The world is brighter with you

~Nolan~

I clenched my fists, stared at the paper in my hand, and growled. Nineteen girls! They had all lost their lives because of my brother and I. I couldn't believe that nineteen girls had already been killed because my brothers and I needed to survive and break the curse that plagued us. These girls were mainly from the forsaken realm, rankless wolves who had fallen victim to this cruel act, and for years, my parents had been looking for the perfect breeder that would carry our child to ensure the lineage continues, but I had refused to sleep with any of these women because I never wanted it.

"I can't believe this," I rubbed my forehead and let out a deep sigh as I stood up from the chair I was sitting on. Suddenly, a sharp headache struck, and when I tried to open my eyes, all I could see was darkness.

"Your Highness," Harry, my guard, moved to my side and placed his hand on my shoulder, but I slapped it away, knowing that his touch would only make things worse.

"Don't touch me," I warned him, knowing that it would only make things worse. I rubbed my eyes until I could see again, but not clearly. I sat back down on the chair and heaved another deep sigh. "Damn."

"The headaches again, Your Highness?" Harry asked.

"It's nothing to worry about," I replied, rubbing my eyes, hoping for clearer vision. However, everything remained a blur, and I knew that if I didn't find a way to break the curse that had befallen my brothers and me, I could become permanently blind. "I'll be fine. Gather more information about those girls who were killed and report back to me," I ordered him and let out a sigh. ‘’Let’s hope that we will find a way to stop these mindless killing of innocent souls.’’

Harry bowed his head and turned to leave the room, but he suddenly stopped. "Your Highness, I believe your heir will liberate you from the curse, and you will be able to rule as our Alpha King. Please don’t give up yet," he told me before walking out.

I slammed my hands on the table, thinking about what my father had told me a week ago about what I would have to rid myself of before inheriting the throne. "I'm not going to give the throne to a disabled man, so we have to find a way to break this curse," his words resounded in my head as I stared into space. To become the Alpha King, I had to ensure I had an heir, but none of the girls survived after spending a night with me, even though I had only touched one of them before. Now, another one was about to die.

That night, I waited patiently on my bed for my newest victim, who was destined to meet the same fate as the others before her. However, I couldn’t help but think about how different the girl had seemed. When she spoke to my mother, I was shocked at her audacity; she was the only one who had ever looked into the eyes of my brothers and me without fearing for her life. Something was intriguing about her, but it was unfortunate that she would soon meet her end like the others.

"The breeder has arrived!" The voice belonging to the high priestess sounded at the entrance of my room, signaling the entrance of the rankless wolf. Wolves without ranks were not supposed to possess any distinct scent, yet this girl was different.

As she stepped into the room, I caught a whiff of lavender. The scent affected me, causing me to spring and follow her smell. Even without the light in the room, I moved around effortlessly, having learned to survive in darkness in case the curse left me blind permanently.

"Hello," she shouted, her actions amusing me. Every girl brought before me remained silent until I made the first move. But this girl was different, displaying bravery that intrigued me. I moved behind her without her noticing and whispered into her ear, "We haven't even started fucking yet, and you're already screaming." The girl trembled under my touch, her heavy breathing audible in the darkness.

It brought a smile to my face. "Shall we begin?"

"I..." she stuttered, opening her mouth to speak. She was not supposed to say, but she had been defying the rules of every breeder ever since I met her.

"What did you say? I can't hear you!" I shouted at her, wondering where the feisty girl I had seen before suddenly disappeared.

"I don't want this!" she yelled back, and I chuckled before turning her around and wrapping my hand around her neck.

"If you didn't want this, then you wouldn't have come," I tightened my grip on her neck. "You knew why you were here, so why the hell are you acting as if you were forced?"

The girl slapped her hands on mine as she struggled against me, but I held on, waiting patiently to see if she would give up like the rest of the girls. I needed to know if she was capable enough. "You chose death the moment you walked into this room, so don't blame me if I'm selfish and want to get rid of you."

"As if I... want to be here!" she gasped in reply. ‘’I was being captured and forced into all of these. I don’t want it!’’

I laughed like a maniac and released my grip on her neck. She coughed, panting for breath. "Foolish of you to walk in here and act as if you'll ever be the same," I grabbed her hand again and pulled her closer to me, inhaling the soothing scent of lavender that clung to her. It seemed to chase away the regular headaches that plagued me every few minutes. Since she entered the room, I hadn't experienced any of them, and I wondered if it was because of her or if the attacks were delayed.

"I don't have all night, as you'll have to prepare to serve my brothers, too," I made a sinister laugh and tore her clothes before pushing her onto the bed.

"What are you going to do to me?" she yelled, attempting to get up from the bed, but I pushed her back down. "How can you see in this darkness?" she asked.

"I have grown accustomed to darkness over the years, so I know my way around it," I replied.

"Are you going to rape me?"

"Rape?" I scoffed. "Why would I rape you when you are a sacrificial lamb to me?" I retorted, stretching my hand to the wall beside the bed, and the light came on. Closing my eyes momentarily as the light blinded me, I gradually adjusted to the brightness. When I finally fluttered my eyes open, I was shocked to find that I could see clearly.

That shouldn’t have happened! I should not be able to see perfectly.

The room appeared brighter than expected, and I didn't have to rub my eyes to focus. I looked at the girl and noticed her eyes were fixed on me. Taking a closer look at her eyes, I was drawn in. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy that she could see the world with her beautiful obsidian eyes. "You're lucky," I muttered under my breath.

"I don't want to be here, and I certainly don't want to be your breeder!" she yelled, returning me to my senses. In that moment of newfound sight, I had momentarily forgotten why she was in my room.

"I don't care!" I shouted back, pushing her onto the bed and pinning her hands above her head. "Let's just get this over with and see if you can survive, unlike the rest of the girls," I grinned at her as I used my other hand to lower her dress. However, my actions abruptly halted as I noticed the marks all over her body.

"What the hell is..." I paused, turning her over to satisfy my curiosity. "What are you doing?" she struggled against me. To avoid interruption, I restrained her by placing her hands behind her back and lowering her dress until I could see the bruises and scars that covered her body. I was shocked to discover that she was branded with a number below her neck.

"9," I read the number as my finger trailed around it. "Who did this to you?" I demanded, wondering why I suddenly felt concerned about a girl who would soon meet the same fate as the others serving my brothers and me. I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I felt a strange connection towards her. Additionally, I wanted to understand why my constant headaches had ceased and why the world appeared brighter when she was around.

The girl burst into laughter and forcefully pushed me away. "Stop pretending that the royals aren't responsible for what has happened!" she yelled. Before I could even blink, she removed her hairpin and stabbed me in the neck. "Die!" she exclaimed, driving the pin deeper into my neck.

Taking advantage of the moment, she swiftly fled from the room. I pulled the pin from my neck and placed my hand over the bleeding wound. "What a foolish act," I muttered under my breath.

The door to my room burst open as Harry hurried in. "Your Highness!" he rushed to my side and tried to help me up from the ground, but my concern was more focused on the girl who had recklessly attacked me, even at the cost of her own life. "Your Highness," Harry spoke again as he assisted me to stand. When I turned to face him, everything appeared blurred, and the vibrant colors I had seen earlier vanished. The persistent headache returned, indicating that I could only see the world clearly when she was near. I glanced towards the room's entrance, pondering who the girl was and how she possessed such powers. The ability to cure my blindness intrigued me. There was undoubtedly a connection between us, and I yearned to unravel its secrets. Maybe she could be my cure if she would always be around me.

"Find her," I commanded Harry, hoping he would find her before the royal guards did.