Chapter 315

Lady Merilyn had been on edge all day. The moment she heard both human princesses had gone into heat simultaneously, while their mates were in the mountains, she prayed fervently for them. Then came the news that the rulers had returned, bringing immense relief. But now, hurrying through Ravenshadow’s courtyard, a new fear gripped her. Why had the Grand King summoned her? Was something wrong? Was her master suffering a feral episode during rut? That fear unsettled her most. A female in heat deserved a mate whose mind was intact, someone fully present to meet her body’s demands. And this was Princess Aekeira’s first heat. The thought of her enduring it without proper care…

Merilyn quickened her pace. By the time she reached the door, she was breathless, her nerves frayed. Lord Vladya’s chambers were fortified, so she could hear nothing from outside. She knocked, anxious. “Your Highness, it is I—Lady Merilyn. You requested my presence.”

The door swung open instantly. A disheveled, sweaty, and utterly distressed King Daemonikai stood there. His eyes were wild, chest heaving, body vibrating with tension. “Get in here,” his voice rumbled, rough with rut and frustration.

Merilyn entered. The scent of heat and pheromones was so heavy, so potent, her head spun. Desire rose, lust stirred. She fought to maintain control. Her first glance fell upon her master. Dressed in loose pants, his powerful frame relaxed but alert, he stood by the mattress where Princess Aekeira slept beneath the sheets.

Relief flooded Merilyn; he was whole, sated, in control. Aekeira was receiving care. Good. But when King Daemonikai led her into the adjoining bedchamber, all relief vanished. Princess Emeriel was a wreck. She lay curled, shaking violently, as if gripped by a frigid winter. Her teeth chattered, her body twitched with spasms, her skin slick with sweat and tears; red scratches marred her arms. Soft, incoherent cries escaped her lips. She had retreated into herself, completely unaware of her surroundings.

Merilyn’s stomach twisted. “What is happening to her?” The Grand King’s guttural growl echoed as he paced like a caged animal. “I tried to mount her, and it wouldn’t… ” He ran a restless hand through his damp hair. “And I couldn’t… I hate seeing her like this! Every part of me wants to end her suffering, yet I can’t!”

Merilyn flinched. His rage, frustration, and helplessness filled the room like a brewing storm. “Why won’t she let me in?” His voice was pained, anxious. “Why can I do nothing for her?”

Merilyn moved closer, forcing herself to focus. Sitting beside Emeriel, she examined her closely. “Where is… my Beloved?” Emeriel’s voice was weak, filled with pain. “Make it stop…”

Merilyn’s beast whined in sympathy. She sensed what might be happening… and it wasn’t good. “It’s bad,” Lady Merilyn told the princess’s distraught mate. “Very bad.”

The Grand King halted. “What is the matter? What can I do for her?”

Lady Merilyn looked down at the trembling princess. “Princess, can you hear me?”

The faintest whimper was the only response. “She is suffering,” she said, looking at the Grand King. “We must put her to sleep first.”

“I have a sleeping potion in the drawer,” Lord Vladya’s voice came from the doorway. He leaned against the frame, arms crossed, brows pinched with worry. “It doesn’t work on me, but Faiwick swears by its strength.”

Merilyn reached for it, opening the drawer and retrieving the small glass vial. Uncorking it, she shifted to the head of the bed, lifting the princess’s head onto her lap. Tilting the vial carefully, she poured a measure of the potion between the princess’s parted lips, watching it trickle down. “She is in heat,” Merilyn murmured, watching for a reaction. “The sleep won’t last long.”

Across the chamber, King Daemonikai resumed pacing, agitation radiating from him in waves. Merilyn had never seen him look so helpless. The potion worked quickly. Within moments, Emeriel’s lashes fluttered, her head lolled to the side, her breath softening as she slipped into sleep.

A pained cry echoed from the adjacent chamber. Lord Vladya stiffened, snapping to attention before disappearing through the doorway, leaving only Merilyn, the Grand King, and the sleeping princess.

King Daemonikai halted. His gaze was fierce as it settled upon her. “Tell me what is wrong, Merry.”

“I will, Your Grace,” Merilyn hesitated. “But first, if you don’t mind, I would ask that you sit down.”

Frustration flashed across his face, and for a second, Merilyn was certain he was about to snap. She quickly added, “For Emeriel. Try to stay calm… for her.”

His nostrils flared, but the words had struck their mark. Running a hand over his face, he forced himself to steady his breathing, chest rising and falling in deep, open-mouthed exhales. Finally, after a long moment, he lowered himself into the chair beside her.

“First, there’s the heat suppressants,” Merilyn began cautiously.

“I already gathered that much,” he snapped, cursing under his breath. “Morina should never have given them to her in the first place, damn it.”

“Second, her body is waiting for her Beloved to soothe her heat, yet… it doesn’t recognize you.”

The Grand King’s face paled as the words sank in. “Our severed bond?”

Merilyn nodded, her expression sympathetic. “The princess isn’t just a syren; she’s a Soulbond. One who has already been claimed through heat-sex by her destined mate in the past. Now, her body expects that same connection, yet the bond is missing.”

Daemonikai stared into space, absorbing the words. “It wouldn’t be a problem in a different circumstance. All you would need to do is mount her again, and her body would recognize you. But because of the suppressants, her body is in survival mode, desperate to ward off anything it perceives as an intruder. And…” she struggled to find the right words.

He sat with his elbow propped on the armrest, his fingers rubbing his forehead. Merilyn could only imagine the toll the situation—and his unsatisfied rut—was taking on him. “Ask,” he growled.

She cleared her throat. There was no delicate way to address this. “That night your mind was… unclear when you mounted her,” she said carefully. “The experience wasn’t pleasant for her, was it?”

The only sound was the distant, pleasured cries of Princess Aekeira from the adjoining chamber. Daemonikai’s nod was shallow, barely a twitch, but Merilyn caught it.

“Was that your last… um, intimacy with her?”

His head turned slightly, and he regarded her from beneath his hand. “How could I possibly touch her again after that? It hasn’t even been a month. I’m not a monster, Merilyn.”

Merilyn nodded, pushing forward. “That night being your last intimacy with the princess has contributed to this, Your Grace. Her body now associates your touch with that memory.”

“So what you’re saying is, her body isn’t just trying to protect her from any intruder, but from the very one who hurt her… all while still waiting for her Beloved?”