The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 70: Why Me?

Chapter 70: Why Me?

>>Aelin

The force that had slammed into Draegon wasn’t massive, but it was terrifying. My breath hitched as I caught sight of it—an unnatural creature that looked as if it had been stitched together from nightmares.

Its head was that of a goat, elongated and gaunt, with thick, curling horns that spiraled outward like broken, jagged tree branches. But its face—if it could even be called that—was devoid of eyes. There were only deep, hollow pits where they should have been, as though something had gouged them out long ago. Its mouth was too wide, stretching unnaturally along its jaw, with teeth that jutted out at odd angles, yellowed and uneven.

The rest of its body was grotesquely wrong. It had the frame of a dog, its ribs sharply visible beneath a layer of taut, blackened flesh, but instead of four legs, it had eight—each ending in clawed paws that twitched as if independent from the rest of its body. Its spine curved unnaturally, and it moved with an eerie unnatural way as it lunged at Draegon again.

Draegon barely had time to react. He brought up his arm to shield himself as the creature slashed at him, its claws raking against his scales with an ear-piercing screech. Sparks flew from the impact, and Draegon snarled, whipping his tail around to send the beast staggering backward.

But I had no time to see more.

A sharp, delighted laugh sliced through the chaos.

"Finally."

Ruoxy’s voice sent a bolt of fear straight through me, but I didn’t even have time to think. In the same instant, she launched herself at me.

She moved too fast—her broken body shouldn’t have been able to move at all, but she did. Her form twisted unnaturally as she propelled herself forward. Her nails gleamed, long and sharp, and her mouth curled into a wild grin.

Every instinct screamed at me to move.

I didn’t think—I just threw myself to the side.

The world spun.

Air rushed past my ears as I skidded across the damp grass, the ground scraping against my skin. My heart slammed into my ribs as I turned my head just in time to see Ruoxy miss me by mere inches.

With nothing to stop her momentum, she crashed into the tree behind me.

The impact was sickening. Her body crunched against the bark, but even as her back bent at an unnatural angle, she let out nothing more than a guttural hiss.

My breath was ragged as I struggled to push myself up, dirt and grass clinging to my hands. The firelight flickered across my vision, making it hard to see, but I could still make out Ruoxy as she began to move again.

Too fast.

I barely had time to process before she lunged at me once more.

This time, I had nowhere to go.

I was still sprawled on the ground, my limbs trembling from the previous action. No matter how much I willed myself to move, to run, I knew I wasn’t fast enough.

Ruoxy was going to reach me before I could even stand.

I closed my eyes

I am going to die!!!

My throat tightened as my body braced for the inevitable.

Then, suddenly, the world shifted.

A shadow crashed into me, arms wrapping tightly around my body before a powerful force sent us both soaring through the air. I barely registered the feeling of weightlessness before we slammed into something hard.

Pain erupted across my back as we crashed into a tree, the impact rattling my bones. The breath was knocked from my lungs, and for a brief, terrifying moment, I couldn’t breathe.

But then, a sound—

A ragged cough.

Blood splattered against the dirt.

Draegon.

I twisted in his grasp, my vision swimming.

He was hunched over me, his body coiled around mine protectively, but his face was twisted in pain. A fresh trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, stark red against his skin. His chest heaved, and when I looked down, I saw it—the sharp gash across his side.

Ruoxy’s nails.

She had still managed to cut him in the split second before he had gotten to me.

"No," I breathed, horror clawing up my throat. I swallowed hard, guilt and fear twisting inside me. "You—you’re hurt—"

"I’ve had worse," he rasped, but his arms around me tightened slightly. His purple eyes, even clouded with pain, were still fierce. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "No, but—"

His body tensed and I shot my head downwards to look behind him.

Ruoxy.

She was already moving again.

Draegon turned, his wings unfurling despite the injury, and pushed me behind him as he forced himself back to his feet. Blood dripped from his side, but he ignored it, his stance unwavering as he faced her once more.

I knew he was in no condition to keep fighting like this, but he stood so firmly, it looked like he wasn’t injured at all.

