77

77

Maverick's POV

The air around was tense. Everyone looked on at what had happened and calmly maintained their positions as safety was assured.

Regards looked at Mason's unconscious body and wondered just how strong I was. They knew that their Lycan King was powerful, but they did not know just how powerful I was. If you were there, you must have been familiar with Mason's infamy and were definitely surprised, even shocked, that I had taken him down so easily.

While I would have loved to gloat over the fact that I had just taken down an infamous Boogeyman, I knew that Mason was not at his full strength. Neither of us were at full strength, and if both of us were to clash at full power, the winner would be a complete mystery to me.

"Did you not hear what I said?" I asked a nearby guard in a commanding tone. "Take this man and lock him up," I repeated, not wanting to repeat myself once more.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard said, flinching slightly. He gestured for a few other guards to assist him in taking Mason away. In no time, Mason had been carried off the grounds, and I looked forward at my elders, who were all assembled at the scene.

They all had solemn looks on their faces, expecting my next order. The life of Maluna had been threatened, and they all knew that I was about to take drastic action. I knew that a king should keep his head at all times, and that was what I was trying to do right now.

If I allowed the murderous intentions toward Ryder to cloud my judgment, I might end up bleeding my kingdom into oblivion or even losing Celine in the process. Therefore, I took two long breaths and looked at my elders with a serious expression on my face.

"A meeting will be held tomorrow morning promptly. We all need some time to shake off the events of today. I need some time to properly clean myself and treat my wounds before I'm ready to preside over another meeting. In the meantime, ready yourselves and be aware that impunctuality will not be tolerated," I said sternly.

They all bowed their heads and kept looking at me solemnly.

"That will be all for now. You are dismissed," I said and dropped my head.

They all nodded in affirmation and began walking away with calmness and dignity. These were all aged men, and in their experiences over the years, they had attained a certain level of maturity that even in their movements caused one to feel reverent toward them.

In no time, all the surrounding elders had scattered, and I headed to the medical division for treatment.

The treatment took only twenty minutes, after which I commanded the nearby nurse to leave me be and direct me to the room where Celine was.

"Your Majesty, she is still healing. It would be best if we let her rest," the nurse said, concerned.

"I can assure you I have no intention of putting any strain on her. All I want to do is talk to her a little, and in the blink of an eye, I will be gone. Or do you think speaking a few words would be enough to leave a lasting trauma?" I asked, looking at the nurse with an intimidating gaze.

She cowered back a little and then bowed. "If you will, Your Majesty," she said and began leading me to another room.

I did not hesitate to follow her, and in no time, I was by Celine's bedside.

She looked far better than I had expected. After the nurses had treated all the superficial wounds she had and bathed her, she seemed completely fine and ready to engage in normal activities.

The nurse who had brought me had made sure to tell me that she was not yet in condition to talk for extended periods. The fear and grief she had suffered over the thought of losing Jarvis had dealt a psychological blow to her. If she continued putting a strain on her brain, she might suffer from serious PTSD.

Damaging Celine in any way was the last thing I wanted. Therefore, I intended to simply check on her and leave.

I looked down at her, and I could hear her heartbeat. The beat was that of someone who was awake, but I did not want to stress her too much by asking, so I simply decided to take her hand in mine. I held it firmly, not wanting to let go. I was terrified at the thought of not being able to hold her like this ever again if Ryder were to get his hands on her.

If the security of the kingdom had been inadequate today, Mason might have taken Celine back to Ryder, and the current comfort and relief I was enjoying might have been dashed to pieces.

"I'll never let Ryder have you. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you away from him, and I will never let you go. I will spend my days fulfilling your wishes and ensuring your happiness. I will make sure that you and your child will enjoy absolute comfort and joy you will never find anywhere else. And even if by any chance I make a mistake that lets you slip from my hands and fall into Ryder's, I will compensate by having whatever damage is done to you done to me, tenfold. I won't ever leave you, Celine," I said as a few drops of tears fell from my eyes onto her hand.

I quickly wiped them away and stood to leave. I didn't want to look back, as it was a painful reminder that I had once again failed to protect her as I should have. Who knew if the shock she had experienced today would cause some traumatic dysfunction in herself or the baby? I could not allow myself to keep messing up like this. I would make sure never to let her down again.

"You just said you want to leave me, and you’re already leaving right after saying it," I heard Celine's voice call weakly from behind me.

I turned around sharply to look at who was speaking. Her eyes were slightly open, and she had a knowing smile on her face.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked, wanting to confirm my earlier suspicion.

"I've been awake long enough to get a clear grasp of how you feel for me and my baby," Celine said.

I looked at her, now feeling slightly embarrassed. I knew that if she had been fully awake, I would never have said those words due to my pride or shame. Knowing that she had been listening now made me feel a wave of embarrassment, and the tension in the room grew for me.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed, Maverick. The words you just said give me great assurance and are exactly what I need to calm my mind at a time like this. From your words and tone of voice, I know that you are ready to protect me and my baby. You have no reason to say more than you already have because your words have touched me deeply, and I am glad that I was able to make such an impact on someone else's life. So long as you protect me from Ryder and keep me and my baby safe—especially my baby—I will be forever grateful to you," Celine said as she began to tear up a little.

I instinctively began to feel tears welling in my eyes, and I quickly brushed them away. The last thing I wanted was to seem weak in front of Celine. I was already embarrassed by the words I had said and how I had cried on her hand. Now she seemed to have appreciated my earlier words, and it gave me a joy I did not fully understand.

"I'll protect you to the end of my capability. I will make sure to do whatever I can to ensure the safety of you and your child. And one day, I hope that baby grows up to call me father, and I can call it son," I said softly.

"You don’t have to worry about that anymore, Maverick. This baby is already your son. Because the feelings you have expressed are those of a father, and your devotion to protect it is the same devotion as a parent's. This baby is going to grow up to be your son, and it will call you father. Whether it will be a son or daughter is still uncertain, but no one else will be the father of this child but you," Celine said softly.

A beautiful feeling of relief washed over me, and I rushed forward to her and encompassed her in a warm embrace.