Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 64

Adelaide

The deafening clash of claws against chitin filled the air as Lycanthar tore through the writhing mass of black beetles with inhuman fury. His massive silver-white wolf form moved like liquid lightning, each strike precise and devastating. The sight should have terrified me, yet all I felt was overwhelming relief flooding through my chest.

*He came for us.*

Around me, Vespera's magical barrier flickered dangerously, his face pale with exhaustion as sweat beaded on his forehead. The young werewolf boy trembled against my side while his mother lay unconscious. I kept one hand pressed to her pulse, monitoring her condition even as my eyes tracked Lycanthar's every movement through the chaos.

"The barrier won't hold much longer," Vespera gasped, his hands trembling as green energy sparked between his fingers.

I wanted to help, to do something more than simply crouch here watching others fight for our lives. But I knew my limitations—without magic or supernatural strength, I would only become another liability in this deadly dance.

Then everything changed in an instant.

Vespera's expression shifted to one of fierce determination as his magical energy suddenly exploded outward. The protective dome that had been containing us burst like a star, sending beetles flying in all directions. Without hesitation, he transformed his defensive magic into offense, emerald shards of energy slicing through the air to shred any creature that dared approach.

"Now!" he shouted over the din. "While they're scattered!"

But even as hope bloomed in my heart, my peripheral vision caught movement—a massive beetle, larger than the others, its mandibles spread wide as it lunged toward the young werewolf's exposed neck. Time seemed to slow as horror seized my throat.

"Look out!" The scream tore from my lips as my body moved on pure instinct, throwing myself between the child and certain death. I wrapped my arms around the boy's small form, twisting to shield him with my own body as razor-sharp mandibles snapped inches from my face.

Pain never came. Instead, I felt the whisper of displaced air as something else moved behind me—something with a venomous stinger that glowed with sickly blue light, aimed directly at my unprotected neck.

A flash of green crossed my vision like a comet.

"Vespera!" My cry echoed across the clearing as he appeared between me and the attacking beetle, his arms spread wide in protection. The creature's poisonous barb sank deep into his left shoulder, drawing a pained grunt from his lips as dark ichor began to seep through his robes.

His magic flared one final time, incinerating the beetle in a burst of emerald flame before he collapsed to his knees. Blood—bright red and horrifyingly human-looking—spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"No, no, no," I whispered, catching him as he swayed. My hands shook as I helped him lean against the rough bark of an ancient oak, pressing my palms against the wound to stem the bleeding. Tears I hadn't realized were falling blurred my vision. "You shouldn't have—why did you—"

"A commander..." he wheezed, his usual gentle smile never wavering despite the obvious pain, "has a duty... to protect everyone under his care."

The warmth of gratitude and something deeper—affection, genuine care—swelled in my chest even as fear for his life threatened to overwhelm me. This kind, selfless man had risked everything to save strangers. To save me.

---

Lycanthar

The last beetle fell beneath my claws in a spray of black ichor, its death rattle lost beneath the sudden, blessed silence that settled over the clearing. My wolf form trembled with residual fury as I surveyed the carnage, silver fur matted with the creatures' foul blood.

But it wasn't the destruction that held my attention—it was the tableau before me.

Adelaide knelt beside an oak tree, her arms wrapped around Vespera's injured form with a tenderness that made something twist painfully in my heart. Her violet eyes, so often guarded in my presence, were bright with unshed tears as she cradled him against her. The way she touched him—gentle, caring, intimate—sent an unfamiliar poison coursing through my veins.

I shifted back to human form, my rational mind struggling to process the violent emotion churning within me. This was Vespera, my trusted commander, a man I respected above almost all others. He had been wounded protecting her, protecting all of them. I should feel nothing but gratitude and concern.

So why did the sight of her hands on his skin make me want to bare my teeth in challenge?

"Bring the wounded back to camp," I commanded, my voice carrying across the clearing with forced calm. "Quickly."

Several of my royal guard emerged from the tree line, having arrived moments too late to join the battle. They moved efficiently to gather the unconscious werewolf woman and her son, while two others approached to assist Vespera.

Adelaide rose gracefully, stepping back to allow the guards access to their commander. For a heartbeat, her gaze met mine across the blood-soaked ground.

"Are you... hurt?" The question escaped her lips so softly I almost missed it, barely audible above the wind in the branches.

Something in her tone—concern, perhaps even tenderness—took my breath away unexpectedly. But before I could respond, her expression shifted. The walls went back up, her posture straightening into formal distance.

"Thank you for the rescue, Your Majesty," she said, her voice now carefully neutral. Without waiting for my reply, she turned to help the guards load Vespera onto a makeshift stretcher.

I watched her slender figure retreat, noting the protective way she hovered near the injured commander, and felt that unfamiliar darkness coil tighter around my heart.

As night fell, we returned to the bustling camp. I stood at the edge of the main command area, watching Adelaide disappear into one of the medical pavilions where Vespera was being treated.

"My King!" Liliana's voice cut through my brooding thoughts like honey-coated steel. She approached with measured steps, her face arranged in an expression of carefully crafted concern. "You're unharmed, thank the goddess. When I heard about those terrible creatures..."

Her fingers found my armor with practiced familiarity, tracing along the metal plates in a gesture that should have been comforting. Instead, I found myself stepping back, creating space between us.

"I'm fine," I said curtly.

If my coldness stung, she hid it well behind her mask of devoted worry. But I caught the calculating gleam in her eyes as her gaze followed mine toward the medical tents.

"Adelaide showed such dedication to Commander Vespera's welfare," she said with deceptive casualness. "They've grown quite close during this journey, haven't they? Always walking together, sharing quiet conversations..."

Her words were poison wrapped in silk, each syllable designed to needle at wounds I hadn't even realized existed. I forced my expression to remain impassive, but my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"She was very upset when he was injured," Liliana continued, her voice dropping to an intimate whisper as she leaned closer. "The way she held him, the tears in her eyes... it was clear this was more than simple gratitude. They care for each other deeply, don't they?"

"Their relationship is none of my concern," I bit out, each word like ice. "They can do whatever they please."

Liliana moved closer still, her breath warm against my ear. "Can they? And here I thought... but no, you're absolutely right, my King. After all, you are the mighty Wolf King—why would you concern yourself with the affections of a mere human servant?"

The challenge in her tone, subtle but unmistakable, made my jaw clench. She was baiting me, and I knew it. Yet the image of Adelaide's tender touch, her tears for another man's pain, burned behind my eyes like a brand.

I turned to face Liliana fully, letting her see the dangerous golden glow that had begun to kindle in my gaze. For just a moment, her confident facade cracked, and I saw a flicker of uncertainty cross her features.

But I said nothing. Instead, I simply stared at her until she took an instinctive step backward, then turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the gathering dusk.

The taste of jealousy was bitter on my tongue, and I hated myself for it.