Chapter 32 Jealous hound
“Lady Crystal!” Evyths bent, her eyes darting to the ground.
“She is pretty!” Crystal whispered to Valerio, who smirked.
“I think so too!” he snapped under his breath as they headed off.
Raven followed, furious over the prince’s compliment. It was clear to her that Evyths had worked her way into Valerio’s heart while she was away.
“You are still breathing?” Raven asked Evyths as soon as she fell in step beside her, while Valerio and his niece kept talking about their past encounters and hunting sprees.
“- I don't understand, Lady Raven—”
“Quit shivering like that. That won't fool me. I know so much about your trickery,” Raven interjected, rolling her eyes. “He complimented your weird genes—you have bewitched him only because I was not there. He might have rejected me, but that was out of… anger,” she said, and Evyths chuckled, knowing full well that Lady Blackwin was only acting out and lying. “I am here to take my place,” Raven blurted out, snapping Evyths out of her thoughts.
“I was not competing with you, Lady Raven. I am only his test object and plaything. I don't match your beauty or status,” Evyths snapped sarcastically, though Raven straightened bravely despite the mockery.
“I am glad you know!” Raven said, her unhurried tone hanging between them as she vanished and appeared beside the prince and Crystal.
For Evyths, questions remained unanswered. Who was Crystal, and why was the prince barely furious at Raven? The same girl who poisoned the king Bathory?
What was happening?
Evyths asked herself, her feet carrying her wherever the prince was going.
…
After a very short while, they pulsed into the royal orchard, where no one dared to go. Except that Valerio instructed Vance to lock Lady Blackwin before granting her an audience to speak with him and present evidence.
Lady Blackwin glanced at Evyths like an outcast, reeling with anger. To her, Evyths should have been the one dragged to a dungeon, not her. Again, she felt disrespected by Valerio.
Evyths averted her gaze from Raven. She didn't want trouble, nor did she want to linger around the prince while everyone watched her like prey, but the prince’s orders stood firm. No one dared to touch Evyths.
Evyths slowed her steps, her fingers crossed below her midriff.
Valerio stared in her direction, his gaze blazing with desire as he spoke with Crystal.
This time, their conversation was stifled, a secret Evyths did not know.
When Crystal swerved toward Evyths, Valerio wrapped a hand over Crystal’s shoulder.
“Dear Goddess! Is she that special to the prince? Is she really just his niece, or is there more? He's so close to her, and I've never seen him close to any woman… except me. I'll die of conclusions…” Evyths debated in her mind while she stared at them.
“Eva?” Crystal called, beckoning to Evyths.
“Well, I’ll be the only one calling her that. Like I'm the only one calling you ‘Strawberry moon’,” Valerio calmly addressed his niece, stroking her silver hair.
Crystal chuckled, clawing at his big arm playfully.
“Of course, Uncle D’Arcy,” Crystal snapped. By now, Evyths was standing before them, her gaze refusing to break.
“Eva, I have an added task for you!” Valerio’s authoritative voice cut through the breezy atmosphere, streaks of red in the sky.
“You will cater to my niece, watch her, and protect her. But I must inform you, she is an outdoor recreational bat. You may… exercise your hunting abilities with care,” he stated, and Evyths bent immediately.
“Yes, my prince, but I cannot protect her. I am unfit—”
“Strawberry? Would you like to settle in now? I have a pressing matter to settle with Lady Blackwin, and afterward, with the commander…” Valerio cut Evyths’ statement, shoving them into the dust.
“Yes, your highness. But… may I ask one thing?” asked Crystal, and Valerio nodded.
“I want her to stay in my room at all times.”
The request was odd, and Valerio was somewhat skeptical, while Evyths completely loathed the idea.
Being thrown into the arms of a young, agile, teenage vskpre was exasperating and crushing. It was like jumping into the dragon’s mouth as a sacrifice.
“That is done, but... go ahead while I discuss with Evyths…” he said, splitting his gaze between both ladies.
“Discuss? You never discuss, Uncle. You speak, and it stands!” Crystal pointed out truthfully, and Valerio scoffed lightly, stung by Crystal’s honesty.
“Go ahead, Crystal. I will come to see you so we can play a deadly game!” he grinned at her, squeezing her shoulder lightly.
“Love that!” Crystal bent and vanished. As soon as she did, Valerio snatched the air with his left arm, and Crystal appeared in his tight grip.
