Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Damon opened his eyes after a very sound sleep. He sat up and stretched out his arms and legs. He looked at the gauze wrapped around his arm, and he began to loosen it.

After the gauze came off, he saw that his cut was totally healed. “Took you long enough.” He muttered, and got out of bed.

“My Prince, Princess Megan is here to see you.” His guard said from outside his door. Damon heaved a high sigh and shook his head.

“What does she want? Let her in.” He answered. The door opened almost immediately and Megan walked in.

“What does she want? I’m here to check up on my brother. Is that a crime?”

“And how sure am I that you are here to just check up on me?” Damon answered, making Megan roll her eyes.

“Good morning, and how are you feeling?”

“I’m perfectly fine. My wound is totally healed, you don’t have to worry about me.” He answered.

“Hold on, what’s with the cold attitude today? I know you’ve always been cold, but why do you seem different today?” Megan asked and furrowed her brows.

“I’m not different, Megan. You are just overthinking it. How is Belinda?” He asked, grabbing his shirt and putting it on.

“Hmmm. So now you care about her?” Megan asked, and Damon shot her a deadly look.

“Stop trying to piss me off all the time when it comes to her, okay? She was in pretty bad shape last night when she left my chamber, and that was because father kind of accused her of knowing something about the attack.”

“I know the story, Damon. Well, she’s better this morning. She was injured last night too. She tried so hard to hide it from me, but I saw it when she was asleep. It still hasn’t healed.”

“She was injured? I didn’t notice that.”

“Well, that is because you were injured too. It’s more or less a scratch. I expected it to be gone this morning, but it’s still there. I guess it’s because she’s yet to have her first transformation.”

Damon sighed and nodded. “If she treats it with medicine, it will heal.” He answered, and Megan nodded.

“I’m sad though.” Megan added and sat on his bed.

“Why?”

“Because last night, Yolanda and I had a fight because of her, well not necessarily because of her, but she felt guilty and she asked to stay in another room.”

Damon raised his brows and shrugged. “Well, that is wise of her. You are into women, Megan, you have a girlfriend. Do you think your girlfriend will be cool with you having another woman sleep and wake up with you?”

“But Belinda isn’t gay.”

“Did she tell you this?” Damon asked, and she gulped.

“No, she didn’t. But…”

“Get her another room. She’s strong enough to be on her own now. And sort whatever issues you have with Yolanda. Don’t let a stranger ruin what you’ve built for three years.”

Megan stared at Damon, and as she did, a smile lit up her face.

“What?” Damon asked, feeling uncomfortable with the way she smiled at him.

“You want to know something about yourself that you probably know but don’t want to admit?…” She uttered and stood up.

She moved closer to him and began to poke his chest.

“Deep down, you are a very soft and loving person, but you try to keep that part of yourself buried because you believe people will take you as a weak man.”

Damon clenched his jaw as he looked at her and scoffed.

“I am not a soft or loving person, you of all people should know that. Because I advised you about Yolanda doesn’t mean I’m soft. You are my sister, and I don’t want you bothering me when you two finally have real issues.”

He moved her finger off his chest and adjusted his shirt. “Now, you’ll have to excuse me, sister, I have someone to train.” He uttered and began to walk to the door.

“Well, that person is probably waiting for you on the field already. Be nice to her!” Megan answered behind him.

“Leave my room already!” Damon uttered without looking back.

After walking for a few minutes, Damon got to the field, and he sighted Belinda training already. She was hitting the targets with her arrow.

He moved closer without her realizing. and he watched how she found it hard to hit the target on the chest.

“You are doing it the wrong way.” Damon said from behind her, and she flinched.

“My Prince. Good morning, Prince Damon.” She said and bowed.

Damon exhaled softly and took the bow from her. He pulled an arrow from the quiver at her back and he attached it to the string on the bow.

He stood upright and placed his feet shoulder-width apart.

“You don’t have to move your hand forward to boost the arrow while you shoot. It’s best you stay put. Also, be conscious about the direction of the wind.” He taught and finally released the arrow.

Belinda’s eyes followed the flying arrow as it hit the target, right in the chest. “Wow.” She said in a whisper.

“That’s how it’s done. Megan didn’t teach you these?” He asked, and she nodded.

