Episode 2

The whispering of the court sounded like the rustling of dry leaves as Kael turned his back on the altar, his heavy boots clicking rhythmically against the stone floor. He did not offer his hand to help his new groom down the steps, nor did he look back to see if Lucien was following.

Lucien stood frozen for a fraction of a second, his fingers still tightly clenched inside his velvet sleeves to hide their trembling. The phantom scent of burning ozone and copper from the vision still lingered in his nose, so real it made him sick. He could still see the image of Kael’s amber eyes clouding over with death.

"Control yourself," a low, smooth voice purred near Lucien's ear.

Lucien didn't need to look up to recognize Cassian Noctis. The demon prince stood just outside the main aisle, leaning against a carved pillar with an amused smirk on his lips. His dark eyes gleamed with a dangerous, mocking light as he watched the wolf lord walk away. "Your new husband looks ready to tear your throat out, little vampire. Are you sure you wouldn't rather come back to the underworld with me?"

"Mind your tongue, Cassian," Lucien whispered, his voice barely a breath as he stepped past him, keeping his posture perfectly upright and regal. "The Oracle’s decrees are absolute. You play a dangerous game flirting with treason."

Cassian let out a soft, dark chuckle that sent a shiver down Lucien’s spine, but Lucien didn't stop. He knew the demon's eyes too well; they were a recurring nightmare in the timelines that ended in ruin.

Outside the cathedral, the night air was freezing. A grand, black carriage bearing the crest of the Shadow Wolf—a snarling wolf entwined in dark vines—waited under the moonlight. Kael was already inside, sitting in the shadows like a dynamic statue.

Lucien climbed into the carriage quietly, sitting on the bench directly opposite the Alpha. The moment the door clicked shut, the heavy wooden carriage surged forward, moving away from the capital and toward the neutral territory of the Moon Spires estate.

The silence inside the carriage was suffocating. Kael stared out the window, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles jumped beneath his tanned skin. The raw, ambient shadow magic radiating from him was heavy, making the very air thick and hard to breathe.

"If your clan thinks this farce of a marriage will grant them amnesty, they are mistaken," Kael said suddenly, his voice low and vibrating with menace, though he didn't turn his head to look at Lucien. "The moment I find proof that your father ordered the slaughter of my family, the Oracle’s blood oath won't save you from me."

Lucien looked down at his own pale hands resting on his lap. He could tell Kael the truth—that his family hadn't done it, that something far worse was moving in the dark—but Kael wouldn't believe him. In three previous timelines, Lucien had tried to explain, and each time, it had only driven Kael further into a frenzy of rage, hastening his death.

"I expect nothing from you, Lord Ashborne," Lucien said softly, his voice devoid of anger, containing only a profound, exhausted sadness. "Investigate all you wish. I only ask that you do not let your hatred blind you to the real shadows."

Kael snapped his head around, his amber eyes flashing in the dark carriage. "Are you mocking me?" He leaned forward, his massive frame completely cutting off the light, trapping Lucien against the backrest. "You know nothing of my shadows."

As Kael closed the distance, a sudden, sharp spike of pain shot through the Alpha's temples. Kael gasped, his hand flying to his forehead as his vision blurred. For a split second, an image flashed in Kael's mind—an image of Lucien crying, covered in blood, holding Kael's face.

Kael reeled back, his breathing turning ragged as the phantom memory vanished as quickly as it came. He stared at the vampire in shock and confusion, his mind spinning from the fragmented memory.

Lucien watched him, his heart aching. The timeline was already fracturing, and they hadn't even reached their new home.

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