ISOLDE

“Isolde! Are you in there?” The voice started coming towards us.

“I will find you! Just stay strong!” The voice was getting thicker and colder.

I started to shiver on the floor. The hounds stilled. They sniffed the dark and angry aura I felt and started to walk away.

Wait…that was the aura I felt before I found myself here.

Was it the person who threw me here?

If he was the one, why was he looking for me again?

Or was it Alpha King Rowan who had finally remembered our love again?

A tiny smile found its way to my lips, admitting my tears and pain as the hounds finally left me, my back on the cold and stony ground.

My heart rose and fell as I lay flat on the cold floor, broken, bleeding. He should find me like this. He should see what he has done to me.

“Isolde,” A voice bent over and cupped my face, lifting me up. A warm, gentle breath hit my face. My blurry eyes raised as I saw his golden eyes that shone through the dungeon.

He was in his wolf turning state. Strong. Protective.

“I'm sorry this is happening to you,” he said, dragging me to his body, hugging me as if I were something precious. I blinked to see clearly between the blurry.

I reached out to him, my hand clutching his collar. I slammed my red lips on his quickly before he could speak again.

My tongue dominated his, in appreciation, his lips felt like ash and rain.

I felt him shiver and freeze under me, this only gave me more power to dominate him. I kissed him like that was the last time I would do it.

It was as if that was everything I needed, the kiss was so smooth and tender, it almost washed away all my pain.

I broke the kiss when I had had enough.

His lips were softer than usual, and I dragged him closer to me again, meeting his wide golden eyes that bore into my dark green eyes.

“I know you would come, my King” I whispered tiredly.

“I'm not…King Rowan, Isolde,” the man stammered in fear or shock.

What?!

But how…come?!

He felt like so much of him. His voice. His body. Even though I couldn't see him clearly in the dark.

They all had gold eyes at their turning state and could decide to be in that mode, so I couldn't see his real eyes either.

What have I done?

What was I thinking?

How would I think Alpha King Rowan, who threw me here, would come and get me out?

I was so stupid!

But who could this be?

I reached for his cheek and felt a long hair dangling at the back of my hand. My hand trembling, traced his long hair to his neck.

He had long hair?!

My hand dropped and I fell into darkness immediately.

***

The Next Day

The light creeped through the windows slowly as I forced myself to open my eyes. I shifted on the floor, hoping to feel cold but instead I felt warm.

I stretched around the surroundings to know what was going on, and felt a bedsheet instead.

I sat up quickly, heart beating fast. Eyes scanning the room or cell…maybe not. Stoned walls yes but it but it was polished, decorated with a large sized bed.

This was…a chamber.

What was going on?

How did I get in here?

I should be happy, at least I was out of the darkness, but instead fear found it way to my heart as I remembered the wolf I kissed yesterday.

He was an Alpha wolf, he felt like I should have known him, but I couldn't remember him and I felt like I had betrayed Alpha King Rowan.

Knock. Knock.

I flinched.

Sliding off the bed, smoothing my long brown hair and walked towards the door. My hand hesitated a second to the door handle.

I opened the door and froze.

It's him.

The wolf that saved me.

If I had known, I wouldn't have opened it.

I was expecting the king which I kept beating myself mentally why I wouldn't stop thinking about him.

Why didn't I want to accept that he had given upon us?

This wolf wasn't in his beast mode, the resemblance with Rowan was strikingly obvious. Tall, broad shoulders, Sharp jaw.

His light blue eyes that resemble the sky looked at me with queit intensity. His long black hair that reached his neck was still damp, maybe from a bath. He wore a black leather uniform, a sword strapped to his right side…definitely a warrior.

I stepped aside quietly for him to enter, keeping the shiver in my gut.

His strawberry scent washed over me quickly as he moved closer to me.

He looked like Alpha King Rowan but younger…softer. His eyes didn't leave me for once before he cleared his throat and spoke,”Good morning…Queen,” his voice was deep and steady.

I stepped back once again,”Who are…you?” my voice broke.

