𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

{Plot 3}• CHÀPTÊR XVIII

𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐔𝐒 ♣🜲

I watched her chest rise and fall, small snores erupting from her throat. She had finally fallen asleep in my arms. She was so distorted and all she did was cry, it made my heart clench to see his hand prints on her skin. Even worse to see what that bastard had caused the love of my life.

I was so stupid. I should have known it was a trap to lure me out of the castle. I should have been smarter, Vandal had always been vengeful but this- this was too far. He had hurt the one I loved, the only one who was not meant to get caught up in all this vengeance and power struggle. His fight was with me but now he had declared his graveyard by coming for her and I will make sure he got what he deserved.

Pushing myself to my feet I leaned down and placed a lingering kiss to her forehead before turning away and strolling out of the room. Quietly I shut the door behind me, careful not to wake her.

"Tell me" I spoke immediately I spotted Ryker. We began our walk down the hallway towards the cells.

"There wasn't much damage done My Lord. The guards have been released from the cells and as for the princess's ladies most of them were unharmed, although--" he paused, making him turn to look at him. Ryker had this disturbed look on his face as he frowned down at the ground before he realised my stare and continued with a straight expression, "Anaise sustained some injuries inflicted by Griffon. She is in the infirmary currently getting her wounds cleaned"

"The elders have requested an audience with you when you're free of course" We stopped in front of the stairs that lead to the torture cell. We began our decent in silence but I could feel Ryker had something to say but he kept it to himself. I preferred the silence, there were so many things running through my mind, like how Vandal knew the exact moment I had left the castle. I intended to dig through the entire ambush and get all the information I needed from him whether he lived or not. I hated this, I hated her being in so much pain because of me. Because I wasn't smart enough to realise the danger. I wasn't a good mate.

"Is.. Is the princess alright? " Ryker asked finally breaking the long silence. His question was a cautious one, he was careful trying to see if it would set me off.

I shut my eyes, willing myself to keep calm for I needed all the rage in the next few minutes for what I was going to be doing. "She is fine Ryker. Terrified but fine" I kept it short and simple, it was important it stayed that way for currently even I was unaware of how she truly was. Before she'd fallen asleep in my arms out of exhaustion she had cried her eyes out, not saying a word she just held onto me and cried. It broke my heart, I didn't want to talk about it because I was a failure. I failed her, everyone. If I could go back and fix it all I would, I would stop it from happening  but I couldn't so now I would do what I could; I will make sure the man responsible would suffer dearly for what he did to the love of my life

He would die and the last thing he would see before his death would be my face. Only mine.

"Maximus is in front of my chamber doors correct?"

"Yes" Ryker answered before pushing the metal doors open for me. I walked in, my shoes echoing through the room, the sound bouncing off the walls. It smelt like debris and rotten skin. A single candle was lit, hanging off to the side just illuminating the room enough to see the person who sat in the wooden chair bound by ropes and chains. Half of his face could be seen, the half that wasn't bleeding out. He had his head hung low as drops of blood dribbled down his skin and tainted the tiles.

His body leaned forward, his arms bound behind him with chains laced with wolfsbane. Wolfsbane was illegal in Bludhäven. It was the one thing that could bring all wolves to their knees even I- although it would take a very large amount but I had recovered gallons of the illegal liquid from the Silver Moon pack. Originally I had thought to dispose of it as soon as I learnt of its presence in the castle but now I was thankful I hadn't for it would serve as a very useful tool to teach this bastard a lesson.