Alpha Prime: Her Retribution

Chapter Fifty Eight

I stared at the man, his appearance haggard from weeks in the dungeon yet all I saw was Dorian Devereux…

Alduin's protector…

I was immediately hit with a memory

3 day old Alduin in my arms, swaddled in blankets. It was night and he was crying, Adar was away with some of his men. Kamilla had travelled and I had sent the maids away, determined to get him to stop crying but I was unsuccessful.

Tears of frustration pricked my eyes as I tried to hush him.

“Be calm, my sweet boy.”

His pale complexion had taken on the colour of a ripe tomato as he continued crying. I sighed, bouncing and swaying him as I tried to get him to sleep. It was as though he felt the absence of his father and craved his presence.

“My Queen…”

I turned to see him, he stepped into the room, bowing.

“Dorian” I greeted, he rose, glancing at the baby in my arms, a concerned look in his red eyes.

“May I?” He inquired, gesturing to Alduin as he came closer. I nodded, willing to do anything to get him to sleep.

“Please.”

I gently placed Alduin in his arms, watching as he gently cooed at him.

“Little Prince, you are the loudest in the castle for someone so little.” He uttered, rocking him. Alduin's cries lessened and I watched in awe as he completely stopped crying, his eyes glued to Dorian's face.

“H-how did you do that?” I asked, Dorian smiled at me, shrugging.

“I have no idea, Your Majesty.”

From that moment, Dorian became an integral part of Alduin's life, becoming his protector, Kamilla had made mention of them sharing a bond.

The memory faded away and I was back in my room, staring at Dorian. He was a far contrast to the vampire I knew before. The clean shaven man with long braided hair was gone and in his place was an unkempt man with wild eyes.

He took a step closer to me as the tears filled my eyes. He had been the one to raise the alarm after not finding Alduin in his room and he had been the one to find Alduin's body.

He raised a hand and gently wiped the tears away as they rolled down my cheeks.

“You have regained your memories” He whispered, a sob left my lips as I nodded.

“You know, I never forgave myself for stepping out the night he was taken.” He murmured, “If I had stayed, he would have still been here with us. I have lived with that guilt for centuries.”

I shook my head, my heart aching for him, for the weight of the sorrow he carried.

“It wasn't your fault, Dorian," I whispered "You did everything you could."

He lowered his gaze, his voice cracking as he continued.

"I promised I would protect him, and I failed. He was just a child, and I couldn't keep him safe." His eyes met mine again, dark with regret. I wanted to say something—anything—that would ease the ache in his eyes, but the words felt hollow in my throat.

Dorian had always been more than just Alduin's protector. He had been a friend, a confidant, a part of our lives before everything had changed.

"But you didn't fail him," I said softly, my voice breaking slightly. "None of us did. We were betrayed." The words felt bitter as they left my lips, but they were the truth.

Dorian let out a shaky breath, his face unreadable for a moment. Then, he lowered his hand, stepping back slowly as if he feared getting too close to the raw emotions that were surfacing.

"I couldn't protect him from that," he murmured, looking down at his hands as if they still bore the weight of that failure.

The door swung open and Jacob stormed in, followed closely by Kamilla.

“Stay away from her!!!” Jacob snarled, his steps faltering the moment his eyes landed on Dorian.

“Y-you” He stuttered and I watched as recognition sparked within his eyes. Dorian smiled before bending at the knee.

“My King”

Jacob glanced at me, eyes wide and I pressed my lips together to stop a sob from escaping. Dorian stood, his eyes moving around the room as Kamilla stepped forward.

“Why did you escape the basement?” She inquired, her voice quiet. His eyes stopped on her.

“I felt it in my bones, the King and Queen, they are back, I had to come see for myself.” He answered before brushing past her and coming to a stop in front of Jacob.

“My King, I have served you, not as I had hoped but I ask for a favour.” He uttered, kneeling in front of him. Jacob and I glanced at each other as Jacob regarded him with a sense of unease.

