The Cruel Prince of Wolves

11

Val winced at the wailing servant. "What's wrong with her?"

A healer hunched over on the maidservant while two guardsmen held her down on the floor. They were in the halls near the kitchen. His relentless search brought him near that part of the palace. Val hadn't recognized her but her clothing told him she's one of the servants stationed in the kitchen.

"She seemed to be displaying classic symptoms of moon madness." Said the healer. "Hallucination, anger, foaming of the mouth." Moon madness is a disease werewolves get when their minds start to fall apart. It is the stage before a werewolf becomes feral and after that, there's no turning back. This usually happens when a wolf has been separated or rejected by their mate or when a wolf has been expelled from a pack. Werewolves are not solitary creatures; they need to belong in a pack or else they risk slowly losing their minds. This is why a wolf kingdom came to be in the first place. To have a safe world for werewolves to exist freely and safely away from witches, vampires, humans and otherworldly creatures that would wish to harm them.

He watched the servant scream. He had never seen anyone consumed by the disease before. It was strange that the disease took the servant so fast. It bewildered him, concern lick his mind. It usually took months and even years for it to become a full blown sickness. "Does the disease progress this rapidly?" He asked the healer, he knew what the answer was but wanted to get a professional opinion. The coincidence is too convenient for his liking. The same day a high demon had decided to show up in the palace, a strange incident befall on his people. It has been a while since a situation like this happened. As a matter of fact, three years. The demon stopped coming around tormenting Val as soon as he sent Ramona away and now that she's back, that same demon is back to spread chaos and taunt him all over again.

"No, sire. This is a strange phenomena. In my years of experience, I have never witnessed moon madness progressed this quickly."

Val was contemplative. "This is not normal, take her to the infirmary and see to it that she's taken care of." There's only a few creatures that could break a wolf's mind instantly and he feared one of them was still lurking among the dark walls of his home.
He suddenly had the urge to check on Ramona again, to make sure she's safe. He had assigned numerous guardsmen to keep her safe and also moved her to a different bedchamber since theirs needed to be cleaned and furnished. He almost went back but stopped himself, reminding his person that Ramona is still angry at him.
He sighed. When is she not angry with him?

Ramona slammed the door to the guardsmen's face and locked the door as soon as she entered her temporary bedchamber. There doesn't seem to be a moment of peace ever since she came back to this place. Most of it was because of Val, his constant worrying and anxiety that made her think he picked up moon madness from all his antics. She let herself fall on the bed exhausted, it has been a long day and she couldn't wait for it to be over.

A cool crisp of familiar air descended in the room. A calming sensation that soothed her blood. She had felt this earlier this afternoon at the courtyard. A sensation she couldn't explain. She lifted her head slowly and curious as she searched for the source of it, having a sudden feeling she's not alone but couldn't find anyone else in the room with her. It must be her imagination messing with her again. Her mind likes to play tricks on her, making her see images of the demon she bargained with.

She found herself lulled to sleep before her mind could wander into something else.

Lilibeth was flying into the dark library, demurely crying. Val had made his way to the library inspecting every nook and cranny of the wing. It was a large library with wooden stairs that spiraled up to another floor of shelves tall as pillars stacked with books. A central floor with worn and well used tables and chairs situated on a layer of beautiful persian rug that decorated the terracotta tile flooring. It also boasted a balustrade that wrapped the entire second floor with a view of the reading area below. The library has a collection of antique and rare books, books that are no longer in publication, first edition books, hand written books, scrolls from ancient times, books about demons, books about faeries, witches, vampires, history of werewolves, humans, mating, gods. Anything a mind could possibly conjure, the palace library has it.

She threw herself at Val trembling and tearing up in fear. "Val, darling."

Val bared his teeth at the sound of his name affectionately leaving Lilibeth's mouth. He went rigid at the sensation of her body uninvitedly pressed to his but did not push her away. "What is this about?" He hissed. Hasn't the woman noticed he's busy?

"A twilight is in my room."

He sighed agitated, this could be another one of her attempts to get attention.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Have you seen it?"

"Val!" She protested.

"Prince Val." He corrected, Lilibeth had been too familiar with him ever since he picked her up as a divergent for Ramona. She doesn't know it, but that has been the main reason why he did it. To tell a lie.

"Prince Val." Lilibeth exhaled annoyed.

"Show me." He said, his words sounding more of a command.

Lilibeth guided him to her room, she positioned herself hiding behind his back like she could use the prince as a shield. They paused at the door, Val peeked inside and noticed dimness. A single lantern flickered inside the room, making shadows dance on the walls that may as well give her the illusion of demons. His senses told him a twilight may have been in the room earlier but there's nothing left in the room that should be a concern to him. "There's no twilight here, you should be safe."

"But I'm afraid. I swear to Luna I saw a twilight moving around in there."

"Aren't you a werewolf?" Said Val. "You could easily rip a twilight in half literally by a finger."

Lilibeth whined and came up closer to him, clinging to his strong bicep. "I'm not trained in combat. You can't expect me to fight a twilight?"

So much for being a daughter of an alpha. It was Val's turn to be annoyed. "You literally just have to claw them and they will disintegrate into ash."

Of course, easy for a strong alpha prince to say.

"Won't you stay with me? I'm scared."

"Have you got moon madness, woman?" The audacity to even ask but remembered he was supposed to sell a lie that he's in love with this woman. He went back on his words immediately. "I supposed I could grant you guards to watch your door tonight."

"That's not what I asked. I don't want guardsmen watching my door, I want you." Her arms moved to hug around his neck.

Val grabbed her wrists and broke the lace of her arms from his neck. "That is an impossible request." His nights were reserved for guarding Ramona's safety while she slept. She may think him crazy for pacing back and forth like a deranged animal but he was doing it all for her. If only she knew, he thought. How far he would go to protect her.

"Why not?"

He frowned. This woman just won't let it go.

"The alpha prince is busy protecting the palace." A smooth voice interrupted much to Val's relief. Renin emerged from the halls striding lightly. He wore a gray tunic, black breaches, high boots and a sword fastened on his side. His long brown hair tied in a low bound on the back of his head, trailing behind him were his own guardsmen to command, having completed safety protocol from another area of the palace. He nodded at his brother. "We have turned this place inside and out. I don't think Midnight is anywhere in the palace."

Val nodded in relief, he trusted his brother to do his job thoroughly and diligently. "Very well, I shall call this operation off. You may now return to your posts." He announced. The guardsmen disbanded and disappeared into the halls. Left in awkward silence are Val, Renin and Lilibeth. Renin brought his gaze from Lilibeth to Val, venom on the way his gaze lingered on Val. He did not agree to the improper affair between these two and he's not afraid to hint it. It hurts Ramona and it upsets him. Val doesn't know how lucky he was being married to a woman who would endure a lot for her shitty husband. He knows it's just a matter of time before he pulls his brother to the side and speaks to him about his concerns.

"Should I check on Mona? Make sure she's okay?"

Tension rose on Val's shoulders, he hated the way Renin spoke to him and judged him in front of other people. "That's not necessary." He said too quickly. "I'm on my way to see her."

"Good. I will take it from here." He turned his gaze to Lilibeth. "Shall I escort you back to your room?"

Lilibeth stiffened, disappointment masked her face. "Fine."