"Shit. Every day still feels like the same damn day." Kane stretched as he got out of bed. "I just turned 22, and nothing's changed."
As he stepped into the hallway, he ran into his nephews—Collins and Connor. Full-blooded werewolves. They bumped him on purpose, nearly knocking him off balance.
They didn't even pretend otherwise.
"Hey, loser," Collins sneered. "You're an abomination. How dare your filthy body touch me? You're lucky they still let you stay in this palace."
Kane said nothing.
They laughed and walked off.
This is my life, Kane thought, watching them disappear down the corridor. It's always been like this.
"All because my father committed the ultimate sin—falling in love with a human."
"That's how I was made," he muttered. "I don't even have a werewolf ego. I can only shift at night. The others do it whenever they want."
"I should've been killed for being half-human, half-werewolf. The only reason I'm still breathing is because my father's a high-ranking wolf. No one dared defy him."
He kept walking. "But it doesn't stop them from treating me like shit. I guess that's just normal."
The palace was as cold and merciless as its people. Gray stone walls towered around him, clawed and battered by forgotten battles. Torches flickered, casting restless shadows across cracked marble floors. The air reeked of iron and rot—blood soaked deep into the stone. Each echoing step reminded him just how alone he was.
Above him, banners hung with the family crest—his bloodline. But to Kane, they were nothing more than symbols of a legacy that had thrown him away.
"I should've been king," he said under his breath. "Even if my father wasn't one. I'm the firstborn. A family of kings. I was supposed to inherit the throne. But no… I've got human blood. A human form. That's why I'm living this hell."
A maid approached, head bowed. "Kane, Master Diren is calling you." She didn't wait for a response.
What does that old hag want now? Irritation flickered in his eyes as he turned toward Diren's chambers.
He knocked once, then stepped inside.
"Hey, how are you doing, my brother's filthy son?" Diren said coldly. "I heard you turned 22. That means it's been 22 years since the abomination was born."
Kane lowered his head. Diren was the ruler now—defiance wasn't an option.
"You know how this ends today?" Diren said. "Come. Meet me in the Judgment Chamber. Under the castle."
He turned away without another word.
Kane left in silence and headed to his room. Without delay, he stepped into the bath. Standing before the mirror, he stared at his reflection—a form he didn't hate, but couldn't bring himself to accept.
His body was solid, powerful, veins running like rivers down his arms. White hair—his mother's. She died when he was five. He was striking. Unquestionably handsome. And yet, he despised what he saw.
Because that face—the human in him—was exactly why they all treated him like something less than dirt.