Chapter 179 Chapter 178
“I will… thank you,” she said, collecting the clothes from him and closing the door after him. Walking toward the bed, she laid the dress out and surveyed it. It was a lovely navy-blue gown that sparkled with gems. Rayena put it on and discovered it was several sizes too big. Well, it was just for her walk back to the harem.
She hastily dressed, thankful there weren’t excessive buttons to deal with, and was fastening the last hook when a much firmer knock rapped against the door. Rayena stiffened before hurrying to open it, finding Morvan behind it.
“Are you ready, miss?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Good. Let’s go,” he said, and Rayena quickly went back to pick up her cloak, donning it before following after Morvan.
“How’s the king now?” she asked as they walked side by side.
“He’s still asleep,” Morvan answered, his gaze fixed ahead. Rayena’s steps slowed, concern filling her. Morvan noticed and glanced at her. “Fret not. I’m confident that he will revert back. The poison in him has to fade; his wounds must completely heal before that can happen.”
“Are you sure I can’t stay here for a little longer?” she asked, her tone pensive.
“It would be best if you returned. If I do need you, I’ll be sure to summon you,” he said, and Rayena had to accept that.
They walked back to the harem, stopping just at the outskirts of the entrance. Rayena gazed at the huge building before her, and a disgruntled breath left her lips.
“I’d best go in now before others notice my absence,” Rayena mumbled. Giving a small bow, she muttered her thanks. “Have a great day. I’ll see you around.”
“I should be the one thanking you,” Morvan added solemnly, now meeting Rayena’s gaze. She saw the sincerity reflected in his eyes, and it startled her. “Thank you for helping the king.”
“No need to thank me for that. If I can help him in any way I can, I most definitely would,” she replied, a gentle smile on her face. Turning around, she hurried back into the harem, her dark cloak billowing behind her.
Morvan stayed, making sure she had entered the building before turning around and heading back to the palace. What neither of them noticed was a figure hiding away in the distance, eyes narrowed in fury. After both of them had disappeared, Ysolde came into full view, her lips pressed into a thin line, her entire body vibrating with rage.
This time, she was sure—Rayena had gone to see the king. Bitter anger blossomed in her chest at the thought.
She hated it.
Hated it so much.
.
.
.
In the cell where the wolf was locked up, a strange transformation began to take place. Claws receded into fingers and nails, and paws turned to hands. The wolf’s towering frame shrank to one-third of its original height; the fur on his body vanished, replaced by human skin.
Where once stood a colossal wolf, now remained a naked man with long blonde hair falling over his smooth face. Xenon’s eyes opened slowly, his vision blurry for a moment. He waited for it to clear before assessing his surroundings. No flicker of surprise bloomed in his chest when he realized he was in his underground cell.
But soon, he stiffened as he noticed something was different. The heaviness he used to feel whenever he returned from an episode was no longer there, and a sweet, pleasant smell lingered in the air, soothing him. He struggled to place where he had first noticed the scent, but when he did, horror struck him, his heart skipping several beats, blood running cold.
“Morvan!” he cried out, pulling at the chains. Pain shot up his arms as the spikes tore into flesh, but it was nothing compared to the dread coiling in his gut. “Morvan!!” he cried again, successfully breaking free from one of the chains.
Huh? He seemed stronger too.
Sounds of bolts unlocking filled the room, and the door soon burst open, with Morvan marching in, his movements urgent.
"Your Majesty, you're awake...!" he started out in surprise and relief but was quickly cut short when Xenon broke free from all his confines, charging at Morvan and slamming him against the wall. His eyes blazed with fury, veins popping on his neck as he grabbed Morvan, tightening his hold on him.
"Your Majesty, please, calm down!" Morvan forced out, his face already turning pink from fear and suffocation.
"I thought I said not to let Rayena in here!" Xenon roared, his irises flashing different colors as his beasts inched to the surface.
Morvan's eyes flared with panic before they mirrored anger. "Well, I tried not to!" he roared back, his own irises changing as his tiger reached the surface, and he met the King's strength with his—just barely.
"Then why can I smell her?! What did you do?!" Xenon snapped, teeth bared.
Morvan screamed, pushing the King back with all of his strength. Xenon only stumbled back a few steps, still poised to strike.
"I didn't drag her in here. She offered!" Morvan growled, taking a defensive stance, his gaze sharp. "She offered to come here and help. Somehow, she got you to release, and you fell asleep afterward. And now you're back in your male form."
"She. Did. What?" The softly spoken words were said with the intensity of one yelling. Xenon glared at Morvan, befuddled. The words hadn't registered yet.
It was Morvan's turn to be furious. He snapped. "Do you know for how long you were stuck in your wolf form? Three days!! Three whole days! If it had gone on a moment longer, you would have been considered a Feral One and put to death. Rayena saved your life!" he barked, his words echoing back to them.
The room spun around Xenon, the fight draining from him. Three days!? A Feral One? The words sounded strange to his ears. He couldn't believe he had been stuck in a rut for that long and that only Rayena had managed to bring him back. Still, the unease lingered.
"What about her? How is she now?" he asked, thankful his voice wasn’t betraying the dread he felt.
"She's fine," Morvan growled. "I just escorted her back to the harem."
"I didn’t hurt her?"