Chapter 4 Episode 4

Raina spun around to run, but a sudden rip tore through the air.

She gasped, feeling the sharp chill against her leg.

Looking down, she saw that Axel's arrow had struck the hem of her dress. As she turned, the force of it ripped away a large portion of the fabric, leaving her bare legs exposed to the sunlight.

A dark, dangerous hunger flickered in his gaze.

Her stomach twisted.

Run!

She sprinted forward, her heart pounding but the sound of rushing wind cut through the air behind her.

Before she could react, a crushing weight slammed into her.

Raina hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs.

A strangled cry escaped her lips.

"No! let me go! Please let me go!"

She struggled desperately, but just like before, he overpowered her with terrifying ease.

His strong hands pinned her down, his body pressing into hers. With her clothes already torn, his rough fingers slid beneath the shredded fabric of her dress moving slowly.

Raina kicked wildly, her nails clawing at his arm.

"No! Stop! Please-!"

Her voice trembled, but she bit her lip hard, refusing to scream.

If she did, Prince Darius's guards would hear. Worse, Kai might hear, just beyond the palace walls.

She couldn't risk it.

A rustling noise cut through the tension.

A group of warriors in black cloaks rushed toward them.

Axel's soldiers.

"Axel!" one of them called.

Axel stilled, his grip still bruising her wrists.

But instead of letting go, he merely smirked.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, dragging Raina up with him. She felt her legs wobble beneath her, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

His piercing eyes trailed over her disheveled state, his smirk widening.

"Raina," he murmured, voice low and taunting. "Did you really think you could run from me? If you don't know, you're bonded with me forever."

Raina clenched her fists.

The entire palace was under their control. There was no escape. No one to help her.

Axel must have seen the moment she lost hope because his smirk turned into something darker.

Then, without warning, he hauled her against his chest.

Her breath stopped.

"Stand guard," he ordered his men. "No one comes inside."

Then he carried her into the abandoned chamber.

For the first time in her life, true fear settled into Raina's bones.

There was no fighting him. No stopping him.

When he dropped her onto the bed, tearing at her bra, her bare skin shivered under his gaze.

Tears welled in her eyes.

She let them fall, silently sinking into the mattress beneath her.

Axel tore her shirt, his breathing ragged as he leaned over her. He inhaled deeply, like a wolf intoxicated by its prey.

Raina's gaze drifted upward, empty.

Then, softly, she spoke.

"I'll not resist you"

Axel stilled.

His golden eyes flickered.

"But in exchange... can you do one thing for me?"

His expression darkened. "You think you can negotiate with me?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "My niece ... she's wounded in the garden. Send someone to save her."

Silence.

For a long, breathless moment, Axel simply stared at her.

Then, unexpectedly, a cold laugh left his lips.

His gaze turned unreadable.

"I'll mind-linked my men.."

He move aside then his inner voice sounded, "Check the gardens. If there's a servant still alive, bring a healer."

Raina sighed.

He... he actually...?

Her wide eyes searched his face, looking for an answer as he move back to her

Axel simply smirked.

"Don't get the wrong idea." His tone was laced with amusement, but his expression was cold. "I have no interest in screwing a lady who's too dead to react. Did I say lady? Fu*k! My mate.."

Raina's stomach churned.

He leaned down, whispering against her skin.

"So, I'll save her." His fingers trailed her jaw, forcing her to meet his gaze. "But you'll give me what I want."

His voice dropped, deadly soft.

"Or I'll have my men chop your niece into pieces instead."

Raina couldn't help but just swallowed.

For Mira, she forced herself to move. Her hands trembled as she reached up, gripping Axel's shoulders, though her entire body shook violently.

She had no idea what to do next.

His smirk deepened, like a predator toying with its prey.

Then, with slow, deliberate cruelty, he tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers.

His hand trailed lower down her body, sliding over her waist. Then, with a sudden jerk.

Raina arched violently, gasping like a fish pulled from water.

Then!

BANG!

The door slammed open.

Axel tensed. Raina's breath caught in her throat.

A voice rang out from the entrance!

"Young Lord Kaius has arrived!"

A low growl rumbled in Axel's throat as he pushed off Raina, fury darkening his features.

At the doorway, a tall man strode in, his posture rigid, his presence commanding.

Raina scrambled back, clutching the torn remnants of her dress against her chest. Her entire body trembled as she pressed herself into the corner of the bed.

Through the sheer curtains, she could barely make out his form.

Tall.

Slender.

Not as broad as Axel, but wearing golden-trimmed armor that clung to his powerful frame. Even in battle attire, there was an elegance to the way he carried himself.

His voice was cold. "Brother, this must be Raina."

She stiffened.

His brother?

The man continued, his tone sharp with accusation. "You knew father was searching for her. And still!!"

Axel scoffed, his lip curling. "You're the only good son in our father's eyes. What does it matter to me?"

The young Lord gaze hardened. "Then you won't mind if I take her? I'll deliver her to him myself."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Not the peaceful kind.

The air crackled with tension, sharp and dangerous. The sheer force of their standoff was suffocating.

Then!

Axel let out a low snort. His gaze flicked back to Raina, unreadable yet piercing.

"Go easy on her!..." His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "She is my fu*king mate."

And just like that!

He turned and walked away.

Raina barely processed what had just happened.

One moment, she was bracing for the worst, and the next... she was left behind.

The tension drained from her body, leaving her weak and unsteady. She nearly collapsed onto the bed.

Then!

Footsteps.

She froze as the young lord approached.

The curtain shifted!

Raina flinched, curling into herself, clutching her torn dress, her face buried between her knees.

Then!

Rustling.

The sound of fabric.

A chill ran down her spine.

No.

Not again. It's happening again!

Had she just escaped one monster only to fall into another's hands?

Raina's hand suddenly wrapped around her like a protection.

But then!

A thick, heavy cloak draped over her shoulders.

Warm. Protective.

It covered her, shielding her exposed body from view.

Her breath stopped

Hesitantly, she lifted her head.

The man before her was young, no more than twenty. His goledn armor gleamed under the dim light, a long silver sword strapped to his waist.

His face was sharp and angular, his features strikingly similar to Axel's, yet vastly different.

He had the same strong bone structure.

The same sharp brows.

But his eyes...

His eyes were different.

Cold. Detached.

A calculating intelligence shone beneath them, restrained and unreadable.

His straight nose and thin lips were pressed into a firm line, his expression impassive.

He was breathtakingly handsome.

And yet, something about him made Raina's stomach twist.

He regarded her without emotion.

Then, after a long pause, he finally spoke.

"Wrap yourself up."

His voice was very.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked out.