The Werewolf King's Bride

(From Blue's Perspective)

Abel led the way and I followed him, drenched in the rainwater until we reached the motionless body of Dem's aunt. He crouched on the ground and examined her body carefully while I stood near, horrified.

"She is dead," he announced within a few seconds.

'Knowing if someone is dead is easy. But knowing if someone is alive is hard.'

"No chance?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head.

"She has died fifteen minutes ago approximately," he explained. "I can't even do CPR. There is no point."

"And the cause of death? Can you understand anything?" I asked, bending slightly. As for me, I had no idea. But he surely had experience.

"No, nothing."

"Gosh…," I sighed. "Why today out of all day? And why here?"

"Your Highness, something doesn't feel right. We need to go back," he said, his voice cautious.

I also suspected something was wrong. It was possible Lady Caerlion was murdered. It was not like she would die in the middle of a lavender field all of a sudden. But why would someone kill her here? And that was also on the day I came here? Did someone know I would come here beforehand?

Only Abel knew about it. Besides, I decided to come here at the last minute.

Abel was trustworthy. Or, Dem would never send him to guard me. Abel was not a dark mage as he could turn into a wolf and did so many times in front of Dem.

'Mages cannot shapeshift after all. It's the same for dark mages.'

I still glanced down at Abel, who was still on the ground, looking around. I checked his movements and expressions. As always, he did not have any expression on his face. Sometimes, it felt like he was a sculpture that could move its mouth only.

'No, he can't be. He can't be a traitor.'

I examined the surrounding a few more times. It did not take me long to find something that was not supposed to be there. Or, should I say I found someone who was not supposed to be here?

"Your Highness, what should we do with…?"

Abel could not finish. He stood up abruptly and almost attacked the man who was standing barely a foot away from me.

I stopped Abel, creating a barricade with my arm between the two men. I seemed puny in their presence.

"Your Highness, do you know him?" Abel asked, clearly not confused that the man in front of us did not mean well.

"You… You did this," I muttered.

"I did," he gave me a smile.

"You killed this woman?" Abel asked threateningly.

"My daughter, do you know how long have I waited to greet you in person?" he smiled again, not bothering to even glance once at Abel. The very familiar set of eyes was fixed on me.

Abel was stunned. I did not have the chance to be shocked at all. Actually, I was barely taken aback.

The fact that he was here did not surprise me at all for some reason. It was like I knew he was following me and would corner me anytime he would get the chance. I was more surprised seeing his face.

He looked exactly like me. It was like I was looking at my male counterpart. He did not even look too old. He actually did not look old enough to be my biological father. Did my mother truly have sex with a minor? Now, that was a crime.

He touched my face, his hand colder than ice, despite Abel's effort to slap his hand away. Abel's hand froze in midair as if an invisible rope was keeping his hand in place. I flinched, not looking away.

"My daughter, it's time to go home."

"What if I say no?"

"Do not be like that. This father will be very sad."

"Azure, you are not my father," I said.

"Anyone can see the truth when they look at us. Have you looked in the mirror at yourself, Blue? And have you looked at me? Tell me that again."

"Blood means nothing. Blood is not family," I said. "I have new parents now. I don't need another father."

"Blood might not decide family, but you cannot deny the blood," he said, his tone gentle. "Do you think if you deny our relationship, it will change?"

"Free Abel, Azure," I said.

"Ah, your husband's knight…," he muttered, finally looking at Abel. "He is here to make sure you won't run away, isn't he?"

"Your Highness," Abel said, asking for an order.

"Stop playing with us, Azure," I said.

"My daughter, you know very well, I don't play. Or, I would have already sent you a pair of brown eyes as a toy."

I stared at him in horror as he smiled at me as if a daughter smiling at his daughter. "You… you wouldn't…"

"Son of a…!"

Abel attempted to hit him, but his hand got stuck in midair again. This time, he could not move any part of his body.

"Agh!!!" Abel groaned in pain and fell to the ground.

"Let him go!"

"My daughter, who taught you to care for every single person?"

"Let him go, bastard!"

"I have not come here to let go, my daughter. I have come here to take you," he said.

I gritted my teeth and tried to hit him using my power. Once, twice and more times. But nothing happened. No matter how hard I tried, nothing happened.

"What…?"

"I gave you the power," he said, in a whispering tone. "And I can take it back too, my daughter."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I opened my mouth to say something. Perhaps I did say something. But I did not remember as blackness covered my vision. I wondered how Abel was. Did he get into trouble because of me? He surely did.

Still, I hoped the obvious did not happen.

"Oh dear," Azure clicked his tongue. "I did not wish to be so forceful."