The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 238: A pleasant moment.

Chapter 238: A pleasant moment.

Kaisun smiled and leaned in, brushing his lips softly against hers. The kiss was tender, fleeting, but it stirred the hunger burning just beneath his skin. As he pulled away, the heat in his chest surged. Poisoning Shadow hadn’t been working well lately, and the lust he’d absorbed from the monsters was now pulsing, alive and violent, at his core.

"I’ve missed you so much," he murmured, his eyes flickering with a mischievous, dangerous light.

Ren reached up to undress herself, her slow movements catching his gaze like a snare, until he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"No!"

His voice was sharp, nearly trembling. It was hell holding himself back. Every part of him ached to touch her, to lose himself in her warmth, but he couldn’t. He refused to drown her in the corruption twisting inside him.

"What?"

Ren blinked, stunned. He had just rejected her. She was willingly giving her body to him.

"Go back to bed and rest," he said, releasing her hand. "I have to go somewhere."

Without another glance, he vanished. If he let his eyes linger on her naked breasts for even one more heartbeat, he wouldn’t be able to stop. The yearning inside him was no longer his alone, it was infected, tangled with the darkness of vampires. Even Shadow was resisting, begging to be poisoned again just to keep her safe.

Ren pulled her nightgown up to her shoulders, slumped on the bed, and curled her legs up, burying her face into the pillow. What was wrong with him? They hadn’t seen each other for months, and now he refused to be with her?

Kai stormed into the infirmary, dragging Agara aside with urgency. "Check my aura," he hissed. "I need to know how much of that vampire lust is still inside me."

Agara gave a curt nod and guided him to a quiet corner of a room. With a flick of his fingers, he summoned a sphere of magic and struck it against Kai’s wrist. The light shimmered, then faded, leaving Agara frowning.

"It’s only decreased a little. Barely noticeable, even after days," he muttered. "I can’t heal you here. I’d need sacred herbs to fully cleanse your aura."

Kai’s fists clenched. "How did this even happen?! I’ve been around vampires before, and it never affected me like this. Their lust never touched my aura."

Agara sighed, shaking his head. "It’s the prison, the influence of the Gods’ prison is higher than what we thought. Those tunnels must have weakened your aura, just like your father’s punishment once did. Anarya had to cleanse you then. But I’m not as powerful as she was." He paused, lowering his voice. "Why don’t you tell Reneira?"

Kai instantly shook his head. "You promised not to. She’s pregnant. I won’t burden her with this. I’ll find another way."

Agara’s eyes glimmered with concern. "Then at least try not to lose your temper. Rage amplifies it, the desire, the corruption."

He didn’t say what he was thinking: he doubted Kai could endure this for long. Agara himself had once faced this torment centuries ago, and only Anarya’s strength had saved him. But now... there was no one left with that kind of power.

"That depends on who I cross paths with," Kai muttered darkly.

The next day, the shifters watched silently as the human armies marched. Their caravans rumbled toward the borders, toward the promise of warmer lands.

Alpha Xander, leader of the River Pack, stood beside Alpha Elcar of the Meadow Pack. Both had their gazes fixed on a single figure among the crowd.

"I still can’t believe Elaika is helping the humans load their carriages," Elcar said with a smirk, his tone laced with quiet scorn.

"She’s changed," Xander replied stiffly. "But that doesn’t erase the fact that she killed two of my Gammas."

His hands clenched at his sides. The feelings he had for her, growing stronger every day, twisted like thorns beneath his skin. The bond between them burned, and it took everything in him not to reach out, not to claim her.

"Why don’t you just forgive her?" Elcar asked gently. "You’ve marked her. Everyone knows you’re mates."

He wasn’t trying to pry, but he also couldn’t ignore the truth: this bond might be the only hope of uniting the fractured wolf clans. Without it, discord festered, weakening their power in the eyes of the other shifters.

They were, after all, the royal bloodlines of Thegara. If they continued to stand divided, they’d invite vultures, ambitious, greedy souls, eager to tear down their legacy and seize the throne for themselves.

The silence between the two Alphas stretched, heavy and taut, until Xander finally spoke.

"She’s a wicked murderer. How can I trust someone like that in my room?"

Alpha Elcar had no answer. Truth be told, he wouldn’t trust her either. Sharing a room with Elaika was dangerous enough, sharing a bed with her was madness. And yet, everyone knew how hopelessly she loved the Alpha King. She had crawled into his bed more than once, driven by obsession, forcing his hand in ways few dared.

