Chapter 9

.ELNORA's POV.

Intoxicating!!!

The kiss left me breathless. But the taste was a beautiful sin. I had never felt so ashamed in my life. As a werewolf who was mated, I wasn't supposed to be aroused by a different shifter. But my panties were already damp. The urge to touch the taut muscles of King Gideon was growing on my skin.

I let him play with my lips. He kissed me harder to prove his claim over me. The kiss lasted longer than necessary until a roar broke off. Jada, the warrior dragon finally looked satisfied. It spared us one last glance before taking his wings off the sky. His roar kept reverberating on the seashore.

My cheeks were still hot like lava. It was impossible to maintain eye contact after what we had done. Gideon scoffed, looking up at the sky where Jada went off,

" Don't be so fucking proud! It was necessary! Jada wants me to protect you."

I blinked in surprise at his remark. I had no connection with dragons before. Something like a warrior dragon who dominated the war field had nothing to do with me. Then why would it want to protect me?

I didn't dare to ask any questions. King Gideon held my hands tight, dragging over to his dragon,

" Come with me! You will fucking tell us what had you done to Jada."

***

* Whip!*

" Tell us the truth!"

" NOW!"

* Whip!*

The last hit almost cracked my bone. I fell on my back as the whips continued to rain on my back. After King Gideon took me back, he left to attend to some urgent matters. He told me that the interrogation would be held later. But his mistress, Tiara didn't wait. She dragged me outside of my room, kicked my bones until they broke painfully, and continued the torture.

I begged her to leave me alone but she had turned deaf ears at my plea. She told me that it was her duty as a future queen to know my tricks. The maids encouraged me from my sides, watching the torture pathetically,

" Lady, just tell her the spell. You will die if you don't tell the truth."

What would I say? How will I know my connection with the dragon? What sort of truth will I tell?

Mistress Tiara scoffed with the chain in her grip, looking down at my scars in satisfaction,

" She will die whether she tells the truth or not."

Tears sprinkled from the corner of my eyes. I deserved to die indeed. My mate who was supposed to be my savior had given me to another man. What worth did I have anymore?

I cried harder as the whipping continued on me. The surroundings began to turn blurred in my vision. Perhaps a little more pain would make me forget all my pains from this world.

***

GIDEON'S POV.

" How is my prince doing?"

I asked with a smug smirk on my lips, standing in front of the prison. Prince Keegan, my Step-brother raised his head groggily. The earlier beating left a long scar across his handsome. Though he was a charming prince, he was no less than a sleeping monster.

Keegan growled, spitting blood on the floor,

" FUCK YOU!!!"

I smiled smugly at his suffering. I would have forgotten everything if he didn't involve himself with my family. My father planned to announce Keegan as his heir. But I sent him to hell before he could complete his wish. The guards from this secret prison informed me that Keegan tried to escape. Though he failed, it meant that someone was giving him a hand.

The chief guard warned him coldly,

" Careful! You are talking to the king."

Keegan replied with a scoff, his eyes sending me a murderous glare,

" HE IS NO FUCKING KING. HE IS A BASTARD! My father never acknowledged him."

A throaty laugh escaped my lips. I responded with a cold smile, leaning against the prison bar,

" A bastard who sits on your throne, brother. You are such a worthless heir who can't even control a single dragon. I have done a favor to our dear father by turning into a king. Don't you agree? Or should I summon the dragons and let them decide who is capable of being a king?"

Keegan's face crumpled in fear. I knew very well that he had no guts to face the dragon. Even though he was incapable of every aspect, our father insisted on him being the heir. Keegan swallowed hard, his eyes resting on me,

" Why don't you just... fucking kill me? Am I not a threat on your throne?"

My smile fell with the memories of my mother being eaten by the dragons. Her scream still echoed in my head and gave me nightmares. I replied sternly,

" You will pay for every blood drop from my mother, Prince Keegan. There is no death for you. Try to escape one more time. I will show you what hell looks like here."

Keegan snarled at me, clenching his teeth together,

" ONE DAY!! I WILL TAKE BACK EVERYTHING THAT IS MINE!"

I left him screaming manically. I wasn't going to show forgiveness to my enemy anymore. When I did nothing and left with my only family, I earned nothing but hatred from my father. His cruelty taught me that there was no room for generosity.

I headed back to my castle to interrogate my new slave. That damn girl had something in her body. Ever since the kiss, I couldn't shake off the feeling of her lips. A king wasn't supposed to kiss his slave. We never showered lover affection to slaves but I fucking did it to save her and didn't feel any regret in my heart.

I was passing the resting area of my warrior dragon. Just when I tried to cross, his caretaker ran to me anxiously,

" My king! Pardon but...Jada.. is anxious again. He is restless and violent for no reason."

I pinched the space between my brows. Jada was getting more and more troublesome. I opened my mouth to speak but something crossed my thoughts. Turning around, I cursed under my breath before running into the castle,

" Fuck...Find the slave. NOW!! Jada shouldn't be mad again."

I entered the slave quarter without any announcement. If Jada was mad, there was only a possibility that he was sensing something bad about Elnora. The maids all gasped in shock at my arrival. They moved from my way until I ended up watching Tiara with a whip.

Her cruel smile left me speechless as she looked down at something emotionlessly. Just as she raised her hand again to whip, I shouted at her,

" TIARA!! "

My eyes fell on the numb girl on the ground. Elnora was bleeding profusely. There were no movements in her body. Now I understood why Jada was getting anxious. I rushed to grab Tiara, my anger slipping out of control,

" HOW DARE YOU!! I told everyone to stay the fuck away from her."

Tiara looked scared but she scoffed at me, gripping the whip in her hand,

" You have no right to interfere in the slave quarter. Did you forget the rules? Looks like this new whore has charmed you. I can do whatever I want with her in the slave quarter."