Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 14

Adelaide

The heat struck me like a physical blow, rising from deep within my core and spreading through my limbs with relentless intensity. Every nerve ending in my body came alive, hypersensitive to the slightest touch, the rough fabric of my dress suddenly feeling like sandpaper against my skin. My breath came in short, desperate gasps as I fought to maintain control, but the Moon Bride's awakening cared nothing for my circumstances or my terror.

"Well, well," the stocky man chuckled, his beady eyes gleaming with malicious delight as he watched me struggle. "Looks like our little bird is getting excited. Maybe she wants this after all."

I pressed my back against the rough bark of an oak tree, my hands trembling as I tried to steady myself. The heat was building, waves of it rolling through me in rhythmic pulses that made my vision blur at the edges. My skin felt flushed and burning, every breath sending jolts of unwanted sensation through my chest.

"Please," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I was begging them or pleading with my own traitorous body. "Just... just let me go."

The largest man stepped closer, his scarred face twisted in a cruel smile. "Oh, we will, sweetheart. But first, we're going to have some fun."

They moved in unison, their calloused hands reaching for me with practiced coordination. I tried to fight back, but my limbs felt heavy and uncoordinated, my strength sapped by the internal fire consuming me. Rough fingers grabbed at the fabric of my dress, tearing it away from my shoulders with deliberate slowness.

"Look at that," one of them breathed, his voice thick with lust as cool air hit my exposed skin. "Pretty as a picture."

The touch of their hands on my bare flesh sent contradictory signals through my nervous system—revulsion and horror mixing with the Moon Bride's terrible hunger. I gasped involuntarily as the stocky man's palm slid across my collarbone, his fingers leaving trails of unwanted fire in their wake.

"No," I managed to choke out, but my voice came out breathy and weak, my body arching slightly despite my mental resistance. "Stop..."

They laughed at my futile protests, their hands growing bolder as they pushed me further against the tree. The leader's thick fingers traced the curve of my waist while another man's hands tangled in my hair, forcing my head back to expose my throat.

"Such a responsive little thing," the leader murmured, his breath hot against my ear. "Makes me wonder what other sounds we can make you make."

The humiliation burned almost as fiercely as the awakening heat. In that moment of absolute despair, I bit down hard on my tongue, using the sharp pain to cut through the fog of unwanted desire. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and for a brief moment, my mind cleared enough to think rationally.

*I am Adelaide Valendria,* I reminded myself fiercely. *I will not be broken by these animals.*

The pain helped, but it was only a temporary reprieve. The heat continued building, my body responding to their touch in ways that filled me with self-loathing. When the leader's hand cupped my breast through the torn fabric of my dress, I couldn't suppress the gasp that escaped my lips.

"There's a good girl," he leered, his grip tightening possessively. "Just relax and enjoy it."

"Get away from me!" I tried to scream, but my voice came out as barely more than a whisper. They were tearing away the rest of my clothing now, their movements becoming more urgent and aggressive.

The stocky man pushed me down onto the forest floor, pine needles and leaves scratching against my bare back. I could see the intent in their eyes, the predatory hunger that had nothing to do with the supernatural forces affecting me. They were going to rape me, and my own cursed awakening was making it easier for them.

*No,* I thought with sudden, crystalline clarity. *I would rather die.*

I closed my eyes and prepared to bite down on my tongue with enough force to sever it completely. If I couldn't preserve my dignity in life, at least I could deny them their satisfaction in death.

But before I could follow through, a voice cut through the forest air like a blade.

"Stop."

The single word carried such authority, such quiet menace, that all three men froze instantly. I opened my eyes to see them slowly turning toward the source of the command, their expressions shifting from lust to fear in the span of a heartbeat.

Through my blurred vision, I could make out a tall figure emerging from between the trees. The afternoon light filtering through the canopy created a silhouette that seemed both elegant and dangerous, moving with the fluid grace of a predator.

"Commander... Commander Vespera," the leader stammered, his hands falling away from me as if I had suddenly burst into flames. "We... we were just following orders."

The figure stepped closer, and I could see him more clearly now—a man with gentle features that somehow managed to convey absolute authority. His green eyes held a coldness I had never seen before, though his voice remained perfectly calm.

"Orders?" he repeated, the single word carrying enough ice to freeze blood. "Whose orders?"

The stocky man scrambled to his feet, hastily pulling his torn shirt back together. "Commander Garrick, sir. He... he told us to take the slave for questioning."

"Questioning," Vespera repeated thoughtfully. His gaze moved to me, taking in my torn clothing and exposed state, then back to the three men. "And this is how you conduct interrogations in Garrick's service?"

"She... she was resisting, sir," the third man offered weakly. "We had to subdue her."

For a long moment, Vespera said nothing. Then, with deliberate calm, he began removing his outer cloak. "This human is now under my protection. If Garrick has questions about my decision, he can address them with me directly."

The men exchanged uncertain glances, clearly torn between their fear of Garrick and their immediate terror of the man standing before them. Finally, the leader made a small bow.

"Of course, Commander. We... we'll inform Commander Garrick of the change in circumstances."

The threat hung in the air like a physical presence. The three men couldn't retreat fast enough, stumbling over themselves in their haste to disappear back into the forest.

Only when they were gone did Vespera approach me, his movements careful and respectful. He knelt beside me and gently draped his cloak over my shivering form, his touch as light as possible.

"Are you hurt?" he asked quietly, his eyes scanning my face with genuine concern.

I tried to answer, but the words wouldn't come. The awakening heat was still coursing through me, made worse by the stress and terror of the attack. I found myself leaning toward him instinctively, drawn by some primal need I couldn't understand or control.

He stiffened slightly, and I saw recognition dawn in his eyes. "I see," he murmured, more to himself than to me. "The situation is more complicated than I thought."

Without another word, he carefully lifted me into his arms, making sure the cloak covered me completely. His touch was clinical, respectful, but even that brief contact sent unwanted shivers through my hypersensitive nerves.

"Don't worry," he said as he began walking swiftly through the forest. "I won't hurt you. I'm taking you somewhere safe."

As consciousness began to fade from the overwhelming combination of trauma and awakening, I could only hope that his promise would prove true. The last thing I remembered was the steady rhythm of his footsteps and the surprising gentleness of his hold as he carried me away from the nightmare in the woods.