He quickly dropped her, a sly, disappointed expression on his face.
Evyths was stunned.
“No shadow sighting, okay? This is confidential, okay? You can’t eavesdrop on us whatsoever, Strawberry!” he gently scolded the girl while she pulled a sad face, walked away, and then vanished.
When Valerio was convinced that his niece had finally left, his gaze shifted to Evyths, who was barely processing the shock.
“Jealous hound!”
“Jealous hound? How do you mean... Your highness?” Her face tightened as she instantly masked it with a straight, unbothered expression.
“If you wish to know, Crystal is my mate. I've marked her—”
“You-” Evyths swallowed the rest of her words, clearly disappointed by his statement.
She knew there was a possibility, because vampires were known for marrying to keep their circle unfiltered by humans or any other species.
“Does it bother you?” asked the prince, enjoying the banter that clearly hurt Evyths.
“N- no, no no! Your highness, I couldn't be. May your union be… fruitful!” she managed to say, straightening up.
“Good.” He snapped, drenched in pride he did not fail to flaunt. “My matters aside, you will cater to Crystal’s needs. Protect and take care of my mate at all costs, even if it means exchanging your life for hers,” he stated with a small smirk complementing his sharp, beautiful yet venomous features.
He attempted to leave as Evyths spoke up.
“Do you hate me this much?” she blurted out, her tone shaky and hurt.
His gaze fell on her, a pang striking his chord. “Hate werewolves? I certainly do, but not you!” he snapped.
“You are walking into the arms of a predator. You certainly know that I cannot protect a vampire, nor can I hunt or shift or anything. At the mere sight of my wolf, it will attract my dead end.” she explained.
“I see. I do not discuss my intentions with anyone. I give you a task, and you carry it out. I have catered to you; you will also return the favor squarely!” he stated with a firm tone that left Evyths all the more.
Why had he suddenly changed toward her? What was the offense?
When the prince reached the bottom of the hallway that led them out of the orchard, she spoke up after mustering her last courage at that time.
“What have I done to you? Why are you... different?”
He halted in his steps, blank in expression. He had a reason to push her away. His feelings for her conflicted, and it was getting suspicious, putting a strain on her.
He decided, at the very end, that he would keep an arm’s length to protect her, even if it meant risking what they shared.
“Do as I have asked!” he said and vanished, out of her reach.
It hurt her. His actions. His words. His nonchalance.
Everything hurt her and she bled herself for believing that a vampire could soften towards her.
She believed that her very mistake was trusting a vampire that moved like a serpent.
Evyths collected herself with a firm resolve to ignore the prince henceforth and do as he had asked.
Clearly, he had no feelings for her right after he had taken her virginity that she had freely given out to him.
…
When Evyths reached Crystal’s door, she heaved a sigh, lifting her knuckles to knock on the door as a voice halted her movement.
“You have lived with vampires for some time. Should you not have mastered their way of living?”
She gently spun in the direction of the voice. She discovered that it was Lucian—the mysterious vampire.
She swallowed hard, steadying her breath. “I am not one,”
“Yet, you have lived with one and escaped their wrath. Loved one. Made love to one!” as blunt and raw as it sounded in her ear, he was telling the truth.
He approached her smoothly, his feet barely touching the floor as if the silent wind carried him.
“Do you… Need anything, Sir?” she asked, her fingers clasped behind her clumsily.
“Do I? Have I spoken the truth or not?” he asked, his deep tone was calm very unhurried. Sleek like linen, yet sharp like poison.
Evyths’ silence only meant the truth to him.
“I am not judging you. I am simply talking to you as a… friend. I have watched and studied you, we have so much in common. Abandoned. Unloved. Hated. Beaten. I know the pain that you feel. Just like your pack has tortured you, someone also broke me.” Lucian said, standing over her like a shadow.
Evyths was surprised. She heard his story from Valerio, he had lived with his mother throughout his life and so who could have inflicted such pain on him? Was it the late king?
“Someone? Who could that be?” she finally asked, trying to process his words.
“My mother!” he snapped, his lips formed a sad, hurt smirk as he walked away into the shadows where he had appeared from.
How did Lorena, who was painted to be kind-hearted torture her son?
She asked herself as she finally entered Crystal’s room with thoughts that bombarded her mind cruelly.