“I'm Prince Finnian Maddox. The Alpha King's younger brother,” my eyes widened in realization.

I once heard king had a younger brother but I had never seen him, not before or during our marriage.

“Where were you all…these while? Why haven't I see you?” I couldn't help but asked.

“I left home since I was seventeen to become a warrior. And now I'm back to protect King Rowan,” his deep voice cracked my mind slightly sending an electric touch to my heart.

He was protecting him. Not me.

I swallowed slightly while nodding and looked at the floor slowly, his real face played the incident that happened between us yesterday, I still remembered how I kissed him, how his lips tremble under my control.

‘Isolde, what are you thinking?! Focus!’ a voice warned and i got hold of myself quickly.

“I'm so…”

“You do…”

We said at the same time.

An awkward giggle found it way to my lips,”You can go first, my prince,” I bowed slightly.

“You don't have to call me that. You can call me Fin or Finnian” he corrected me.

Huh?

My heart raised a bit.

I forced myself to look into his light blue eyes, I tried to figure out one or two emotions but I found none before looking away.

“You don't have anything to be worried about. I will see to the end of this matter and fetch out the killer of the heir,” his voice was laced with a slight anger, his aura changing.

My eyes met his eyes and he calmed immediately,”Why are you helping me? Why did you believe…I didn't do it?”

“Because I know you didn't. My brother used to praise you a lot. You were his strength. A good woman, the best thing that has ever happened to him,” his eyes softened.”That kind of woman can never hurt a child .”

He walked towards the table placed beside a wall, unstrapped his long black sword and placed it on the table.

“But he didn't believe me,” I whispered but I was sure he could hear me.

He sat on the bed, gesturing me to sit, I hesitated but sat, keeping a space between us.

”He might have changed but trust me, he would come around.”

I let out a bitter chuckle,”After he killed me?”

His jaw tightened,“It won't reach that. Not when I'm alive” he said looking away.

But why?

Why would you protect me?

ISOLDE

He placed his traveling black bag on the bed, and my eyes traced his long arms, thick and strong from war, hoping to see his bare chest. I closed my eyes mentally to stop the dirty thinking. This wasn't right, Isolde.

I cleared my throat,” Erm…Prince Finnian…”

“Fin or Finnian,” he corrected, leaning closer to me, his thick arm on the traveling bag, his strawberry scent hitting my face, my heart pounding fast.

I nodded slightly in embarrassment trying to get hold of my body

, “I wanted to…”

“Say it,” I blinked, looking at him with a doe-eyed look.

“What?” I whispered as if I didn't know what he meant.

“Call me by my name,” his deep voice was low and intimidating.

I gulped down, our eyes not leaving each other,” Finnian,” I finally found myself saying after thinking I had lost my voice for a while.

He nodded, smiled, satisfied, and moved away from me slowly. I stood up and said at once,” I'm so sorry for what I did yesterday. I thought you were Alpha King Rowan. Forgive me for …”

I intended to say it all at once but he cut me off.

He nodded slightly,” I know…It's nothing to worry about.”

But I was. I had given a part of me to him even if it was a mistake.

Knock. Knock.

I walked towards the door quickly to reduce the tension between us, but he appeared in front of me instead with his wolf speed, and I looked up at him. His hand brushed over my right skin, stretching towards the door handle, and I felt a shiver run down my spine immediately.

What was wrong with me?!

“I will get it, you need to rest,” I grabbed my hand to myself and walked slowly back to the bed.

He opened the door and two maids entered the room.

“Good morning, Prince,” they greeted him and bowed.

Then they saw me and bowed.

“Good morning…Queen,” they greeted and I only nodded. I started feeling weak and a burning sensation on my left upper chest as if there was fire over there.

“This is the medicine, you asked for

Prince,” one of the maids bowed, stretched forward, a tray with a black bottle and a folded cloth.’

He collected it, they bowed to us and left without even waiting for his next word, he walked towards me and I looked at him with a pounding heart.

I knew what he wanted to do and I should be able to do it myself. I prepared my mind, ready to tell him I could apply it myself.

My heart stuck in my throat as I heard his next word.

