Chapter 47: Chapter 47

“Mother?” Damon called out for his mother, rushing towards her with confusion evident on his face. However, his words were abruptly cut off by a forceful slap from Queen Marlena, conveying her disbelief and anger towards him.

"Mother, I understand you're angry, but please try to calm down," Damon pleaded, mindful of not scaring Belinda further with the tense situation.

"Calm down?! You impregnated a slave! A monstrous act!" She shouted, shoving him aside and storming towards Belinda, who stood frozen in fear.

"You must have hypnotized him! Cast a spell on him!" Queen Marlena accused, her hand raised to strike Belinda, but Damon intervened just in time, shielding her from harm. Queen Marlena's eyes widened in shock as Damon positioned himself between her and Belinda.

"I won't allow you to harm her, mother. If anyone should be punished, it's me," he asserted firmly.

Marlena's eyes remained wide in astonishment at her son's unexpected reaction as she stepped back from him.

"You've completely lost your mind! She must have cast a spell on you. This isn't the Damon I know!" Marlena exclaimed, storming out of the room, only to collide with the king at the doorway.

"What is happening?" he inquired, utterly clueless about the unfolding situation.

Belinda's heart raced in her chest as she observed the escalating conflict. She desperately searched for words to defend herself but found none.

They were caught in the act, and there seemed to be little they could do.

"Damon impregnated the red-furred wolf, Talos! I warned you that this girl would stop at nothing to harm me and our son! I could sense it. If you had listened to me earlier and banished her from the kingdom, we wouldn't be dealing with this!" Marlena yelled before storming out of the room.

While Marlena spoke, King Talos fixed his gaze on Damon, who continued to shield Belinda, determined to protect her.

"Damon, is your mother telling the truth?" King Talos asked, struggling to contain his growing anger.

Damon couldn't bring himself to speak, opting instead to lock hands with Belinda from behind, maintaining their connection.

"Guards! Separate him from her!" King Talos ordered, and Damon shook his head.

"No! Father, please!"

"Silence! She will be banished from this kingdom and our lives forever! I don't care if she carries that abomination!" King Talos replied, prompting the guards to enter the room and apprehend Damon.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Damon growled defiantly.

“Damon!” King Talos yelled as he watched his son beginning to shapeshift.

As Damon began to shapeshift, his body contorted and transformed. His bones cracked and rearranged, his muscles expanded and grew more powerful. Fur sprouted all over his body, covering him in a thick coat of dark gray.

His snout elongated, revealing sharp fangs, and his ears became pointed and more sensitive. His hands and feet transformed into powerful claws, ready to tear through anything in his path.

And as the transformation progressed, Damon's eyes underwent a striking change. Once a deep, piercing blue in his human form, his eyes now glowed with an intense and vibrant amber color.

The golden hue seemed to flicker with an otherworldly fire, reflecting the primal energy coursing through his veins.

He let out a snarl, protecting Belinda, who was still terrified about everything that was happening. The guards moved back after seeing him shapeshift, and they looked at King Talos for his next order.

"Leave him be. I will handle this," King Talos commanded the guards, and they exited the cell. Damon's snarling subsided as he witnessed the guards withdrawing.

King Talos cast one final menacing glare at Belinda before turning away and leaving. Once he was gone, Damon reverted back to his human form and turned his attention to Belinda.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. Tears welled up in Belinda's eyes as she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Everyone knows now, Damon. They're going to separate us. They'll send me away," she murmured, her tears staining his chest.

"I won't allow that to happen, Bel. I'll go wherever they send you. I won't let them take you and our baby away from me. I promise," Damon's voice quivered as he held her tightly.

"I'm scared," Belinda whispered, while Damon fought back tears of his own.

As they clung to each other, Megan burst into the room, breathing heavily as if she had been chased by a wild animal.

"Belinda... Damon... what happened?" Her voice was filled with concern and sorrow. "I overheard what happened, and I'm still so confused. Why were Mother and Father down here in the first place? They never come down here," Megan added, moving closer to them.

"I don't know, Megan! Clearly, someone informed them about what was going on here," Damon replied, refusing to let go of Belinda.

"But who would do such a thing? We..."

"Don't ask me that, Megan. You know very well who could be responsible. Your healer was aware, and even Yolanda!"

"No, Damon! They would never betray us like that," Megan argued, shaking her head, unwilling to entertain the thought of betrayal.

"How can you be so certain? Now, Father wants to exile Belinda. That won't happen; otherwise, they'll have to banish me too. I won't leave her," Damon declared, his hold on Belinda growing tighter.

Megan's chest rose and fell as she observed them both. Belinda was consumed by her tears, making it difficult for her to speak.

"No... they couldn't have done this to us," Megan murmured to herself, shaking her head. Determined, she left the cell once again, heading towards Yolanda's chamber.

***

Upon entering the library, King Talos immediately called out, “Mr. Theron!” Startled, Mr. Theron quickly emerged from behind a shelf, recognizing the king's voice.

“King Talos,” he acknowledged, bowing his head as the king approached.

“Did you know? Did you see that my son is the one who marked the red-furred wolf?” King Talos bombarded him with questions, not allowing any time for a response.

“I sensed a strong bond between your children and the wolf, my king,” Mr. Theron calmly replied, still bowing his head.

“Of course there was a bond! That creature is currently carrying my son's child!” King Talos exclaimed, causing Mr. Theron to raise his head in shock.

“You’re surprised too, aren't you? Out of all the women Damon could have impregnated, he chose a slave and a monster,” King Talos lamented, wiping his mouth with his hand and pacing before Mr. Theron.

“What would you have me do, My Lord?”

Mr. Theron asked, uncertain how to console his distressed king in this delicate situation.

“I want her out of this kingdom, but Damon is fiercely protective of her! He even transformed into his wolf form to defend her from the guards when they attempted to separate them,” King Talos added, and Mr. Theron nodded, awaiting further instructions.

“I cannot allow him to be with her, as it would tarnish our family's reputation and the throne! He cannot rule alongside a monster. I need her removed from his kingdom,” King Talos asserted.

“But Prince Damon doesn't want that, does he? I believe he will want to accompany her due to their strong connection,” Mr. Theron countered.

“I don't care! I want them apart! I don't care what fate befalls the woman; my concern lies with my boy and his future! She must have enchanted him or something,”

King Talos moved closer, placing his hands on Mr. Theron's shoulders.

“I want you to erase her from his memory. I want you to make him reject her so that I can banish her from this kingdom without his interference… so that he will never have anything to do with her, ever again.” He stated, gazing directly into Mr. Theron's eyes.