Chapter 31: Chapter 31

“Father, can you please listen to me?” Damon uttered as he hastily walked behind his angry father so that he could catch up with him.

“I don’t want to hear anything from that mouth of yours, Damon, and I won’t until you learn to obey me.” King Talos answered in rage, without looking back.

“Father, Ayman is innocent! You can’t just lock up your best guardman!” Megan added, also walked next to Damon.

Talos stopped abruptly when he got into the throne room and for the first time, he turned to look at them.

“Ayman is innocent?! Ayman went out without my permission! He cannot be trusted. Ever again!” He smacked, making Megan flinch in fear.

“I told him to keep quiet, that wasn’t his fault father:” Damon tried to sound as calm as possible.

“He is my guardman, not yours! He should listen to me alone!” Talos answered and turned away from them again.

“Belinda isn’t who we think she is, Father! She needs to be protected!” Damon added, moving closer to him.

“I don’t care. She will be punished and then banished from this kingdom for good. She has caused enough havoc.”

“She is a red-furred wolf!” Megan yelled behind them, and they both looked at her in shock.

“I’m sorry, Damon, but if I didn’t break it to him that way, he would never listen to us.” Megan added and approached them.

“What are you talking about?” Talos asked and looked at Damon, who sighed and bounced his head.

“What she said is true, father. Belinda is a red-furred wolf.” Damon answered, and Talos scoffed.

“Do you think I’m a fool? Red-furred wolves are extinct! They were erased from the face of the earth years ago!”

“Yes! That is exactly what he thought too, until we saw her transform tonight.” Damon further explained.

Talos creased his brows and looked at his children like they had gone crazy.

“Father, please calm down and let us explain what happened. We need her in this kingdom. There are a lot of people trying to kill her out there.” Megan uttered, hoping her father would listen to them.

Talos sighed and nodded. “Fine. Talk to me.” He answered and sat on his throne, ready to hear whatever story his children were about to narrate.

Damon took one last look at Megan before he started talking.

“After we realized Belinda was missing, I personally brought the suggestion of going back to where we first saw her because my instincts kept telling me she was taken back there. Even though I wasn’t sure who would do such a thing in this kingdom. I asked Ayman to tag alone because I couldn’t do it alone. I wanted to rescue her first, and then come back to you and explain things. It was late at night and I didn’t want to disturb.”

“Go straight to the point, Damon. Who is she?” King Talos impatiently cut in.

“She’s a red-furred wolf. We found out while we were trying to rescue her. I was almost killed by Alpha Cephas, father. All of a sudden, she shape-shifted into a red-furred wolf! She attacked him and almost killed him. She also healed me, father. Can’t you see there are no wounds on me? She healed them all.”

Following his explanation was an awkward silence. King Talos wss trying to put things together to make Damon’s words make sense to him, while Damon prayed his father believed him.

“How could she have her first transformation after the full moon? It’s not even the full moon.” King Talos broke the silence.

“Have you forgotten that Red-furred wolves are totally different? Their ways are different and that is what makes them special. We would lie about something this serious, father. We need her in this kingdom… alive.” Megan added.

“Yes. We will help protect her, and she’ll also protect us. She is the strongest of us all, and you know that. Once she get used to this power, she will become unstoppable!”

After Damon stopped talking, King Talos exhaled heavily and nodded.

“I’ll think about this over the night. Go back to your chambers now. I’ll decide what I want to do about her in the morning.” King Talos uttered, and his children bowed.

“Thank you, father.”

After King Talos was out of the throne room, Damon and Megan exchanged tired looks.

“I think we persuaded him enough, Megan. There will be a positive answer tomorrow. I believe.” Damon assured her.

“You can’t be so sure. I’m very worried. I don’t want to lose her anymore.”

“We won’t lose her, Megan. I promise. Let’s go to the cell to see her. I’ll be with her throughout the night. I can’t let her stay there all by herself.” Damon uttered.

“And I’ll be in my room. I need to rest and treat my wounds. I’m not feeling too good.” Megan responded, and Damon nodded.

