CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: UNCLE MAXIMUS

Prince Vaelen’s POV~

But when I turned around, I noticed something. My uncle had not stepped into the hall even once. He had been there the whole time, yet apart from everyone, waiting in silence.

While the alphas argued and were ready to tear each other apart,I stood my ground as a prince. He had simply slipped away, choosing a corner of another room where no one could bother him.

I found him there now, sitting quietly as though the world had nothing to do with him. His head rested against the wall, his gaze lowered and unreadable. The same lost look I have found on his face countless times.

"Uncle," I said softly as I stepped closer, "I think we have to leave. There is nothing here for us anymore. Alpha Aeron has already left with his brother."

At my words, he lifted his eyes to me. They were sharp and steady, like a wolf who had already seen too much of the world and found no need to speak of it. For a heartbeat, I thought he might answer. But instead, he simply nodded once, in quiet agreement.

Without any words or arguments, only silence.

I stared at him for a long moment, confusion flickering through me.

Why had he even chosen to come with me here in the first place? My uncle never involved himself in the affairs of others.

He lived on the edge of palace life, respected yet detached. To see him here, following me to a place he had no reason to be, left me unsettled.

His name was Lord Maximus Lysandros—the younger brother of my father. A name carried in whispers more often than in the open. Though he had no throne, no mate, and no patron to strengthen his power, everyone knew that Maximus’s strength was unmatched.

It was said that when he shifted, his aura was so powerful that even the oldest of Lycans lowered their gaze before him.

And yet, my father had the throne when my uncle was more worthy of it. I never knew the reason behind it, but my uncle seems too detached to even care about that throne.

He had lived quietly, almost humbly, carrying no crown and desiring none. He does not even have a mate and children. He never found his fated mate and had never taken a chosen mate, being a bachelor till this age, which was hardly seen in Alphas.

He had trained me when I was a boy, guiding me with a firm yet patient hand, while my father drowned himself in wine and pleasures. My uncle had been the one to steady my steps, to shape me into something more than just a spoiled heir. For that, I respected him more than I respected my own father.

Now, standing before him, I felt a strange tug in my chest. I wanted to ask him why he had come, if something troubled him, and if there was a reason he chose to follow me here of all places. But I knew my uncle well. Maximus Lysandros never spoke of his burdens. He carried them in silence, as if to shield others from them.

And I... I would not force him.

So I simply inclined my head, just as he had, and said no more. The respect I owed him was greater than my curiosity. If he wished to share his reasons, he would. Until then, I would wait.

We left the room together in silence, the shadows of the hall swallowing our footsteps.

I had already made up my mind. The Midnight Pack held nothing for me, and now that Aeron and his wolves had gone, there was no reason for me to linger. I was ready to return to the palace with my uncle by my side.

But just as the night thinned into a pale grey, he spoke.

"I will not return with you. There is something I must do."

The words were simple, but they struck through me like a blade. I turned sharply, disbelief flashing in my eyes. "Uncle, what do you mean? Where are you going?"

Maximus Lysandros stood there, calm and steady as ever, his expression unreadable. His cloak shifted in the wind, his presence towering, yet his voice was as quiet as the earth itself.

"There is work I must see to," he said, nothing more, nothing less.

My jaw tightened. A thousand worries stirred in my chest. It was not safe for anyone to walk alone in this land—not even the most powerful wolf. Yes, my uncle was stronger than kings and alphas alike, but still... the world was treacherous.

Other races lurked everywhere, enemies watched from the shadows, and if anyone learned his true identity, the danger would be beyond imagining.

"Uncle," I pressed, lowering my voice, "at least allow me to send some guards with you. It is not wise to travel—"

"No." He cut me off, his tone firm but not unkind. "What I must do is mine alone. When I am finished, I will return to the palace. Until then, do not trouble yourself with me."

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could speak further, his hand reached out. A heavy hand pressed briefly against my arm, a rare gesture of warmth.

For the briefest moment, I felt the strength, the steadiness, and the silent reassurance that had carried me since childhood. Yet his face remained cold and detached, as if even that touch was a farewell.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away without looking back, vanishing into the darkness as though he belonged to it. Suddenly, I felt that my uncle’s back looked lonely...like he was fighting something I had never known about.

A wave of sadness and helplessness crashed over me as I realized I could do nothing to help him, only pray that the Moon Goddess would grant my uncle’s wish and give him the happiness he never had in this world.

I stood frozen, torn between the urge to follow and the knowledge that his decisions were final.

I had no choice but to respect them. Still, unease coiled in my chest like a restless serpent.