Chapter 20: Before the storm

Daemon was walking back to his room after having breakfast. He was always the first one to arrive and leave.

He wasn't paying attention because now he had memorized the path to that room.

He had a gloomy expression, in Killian and Leva's eyes he looked like an abandoned dog waiting for his master to come and pet him, and it was obvious that if he had his wolf's ears out they would definitely be down.

But none of them could do anything at all…

The next morning after the last phase of Daemon's rut, Leva, Killian, and Orsen were sure that the alpha would hurry up to see Terrence with a happy expression and the heart beating crazily.

Any alpha would do that after Terrence's actions because he practically embraced him on his feromones on the last day of his rut; however, they were completely wrong.

When he regained his consciousness again Daemon was strangely quiet. He was thinking more rationally now and even when he remembered the reason Monaed went out of control, none of that was important to him, he was just feeling strange.

When he arrived at the omega's bedroom he smelled his sweet scent but without looking back he turned around and kept walking.

• • • • ❁ • • • •

Everyone was exhausted, there were so many unexpected situations in such a short time that they already wanted to write a letter of resignation and run away.

The news about the end of Daemon's rut was soon spread throughout the empire and for the following days, all of those who left Reinheit returned with many gifts to welcome their new ruler, and in the blink of an eye a week had already passed but they hadn't even seen each other yet.

As soon as Terrence felt better he got up from bed and locked himself in the library for a couple of days with only Leva by his side and a bunch of books. He was aware that he had to do something about the problem with Daemon and their link but at that moment with his little knowledge of the topic, it was impossible to make a good decision.

There was more information to review than he originally had expected, Leva kept reading him all kinds of books during that week but he still couldn't find a good solution.

Terrence wanted to see Daemon but not at the moment, the alpha was not at fault for having feelings towards him, nevertheless; Terrence still refused to be imprinted on him.

When he didn't find a single clue of what he was looking for, he only had to go to a person who had more advanced knowledge than anyone.

• • • • ❁ • • • •

That day early in the morning, Terrence had his breakfast in his room as always and took a shower before going to Orsen's study, who would be better than the guardian of the kingdom who had grown up reading every single book that existed in the castle and also the last descendant of the guardians of Reinheit? Terrence couldn't think of anyone more fitting to answer his doubts.

When Terrence entered the blonde guy opened his eyes with an astonished expression.

"Your Highness! Why did you come here? You could have called me!"

Despite his initial suspicions about Terrence, Orsen changed his mind from the moment they met. He dedicated his life waiting there to serve the rightful owner of that castle, the person who would become the future king of that kingdom and would unite the six-pack again.

Therefore, seeing Terrence looking for him and not the other way around, made him panic.

"I'm sorry... I know my status has changed but it's still too sudden" he confessed awkwardly and squeezed his lips.

Terrence, who before was just the cursed omega, someone who was a nuisance to his father and was hated by all became the new king in an instant… all that was so unreal to him.

"Don't pay attention to it please, being a noble from birth doesn't really make us that different, does it?"

Orsen never heard any ruler or even any pack leader speaking like that. Everyone bragged about their titles only to oppress the weak but Terrence who was rumored to be such a cruel murderer was really completely different from how he had imagined.

"Killian was right..." Orsen mumbled to himself with a smile.

"Killian? About what?" Terrence's confusion was evident but Orsen only laughed.

"I'll tell you later… what can I do for you, your Highness?"

Terrence was curious about that but he only smiled a little happy, for some reason the smell of Orsen had changed and now was making him feel welcome.

Many people rejected him so many times all because of the rumors about him that at some point he stopped trying to prove that they were wrong. People will believe whatever they want, so when someone gives him fair treatment it was still a little strange for him.

Terrence cleared his throat and just turned his face away while explaining the reason for his visit.

…

Orsen was listening to the soon-to-be king's concerns, understanding his concerns. Something like an imprint bond was not something easy to deny or break, and in Terrence's perspective, that bond was only making a mess of his life.

Terrence, who wasn't raised under the same strict and scary norms and rules as other cubs from any pack, the idea of rejecting an alpha like Daemon was a piece of cake, but even Orsen was surprised to hear that he wanted to break the bond.

However, he understands that thanks to the freedom Terrence had experienced it would be normal to want to reject Daemon, but if that happened after all that had happened the alpha's pride would be ruined and above all the rejection of a companion would surely leave an extremely bitter scar on his heart.

However, if Orsen were to be in a similar situation he would also feel completely lost.

"Don't worry, your highness even though all say an imprint is similar to the bond of destined couples, it is completely different"

"Really?"

The lively and bright expression on Terrence's face stunned Orsen, he was really cute, and he understood why Daemon was all head heels over him.

