Chapter 25 25
Venessa’s POV
The shock on Denzel’s face was unmistakable. I wasn’t supposed to be there of that, I was certain. Jalisa had sprung this on him deliberately. I could see it in the tightening of his jaw, in the way his eyes flicked to her with suspicion.
I had wanted to refuse. Gods knew I had. But refusing wasn’t an option. I needed to get through this without breaking, without giving anyone the satisfaction of seeing me unravel.
“What are you doing here?” Denzel demanded.
My head was still bowed, my posture carefully respectful. When I lifted my gaze to answer him, my voice remained steady.
“Princess Jalisa placed me in charge of her diet and her tea,” I said aloud.
Denzel’s eyes immediately shifted to Jalisa. He didn’t say it, but the accusation was there he knew she was scheming.
I served Jalisa first, then moved on to the king and the rest of those present. When I finished, I stepped back to the corner of the room, waiting quietly.
“She’s a healer, not a servant,” Denzel said sharply to Jalisa.
“Your fated who became a servant and then a healer can serve us whenever I request it,” Jalisa replied coolly.
The king’s gaze slid back to me, a flicker of anger flashing through his eyes before it was swallowed whole by something far worse lust. My stomach twisted. I realised then that he wasn’t looking at me as a healer at all. He had a weakness for pretty things, and I had just become one of them.
“She rejected me, and I accepted it,” Denzel said tightly. “You were there. What exactly is your problem, Jalisa?”
“I want my father to see what I deal with,” she said, her tone sharp. “Who I’m forced to compete with.”
I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole.
“Where are you from?” the king asked, his voice stern and unwelcoming.
“I’m a lone wolf,” I answered. “I grew up in a small cottage in the woods of Grey. My mother raised me. She was a healer.”
I gave him everything clean, simple facts. Nothing more.
“You look like a Lycan,” he observed, his eyes narrowing as he studied my features.
I lowered my head again.
“She is a werewolf,” Denzel snapped. “I have seen her wolf. And with all due respect, you have no right to question my pack member. You are a guest here.”
Still, the king’s gaze lingered on me.
“Give her to me as tribute,” he said calmly. “I need a healer in my palace.”
Fear shot through me like ice. I saw Jalisa smile, small and satisfied. This was exactly what she had wanted.
“No,” Denzel said firmly.
The king looked at him as though he had spoken a foreign language. “You dare defy me?”
Denzel rose to his feet.
So did Rayon.
“No. Venessa is mine,” Denzel said, his eyes dark as a moonless night.
“If not for this pregnancy, I would have let Venessa go,” he continued coldly. “But this is where I draw the line. I have a one-year contract with Jalisa. She is free to leave once that year is complete. I will not give Venessa to you. If you want a healer, find one there are plenty in the wilderness. Venessa is off-limits.”
My heart leapt painfully in my chest.
Nigel and Denzel still want us, Nyla purred with quiet satisfaction.
“If you cheat on my daughter or break her heart,” the king warned, “I will strip you of everything you own.”
Denzel opened his mouth to respond, but Rayon stepped in first.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, only King Jamar has that authority,” Rayon said calmly. “Your daughter may bring any grievance before the shifter court. As for the healer you cannot take her. I wouldn’t allow it even if you tried. She is mine.”
A true friend, Nyla purred.
The Lycan King exhaled slowly, his gaze sliding back to me, lingering far too long. Lust burned openly in his eyes now, and I knew with sick certainty that healing services were not what he wanted me for.
Denzel noticed it too.
“From now on, you will care for me,” Jalisa said sharply, reclaiming control.
I bowed my head. “Yes, Your Highness.”
I remained standing as they talked stood for hours while the king’s eyes followed me whenever he thought no one noticed. Two hours passed, filled with meaningless discussions. My feet ached, my legs trembled, but I didn’t move.
Finally, Denzel broke the monotony. “When do you depart, Your Majesty?”
The king looked at me before answering.
“I will stay the night.”
Relief washed over me for one reason only. If Rayon hadn’t claimed me as his, I had no doubt the king would have demanded me as entertainment.
“Very well,” Denzel said tightly. “A room will be prepared.”
Then he turned to me. “That will be all, Venessa.”
I moved to leave
“Wait,” Jalisa called. “I need you to arrange something for me to eat.”
Denzel growled low and dangerous, and I knew this ordeal was far from over.