Chapter 58: ⁵⁸: Bloodied

Kael’s POV

"We’re about to reach the army base. Why are you still staring at your phone? What is so interesting about it?" I asked Louis, who was sitting right beside me in my car.

Ryan was driving us. He had come straight to pick us up after dropping Athena off at the Academy.

Speaking of Athena...

That girl was still on my mind, refusing to let me breathe for even a moment. Nyx had been tormenting me with his sarcastic remarks ever since, and I desperately wanted to tell him that it wasn’t anything like what he was thinking.

Unfortunately, he had unrestricted access to all my emotions. I couldn’t hide anything from him.

I glanced beside me again. Even after my question, Louis hadn’t taken his eyes off his phone.

"Louis!" I called louder this time.

He finally tore his gaze away from the screen and turned toward me with an innocent grin. "Yes, Alpha? What were you saying?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. He was getting quite bold.

He knew we were outside our house and I wouldn’t say anything to him here. Clearly, he was taking advantage of that.

"I asked what is so important on your phone that you didn’t even hear me."

"Oh, my phone!" he exclaimed, a smirk spreading across his face. "Nothing. I was just checking whether I received any friend requests or DMs. That’s all."

I stared at him.

Louis was waiting for someone’s DM?

That was new.

"Just for that?" I asked suspiciously. "I don’t think it should take this long. You haven’t put your phone down since we left from home."

His smirk widened as he glanced at his phone again. "It’s just something that has caught my attention, Alpha." He paused, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "And what intrigues me should become mine."

I shook my head. There he was again.

Back to his usual mischief.

"Just make sure you don’t do anything illegal," I warned him. "Because that’s the one thing even I can’t save you from."

Louis merely chuckled.

Before I could say anything else, the car passed through the massive iron gates of the Empire’s main army base, located in the heart of the Starlight Pack.

The atmosphere changed the moment we entered. Rows of soldiers stood on either side of the grand entrance, dressed in their formal ceremonial armor. Their polished breastplates bore the royal insignia of the Empire, while dark capes fell neatly over their shoulders.

Tall banners bearing the royal crest fluttered in the wind, and a line of ceremonial guards stood at attention along the main path.

Then the trumpets sounded. A powerful, regal fanfare echoed across the military grounds, announcing the arrival of the Alpha King and his royal brother.

Every soldier straightened simultaneously.

The atmosphere became solemn and disciplined as our car moved toward the designated arrival point.

"We’re here, Alpha," Ryan announced as he brought the car to a smooth stop.

I glanced toward Louis. "Make sure your phone remains switched off from now on."

He immediately nodded obediently. "Yes, Alpha."

I stepped out of the car as the ceremonial trumpets continued to echo through the base.

A soldier dressed in formal warrior attire approached and opened the car door for me, lowering his head respectfully as I stepped onto the ground.

He then moved to open the door for Louis. Every movement was precise. Every gesture followed protocol.

This was the Empire’s main army base.

I stepped out of the car to the mighty roars of warriors from across our packs.

The air filled with the sound of ceremonial trumpets as the soldiers waiting to receive Louis and me raised their hands in a traditional military salute.

I nodded in acknowledgment before shaking hands with several of the senior officers. Then I turned toward the grand staircase leading to the elevated platform.

My throne stood at the highest point of the massive ceremonial stage, positioned above the seats reserved for the council members and other high-ranking officials.

The Imperial Army Forum was an annual event held to honor our fallen martyrs, active-duty personnel, and the Empire itself.

Every important rank within the packs, along with the members of the Imperial Council, attended the ceremony. We gathered to witness the magnificent military marches, while our warriors displayed their discipline and paid tribute to the Empire and its Alpha.

It had been years since I had first attended the Forum as the Alpha King, yet every time I returned, I felt the same surge of pride, determination, and exhilaration that I had felt years ago.

I still remembered how happy I had been the first time I came here.

I had been a young boy then, walking beside my father and watching the warriors march beneath the Imperial banners.

That memory still held a special place in my heart.

I received countless greetings as I ascended the stairs toward my seat. I acknowledged each one with a simple nod. According to protocol, only military personnel were to receive a formal greeting from me during the ceremony.

As I reached the top of the staircase, I found Garrick Rowan, my Gamma, waiting for me.

"Greetings, Alpha!" he said, giving me a formal bow before stepping aside and gesturing toward my throne.

"You’ve done a good job managing the base, Garrick," I said, giving him a satisfied pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you for the appreciation, my Alpha," he replied with a smile.

Garrick was my Gamma.

While Ryan, as my Beta, handled most of the administrative affairs of the Empire, Garrick was responsible for the military forces and everything related to the Imperial Army.

The Beta and Gamma were considered the two hands of an Alpha. And in my case, that couldn’t have been more accurate.

The three of us had grown up together. We had studied together, trained together, and experienced countless things side by side.

There was hardly anything we didn’t know about one another.

Our positions might have separated our responsibilities, but our bond had remained the same.

I motioned for Garrick to take his place with a nod before finally settling onto my throne.

Louis took the seat directly beside me.

One by one, the remaining members of the Imperial Council followed, taking their respective seats across the elevated platform.

The murmurs gradually faded. The warriors below stood perfectly still. Then the trumpets sounded once again. The Imperial Army Forum was about to begin.

I let my gaze sweep across everyone seated before me, my face carefully devoid of emotion.

Even Elder Kayden was present today. He sat among the council members, watching the warriors with the same respectful expression as everyone else. Not once did he break protocol.

After that council meeting six months ago, the matter of my lack of an heir had never been brought up again.

My plan, with one unexpected exception named Athena Moonvel, had worked remarkably well. I couldn’t help but wonder how long that silence would last.

Soon, the parades began.

One after another, different battalions of warriors marched onto the grounds, demonstrating their skills and discipline beneath the Empire’s flag. Their movements were precise, their formations flawless, and every performance ended with the warriors standing proudly before the Imperial banner before paying their respects to it and to the rulers who had come before us.

I watched silently.

I had witnessed these marches countless times, but there was still something powerful about seeing thousands of warriors standing united beneath a single banner.

Then came the final and most important part of the ceremony. Representatives from every battalion assembled together and began marching toward our stage.

At the very front walked the Army General, carrying the enormous Imperial flag mounted on a ceremonial pole nearly ten metres tall.

The moment they approached the stage, every member of the council and I rose from our seats. We raised our hands in salute.

The Army General marched toward the pedestal positioned at the foot of the grand staircase leading to my throne. With measured steps, he placed the Imperial flag into its designated position.

The enormous banner rose high above us.

Its highest point reached almost exactly my height from where I stood at the top of the stairs.

It was not a coincidence. The symbolism had been passed down through generations. The Empire and its Alpha stood as equals. Neither was above the other. Neither was beneath the other.

The Alpha existed to serve and protect the Empire, while the Empire existed to stand behind its Alpha.

The warriors remained in formation for a final moment, their hands raised in salute.

Then, one by one, they lowered their arms and marched back toward their respective battalions.

We lowered our hands as well. The ceremony was over. I was just about to sit down when—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the grounds. The sound shook the entire platform. My body jolted as smoke and debris erupted directly from the pedestal where the Imperial flag had been placed. Right beneath me.