Shifters - The King of Wolves - Book 1

CHAPTER 32 - CHAINS OF SORROW

Egon's POV

I descended the wide staircase that leads deeper underground. The corridors were deserted, as expected, reserved only for the criminals and their challengers.

The walls and steps were coated in the same reddish-brown hue as the rest of the building, but the oppressive heat from outside was kept at bay by the thick stone walls. Water droplets trickled down the walls, evidence of the moisture seeping from the depths below.

Approaching a closed gate, I found four guards lined up in formation. They bowed their heads in submission as they spotted me. "Alpha King," they muttered in unison. I acknowledged their greeting with a nod as they pulled back the heavy bolts from the gate, allowing it to swing open.

I strode down the long corridor. Although our mate bond wasn't officially sealed yet, its strength allowed me to sense that Esmara was safe, still peacefully asleep in our bed.

"The bond remains incomplete because you haven't committed to it. If it were up to me, her neck would bear my mark, her womb filled with my pups," Ares intrudes into my thoughts, as he almost always does whenever Esmara crosses my mind.

"You know damn well why she doesn't bear our mark yet. I must ensure she can handle the bite as a human," I shot back at him. Ares snorted in annoyance, but I could feel that he understood my reasons.

Suddenly, images of Esara flooded my mind. Of her lying naked beneath me, her eyes glazed with pleasure, her belly round with our pups.

"Enough!" I snap at Ares.

"I know you enjoy it as much as I do."

I cursed inwardly. He's right. Fuck, just the thoughts alone made me hard again. But now wasn't the time for such distractions. I had more pressing matters to focus on. I forced Ares back into my mind, something he didn't like, and I could feel his frustration starting to boil, but I managed to suppress him. Reckless emotions were the last thing I could afford right now.

I drew in the comforting warmth that only my mate could evoke, picturing Esmara's beautiful face. She is truly breathtaking.

Arriving at another heavily guarded gate, I was now met with six guards. Each of them inserted an extended nail into a slot on the door, triggering its distinctive seal that only the six stationed shifters here could unlock.

Passing through the gate, I'm greeted by a familiar face. One I used to consider to be the most trusted among my inner circle, until Esmara came into my life.

"He's in there," Haru states, gesturing towards the solid black door behind him.

I nodded. "Is he talking?"

Haru shook his head solemnly.

I clenched my fists. I know Haru. He's resourceful and wouldn't hold back. He understands what Esmara means to me.

"He only wants to speak with you," Haru informs me.

"Then let's honour his wish." I pushed open the heavy door, entering the dark chamber with Haru close on my heels.

The air was cold and damp, even for a shifter like me, but that was precisely its purpose. A faint stream of light filtered in through a high, narrow opening above. Directly beneath it, chained to the ground with his arms stretched by the ceiling shackles, was the man responsible for poisoning my mate.

His body was marred with dried blood, wounds mostly healed due to his shifter abilities, yet the deeper gashes remained evident. The man's head hung low, seemingly unconscious in his chains. But as soon as I stepped forward, he began to chuckle, a cold sound that sent a surge of anger through me.