The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 41: Dark force

Chapter 41: Dark force

"Milady, stop worrying. Our generals will handle the issue in that village," Gloria recommended while brushing Ren’s hair, trying to send her to bed early. But it was impossible not to think about it. Who attacked the village? Did anybody get hurt? And why would someone do that?

"She is right, Luna Ren. That village is close to the gold mine; it is common to hear of thieves attacking."

Ren showed no exterior sign of improvement. Thegara’s borders were so weak that thieves could attack, loot the gold mine, and kill villagers. This was common knowledge. But this land wasn’t easy to enter. Those thieves could be coming from the deserts of the southeast or the north. Ren’s spine shuddered at the thought of the North. If it wasn’t for that massive river behind the mountain range, Thegara would have been attacked by those dead creatures. Thegara didn’t only share borders with Alvonia but also with Ice Land in the Northwest. Thankfully, the river and mountains stood between them.

"Everyone is afraid of His Grace. How daring are they to attack and cause such damage?"

"Empty stomachs, habit, power, and irritation, maybe!"

Ren looked at the doorway and winced. Her husband was standing in the dark, arms folded against his chest, looking at her. When did he come back? Neither of them had heard the slightest noise, not even Arkilla. He was moving around like a ghost.

Arkilla bowed her head and excused herself, clawing at Gloria’s arm and placing the comb in Ren’s hands.

"Good night, Your Majesty."

She pulled Gloria out with her.

Ren was about to stand up when he approached. The scent of copper and blood reached her nose, pinning her to the chair. He seemed exhausted, his eyes glowing like the summer sun.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her brows furrowed after sensing a sorrowful air around him.

"Hmm. Give me that comb. Let me do it."

He bent down and held the comb, beginning to brush her wavy hair, its silky texture gleaming under the dim light.

"We lost a male today. He was poisoned and killed instantly." His voice was hoarse and laced with agony, making her heart pound darkly. This was...

"I’m sorry for your loss. Who was he?" Her voice quivered as she asked. Coran, Axe, Rail—she knew them, and the six other wolves who accompanied them to Thegara.

"His name was Orgeve. You saw him in that sanctuary where we got married."

Ren felt a lump forming in her throat. He was one of the reapers who had cleared the path during the forest attack. She clearly remembered someone mentioning he had found his mate before coming to Alvonia to attend the Alpha King’s wedding.

"Please accept my condolences. But are you sure poison can kill a reaper like him?"

His hand stopped, and Ren could see he was suppressing his wrath. Something wasn’t right about this. The question seemed stupid, but she wanted to know as a physician.

"I was worried since you left and tried to reach out to you, but I was blocked."

He trailed off, brushing her hair. "His mate was a spy from the Bandit Folk. They were planning to attack while I was away at war. He discovered it, and..."

Ren’s spine stiffened. Who exactly had killed this reaper, and how? Poison? No, it couldn’t be that. Those were giant werewolves with unquestionable skills, strong physiques, fast—and deadly. She didn’t want to think about who had done this, but she wanted to know how, with what kind of poison, to kill a werewolf like that instantly.

Suddenly, she grabbed his wrist, looking up into his pained eyes. "Let me see him."

He set the brush down on the mahogany vanity table and started to braid her hair.

"Why? That is painful enough for me. That bitch stabbed him with a poisoned dagger and then escaped when I arrived. Org’s body stiffened and was about to fall into the mud when I snatched him."

As he finished, Ren stood up. "Let me see him, I beg you. I need to study—" She pressed hard on each word to convince him, but he cut her off, sealing her mouth with his formidable power.

A dark aura exuded from him, shadows spread around, and the candlelight flickered out. The room turned dark and cold, the only light coming from his eyes. Ren was overwhelmed by the sheer extent of his power.

"Why? If you think I’ll let you tear him apart to study his body, you are mistaken. Because I won’t. The woman he trusted stabbed him from behind. And what did you say? Does love exist? That is the end of one of my men who tasted love. One of the elites, he was."

He yelled so loud that the window frame shuddered, and then the glass shattered, fragments scattering across the floor. Ren grabbed her ears, closing her eyes, shaking uncontrollably. It wasn’t her fault that Orgeve’s mate turned out to be a traitor. Did he mean that Ren wasn’t an exception, putting them in the same class? She bit her lower lip and swallowed. Opening her eyes, she steeled her resolve, shaking off her fear. She wouldn’t back down just because he was angry. What if Orgeve wasn’t dead?

"I just want to check what poison it was. Poisons don’t kill instantly. I studied poisons for two years. I know them all, and I can determine from which region they came. I’ve studied countless fucking books to help people, to save lives, and I’m not going to stab you."

She probably shouldn’t have said the last part, but it was too late to take it back. However, the scary aura subsided, meaning he had settled. His expression, though, remained stern and bitter.

"You have until morning because we are going to inform his clan and burn the body."

Ren nodded and hurried to change out of her nightgown. When she returned, he was nowhere to be found. Running outside, she found Siamon.

"Butler Siamon, can you take me to Reaper Org?"

He nodded and led her to the basement of the castle—a freezing, dark place with rough, shadowy stones. Ren kept the candlelight close, carefully stepping forward to avoid tripping over her own feet. It was eerie, but nothing could shake her resolve at this point.

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