Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 115: There might be only one way to stop the pain in my chest.

Chapter 115: There might be only one way to stop the pain in my chest.

"Cough... cough... cough."

Sorayah continued to cough violently the moment she managed to swim out of the freezing river...the same one Dimitri had warned they would fall into, and unfortunately, they had. Her soaked body trembled uncontrollably as she collapsed onto the wet grass, her fingers curling into the cold earth in an effort to ground herself.

The sounds of rushing water filled the air, accompanied by the distant chirping of birds and the mournful howling of the wind. The temperature in the forest had plummeted further, chilled even more by the icy river that wound through the trees.

Dimitri sat beside her for a moment, watching in silence, but soon he rose to his feet and vanished into the forest without a word. Sorayah, still shivering and breathless, didn’t even register his absence. Her mind was preoccupied with the sharp cold cutting through her limbs and the ache in her bones.

Minutes passed before Dimitri returned, his arms full of dry wood. He knelt down and, with efficient movements, lit a fire that soon crackled to life. The warm glow flickered across his features as he took a seat beside the flames. Sorayah instinctively inched closer and began rubbing her hands together in a desperate attempt to generate warmth.

Dimitri turned to her, his emerald eyes steady.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked, his tone low, though concern laced his words.

Sorayah rolled her eyes with a sharp, shivering breath. "Can you please stop asking questions, Your Highness, when you’re the reason I’m suffering in the first place?" she snapped, her voice trembling. "You can clearly see I’m not okay, and yet here you are, pretending to care."

Dimitri gave a soft scoff, as though letting her words roll off his shoulders. "Oh, well. We need to return to the palace now," he said as he rose and dusted off his trousers. "Training resumes tonight." He reached out a hand to her. "Let’s go, Sorayah."

Sorayah exhaled heavily, hugging her arms around herself. "Just go," she muttered. "I’ll meet up later."

"Meet up?" Dimitri echoed with a raised brow. "You’ll get lost in this forest without question. We’re going together....now." Without giving her the chance to argue further, he stepped forward and reached for her hand to help her up.

But a sudden scream escaped Sorayah’s lips.

"My legs!" she cried, her expression contorting with pain. "I can’t feel them anymore! I told you to go...I’ll catch up when I can."

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed with concern. Without wasting a second, he gently helped her back down onto the grass, cradling her limp legs with care and placing them across his lap. "It’s probably the cold," he murmured. "Your circulation’s frozen. You’ll need a massage to bring the feeling back."

Sorayah’s eyes widened in alarm. "Huh? Wait! What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I’m doing?" he replied with a dry chuckle. He held her legs firmly in place as he began pulling off her wet socks, ignoring her protests. "Relax. I’m trying to help. You’ll be fine."

His hands, large and warm, wrapped around her icy feet. The contrast in temperature was immediate, shocking, and yet strangely comforting. Without further hesitation, Dimitri began massaging her feet and calves, his movements strong and practiced, his brows furrowed in focus.

Sorayah sat in stunned silence, watching him. His touch was surprisingly gentle, and to her dismay, the sensation was... pleasant. A muffled moan threatened to escape her lips, but she quickly covered her mouth with both hands. Slowly, tingles of warmth returned to her legs as blood began to flow again.

Just when she thought the massage would end, Dimitri suddenly bent his head, lowering his lips to her leg.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Your Highness!" she gasped. "W-What are you....?!"

But before she could finish the sentence, his lips pressed against her skin. His kisses were slow, soft, and deliberate, sending electric pulses of warmth along her nerves. She instinctively tried to pull away, but he held her firmly, his grip unyielding yet still careful.

He continued planting kisses up her calves, his mouth hot against her chilled skin. Sorayah’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath catching with every lingering touch. Her moans were muffled by her hands, her face flushed with conflicting emotions...embarrassment, pleasure, confusion.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dimitri pulled away, his lips parting from her skin with a sigh of relief. The color had returned to her legs, and the numbness had faded.

Sorayah, flustered and shaken, hastily pulled her socks back on, her hands trembling. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice.