“What do you ask for?” He inquired, Dorian swallowed hard, his eyes unblinking.

“Death”

What?!

I inhaled sharply as he continued.

“For centuries I have borne the crushing guilt of failing to protect the young Prince. His death haunts me, like a wound festering with every passing moment. I swore an oath to guard him, to shield him from harm and I failed…” his voice broke but he carried on. “I failed him when he needed me the most. The agony of his absence is a punishment I can no longer endure, I have been driven to the brink of insanity and past it. Please, I beg of you, grant me the mercy of death so that I may kneel before him and beg for his forgiveness. Let me find peace by serving him once more, even if it is in the afterlife.”

He pressed his forehead to the floor, right before Jacob's boots.

I couldn’t stop the tears from falling, this man, he had been the same who had chased Alduin through the halls of the castle, who had taken him on walks, a variation of his name had been Alduin's first word and to see him so broken, wishing for death… it was all too much.

“Dorian, this isn’t…” Kamilla began but he rose up, shaking his head.

“Don’t interfere Kamilla, I have tried several times to end my life with no success and this… this is my chance, I have been waiting for this for over 400 years.” He whispered, turning to Jacob who had turned paler than his usual complexion.

“Please do not refuse my request, my King.” He begged. “I killed the animals of your land, murdered a woman under your protection, attacked the Queen, these are all treasonable offences.”

Jacob stared at him, his jaw clenched. I could feel the conflicting emotions coursing through him. He wanted to grant Dorian’s plea for death, to end his suffering, yet a part of him didn't want to because it would mean losing a connection we had to Alduin. His gaze shifted to me, raw and pleading, silently begging for my guidance as though my words alone would tip the scale of his heart.

I stared at the shadow of a man that knelt before him, he had been through a lot, it would be selfish of us to not grant his request, no matter what connection we felt we could make with him regarding our child. I gave Jacob a small nod.

He swallowed hard before stepping forward.

“V-very well Dorian Devereux, your request has been granted.”

The relief that flooded his expression almost made my heart stop.

“Thank you My King, Thank you My Queen, I shall eternally be grateful.” He said, tears flowing down his cheeks. Kamilla walked over to him and helped him to his feet.

“Come”

She led him out of the room, closing the door behind her. Jacob crossed over, pulling me into his arms.

“Are you okay?” He asked. I shook my head, my lips parted but no words came out.

“f**k Adelaide.” He whispered, hugging me. I clutched him as if he were my lifeline and I was about to drown because that was how it felt. These past few days had been hell, I didn't know how much I could take any longer.

“Everything is going to be okay.” He said, cupping my face. I stared at him, my eyes searching his.

“Will it? Will it ever be okay, Jacob?” I asked, my voice breaking. “T-there's so much anger and pain in me, I can barely feel my lycan. All I feel is this pressing need to hurt, to make them suffer… I can't live like this Jacob… I can't.”

He said nothing, holding my hands instead.

“I know it might not seem like there is light at the end of the tunnel but you have my word Adelaide, I will not let you drown, I will stand with you, this time around, things will be different.”

He lifted my hands and pressed a kiss on the knuckles.

“Get some rest.” He said, kissing my forehead. “I’ll come check up on you later.”

“Alright.”

I watched him leave and I sank on the couch, my body trembling slightly. My eyes landed on my bag, I knew there was no way for me to get any sleep so I opened up the bag and pulled out the journal. I flipped through the pages until I got the next entry.

ENTRY THIRTY THREE

I have done as the Moon Goddess commanded, though each step has felt like a betrayal of my own heart. Her instructions led me to Agatha, a witch of immense power and even greater danger. She gave me potions, small vials of murky liquid that shimmered with an unnatural glow.

“Nine years,” she said. “Nine years you must give this to the girl. Only then will the bond be suppressed.” Her warning still rings in my ears: “Do not falter, or all will be lost.”

