Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Damon got into his chamber, and so did Belinda. Damon sat on the sofa that was not so far from his bed.

Belinda stood at the door and stared at him as he sat. He raised his head as soon as he was settled, and she hurriedly bowed.

“Are you just going to stand there and watch me bleed to death?” He asked in a hoarse manner.

Belinda hastily shook her head and ran to him. She fell before him and opened the first aid kit that was with her.

She tore a moderate quantity of cotton wool and soaked it with alcohol. She looked at Damon and saw he was beginning to look sick.

He rested his back and threw his head backward. She slowly reached his left arm and when she touched it, it was pretty cold.

Immediately her warm hand came in contact with his, he lowered his head and looked at her.

Belinda swallowed hard and showed him the wool. “I’ll be cleaning it now.”

“Just get it done, will you?” Damon answered within gritted teeth.

Belinda knelt upright and touched his cut with the wool.

“Argh!” He groaned aloud, making Belinda flinch. She moved the wool from his wound and lowered her head again.

“I’m sorry, My Prince. I should… have said it… it would hurt.” She stammered fearfully.

Damon gulped hard and threw his head backward again. “Just do it. Ignore me, okay?” His voice was pretty low and softer than usual.

Belinda felt bad seeing him in such a situation because of her, but the deed had been done. All she could do was make it right, if that was possible.

She made another attempt to clean his wound again. As soon as she touched his cut with the wool, Damon grabbed the sofa and groaned inaudibly.

Belinda raised her head and looked at him. He was covered in sweat and as he swallowed hard, his pretty obvious Adam’s apple rose and fell.

A drop of sweat rolled down from his neck, down to his Adam's apple and down into his dirty shirt. Belinda quickly pulled herself to order when she realized she was beginning to stare in an odd way.

After she was done cleaning his wound, she sprinkled white sulfur powder on his arm, and when it touched his cut, Damon snatched his arm from her.

“What the hell?!” He yelled and looked at his arm.

“My prince, it will help it heal faster. I’m sorry.” Belinda muttered. Damon grabbed his arm, just right above the cut and gave it a tight squeeze.

“Let me wrap your arm with the gauze.” Belinda said in almost a whisper.

Damon exhaled loudly and gave her his arm. Belinda moved closer again and began to wrap his arm carefully. As she did, Damon stared at her.

“How do you know what to use?” He asked, and Belinda raised her head to look at him. Their eyes met and their faces were just a few inches away from each other.

“Errm… I… I have always been a slave, so most times, I do the cleaning of wounds of anyone in the pack. My parents taught me most of it though. They were slaves too.”

“Where are they now?” He further asked.

She blinked swiftly and sighed softly. “They’re dead.” She mumbled, and began to pack the things she used into the first aid box.

Damon swallowed and looked away. He reached for his shirt and wanted to remove it, but the pain in his arm couldn’t let him.

Belinda caught him struggling to reach his shirt and stood up. “I can help you with that, My Prince. If you’ll let me.” She uttered, staring at him.

“I can do it myself. You can leave. Your work is done here.” He answered. He tried raising up his shirt again, but the pain in his arm couldn’t let him.

‘I should help him. I should do the little I can to help him, since I put him in this situation.’ Belinda moved closer to him and reached for his shirt.

“Bel…”

“I’ll help you, My Prince. Stressing that arm won’t do you any good. You need any help you can get. Let me help you.” Belinda answered, and pulled his shirt up to his breast plates.

Damon lowered his head and let her pull his shirt off him. She put the shirt on the sofa and held his other arm.

“I’ll help you lie on the bed.” She uttered.

Damon looked at her hand that was wrapped around his, and then looked at her face.

“Listen… you can leave now. I am not a weakling, woman. I can do this alone. Let go of my arm.” He uttered and snatched his arm from her.

“Me offering you help doesn’t make you weak, my Prince. I’m the cause of what happened to you. I should take responsibility.”

“Enough! I don’t need your help anymore. Leave.” Damon uttered, and moved to his bed. He sat and kept his eyes away from Belinda’s.

Belinda was about to pick the first aid box and leave when Damon’s guard spoke from outside.

“My Prince, the king is here to see you. I’ll let him in now.” He said.

Belinda’s eyes widened and her heart began to beat fast when she heard what his guard said.