"Yes! Unlike the bond between soulmates, imprinting happens when both parties agree to the bond and they entrust themselves to each other, but soulmates don't have that option" Orsen started explaining the situation in more detail since he witnessed many similar cases. "When two soul mates come into contact, their instinct awakens and they bond even against their will and it is an unbreakable bond…

While the imprint, although it is pretty difficult to break…" «and extremely painful…» Orsen thought that in his mind before he continued. "… it is not impossible, that bond is born when both accept the bond, so rejection is the best way to break it, however…"

"However?" Terrence asked allowing him to continue.

"However the hatred between the two that made the bond must be equivalent in intensity to the feeling they had when they accepted each other"

The look on Terrence's face was of disappointment but it was understandable.

Daemon was the first to ask for his hand in marriage, it would be impossible for him to the Terrence.

Orsen remembers that there were other ways to break the bond bug one of them could only happen if Daemon bites another omega and bonds with him as his official couple instead of Terrence, but even if they were able to break it in that way there was a risk that Terrence could die or get sick from feeling abandoned.

And for the last option to break was that they look for their destined partner, but Daemon wasn't really interested in finding his soulmate and for Terrence, that would be impossible due to his blind eyes because it was thought that eyes were the door to the soul.

He as the guardian knew pretty well that the phrase was not just because it sounded quite romantic. If a wolf was blind, he could never recognize his destined partner because the bond was generated when they recognized their mate in each other's eyes.

" It seems that it all depended on Daemon..." Orsen admitted that with a heavy sigh but he didn't explain the last two options because he wasn't sure how Terrence could react to them and also because he saw how Daemon the man less approachable, grumpy, and cold alpha who wasn't interested in any omega now his eyes sparkle when he looked at Terrence.

Long before Terrence had appeared, Daemon was considered by all the pack leaders to be a great fit as the next monarch of Reinheit because he was the strongest of the youngest wolves and he wasn't moved by his emotions like other alphas but of course, Daemon rejected it right away.

"We are in a dilemma, your highness..."

Orsen could only think of one reasonable excuse to delay the wedding.

"The only thing you could do would be to put off the engagement"

"Put it off?" Terrence didn't understand what he meant by that.

"That's right, you can use your lack of education on many subjects as an excuse, it will be seen by everyone that you put it off to prepare well for the wedding and also govern wisely in the future" He explained as simply as possible for him to understand the plan better. "Besides, while the engagement is frozen Daemon could meet his destined partner or we can find a way to break the bond before the time runs out," the blonde explained with a smile.

Although Orsen still felt a little jealous of Terrence thanks to all the attention he received from Killian, there was also that desire to help him... now that he has spent some time with him he realized how fragile and naive Terrence was.

Apart from that Terrence was special and there was also something that made your attention be drawn to him like a magnet.

Maybe that was what they called "the Aura of a ruler."

"W-Wil you help me?." Terrence asked that with a blush on his cheeks and that reaction made Orsen stunned, he couldn't believe that he was seriously jealous of a boy as tender as him.

"Of course, your highness… Leave it to me!"

Meanwhile

Daemon after he walked away from Terrence's room went to the garden where he sat to rest for a moment. He could hear how noisy the castle became when all the packs came back.

The alpha frowned his eyebrows because he could feel the presence of someone near him, he immediately stood up and unsheathed his sword, however; when he turned towards the person with his sword drawn he stopped on the spot.

"Young master Blanche?"

"Wah... that scared me. Why are you so nervous, prince Daemon?" Erick looked at Daemon with a beautiful smile on his lips.

The alpha immediately retired his sword and sheathed it, clicking his tongue a little. He knew it was his fault for disgusting everyone but he didn't want to apologize but it was the right thing to do.

"I apologize for my rudeness... I was distracted…"

Daemon made a short reference avoiding looking at him because each time he saw that boy he felt strange for some reason...

"If someone approaches me in silence, it is normal to think that it's someone with bad intentions"

Daemon excused himself immediately, Erick looked at him surprised and then just laughed.

"You're very funny, Prince Daemon," the blue eyes of the omega stripe him from head to toe as he approaches him. "You know... I was really disappointed…"

"Why?" Daemon asked looking at the omega approaching him.

"Well, because I thought you would choose me as your companion..."

Those words were unpleasant, yet Daemon didn't say anything, he only clenched his fists tightly.

"It's a shame… but my only interest is your brother"

Daemon's cold words left Erick frozen... and a single question invaded his mind.

Why? Why his charms weren't working on him? Just WHY?

Erick saw how the alpha walked away in silence and although he wanted to yell at him and curse him for being so cold to him, the omega didn't do anything, he just saw that sexy and strong until it disappeared.

Erick didn't understand what Daemon saw in his brother... but the more Daemon rejected him, the more he wanted to have him.

"Soon enough, you will be mine… Daemon"

He whispered to the air with a twisted smile, if Daemon had given himself to him without resisting him...maybe he wouldn't have to make his dear brother suffer but Daemon's cold attitude only made Erick more determined to torture Terrence.