The first dose was the hardest. Adelaide, my sweet daughter, looked at me with such trust as I handed her the potion. She drank it without question, unaware of the pain it would bring. Within moments, her face twisted in agony, her small body writhing as the potion did its work. I held her as she cried, her sobs tearing through me like blades.

And it did not end there. Each dose brought new waves of illness—fevers that burned her skin, weakness that left her barely able to stand, and nightmares that had her waking in screams. I was tempted, so many times, to stop the treatment. Watching her suffer felt like a punishment I could not endure. But then I would think of Meira—the despair in her eyes, the agony that consumed her when she lost Alduin and the bond that tethered her soul to Adar. I could not allow Adelaide to face the same fate, to endure the same torment.

The Moon Goddess’s words echo in my mind: “This is the only way unless you want a repeat of the past.” I must believe her, for if I do not, then all of this suffering will have been for nothing. Nine years… It seems an eternity, but I will see it through. Adelaide will hate me for it, I know she will. But better her hate than her pain, better her anger than the devastation that would come if I fail.

I do not know what the future holds, but I will carry this burden for her, no matter how heavy it becomes.

ENTRY THIRTY FOUR

Destiny came to me tonight, unbidden and furious.

She appeared in my study, her presence filling the room with an oppressive weight that seemed to make the air itself tremble. Unlike the Moon Goddess, who carries an air of serenity and quiet authority, Destiny is fire and storm—a force that commands attention and bends all to her will. Her voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade.

“You must stop,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “What you are doing to Adelaide is unnatural, a violation of the order I have woven into existence.” she warned me of tampering with forces that I could not comprehend.

As a father, I held my ground, demanding to know what she would have me do—stand by and let Adelaide suffer as Meira did? Let history repeat itself, bringing ruin upon us all?

Her reply left me shaken.

“Every step you take to defy fate only tightens its grip. You cannot outrun what is meant to be. You can only choose how you face it.”

She disappeared as suddenly as she had come, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the weight of her warning. For the first time, doubt creeps into my mind. Have I been wrong? Have my efforts to protect Adelaide only doomed her further?

But how can I stop now? To stop would mean abandoning her to a fate I have fought so hard to prevent. Yet to continue may lead to something even worse.

I am trapped between two impossible choices, and for the first time in my long life, I do not know what to do.

ENTRY THIRTY FIVE

Today, a letter arrived that I wish had never come.

Jacob wrote to me, his words were carefully chosen, but they carried the weight of certainty that cannot be ignored. He knows. Somehow, he knows that Adelaide is his mate.

“I do not know what crime I have committed for you to intend to change my mate but I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it. I have not met your daughter yet but I swear on my life.”

I could barely bring myself to read his letter. How could he have realized this so soon? How could fate be so cruel as to allow history to repeat itself, despite all my efforts to stop it?

Jacob was like a son to me, I had watched him grow and stood by his side through triumphs and tribulations. He was not just my son in law; he was my family. And now, to deny him his mate, to tell him that he cannot have what his soul cries out for, feels like a betrayal of everything I once held dear.

But I cannot ignore the past. I cannot forget the ruin that their union brought upon us all. Adelaide is my daughter, my light in this darkened world, and I cannot let her walk the same path as Meira.

I am at war with myself. The father in me wants to shield Adelaide from this fate, to spare her the pain that tore Meira apart. But the man who once stood with Adar, who called him family, cannot bear to deny him his mate.

What am I to do? The Moon Goddess has given me instructions, but Destiny herself has warned me of the cost of interference. And now, Jacob has made his intentions clear.

I am being pulled in all directions, and I do not know which path to take. Whatever I decide, it will change everything.

ENTRY THIRTY SIX

The letters keep coming.

Jacob’s words are filled with an unshakable resolve, his pleas growing more impassioned with each passing day. He does not simply desire Adelaide—he believes she is his destiny. He speaks of dreams that haunt him, visions of her that call to him in the night.