“Take off…your clothes.”

What?!

My eyes widened and I adjusted it immediately as he moved towards me,” Take off your clothes…Isolde,” he said in a low voice with a straight face.

I liked the way my name sounded with his deep voice.

‘Oh, no! Isolde.’ I cautioned myself mentally.

I faked a cough quickly,” I…I can do that myself,” I stammered.

“No. You can't. Look at that,” he pointed towards my left upper breast and I traced his direction and saw blood on my deep blue long gown.

I quickly stood up with the thought of grabbing the medicine from him and applying it to the wound.

I have just two days left before this poisoning bite would end my life. I didn't want to die yet.

He dragged the medicine backwards as he saw my intention,” Please give it to me. I’ll app…” I couldn't complete my statement when I started to feel dizzy and my vision became blurry, I staggered towards him and collapsed in his hands.

“Queen!’’ That was all I could hear before I welcomed darkness.

What did he call me again?

~~~

FINNIAN

I didn't even know what to call her between Isolde and Queen but I preferred her name. I liked the way it sounded in my ears anytime I called it.

I didn't know why I was feeling this way around her.

My body shivered as she fell on me. She was still cold due to the dungeon I took her from. I carried her and placed her on the bed.

I thought she would listen to my command earlier, and I would help her to apply the medicine to her wound.

No guards were allowed to attend to her, I had almost fought my brother because of her, to let me be in charge of her, and investigate whoever killed our next heir.

The way my brother had changed towards his wife still baffled me. I poured the black medicine into a small bowl, dipping the cloth inside it.

I swallowed as I gently removed her upper left dress that covered her big breasts, I stopped at the point of seeing her breast.

The wound was exposed to me, and the spot had almost turned green. I rubbed the spot with the medicine. I saw how the medicine ran into the wound and closed the nearest skin that was open.

Her body shivered unconsciously as the wound closed completely. I knew that would cause her pain, and she wouldn't be able to heal quickly since she wasn't a werewolf like us.

I dropped the medicine as I finished applying it to the wound. I stared at her bare skin and fought the urge to drag the clothes down to see her breasts. I beat my head mentally as I closed the spot.

“What the hell am I doing?” I stood up quickly and stepped away from her, “She's a queen and my brother’s wife. Why on earth am I feeling this way?”

I looked at her once again,” I still don't know why my brother's love for you had turned to hatred, but I promised you, everything will be back to normal,” I muttered to her unconscious body as if she could hear me.

After watching her for a while, I left the room to cool off my head and the thought that was fighting its way to my heart. I was only here to protect her and nothing more.

I walked towards Queen Velin's room to see how she was doing. It wasn't a good thing to lose one's child.

“Your Highness. Prince Finnian is here to see you,” one of the guards announced my arrival.

I waited for her and she said,” Come in,” I entered with no hesitation, her maids bowed to me as I walked towards them.

Velin signaled to them and they left her room immediately, I glared at her body that had reduced drastically since the incident.

I sat on the nearest chair without waiting for her approval,” I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Luna.” I paused as she looked at me as if I was lying to her,” I will make sure I bring anyone who did this to justice.”

She dragged her black royal dress gently from her leg, adjusted on her seat to take a better view of me,” Really? Will you bring her to justice? Then why did you save her? Why haven't you killed her, Prince Finnian?!” She yelled at me and I understood her pain.

But something was telling me, Isolde was innocent, she wasn't the one who did it. The woman I saw wasn't capable of doing it.

“We need to calm down and investigate the real killer,” she looked away from me as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“We shouldn't judge harshly. What if we let the real killer live after killing the innocent person?” I tried my best to let her reason with me, but it was as if the words were jumping out of her ears as she moved closer to me on her knees, holding my left hand, looking at me with teary eyes.

“Prince Finnian, I'm so certain that it's that wicked witch who killed my baby. His corpse was found in her garden gushing out blood,” her cold hand slammed mine, shivering.

I used my other hand to hold her in place,” We need no investigation. All the evidence was pointing at her.”

“Just kill her already.”