“Yes, that is true. I understand. We will meet in Father’s chamber tomorrow morning to hear his thoughts.”

Bidding themselves goodbye, they parted ways. Damon headed to the cells, while Megan headed to her chamber.

She recalled the conversation she heard when she eavesdropped on Isla and Yolanda, and she felt heartbroken again. She was highly disappointed.

She ordered one of her maids to get the doctor as soon as possible so that she could treat her wounds.

She sat on her couch waiting for the arrival of her doctor, when she heard the voice of one of the guardsmen outside.

“Princess Megan, Miss Yolanda is here to see you. Can I let her in?”

Breathing out heavily and thought twice before answering. “What does she want?!” I answered.

“Princess Megan… Please! Please let me in. I really need to talk to you. I’m sorry. Very very sorry.”

Megan’s eyes heated up with tears as she listened to Yolanda speak. She was hurt but she couldn’t ignore her too, so she let her in.

“Let her in!”

The door gave way and Yolanda walked in slowly. She had a sad expression on her face and her head was lowered.

“You don’t have so much time here. My doctor will soon arrive.”

“I came to your chamber some hours ago but you were nowhere to be found.” Yolanda said.

“I wasn’t at home. I had to go and clean up the mess you created.” Megan answered coldly.

“It wasn’t my idea, Megan.”

“But you helped her in executing her plans, didn’t you? Why? If at all they wanted to do something that evil, why didn’t you stop them?! I thought you knew better!”

“I couldn’t stop them, Megan! I admit I was happy when I heard the plan because I wanted to get rid of her so badly too! Since you got into this kingdom, she has always had your attention! I was scared things wouldn’t be like it used to be anymore if she kept staying here.”

“And the next thing you could think of was putting her in danger? Haven’t we talked about this several times? You are my girlfriend, Belinda is like a sister to me. There is a difference! This is no excuse for your irresponsible behavior.” Megan sprang to her feet in anger as she spoke.

“I know, and that’s why I am here to say sorry. I was thinking. I am so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me, Yolanda. The person you need to apologize to is in the cell. If she forgives you, then maybe I can forget the evil you have done.” Megan turned her back on her after speaking.

“And if she doesn’t?” Yolanda asked in disbelief. Before Megan could respond, the door opened and the doctor walked in.

“Leave Yolanda. I need to rest now.” Megan uttered, avoiding eye contact with her. Yolanda was hesitant at first, but then left without looking back.

Megan fell weakly on the couch and looked at her doctor. “They aren’t severe wounds. This shouldn’t take time.” She mumbled.

***

“You don’t have to be here, Prince Damon. I can cope alone.” Belinda assured Damon, who sat in front of her cell gate, staring at her.

“I want to be here with you, Belinda. It’s not your fault, so you shouldn’t suffer alone. Isla and Maisie are to blame for this, and I’ll make them regret their actions.”

“How would you do that? Will you report them to the king?” Belinda asked.

“If need be.”

“But Maisie saw me naked. What if she noticed the mark on my neck? Alpha Cephas guessed you marked me. If we report Miss Maisie, she could come out to the king and queen that we are a thing, and this will ruin things.” Belinda explained.

“So what do you want me to do? I can’t just let them be after what they did to you.”

“You’ll have your revenge, but not now. Let’s just pretend you have no idea about what happened. This way, we can keep an eye on her. Keep acting like her fiancée, and I’ll keep my distance. If truly she planned this, she would want to keep quiet so as not to endanger herself.”

“And Isla?”

“I’ll keep an eye on Isla. She should be the least of our problems. Reggie will help me take care of her.”

While Belinda gave her suggestions, Damon couldn’t help but smile widely, until Belinda noticed.

“What? Why are you smiling so hard?” She asked.

“You are speaking with more confidence compared to before. Your wolf showing up is a very good thing. You are a strong woman, Belinda. And I’ll be right here by your side anytime, anyday. This is my promise to you tonight.”

He reached for her hand through the railings of the gate and gave it a slight squeeze.

“I love you, Prince Damon.”

“I love you so much too, Belinda. We’ll get you out of here. I promise.”