Zane~
Natalie's words hung in the room like a challenge I wasn't prepared for.
"Kill me and get it over with."
The way she said it—not out of fear, but confrontation—was like an electric shock to me. My breath hitched, and for a moment, I forgot how to form words. Did she not understand who she was talking to? Or was she so fearless that she didn't care?
"What did you just say to me?" I asked, my voice sharp yet betraying the strange thrill coursing through me.
"You heard me right!" Natalie snapped, her blue eyes locking with mine, daring me to look away. "Kill me! Get it over with since I'm such a horrible person. At least I won't have to deal with you anymore."
Her words were fire—angry, desperate, and laced with a raw pain that I couldn't ignore.
Red stirred in the back of my mind, restless. I could feel his agitation, his confusion mirroring mine. "She's not afraid," he growled, as if that made her dangerous. But I wasn't sure.
"How dare you talk to..." From the corner of my eyes, Roland was about to move forward and grab Natalie but I raised a hand, interrupting his words and moves before he could complete them.
"You think I want to kill you?" My voice was low now, a dangerous calm that I hoped would rattle her. I took a step forward, the sound of my boots on the floor echoing in the quiet room.
Her jaw tightened, but she didn't step back. Brave. Foolish. Both.
"Why else would you corner me like a rat?" she said, her voice trembling slightly but still steady enough to sting. "I've lived through this before—people like you, people who think they can break me. Strip me of everything. But I won't let you."
I should have been furious. I should have let my anger take over. Instead, I found myself captivated by her resilience, by the sheer force of her spirit.
I leaned closer, our faces inches apart now. She didn't flinch, but her breathing quickened. "If I wanted you dead, Natalie, you'd already be lying on this floor," I said, each word deliberate.
Before I could say more, her eyes fluttered shut.
"Natalie?"
Her body sagged, and she collapsed like a sack.
My heart leapt, and Red roared in my mind, panicked. I reached her at the same time as Abel, who was already checking her pulse. My hands were under her shoulders, lifting her slightly, my chest tightening with a fear I didn't fully understand.
Abel's hand froze, and then he looked up, eyebrows raised. "Uh, Your Highness… she's snoring."
"Snoring?" I repeated, shocked.
"Yeah," Roland said from behind us, his tone half-amused, half-confused. He pointed toward her slack face, where the softest of snores escaped her lips. "She fell asleep… in the middle of a fight?"
A chuckle escaped Abel before he could stop it, and then Roland's laughter burst out, loud and unapologetic.
I stared at her for a long moment, her face peaceful now in a way that made something in my chest loosen. Against my will, a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.
"Unbelievable," I muttered, shaking my head.
Roland stepped forward. "I'll take her to the guest room."
"No," I said, cutting him off. My voice was firmer than I intended. "I'll do it."
Both Roland and Abel turned to me, their eyes wide with shock.
"You?" Roland asked, blinking like he hadn't heard me right.
"Yes, me," I said shortly.
Ignoring their stunned silence, I scooped Natalie up in my arms, cradling her small frame against my chest. She was lighter than I expected, her head resting against my shoulder as if it belonged there. My heart beat strangely, a rhythm that felt unfamiliar, unwelcome even.
What the hell is wrong with me? I thought as I carried her toward the guest room.
By the time I reached the room, I'd already decided to see the doctor tomorrow. I couldn't afford to fall ill. I had a kingdom waiting for me to run it someday, responsibilities I couldn't abandon; and whatever this was, I had to cut it off before it spread.
I laid her gently on the bed, taking care not to disturb her. Her boots came off easily, and I pulled the blanket over her, tucking it around her small frame.
I should have left then. But instead, I sat on the edge of the bed, my eyes studying her face in the dim light. Who was this girl? What secrets was she hiding? And why did it feel like I needed to know?
The creak of the door opening snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Alexander in his wolf form, his small body silhouetted against the hallway light.
"What are you doing up pup?" I asked, surprised.
He trotted into the room, wagging his tail, and I stretched out my hand. He came closer, his nose nudging my palm.
"I could smell Mummy Natalie," he said through our mind link, his voice young and earnest. "I wanted to see if she was here."
I froze. "Mummy Natalie?"
He didn't answer, his tail wagging slower now as he looked at her sleeping form.
I sighed, ruffling his fur. "Alexander, why are you calling her that?"
Still no response.
I thought quickly, my mind racing for a way to distract him. "Tell you what," I said, leaning down to meet his eyes. "If you change to your human form, I'll let you sleep in Natalie's room tonight. Deal?"
His wolf eyes studied me, and for a moment, I thought he'd refuse. But then, with a small wriggle, he leapt from my hands and shifted.
In seconds, my son stood before me, his human form small and pale in the room light.
"You're really willing to change for her, huh?" I muttered, more to myself than him.
He nodded, and I couldn't help the pride swelling in my chest. I picked him up, his naked body fitting easily in my arms.
"Before you can sleep in here, you need to wear something," I said, carrying him out of the room.
As we entered the corridor, I spotted Nora heading toward the kitchen, her hair disheveled, clearly half-asleep.
The moment Alexander saw her, I noticed his heart rate spike. He squirmed out of my arms, shifting back into his wolf form in a flash.
"Nora," I started, but before I could finish, Alexander whimpered and bolted back into the guest room, diving under the blanket with Natalie.
I scowled, running a hand over my temple. "Why was he always so terrified of people?"
Nora shot me a raised eyebrow from where she stood, but didn't bother with a reply. Instead, she vanished into the kitchen without a word.
I lingered in the hallway, debating whether to go back into the room, pull him back out and demand—yet again, for what felt like the millionth time—what his problem was and why couldn't he trust me with it?
But the sight of him curled up beside Natalie, his small form looking peaceful, stopped me.
For now, I'd let them be.
I closed the bedroom door softly and left.