Crown and Shackles: The Princes Mate (Story Updated)

Blood debt

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Troy’s POV

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I hated this prison cell with every fiber of my being. Cold, dark, suffocating—it felt like a tomb where hope came to rot. The worst part wasn’t the silence or the walls—it was the ghosts.

Ally had come first. Alone. Her eyes met mine for a fleeting moment—full of pain and something like pity—and then she turned away. No words. No comfort. Just the hollow echo of what I’d lost.

That alone shattered me.

Then, not long after, Logan came. Or at least, I thought he did.

He appeared in the shadows, leaning against the cold stone wall like he owned the place. His voice was sharp, cruel.

“Ally is mine now,” he sneered. “She sees through your lies. She never belonged to you.”

The certainty in his tone cut deeper than any blade. Rage and jealousy twisted inside me, tearing apart what little remained. I never questioned it at the time. To me, he was real. His smug smirk, the venom in every word—it was as tangible as the cold floor beneath my hands.

But later, when silence swallowed the cell again, a creeping doubt slithered through my mind.

No footsteps. No voice beyond my own.

Had he really come? Or had my fractured mind conjured him? A phantom born from obsession, loneliness, and madness?

The lines between reality and nightmare blurred. I was losing my grip.

I collapsed onto the floor, my wolf snarling in frustration, but my heart hollow and broken. I shut down. No more fighting. No more hoping.

That night, chaos erupted outside—the pack thrown into turmoil—but no one noticed me slip away. It was almost too easy.

Even as I moved through shadows, I felt myself slipping further. The obsession that once consumed me now clawed at my sanity.

But somewhere deep inside, a spark of defiance remained.

Then came the brutal fight—wolves clashing with vampires beneath the cold moon.

I shifted fully, fur rippling, muscles coiling with power. Logan was there too, fierce and glowing, eyes molten gold.

Our minds connected instantly—the familiar mind link thrumming between us.

His thoughts pierced through the chaos: “Stay focused. Kaitlyn’s not just our enemy; she’s tearing us apart from inside.”

I responded, conflicted: “Why am I helping you? After everything?”

The question echoed in my mind—and in my chest.

Then, a low growl rumbled deep within, the voice of my wolf vibrating through the link: “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

I snarled, unwilling but understanding. “Fine. But don’t expect me to forget.”

Kaitlyn’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and mocking.

“What’s the matter, brother? You told me to stay away from my mate. Now, we’re taking everything from you.”

She wasn’t my sister—she was Logan’s. But standing with our enemies, her betrayal felt like a blade twisting in my side.

The battle raged. Vampires snarled and snapped, wolves lunged and roared. Daniel took a brutal hit—his leg snapped with a sickening crack—but he stayed on his feet, snarling back.