needed her. And I'd get her. •• After a long day of fulfilling my duties and exhausting work as Alpha Bloodmoon, I finally returned to my room. The atmosphere there was quiet, cold, and stiff. But the silence was immediately swallowed by shadows—a large painting of Elara's face was attached to the stone wall of my room, as if she was watching me. I moved closer to the cold wall and looked closely at the painting, which was based on the memories and descriptions of my spies. Her face looked tired but fierce, and her eyes showed a desire for vengeance. My fingers touched the cold surface of the painting, gently stroking her jawline. "You're going to be Luna Bloodmoon," I said, my voice low and serious, like an oath before the god of darkness. I pressed my palm against his painted face to show that I owned him. "Whether you like it or not." Here, in my own fortress, I don't have to pretend. Elara is something I really need, a cure for the curse, and an obsession that's driving me crazy. My fingers, gripping the frame of the painting, felt hot, not from the room temperature, but from the chills running down my spine. It was a familiar pain, a warning that time was running out. Every full red moon, the curse got stronger, and it felt like it was taking over. I clenched my hands, pulling away from the painting as if the touch burned me. "You know what'll happen to me without you," I whispered to the shadow on the wall. "And I won't let that damn weakness kill me." I turned, went to the bedside table, and poured some whiskey into a crystal glass. The dark brown liquid rippled gently. I drank it in one gulp. The hot, harsh taste burned my throat, but it didn't stop the obsession in my heart. I took another look at Elara's painting. Her eyes there seemed challenging, blazing with pure, untouched hatred. I liked that look. It was a genuine reaction. Hate is a real emotion, and I'd rather she hate me with all her heart than feel nothing at all. Her hatred is like a reverse bond that I think is just as valuable as love. "You can run, Elara," I said again, sounding like I meant it, or like I was threatening her. I strolled over to the big window and looked out over the landscape, with Ashvale in the distance. "But I'll make you stop. And when I catch you, you'll see that some bonds just can't be broken. Bonds made by blood and destiny." I put the empty glass down with a soft clink. That night felt endless, and I was filled with a cold sense of foreboding and pain that promised destruction. Yes, she would be my Luna. And if she had to be destroyed so that I could survive, so be it. She had been mine since the night her pack's blood spilled at my feet.