That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King’s Slave Mate Novel

Chapter 187: "No? But your head soldier… he said Yaz? He had brought Aekeira here?"

A surge of fury battled the weakness coursing through Vladya's veins. Leaning back, he shut his eyes. "Leave. I did not-"

She gasped. "You're bleeding!" She gasped again, more urgently. "You're hurt!" The next second, her scent engulfed him, unbelievably close. The sweet notes of rose mingled with vanilla bean.

"It is nothing," Vladya ground out through clenched teeth. "A mere scratch-" The words died on his lips as the sharp rip of fabric pierced the air. Eyes snapping open, he stared at her. Aekeira had torn a strip from the hem of her dress. Her movements rushed and determined, and she stepped closer, holding the torn cloth like a weapon.

"What madness is this?"

"We must stop the bleeding, Your Highness," she said firmly. The improvised bandage brushed against his fevered skin, sending an unwelcome jolt through his system.

The scent of her blood, sweet and heady, washed over him like a breaking wave. Like a blooming field of wildflowers. His nostrils flared, and a low growl rumbled in his throat.

Every fiber of his being screamed for sustenance; his weakened state, blood loss, and the poison gnawing at his control. His vision blurred, her vibrant life force a beacon against the encroaching darkness.

"Get away from me, Aekeira," Vladya snarled, the words ragged through his lengthening fangs. "Go, before I-" He couldn't finish the threat, the hunger a burning coal in his gut.

Aekeira met his gaze, her own widening with a flicker of fear. Her face paled, and she swallowed nervously. But something else held her ground-a stubborn defiance laced with compassion.

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"I can't. Not until this is bound." She tightened the makeshift bandage, her touch feather-light against his burning skin.

Where did she find such courage? The question gnawed at him as a strange sensation rippled through him. A yearning for much more. A craving for the very thing he must deny himself.

"Your brother was attacked. Poisoned arrows in the woods. I sent him to his chamber to rest."

Aekeira went still, a gasp escaping her.

"Em…" Her voice cracked, choked with a new fear.

"Do you have another brother?" Vladya pressed sarcastically, a sliver of cruelty slicing through the haze of need.

Her hand fell away from his wound. Aekeira spun away, skirts swirling as she lunged for the door.

Vladya nodded. "I thought so," he muttered under his breath. His eyes slid shut, and his head fell back, a weary sigh escaping him.

But her steps faltered. "Wait. You saved Em? You?" Incredulity laced her voice.

Vladya's eyes flew open. Silence fell like a shroud.

"I did not say that," he stated at last.

"But that's what happened, isn't it?" Aekeira murmured. "It would explain the wounds, the poison."

Vladya was too exhausted for this confrontation. Were all human royals this stubborn, or was it a trait solely found in this female and her brother?

"Fine," he conceded, the word heavy with resignation. "I saved the boy's life. Are you satisfied? Now, go tend to him and leave me in peace, Aekeira." A flicker of vulnerability crossed his voice as he added, "Please."

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