The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 52: Stabbed

Chapter 52: Stabbed

"Well, that’s a long story." Rail shifted uncomfortably as Arkilla nudged him.

"So it is something important," Ren commented, taking another sip of her drink, a sip she shouldn’t have taken. It was a light drink, but for someone with her frail body, consuming too much was risky. Yet, she wasn’t in a good mood. Arkilla had made a remarkable effort to lift her spirits, but she couldn’t shake off the memory of her reckless kiss, and worse, the fact that she wanted more. She wanted him to kiss her back, harder, to do all the nasty things he’d so brazenly spoken of that night.

"What is wrong with you, Arkilla? She has the right to know her husband and his people better."

Arkilla relented when Ren gave her a pleading look. "Fine."

Rail didn’t hesitate to start. "The Serpent Clans are the descendants of Luther’s mother. They believe Luther is the older son and the true heir, so when he attacked us, they sided with him, betraying His Highness. Later, when your uncle helped us banish Luther back to the hell he came from, His Highness had two choices: execute them all or grant them mercy. The elders demanded execution for the Serpent Clans’ leaders but forgiveness for the commoners. So, he did just that. He executed the elders with Sunkiath fire and exiled their families. I remember your uncle warned him to kill all of them but he refused. As for the rest, His Highness chose to spare them. In gratitude, they offered him a woman from their clan as a gesture of loyalty."

He paused, suddenly realizing where the story was headed. Cursing under his breath, he wished he hadn’t mentioned this part.

"Well, that’s all!" He swallowed his panic with a gulp of his drink.

"Tell me the rest. How long ago was Luther defeated?"

Rail exchanged a nervous glance with Arkilla, silently pleading for help, but she only shrugged.

"Fifty years ago."

Ren frowned. "Alright, then how old are you, exactly?"

She had assumed Rail was around her age. He certainly looked young.

Scratching the nape of his neck, he gave a sheepish smile. "Ah, I’m sixty. I was ten at the time." His expression darkened. "And back then, I was Luther’s pet. He found me when I was five and raised me like a plaything..." He hesitated, the memory too painful to continue.

Ren was stunned. Sixty? The shock made her mind go numb. That couldn’t be. He had to be the same age as Arkilla, Gloria—and her.

"Please, if it’s painful for you, don’t say more. Just continue with the Serpent Clan," she said gently. Then she added, "By the way, I really thought you were my age."

He shook his head. "Arkilla and Gloria are the same age as you, Luna Ren. But I’m a young wolf. Our lifespan ranges between two hundred and five hundred years, depending on our bloodline. Mine is the five-hundred-year kind, if nothing kills me first." He grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

"Wow, I had no idea."

"Then you should get a history book from those greedy historians."

Ren smiled and nodded. "Or you can tell me what you know. Now, you were saying?"

Rail sighed before continuing. "The Serpent woman was stunning and kind. His Highness adored her and didn’t take a single mistress for ten years. And then... she betrayed him." He bit his lower lip. "She was Luther’s secret lover all along. She tried to assassinate His Highness in an act of vengeance."

Ren felt her stomach tighten. "What happened?"

"I killed her," Rail admitted, his voice steady but grim. "I caught her as she plunged a cursed, poisoned dagger into his chest. His Highness and Axe had saved me from Luther’s cage, and I had sworn to protect him."

The light-hearted, mischievous Rail was gone. In his place stood a lethal, fiercely loyal wolf. His eyes were cold and unreadable.

Ren’s expression softened. She reached out, gently wrapping her fingers around his clenched fist. "You did what you had to."

’And now I understand why he doesn’t believe in love.’ She thought.

Rail exhaled, his tension easing as he nodded.

Ren pulled her hand back, folding her arms over her chest. "So, we need to get rid of this Luther, because as I see it, he’s a psychopath."

Rail smirked. "We will."

"Are the remaining Serpent Clans loyal?"

"We never know when they might turn on us again. I keep my eyes on them."

Ren narrowed her gaze. "It’s late now, but tomorrow, come to the library, Rail. Educate me on all the clans—their culture, political structures, alliances, weaknesses. Everything. We are going to protect him."

Rail eagerly bobbed his head. "My pleasure."

Arkilla groaned. "This is boring," she slurred. "You should practice fighting to protect yourself first."

"I will. Before lunch. Happy now?"

Arkilla nodded in satisfaction.

Ren stood. "Time for bed."

"I should have been her guard," Rail grumbled as they walked out of the kitchen. "You stole my spot!"

"You’re silly. She’s not a wolf. She must be trained like a human, and you can’t do that!" Arkilla groaned.

*

Back in her room, the thoughts she had desperately tried to suppress surged forward. Arkilla’s attempts to distract her had been valiant, but they weren’t enough to erase that moment—the moment she kissed him.

She felt guilty. And that guilt only deepened after hearing about the Serpent woman’s betrayal.

Turning over in bed, she realized he hadn’t returned. That meant he despised her. She had let her emotions get the better of her. It had to be the last time. She should have pulled away. She should have run from that alchemy lab before making such a grave mistake. From now on, she couldn’t be surprised if she saw the terrifying side of him that everyone feared.

But it hurt. It hurt knowing that the woman he once loved had stabbed him with a cursed dagger. If she were him, she wouldn’t trust anyone, either.

She stretched out her arm, touching the other side of the bed. It was cold. The weight of her ominous thoughts made the bed feel like a grave.

Exhaustion of overthinking and the long day overtook her, and she closed her eyes.

Hours later, she woke to the groaning sound of the door. Rubbing her eyes, she stretched and glanced toward the window. Sunlight streamed in.

"Gloria?"

A knock followed.

"Can I come in?"

Ren furrowed her brows. That wasn’t Gloria.

"Yes," she called.

The bedroom door creaked open, and the maiden stepped in carefully, carrying a pitcher of water in her hands.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