THE REBEL

"Step forward," The king commanded, his voice echoing through the vast hall.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I stepped forward, my eyes fixed on the polished marble floor beneath me, its cool surface contrasting sharply with the turmoil brewing inside.

"Are you guilty of the accused? If yes, explain why you took what rightfully belonged to your master," he demanded, the depth of his voice reverberating ominously around the room.

A chill swept over me, the air around was heavy with tension. His commanding presence filling the space like a looming storm.

Taking a steadying breath, I managed to reply, "I did not, Your Majesty. I am innocent of all these accusations." I tried to maintain a semblance of calm, though my words hung in the air, met only by the breathless silence of the hall, where even the faintest sound seemed muffled beneath the weight of the moment.

"She claims to be innocent," he stated, his sharp gaze shifting to Wren, the beta who had leveled the accusation against me.

Her eyebrows creased, and I could feel her skepticism radiating from her as she prepared to speak.

"I don't think so, Your Majesty," she retorted, bitterness lacing her voice like poison.

"My necklace couldn't have vanished if she didn't have ulterior motives—taking it to sell for money." Her anger sizzled in the air, palpable and threatening.

"I never asked for your explanation," Kian interjected, his voice slicing through hers with a lethal mix of sass and authority.

"What was your movement yesterday?"

I cleared my throat, gathering my thoughts as I tried to recall the events of that day with clarity. "After completing my tasks, I went to the kitchen to have dinner and then retreated to the bath before finally heading to bed." My voice was steady, but inside, I could feel the anxiety churning.

He turned his intense gaze back to Wren, a glint of authority in his eyes. "There was ample time for the original thief to swipe your jewelry and implicate another. Hazel isn't the thief," he stated decisively, reinforcing his stance, not out of bias but because he recognized the truth of the matter.

Years of honing his instincts had taught him to read people—not just by their words, but by their actions and body language. In that moment, I stood before him not quaking in fear, but resolute, driven by a need to protect my dignity. He sensed the underlying determination within me.

To his surprise, I wasn't crumbling at his feet, begging for mercy; instead, there was a tenacity about me that intrigued him deeply.

-

The moon goddess had bestowed upon him an omega he never expected to bond with, yet here was the woman who displayed an unexpected blend of sensibility, intelligence, and the courage to stand her ground. There was an undeniable allure in her boldness, an allure he found captivating.

-

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. If Hazel is not the thief, then who was?" Wren's voice held a note of desperation, though she must have known better than to challenge his authority.

The king shot her a frosty, unwavering gaze. "That's for you to ascertain. I require every one of you to vacate my presence, now that this matter is resolved." His words cut through the atmosphere like a blade, leaving us all momentarily stunned by the sharpness in his voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for resolving this issue," Wren said, her voice trembling slightly as she sank to her knees in a show of submission. We all followed suit, acknowledging his authority, then departed as commanded, the weight of the encounter hanging heavily in the air long after we left.

****

Not long after the women had departed, his gaze lingering on the striking brunette, the heavy door creaked open, ushering in the sound of guards marching in unison.

Kian's green eyes sharpened as he assessed the scene before him, a flicker of intrigue sparking in his expression as he observed the figure being dragged along by the men in uniform.

It was an omega, the pulsating mark on his forehead shimmering in the dim light of the hall. Bound tightly by the guards, the omega was enveloped by several others, creating an impenetrable barrier, effectively trapping him in a grip of steel.

"Your majesty," intoned Commander Lyrien, the man overseeing the operation, as he fell to his knees, crossing his arms—a gesture of respect evident in the graceful positioning of his body. The emblem on his arm marked him as a beta.

Kian's lips curled into a sly smile, his eyes glinting with curiosity as they bore down on the defiant omega before him. The young man clenched his jaw, a fierce determination radiating from him as he met the king's gaze head-on, refusing to bow his head in submission despite the circumstances.

"We have apprehended one of them," Lyrien informed, rising to his feet following a flick of the king's hand. "They were caught vandalizing the sacred house belonging to the castle. Inscribed upon its walls was the letter 'L.'"

Kian leaned forward slightly, genuine intrigue etching itself onto his handsome features. He was aware of the implications of that letter.

The rebels called themselves the Libertas—a faction of Omegas driven to revolt against his rule, determined to unseat him because they were repulsed by his tyrannical governance.

They yearned for freedom—the right to exist as freely as their counterparts. And since Kian, the sovereign with the power to alter their fates, remained obstinate in his refusal to grant that freedom, the desperate group resorted to rebellion, believing they could take what they desired by force.

Such audacity irked him; he loathed any resistance to his authority, particularly when it was born out of desperation.

The Libertas had been relentless in their activities, bombarding him with threats.

Yet, Kian was not a man to be easily swayed by empty intimidation. Amusement riddled his thoughts as he found humor in their futile displays of defiance—ostensibly brave, yet utterly cowardly once faced with his undeniable power.

Time and again, he strode through the castle and the outside world unchallenged, unbothered by their bold claims of rebellion.

For far too long, they had relied on mere messages sent to taunt him; now they had escalated to vandalizing something sacred.

"It was the sacred house," Lyrien continued, his voice solemn. "The water supplies were tampered with, causing flooding. The workers will now have to toil longer hours to remedy the situation."

"Are there any other casualties?" Kian's tone was tinged with concern, an unusual flicker of empathy breaking through his otherwise composed exterior.

"None, your majesty," Lyrien confirmed, relief washing over his face.

Kian's gaze drifted back to the omega, an inscrutable expression on his face. "Who leads your group?" he queried, but the omega remained resolutely silent, firm in his defiance.

A dry chuckle escaped Kian's lips, his amusement palpable at the sheer audacity of the rebellious spirit before him. The guards forced the omega to kneel at his feet, but Kian raised a finger, halting them.

The omega continued to clench his teeth and ball his fists, unwavering as he met the king's glare with fierce determination.

"I don't believe he will respond, Your Majesty," Lyrien murmured, his voice laced with uncertainty as he knelt before the throne.

"He won't"

Kian, the embodiment of elegance, rose gracefully from his seat, the opulent fabric of his royal attire cascading around him like a dark waterfall. The air around him crackled with authority as the courtiers bowed low.

He glided forward, each step purposeful, until he stood before the Omega, a figure of defiance.

Kian's gaze pierced through the dim light, a glint of amusement flashing in his eyes as he tilted his head slightly, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips. The tension in the room thickened, swirling like a storm ready to break.

"Return to your master," Kian commanded, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that dripped with menace. "And tell him I shall find him." The words hung in the air, laden with an unspoken promise of danger.

"However" He continued, "I shall have one of your fingers for keep"

Kian snatched the Omega's hand. The man's fists were tightly clenched, but as the king, he was powerful enough to unclench them, and effortlessly, he pushed back one of the man's fingers until it snapped, and a piercing cry erupted across the hall.

Blood dripped to the ground. A finger detached from their joints while the omega writhed in agony.