Their conversation ended abruptly as Rail approached.

"We’ll stay here for three days," he announced. "After that, we move. The people of Ice Land will have to defend themselves."

Elcar frowned. "Can they fight off wandering vampires on their own?"

"We’ll leave them silver weapons and poison," Xander said, his voice fading into the wind as the great golden dragon soared above them. The sky darkened momentarily under its wings.

The King of the Seven Kingdoms was on his final patrol, preparing to retrieve his heir after the meeting and begin the long journey to Alvonia.

"King Benkin and his heir will stay with us for three days," Elcar said, glancing at the sky. "Do you think their meeting with the sorcerers will amount to anything?"

"Let’s hope so," Xander muttered. "I’m tired of the gore. The stench of vampire blood, no matter how many battles I fight, I’ll never get used to it."

Inside the stone-walled kitchen, the scent of simmering broth filled the air as Ren and Gloria helped Arkilla prepare a meal for little babies who craved it in Ren’s belly.

"Add more potatoes!" Gloria chirped, peering into the pot.

"You should’ve gone with the army," Reneira said, tossing in another handful. "It’s too cold for you here."

Gloria rolled her eyes. "To be honest, I stayed because I didn’t want to be alone with Minister Karon and his men. The way he looks at me... it gives me the creeps."

Arkilla set her knife down and turned to face them. "Do you regret letting Araben die?"

Gloria shook her head without hesitation. "Not at all. Torture was her pastime. If she didn’t like someone, she made sure they suffered or died in the worst way possible."

"Good," Arkilla replied briskly. "Then ignore her grandfather too. But watch yourself around the prince of Al-Delone... What was his name again?"

"Prince Zovar," Ren said, narrowing her eyes. "Gloria, I forgot to ask, has he ever tried to approach you?"

Gloria lowered her gaze, quietly slicing tomatoes. "Yes. He used to help me during riding lessons... always boasting about their prized battle horses."

Ren reached out and gently grabbed her wrist. Her voice came out rough and tight. "Be careful with that one, or anyone who tries to win your heart instead of putting a dagger to your throat."

Gloria gave her a small, uneasy smile. "I’m not his friend. Don’t worry."

The King had once told her to keep her enemies close. She intended to follow that advice, if only to keep the peace, not because she trusted them, just to ease the court’s tension.

Ren let go of Gloria’s wrist and sighed. "Forgive my rudeness. I shouldn’t tell you what to do. I’m just... worried. I feel guilty leaving you alone to deal with those cruel houses."

Gloria gently rubbed her back. "I have House Qowen’s support. And there are powerful houses in the other realms willing to stand with us. Don’t let these worries weigh you down. You’re pregnant, and this place has already ground out your strength."

Ren nodded slowly. "You’re right. I’m just so tense about the meeting. The last time we captured Lutherieth... I nearly lost my husband."

"We remember," Arkilla said softly, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around them. "But now... everything’s changed. You’re not alone. A stronger force is coming."

"Your children matter more than anything right now," Gloria added, placing her hand gently on Ren’s belly. "Come on, let’s finish the meal. Your appetite is clearly demanding." She winked, then turned to the oven and pulled out the fresh-baked bread.

Arkilla grinned. "Humans are so lucky... having a Queen who can bake bread."

Laughter filled the kitchen, warm and light, and the tension slowly dissolved.

Outside the door, Elaika stopped in her tracks. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the sound of their laughter froze her. Her heart ached. She had never known a moment like this, so simple, so real. A space where women could speak their fears openly and be met with comfort instead of judgment. A lump rose in her throat.

All her life, she had surrounded herself with women who praised her, and bowed to her with hypocrisy. But none had ever warned her when she was wrong. None had ever offered her the truth of genuine sisterhood.

These women cook for themselves, and they hug each other when they need it. Things that were dreams for Elaika, they simply did it.

"Hey Elaika, why are you standing there, come join us." Reneira invited her.

Elaika snapped out of her reverie, "Ah, I brought you more wood."

~*~

My dear readers, Here is an announcement. This volume ends this week, and we are going to meet the finale: House of Beasts and Ruins which is going to be approximately 30 Chapters, Part One. This one will have multiple POVs. I want you to see what is going on across the World Of Garaith. Hm, yes, Garaith is the name of this world that you are reading about, meaning: The world that was created by different shades of light.

The final volume is my favorite one among the three Volumes so I hope you all enjoy it as well.