Chapter 74 A Portal
Althea pulled on her silver cloak, raising the hood to cover her head. She fastened a thin veil across her face, hiding her features. With a steady breath, she closed her eyes and cast an illusion across the bedchamber—on the bed, a perfect image of herself lay sleeping, as if she hadn’t moved at all.
When the spell settled, she opened her eyes and lifted her hand in a slow, precise swirl. A faint shimmer formed in the air, widening into a small portal. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she willed it to obey.
“Take me to where Melva is.”
The portal opened with a soft hum, and Althea stepped quickly through. In the next heartbeat, she found herself inside the cold dungeon. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the sharp scent of iron.
Her eyes darted to Melva, who sat at the corner, her wrists chained and her body weak.
Althea’s heart broke, and tears streamed down her face.
Meanwhile, the moment Melva looked up, her eyes widened in shock. Even though Althea’s face was half hidden by the veil, she recognized her right away.
Althea pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Then she locked eyes with Melva, her voice slipping directly into the woman’s mind.
‘Don’t make a sound,’ Althea’s voice echoed gently in Melva’s mind, calm but firm. ‘I can’t stay long—I need to go back.’
The hallucination she created would only last for five minutes at most, so she had to hurry. Even opening a portal wasn’t easy for her anymore. It had been years since she last tried. Still, she was grateful that her burning desire to see Melva had guided her through, leading her to the right place within the portal.
Melva’s breath caught. Her lips trembled as she realized Althea was speaking inside her head.
‘I can read minds and communicate this way through the eyes,’ Althea continued gently. \[So trust me. Whatever you want to say, just think of it.’
Melva’s tears ran down her cheek like a rapid river. ‘My Lady is indeed so powerful! I’m so glad. You can also make a portal. That means you can escape from here.’
Althea didn’t answer. Instead, she lifted her hand and immediately began healing all of Melva’s wounds.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, and by the time she finished, her breathing was heavy.
She met Melva’s eyes and spoke into her mind, ‘I still need to sharpen my magic, Melva. Opening a portal and escaping won’t be easy for me yet. I need more time to master it. For now, focus on yourself. Soon, Simon will come to claim you as his mate. That will keep you safe—at least until my power is strong enough.’
She quickly pulled Melva into a hug and whispered softly, “I have to go now. I’m sorry, Melva…”
Without another glance, she stepped into the portal and disappeared.
As soon as Althea returned, the portal sealed itself shut, and the illusion she had cast over the chamber faded away. She staggered toward the bed, her strength nearly gone. The moment she reached it, she let her body fall onto the mattress with a weak thud.
Her chest rose and fell heavily. The energy she had spent on both the portal and the hallucination weighed on her body, leaving her drained to the bone.
But then she remembered she needed to change. Forcing herself to gather what little strength she had left, Althea slipped out of her cloak and veil, then quickly changed into her nightgown. All she wanted was to collapse into bed and sleep straight through the night, skipping dinner entirely.
She only hoped the Alpha King wouldn’t come to disturb her. Ever since he’d had her belongings moved into his own bedchamber—while the adjacent one was still being rebuilt—she had been forced to stay here.
“He should have just let me stay in a guest chamber,” she muttered under her breath before crawling back onto the bed. Within moments, exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted into a deep sleep.
Simon stood at the gates of the West Palace, not even sure how long he had been frozen there. His chest felt heavy, his thoughts tangled.
The moment he learned what had happened to his mate, Melva, his inner wolf had gone wild, demanding he run to her, tear through anything that stood in his way, and bring her back. But reason had chained him in place.
Unlike the Alpha King, who succumbed to the mate pull and who was clearly struggling to control the overwhelming power of the mate bond, Simon had always managed to hold himself back because he had once given his heart to another woman.
He drew in a long breath, forcing himself to move. Step by step, he entered through the gates and started toward the Queen Mother’s mansion. Yet his steps faltered when his gaze strayed to the heavily guarded Manor House across the grounds, the one where Princess Riela resided.
His chest clenched. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the ache. It wasn’t as if he had any chance with her. He had confessed his feelings once, and Riela had turned him down without hesitation.
He should have let go. He should have moved on. But he hadn’t. Not fully.
And now with Melva, his true mate, everything inside him was a storm of conflict, instinct pulling him one way, his stubborn heart pulling him another.
Simon opened his eyes again and forced himself to keep walking, though every step felt heavy.
Melva was his mate. That bond wasn’t something he could ignore, no matter how much he tried. When she was hurt, his wolf raged. And yet… a part of him still clung to Riela, the princess who had never once looked at him the way he longed for.
It was foolish. He knew it. His wolf knew it. But the heart didn’t follow reason.
He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. If he gave in to the pull with Melva, would that mean betraying what he once felt for Riela? Or was he already betraying Melva by holding back, by refusing to accept her completely?
The thought made his chest twist painfully.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. His wolf growled inside him, restless and impatient. \[She is ours. She is suffering. And you hesitate?\]