“She did, but I’ve been struggling with how to stay put while shooting.” She answered, and looked at Damon again.

As she looked, her eyes locked with his, and they kept their gaze locked for a few minutes. Damon gulped and hurriedly looked away.

“Now, try it.” He said and gave her the bow. She took it from him and did it just as he did. She was about to shoot when her hands moved forward again, in an attempt to boost the arrow.

“Don’t…” Damon hastily held her hand from behind, making her stop.

“Lup-dup, Lup-dup, Lup-dup.”

Their hearts began to pulsate. They could almost hear their hearts pounding.

‘Why is my heart beating so fast? Why do I have this feeling everytime he touches me?’ Belinda questioned herself right there, as he kept his hands wrapped around her.

‘Why am I feeling nervous again? I felt this same way last night, before I went to bed.’ Damon thought.

“Damon!” King Talos called from afar as he approached the field with his guards behind him.

The sound of his name jolted him out of his thoughts and he hurriedly let go of Belinda. Belinda lowered her hand and began to pant.

Her heart was yet to recover from whatever was going on with it, and now the king appears?

“Father.” Damon called and let out a faint smile as he got closer to him.

“How are you today? You should be resting.” King Talos said worriedly.

“I’m very well, father. You don’t have to worry. My wound is completely healed.” He showed Talos his left arm.

“Great.” King Talos answered, and then looked at Belinda, who was inches away from Damon and whose head was bowed.

“And how are you too?” He asked Belinda. She raised her head in surprise and looked at him.

“I’m fine, My King. Thank you.” She answered and lowered her head again.

He looked at Damon again and let out a feeble smile. “Walk with me.” He told him, and turned to leave. Damon nodded and took one last look at Belinda before leaving with his father.

“So, I ordered some men from our pack to check out what could have caused that wolf to attack you last night.” King Talos stated, and Damon looked at him.

“And did you find out where he is from?”

“No, we didn’t. But one thing we are sure of is that you weren’t crossing any pack’s boundary… it was an intended attack on either of you, and I have a strong belief it’s an attack on Belinda.”

“Why do you believe so, father? We can’t be so sure.”

“They found her blood on a tree stump where the fight happened, Damon. If she wasn’t attacked or injured, how did she get her blood on that stump? What if she put that blood on that tree stump to give the wolf some kind of information about you? Maybe it was a way to communicate with him.”

Damon exhaled and shook his head, “father…”

“She was brought into our home, Damon. We still don’t know what conspired between her and her pack, and we all seem to have forgotten that. We are moving on like she’s one of us, and she’s not! What if this was all a trap?”

“I don’t think we should jump into conclusions like this, father.”

King Talos narrowed his gaze at Damon and stopped walking. “What’s with you?” He asked, and Damon creased his brows.

“What’s with me?” He asked.

“This isn’t the Damon I know. Why do I feel you’re trying to protect this girl? I’m telling you this because I believe you know better than Megan, and you see beyond those innocent eyes of hers.”

Damon scoffed and looked away. “You’re mistaken, father. What I’m trying to say is, we need evidence before accusing her. I’d say the same for anybody else.”

“No, instead, you wouldn’t even let a stranger stay in our home in the first place. You would have stood against your sister and sent her out.” King Talos added, and Damon remained silent.

“Well, I have given the order that everyone in our kingdom has to start taking turns to watch our boundaries from the tower, just like we used to before. It’s going to start tonight.”

“Have you chosen who will be on guard tonight?

“Not yet. But that will be sorted. As for you, keep your eyes on Belinda. I need to know why you found her in that state as soon as possible. Then, I can know what to do with her.”

“Okay, father.” Damon nodded and slightly bowed.

“Go back to the field. I need to talk to your mother about this too.”

Damon returned to the field and met Belinda still trying to shoot the arrow. He moved closer and stood next to her.

“How’s your wound?” He asked coldly, and she looked at him.

“My wound?”

“Keep your eyes on the target. Don’t get distracted.” He uttered, and she hastily looked away from him and at the target.

‘He knows I was injured?’

“My arm is better now. Thank you, Prince Damon.” She answered, and released the arrow.

“Good. Get it checked out by Megan’s healer after you finish from here.” He added and turned to walk away.

Belinda looked back and watched him leave with a large smile on her face.

‘He cares about me.’