"Th...Thank you, Your Highness," she said, barely above a whisper.

But just as Dimitri opened his mouth to reply, he suddenly clutched at his chest, a sharp grunt escaping him. Pain was evident on his expression, and he turned away from her, as though ashamed to be seen in such a vulnerable state.

"Wait...what’s wrong?" Sorayah asked urgently. She scrambled closer, placing a hand on his bare chest without hesitation. "Are you alright?"

His breaths came in short, shallow gasps, and his eyes were clouded with something unspoken....pain, perhaps, or something darker. Sorayah leaned in, her worry overriding any previous discomfort or hesitation.

"Please," she whispered. "Tell me what’s happening to you."

"I’m fine. Are you?" Dimitri finally said, his voice strained and breathless, making Sorayah’s concern deepen.

"We should head back to the palace," he added, rising to his feet with visible effort.

Sorayah quickly stood up alongside him, worry etched across her face. "Let’s wait a little while longer, especially if you’re still not feeling..."

Before she could finish, Dimitri suddenly leaned in, and his lips pressed against hers.

Sorayah’s body stiffened in shock. This time, he wasn’t forcing any strange pill down her throat. Instead, he was kissing her...slowly, deeply, passionately. Her heart thundered wildly, echoing in her ears. A whirlwind of emotions stormed within her.. confusion, fear, warmth, and something dangerously close to longing.

Then, without warning, Dimitri bit her bottom lip.

A sharp sting shot through her. "Ouch..." she gasped, tasting the faint tang of blood.

Dimitri pulled away, panting heavily, his emerald eyes locked on hers, unreadable yet intense.

Before she could say a word, he effortlessly swung her over his shoulder.

"Put me down! I can walk just fine!" she protested, her fists lightly thumping against his back.

"Just shut up and relax," he muttered, effectively silencing her.

Then... whoosh.

The air around her blurred. Everything moved so fast she had to shield her eyes with her hands. Wind whipped against her skin, her fingers clinging tightly to his bare torso as if her life depended on it. Within moments, it was over.

When she blinked her eyes open again, she was back in her room...on her bed...wrapped in her covers. Dimitri stood by the door, calm and unmoved, as if he hadn’t just sped through the forest with her in his arms.

"H...How...?" Sorayah tried to speak, but the words tangled in her throat.

"Werewolf speed," Dimitri replied, answering the question she couldn’t finish. "Anyway, you still have an hour to rest. You should try to sleep before your duties resume."

Sorayah swallowed hard and gave a small nod.

But before he could leave, she sat up quickly. "Are you okay though?" she asked, her voice softer, more serious.

"You should rest," he said again, more curtly this time. He turned to leave.

But something in her stirred... an impulse she didn’t understand. She sprang to her feet and rushed after him, catching his wrist before she could second-guess herself.

"I can make you some hot tea," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And... I can check on you, just to be sure."

"I said...."

Before he could finish his sentence, Sorayah tugged him back into the room and gently pushed him onto the edge of the bed. He didn’t resist. Not fully.

She turned toward her small tea table and began boiling water, her hands moving with practiced grace. Once the kettle whistled, she prepared two cups. With her back still turned to him, she bit the tip of her finger until blood welled up, and with a glance over her shoulder, she let a drop fall into one of the cups....his.

She turned and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Sorayah," Dimitri said, taking the tea from her with a slight nod. He blew gently on it before sipping.

As he drank, Sorayah stood beside him, leaning closer as she carefully placed two fingers on his wrist to check his pulse. Her brows furrowed in concentration.

"You know medicine?" he asked, watching her with interest.

"Just a little, Your Highness," she replied, still focused on his pulse. "Enough to keep myself alive... and my master."

They were so close now that she could feel his warm breath brushing against her cheek. She was just about to lean away, satisfied with what she had felt, when Dimitri suddenly reached out and pulled her into his lap.

"Your Highness?" she gasped, eyes wide with alarm. Her palms pressed against his chest as she tried to steady herself.

"Now that I think about it," Dimitri murmured, his voice low and husky, "there might be only one way to stop the pain in my chest."