“You cannot deny me this,” he wrote in his latest letter. “She is mine, as surely as the sun rises and sets. Whatever path you think you’re protecting her from, I swear I will tread it with her. I will not let her bear the weight of this alone. Please, do not stand in our way.”

As if this torment were not enough, I have now received correspondence from the other Alpha Primes. It seems Jacob has written to them as well, pleading his case and asking for their support.

Each letter from the Alpha Primes was terse, their frustration barely concealed.

“We agreed to this isolation for a reason,” one wrote. “And yet here is Jacob, stirring the embers of fate we thought extinguished. He does not know the destruction that awaits, but you do. You must put an end to this.”

Adlartok was more direct:

“You are the only one who can stop this. Jacob’s attachment to Adelaide must be severed before it’s too late. If he continues on this path, we will all pay the price.”

Their words echo my own fears, but they also deepen my sense of isolation. They look to me to be the one to act, to be the voice of reason and yet, I find myself hesitating. Jacob’s letters, though fervent speak of devotion, of a willingness to sacrifice everything for Adelaide’s happiness and safety.

I cannot help but see Adar in him—his strength, his passion, his unwavering belief in what is right. But I also see Meira, and the devastation that followed their union.

What am I to do when both sides demand I choose? The Alpha Primes want me to protect the world from another cycle of ruin, while Jacob asks me to honor a bond that transcends time itself.

The weight of this decision is crushing me, and I feel the walls closing in. For every letter I receive, I grow more uncertain. How can I carry this burden alone and what will happen if I choose wrong?

ENTRY THIRTY SEVEN

The Moon Goddess came to me again tonight, her presence filling the room, her words carried no comfort—only a warning.

“Jacob’s resolve is unshaken,” she told me, her voice as calm as ever. “He has grown tired of waiting for you to yield. He plans to bypass you altogether and reach out to Adelaide directly. If you do not act, she will know the truth before you are ready for her to bear it.”

Her revelation struck me like a blow. The thought of Jacob contacting Adelaide, of her reading his words and sensing the bond they share, sent a chill down my spine. I waited in tense anticipation, knowing Jacob’s letter would come, and sure enough, it did. The envelope bore no insignia, no indication of its sender, but I knew immediately who it was from. His scent lingered faintly on the parchment, and his handwriting was unmistakable.

For a long moment, I debated whether to open it. The letter felt heavier than it should have been, as though it carried not just words, but the weight of destiny itself.

When I finally broke the seal, my hands trembled.

“Dearest Adelaide,” the letter began, “My Dearest Adelaide,

Although you know me only by my name, I am your true mate. I understand that you may doubt the contents of this letter, as we have not formally met for you to ascertain the truth of my claim. If you afford me a chance to meet with you, I will gladly explain how I came to know of this information. Your questions and doubts will be addressed, and I will answer them honestly and sincerely.

Please, meet me in two days at the café near the Mont Blanc Consulate, I will be waiting.

Yours, in this life and the next

Jacob.”

Reading his letter felt like witnessing history begin to repeat itself. Adar’s love for Meira had been just as fervent, just as unstoppable. And now, here was Jacob, declaring his devotion to Adelaide with the same intensity.

I burned the letter before it could ever reach her hands, but the act brought me no peace. Jacob’s determination is growing, and I fear that intercepting one letter will not be enough to stop him.

The Moon Goddess said this cycle could be broken, but as I stand here holding the ashes of Jacob’s words, I wonder if that is truly possible.

A knock on the door roused me from my reading, I looked up to see Kamilla standing by the door, a sad smile on her face.

“Is anything the problem?” I asked, getting to my feet. She swallowed and shook her head.

“Jacob requests your presence in the basement, he wishes to… he wishes to proceed with Dorian’s…” she trailed off, her words telling me exactly what I needed to know.

“I’ll be right there.”