Chapter 9: Who Did This to Her?

FINNIAN

I came back from my brother's order to kill one of the elders who had disobeyed him and ran away. The bastard knew I would be sent after him and still packed his things, leaving his wife and kids behind like nothing mattered.

Coward.

Well, I brought his head back, just as my brother requested. As I stepped out of his chamber, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest.

What the hell?

That wasn’t from me. It didn’t feel like mine. It came from someone else. But who?

"Do you know, Marlin?" I asked my wolf.

He shook his head in my mind. 'I didn't feel anything either.'

I shrugged the feeling off.

Maybe it was nothing. I turned to look out of the hallway, ready to head to my house, not too far from the palace, but I paused.

I hadn’t seen Isolde since yesterday. Not even once.

How was she?

How would she be doing by now?

‘Stop thinking and go check her,’ Marlin said, sounding like a bossy old man.

I rolled my eyes. "You're trying to control me now because of her?"

‘I don’t know. You’re thinking about her like your heart’s tied to her. You cherish her.’

"Cherish her? Come on, Marlin. That’s not true. I’m just worried about her health."

‘If you say so.’

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And just like that, he went quiet and melted back into sleep.

Seriously?

I kept walking down the corridor, heart suddenly heavy.

Why do I feel this way? Like something’s wrong?

Did something happen? To Velin? Or Isolde?

There was only one way to find out.

When I got to the hallway near her chamber, I saw Daze and Jared.

They both bowed quickly. “Welcome, Prince Finnian.”

I patted their shoulders at the same time without replying. My eyes searched past them.

“Is the Queen... inside?” I asked, nearly choking on the word 'Queen'. I didn’t want to disrespect her in front of my men.

“Yes, Prince,” Jared replied.

But Daze... he looked strange. Like he was hiding something. His eyes shifted away, and he bowed again.

“Is everything alright, Daze?” I asked, squinting.

“Yes. Definitely. Yes,” he said too quickly.

Weird behavior for a trained warrior.

“Get a hold of yourself,” I said and smacked his shoulder before walking into the room without knocking.

What was I thinking?

Every time I’m near her, I act out of line.

But all thoughts stopped when I saw Marie. She was dabbing a folded wet cloth on Isolde’s head.

I rushed forward. “What’s wrong with her?”

Marie stood quickly and bowed. She tried to lay Isolde’s head on the bed, but I slipped in and replaced it with my lap.

Her body was burning hot.

“Tell me now, Marie. What happened to her? Who did this to her?” I growled.

Marie flinched, her hands trembling. “I-I don’t know what happened, Prince. I came in and found her like this.”

“She woke up not long ago... then fell back asleep. I’ve used everything I could to cool her down, but it’s not working.”

“And my brother? Did you inform him? Did he call the pack doctor?”

She purred lightly in my lap. Her body shifted.

“Ariana said... the King doesn’t want to hear anything about her,” Marie whispered.

My jaw tightened.

She stirred, her hand moving to my stomach. My body responded before my brain did. As she rubbed her head gently against me, my rod rose.

Damn.

“Marie?” she mumbled.

“You’re awake,” Marie replied.

She touched my stomach, then my arm, still not opening her eyes.

“When did you become like this?” she whispered.

“That’s Prince Finnian. I’m here,” Marie said, helping her sit up.

Her hot breath fanned my face as she looked into my eyes.

"Prince Finnian," she whispered close to my face, I couldn't look away from her lips.

"Yes," I said, confirming who she was seeing.

“Where were you?” she asked.

"I..."

Before I could respond, she collapsed in my arms again.

My body tensed. Rage boiled inside me.

My eyes turned red without control, aura bursting out like wildfire. Marie dropped to the ground, trying not to meet my gaze. She crawled toward the door, trembling.

“Get Me The Pack Doctor Now!” I roared. The room shook with the force.

Daze and Jared burst into the room.

Marie ran out without waiting.

I turned back to Isolde, laying her gently on the bed. Then I walked to Daze. My hands transformed, bringing out my claws. I slapped him hard across the face. His skin tore, blood dripping out.

“Where were you when this happened to her?! Why do you think I assigned you both to guard her?!” I barked.

They bowed without flinching. Warriors. Of course, they wouldn’t shake.

“Answer Me!”

“We didn’t have the power to stop the King’s order,” Jared said.

Stupid answer.

I grabbed his neck and slammed him into the nearest wall. “But you had the power to defy my order?!”

He groaned, wincing as he stood back up, brushing off the dust like it didn’t hurt. But I was sure, it did.

“King ordered us to bring her to his room yesterday,” Daze finally said. “Marie passed the message. We thought... we thought he wouldn’t hurt her.”

His room?

Why?

What for?

I couldn’t ask them because they were just blind followers, too stupid to see danger when it was in front of them.

Can’t they see she’s never safe in this pack? With anyone but me?

No. I needed to go straight to him. My brother would explain himself.

He better have a damn good reason, or I’d rip it out of him myself.