Reborn As Cursed Alpha's Mate
Chapter 156: Aiko’s Dilemma

Chapter 156: Aiko’s Dilemma

Aiko knew he was her mate when she spotted Faris even before blasting him with her fake pheromones.

The very reason her pheromones affected him to a level that they pilfered his brain and he couldn’t resist her, even if he wanted to.

It stung her deeper than she could have cared; she wasn’t very particular about finding her mate, considering she lived in vampire territory and did anything for survival. But her heart was scrambled when she betrayed and left him behind.

Aiko was born to a mage father and a fox-shifter mother, gaining both traits. She could shift into a fox and spray herself with tricky pheromones, which would attract shifters and lead them astray. She also possessed the ability to completely hide her scent.

She could also open portals to places she had visited before. That power came from a very special line of Mages. An ability to share that power with another person by transferring a part of it to a charmed object also lay within her.

Aiko had travelled to Dusartine with that Beetle shifter and accessed the situation as instructed by Kanyon. They then reported that Siroos was incapacitated and they could easily go through with the plan of abducting Cassandra.

Their initial plan was to do it during the Luna Trials, but since they were cancelled, it was appropriate to do it while Siroos was unconscious.

Sharing her power with Kanyon with the help of a mage who charmed Kanyon’s family ring, Aiko became an accomplice in this abduction. She had no choice; her mother and brother were in Kanyon’s custody, and she had not a single clue as to where he was holding them. She had tried to look for them, but Kanyon was using a cloaking spell to keep them hidden, just like he was using one to keep Cassandra cloaked in his palace, which he had built on the top of a hill.

Aiko was a trickster who swindled people but only the wealthy and fed the poor. She, however, was caught and sentenced to death. Aiko tried to escape using the portal, it was only then that the prince learnt of her ability and knew she would be of use.

He spared her life and took her family to keep her under his thumb and obedient; she would do anything he would ask of her, and her family wouldn’t be harmed. She was now forever under his debt.

When she was being chased by Faris, there were fleeting moments when Aiko wished to slow down and let Faris catch up to her. To finally have someone but she had seen him with Ara and knew he was with her. She had observed him from the shadows for a day, and she would be lying if she thought she wasn’t instantly attracted to him, and pangs of jealousy stung her heart seeing her with another woman.

"It’s the fucking mate bond, Aiko, focus on your mission. Don’t be distracted or you will never see your family again."

With a bleeding heart, she betrayed her mate and assisted the prince in abducting Cassandra.

But now that she was seeing the consequences of her actions, the way the prince was torturing her. Every time she went to the princess, she had new bruises on her body, which she had to tend to.

She couldn’t let her live like that; the guilt was eating her raw, and she cried herself to sleep at night.

There had to be a way she could just inform someone from that pack where Cassandra was. But Kanyon was keeping a keen eye on her. She couldn’t get away.

Aiko decided to speak with the prince. Her duty to him was done and she wanted to see if he would let her family go.

Waiting for him to return, she approached him as he exited the room, Cassandra was kept in. This palace was just for his recreation; mostly, he lived in his father’s palace, which was in the capital city of Volsra. Having no intention of anyone finding out where he kept Cassandra, he had a cloaking spell on this place.

"Prince Kanyon, can I have a word?" Aiko asked, trying to act as respectfully as possible for her towards this fiend.

Kanyon cast a cursory glance her way. He had just returned from The Red House with Cassandra and she was now resting after the experience she had there. He was readying her for what he had planned next.

"Be quick about it." He halted and leaned against the metal fence.

"I have done everything you have asked of me. Can I be excused now? And my family be freed?" Aiko solemnly asked, trying to keep the venom and spite out of her voice. She had spent relentless nights, planning how she was going to end this man.

Kanyon let out a dry chuckle at her words and crossed his arms around his bulky chest.

"Your debt will only be cleared with your life, Aiko. Since I spared it you are bound to me forever. There is no freedom for you. Do as you are told or you know the consequences. Remember, if anyone found Cassandra or she escaped. I will kill your young brother first. Tearing him limb by limb, flaying every inch of his skin and I will make you watch. Don’t test me."

Aiko dragged in a pained breath, her eyes dangerously flashed even when she knew he would hurt her for this.

"He is innocent," she seethed out battling tears that stung her blue eyes.

"I don’t care." He casually waved his hand in the air, "Go fetch something for Cassandra and make sure she eats it." Passing the instructions, Kanyon straightened himself from the fence and began walking without a further glance towards her.

Aiko remained rooted to her spot and the tears of indignation fell from her eyes. She stared at her hands and could see Cassandra’s blood there. The broken and vulnerable woman inside stopped asking questions from Aiko when she realised that she was also a victim of Kanyon. Her badgering could get Aiko in trouble.

But Aiko decided she was going to help Cassandra escape this hell, even if that was the last thing she did.