On Her Professor’s Bed: Alpha’s Plaything

Rulers Don’t Love

Chapter Twenty-one

Talon Maverick

It just couldn’t be! There must be something this damn soothsayer wasn’t doing right. I felt the rage swell inside me, burning like wildfire. Before I could stop myself, I surged forward, gripping the old man by his neck and slamming him against the wall.

"You think I gave you all this royal treatment, all this time, just for you to tell me there's no way out?" My voice came out in a low, dangerous growl. I could feel my wolf stir, the darkness of the curse feeding into my anger. "Do you expect me to live like this forever? Do you expect me to rule this kingdom cursed, without a Luna, without an heir?"

The soothsayer gasped, his eyes wide with fear, clawing at my hand as I held him in place. He was frail, weaker than I realized, and that weakness only fueled my frustration. He should have been smarter, stronger—he should have had the answer I needed.

“Please, my lord,” he croaked. “I… I will find a way. I just need more time!”

I released him, watching as he collapsed to the ground, coughing and holding his throat. My chest heaved with the effort to control myself, but the truth was, I had no control left. Years of frustration, of anger, of living in this cursed body had stripped me of patience. I didn’t even care that I had nearly killed the one man who might still have a chance at helping me.

But how could I not be angry? I had been living with this curse for years—all because of Seraphina. It was her fault that I was in this mess, her fault that I had to battle with a curse.

Her name still tasted like venom in my mouth. If it weren’t for her betrayal, I wouldn’t be in this position. She showed me what women were like, she made me see that women were liars and full of deceit, and I should never trust any of them. It was her fault I was like this.

If it weren’t for her deceit, my wolf would still feel the mate bond, I’d have a Luna by now, and my throne wouldn’t be at risk. But Seraphina had damned me, taken away the one thing that could secure my future—my ability to find my mate.

Without a Luna and an heir, I was weak. The council was already starting to whisper, questioning my ability to lead without an heir. I couldn’t let them see the cracks in my armor, I couldn’t let them know how close I was to losing control.

“I need time,” the soothsayer repeated, standing shakily. “I will find a way, I swear it, my lord. Please, give me more time.”

I was about to respond when a knock came at the door. Before I could say anything, the door swung open, and my mother walked in, followed by my brother, Kaedros.

Her sharp gaze flicked from me to the soothsayer, still catching his breath. “What is going on here?” she demanded.

I straightened, rolling my shoulders back. “Nothing of importance,” I said, brushing past her toward the window. “Just business.”

Kaedros, ever observant, looked between us, his jaw tightening. “This doesn’t look like business, brother.”

I shot him a glare. He didn’t need to involve himself in matters he didn’t understand. He had no idea the lengths I’d gone to—what it was like to live with this curse.

“I hope you’re not thinking of doing something reckless, Talon,” Mother said. “You know what’s at stake.”

Her words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. Everything was at stake—the kingdom, the throne, my future. And all because of a curse that bound me tighter with each passing day.

I moved closer to the soothsayer and whispered, “If you can’t find a solution soon, you may find yourself paying the price for my patience.” I stepped away from him. “You may leave.”

He bowed and left, leaving me alone with my mother and Kaedros. I turned to them. "I thought you had business to attend to, Mother. So, what are you doing here?"

"I did," she said sharply, shoving Kaedros forward by his arm, her eyes blazing with frustration. "Until I caught your brother doing the unthinkable. You need to talk some sense into him. Make him understand the weight of our legacy!"

I blinked in confusion. Kaedros? The one who barely spoke, who kept his head down and followed the rules like a shadow? He had never caused trouble in his life. I often wondered how someone so quiet could even survive the brutal training of a kingdom soldier, let alone thrive. Yet here he was, head bowed, obviously guilty.

I stepped closer, narrowing my eyes. "What's going on, Mother?"

She threw her hands up. "You deal with him. I’m done here." Her voice dripped with anger before she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

I turned to Kaedros, who still wouldn’t look me in the eye. For someone so quiet, it was always easy to tell when he had screwed up. I laid a hand on his shoulder, keeping my tone steady and calm. "What did you do, Kaed?"

He stayed silent, not moving, until I finally tilted his head up, forcing him to meet my gaze. His voice trembled when he finally spoke. "Brother, I... I'm in love."

For a second, I froze. Then, a bitter and sharp laughter erupted from deep within my chest. Love? That laugh quickly soured into cold rage. "Love?" I scoffed, pulling my hand away from him. Love wasn’t in our bloodline. It wasn’t how we ruled. Love was for the weak, the feeble-minded, the poor souls who had nothing else to cling to. Not for us—rulers, heirs of power, gods among wolves. Father drilled that into us relentlessly. Love was a weakness, and here was Kaedros, drowning in it.

"Before I lose my mind, who are you in love with?" I asked, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, he had at least chosen someone with status—someone worthy of our bloodline.

He hesitated, his silence stretching the tension taut before he finally muttered, "Leah."

"Leah who?" I demanded, the name unfamiliar and setting off warning bells in my head.

"She’s... she’s a maid. In the palace."

The world tilted on it’s axis for a moment. A maid? My laughter roared back, but this time it was ice-cold, venom lacing each word as I stared him down. "A maid? You’ve thrown away everything—our legacy, our bloodline—for an ordinary maid?" My skin crawled with fury, disbelief searing through me. "You’ve lost your damn mind, Kaedros." I snapped my fingers. “Snap back into your senses, Kaed!”

"She’s not ordinary, I love her, brother. I... I can’t live without her."

Oh, Goodness! What the hell is wrong with Kaed? He was starting to test my patience. "It’s her doing, then. She’s taken advantage of you." Kaedros was too damn soft, too trusting. Whoever this Leah was, she’d clearly sunk her filthy claws in deep. And now, it was up to me to rip them out, and break them if possible. "You need to remember who we are. We’re above them. They exist to serve us, to be used for our needs—not to be loved. Do you understand?"

His brow furrowed. "What are you saying?"

I let out a low, humorless chuckle and turned towards the intercom, my fingers dialing the Royal Hotel’s line. "Let me show you what I’m talking about." When the head courtesan picked up, I didn’t waste time. "Send two courtesans. Now."

Kaedros stared at me, confusion and dread still battling in his eyes. "What are you doing, brother?"

"Just watch.”

It wasn’t long before two courtesans entered, dressed in little more than silk, their eyes lighting up the second they saw me. They knew what was expected, and they moved without a word, peeling off their clothes like they were shedding their skin, leaving themselves completely naked. I kept my gaze locked on Kaedros as I walked over to the plush couch, pulling my pants and shorts down with one smooth motion.

I sat, spreading my arms wide in a display of power, my eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "Watch and learn, little brother. This is why we have maids. Not to love, but to use."

The courtesans’ eyes lit up, their bodies squirming and twisting at just the sight of my c**k. For them, being f****d by me wasn’t just an experience—it was a privilege, a story they’d whisper about for the rest of their lives. "Get to work," I commanded

They didn’t hesitate. One gripped my c**k, stroking it with eager hands, while the other slipped her fingers under my shirt, her hands roaming across my chest. I leaned my head back, savoring the moment, the feel of them worshipping me like the god I was. My eyes fluttered closed, a smirk playing on my lips.

"This," I murmured through clenched teeth as their fingers worked through the length of my c**k and chest, "is what maids are for."