‘What will the king think when he sees I’m in his son’s chamber with his son half naked.’ She began to fidget.

The door opened and King Talos stormed in.

“Damon!” He called with worry written all over him. “What happened, son? Who the hell did this to you?!” He asked and sat next to Damon.

Hardly did he notice that Belinda was in the chamber. He grabbed Damon’s hand and looked at it in shock.

“Argh! Father, easy.” Damon whispered.

“I heard you were attacked by a wolf. Why? How did it happen? How could you be so careless? You could have died, Damon. Why didn’t you just ignore the wolf?!”

“It was all my fault, King Talos.” Belinda answered from where she stood, and that was when Talos realized that Belinda was in the room.

“Belinda? What are you doing here?” He asked with different expressions on his face.

“It was all my fault, King Talos. When we were out hunting, I…”

“Don’t listen to her, father. The wolf wanted to attack the both of us. I had to protect her.”

King Talos creased his brows and looked at both of them. “What’s wrong with you two? How am I supposed to know who is telling the truth?”

“I am the one telling the truth, father.”

“So a wolf just came out of nowhere and wanted to attack you two?”

“Yes, father. That’s exactly how it is.” Damon answered. He looked at Belinda and saw surprise written all over her face.

‘What is he doing? Why is he lying to his father for me?’

“B…”

Damon shot her a deadly look, making her swallow whatever she wanted to say.

“But that is strange. It has never happened before. Nobody has ever been attacked in this kingdom, talkless of the royal blood!” King Talos smacked angrily, and sprang to his feet.

“Father, it hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it will never. I have been rejecting several maidens for months, do you think they are all happy about it?”

Talos sighed and shook his head. “I’m not going to let this slide. I am going to make sure that the wolf suffers for what he did to my son!” He smacked, and everyone went silent.

He looked at Belinda and walked up to her. “Were you hurt?” He asked, and she shook her head.

“I wasn’t, my king. Thank you for your concern.”

“And you’re sure you don’t know this wolf? This is the first time something like this is happening. Is this a coincidence?”

“Father…”

“Damon, let me speak.” He cut him short.

Fear and shivers ran down Belinda’s spine as the king confronted her.

“I don’t know, My King. I swear to my dead parents, I don’t know anything about this wolf.”

“You better be right, because I will find out what this wolf wants from my son, and if you have anything to do with it, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“We were both attacked, father. You can’t blame her.”

“Of course, I can! You go out with her and you come back injured while she is perfectly fine. Are you even thinking, Damon?”

“Please, my King. I swear I don’t know anything.” Belinda pleaded. The thought of the king hating her was terrifying to her.

“I’ll find out. You can leave.” King Talos muttered and walked back to the bed where Damon sat.

Belinda hastily picked up the first aid kit and ran out of the chamber in tears.

‘Why does misfortune always follow me everywhere I go?’

“How are you feeling?” Talos asked Damon with great worry, and Damon faintly smiled.

“I’m fine, father. It’s just a small cut. I’m a strong man, remember? Things like this don't affect me.” He answered, and Talos sighed.

“While you were wrestling with the other word, did Belinda transform too?” He asked, and Damon furrowed his brows.

“No. Why?”

“If she truly knows nothing about it, why didn’t she try to help?”

“Father, she is yet to have her first transformation. There was no way she could help me.”

“Isn’t she eighteen. She turned eighteen before the last full moon. She must have had her first transformation.”

“She said she didn’t.”

“That is impossible. Except there’s something behind her not transforming.” King Talos uttered, and got lost in thoughts afterwards.

“Father, stop thinking so hard about it. Maybe she will transform on the next full moon. Transformation can be delayed, right?”

“Yes, but it’s not too common. That’s very strange.”

Damon sighed and laid down. “I need to rest now, Father. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

King Talos nodded and stood up.

“Sleep well and regain your strength. I need to make sure this news doesn’t get to your mother tonight, or no one will sleep in the palace tonight.” He uttered, and Damon chuckled.

After Talos left, Damon opened his eyes and stared at his ceiling. He recalled when Belinda was cleaning his cut and their faces were close to each other.

Suddenly, he realized his heart was beating very fast. ‘What is this?’ He questioned himself and placed his hand on chest. He could feel his heart thumping against his chest.

‘Why am I feeling nervous all of a sudden?’