Across from him, Ruoxy grinned, her lips curling with dark amusement despite her twisted, battered body. The flames from the burning tree flickered behind her, casting eerie shadows that stretched across the clearing, licking at the edges of her sharp features.

For a long moment, they only glared at each other. Then Draegon narrowed his eyes. "Why are you targeting her?"

Ruoxy’s grin widened slightly, but she didn’t respond. She only tilted her head, a glint of something unreadable in her gaze.

Draegon’s voice dropped lower, more dangerous. "I asked you a question,"

She let out a soft, mocking laugh. "And? Do you expect me to answer just because you asked nicely?"

Wait, what? What’s this supposed to mean?

His jaw tightened. "I’ve noticed it," he said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Back in the palace, too. You always found ways to bring her misery through your actions."

Ruoxy let out a scoff, rolling her shoulders as if the question was beneath her. "Does it matter?"

Draegon’s wings twitched, his fingers curling into fists. "It does. And you’re going to answer me."

She hummed, tapping a clawed finger against her cheek as if considering it. Then she shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I just enjoy seeing pathetic little humans squirm."

A cold shiver ran down my spine at the sheer malice in her tone, but Draegon didn’t waver.

"That’s not it," he said, eyes narrowing further. "You had plenty of humans to choose from, yet you singled her out. You wanted her to break. You wanted her to suffer." His gaze darkened. "Tell me why."

Ruoxy clicked her tongue, clearly growing irritated, but I caught the way her body tensed—just slightly.

Then she smirked again. "What does it matter now? You think knowing the reason will change anything?" She gestured toward me with a lazy flick of her hand. "She’s still just as weak, just as breakable. A little suffering here and there—she should’ve been used to it by now."

My stomach twisted, but Draegon only exhaled sharply, his patience thinning.

"You’re avoiding the question." He said and I looked at him. He was bleeding and ignoring the fact that he was bleeding.

It hurt my heart to see that.

I stepped toward Draegon, still remaining behind him as my hands glowed with the soft golden light of my holy magic. He stood firm, his broad shoulders tense and his wings slightly spread, shielding me from Ruoxy’s calculating gaze.

My fingers trembled as I poured my power into his wounds, watching them mend before my eyes. But as the magic left me, a deep exhaustion settled into my limbs, making my knees weak. My vision blurred at the edges, and I swayed on my feet, barely managing to keep myself upright.

Draegon eyes remained locked onto Ruoxy, his expression unreadable. Then, his voice came, steady but edged with something sharp.

"That look," he murmured, his gaze unwavering. "You’re looking at her again."

I gulped. Draegon saying that is making me conscious of it too. I just assumed she attacked me because she must have considered me her enemy.

"There is no ban on looking." Ruoxy said

"Except that I noticed you weren’t attacking her to kill her." Draegon’s voice was full of anger, "But to take her away."

!!!!

What?

She wanted to take me hostage?

Why? Why me?

Ruoxy’s lips curled into a smirk, but there was something darker in her expression. She tilted her head slightly, her hair falling over her shoulder as she regarded Draegon with something close to amusement.

Then, without warning, she lunged.

Draegon anticipated it, twisting his body just as her claws aimed for his throat. He blocked her strike with his forearm, the impact causing sparks to fly as her nails scraped against his hardened scales. With a powerful shove, he sent her skidding back across the scorched earth, but she recovered instantly, her body fluid and agile despite the injuries she had already sustained.

I took a shaky step back, distancing myself as they clashed again.

The fight was brutal.

Draegon’s movements were precise and powerful, his strength evident in every strike. His claws slashed through the air, meeting Ruoxy’s in a flurry of sharp movements. They moved too fast for me to keep up completely, but I could see the sheer force behind every blow. The ground trembled beneath them, and the trees surrounding us groaned under the pressure of their battle.

But Ruoxy wasn’t fighting alone this time.

The creature that had knocked Draegon down earlier—the grotesque thing with a goat’s skull and a dog-like body—circled around him, waiting for an opening. It had no eyes, but somehow, it moved with eerie precision, as if it could sense the flow of the battle.

Then, just as Draegon was about to land a solid hit on Ruoxy, the monster lunged.

Its powerful jaws snapped at his wing, tearing into Draegon’s shoulder.

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