Episode 9
672 Words
Raina’s eyes widened in shock as she looked down at her hand which kai had just slapped away, her mouth hanging half opened.
At first, she barely reacted.
But when she looked up, the anger burning in Kai’s eyes made her breath stopped.
Kai had slapped her hand away.
"Kai? What are you doing?"
"Tell me!" His voice trembled with barely contained rage. "What were you doing just now?!"
She had never seen him like this before. The anger in his eyes was almost frightening.
"Kai, what's wrong with you?" she asked, startled.
"What is wrong with me?" His fists clenched at his sides. "Why was he in your room? Why was he holding your hand?!"
His voice cracked, but his glare remained sharp, wanting answers.
Only then did Raina notice his eyes were red.
He looked furious, but under that, something flickered in his gaze.
Something like pain.
Hurriedly, she explained, "I—I fell into the water. Prin..... Veyne saved me. He was just checking my pulse."
"Fell into the water?!"
The anger in Kai’s eyes shifted instantly to panic.
He grabbed her shoulders, eyes darting over her soaking wet clothes.
"What happened? Are you hurt?" His voice softened, desperate.
She forced a smile, squeezing his hand to reassure him. "It was nothing. Just a slip."
But as soon as her fingers wrapped around his, he tensed.
Kai whole body stiffened, as if suppressing pain.
Alarmed, Raina yanked up his sleeve.
And her heart stopped.
Dark, purple-red welts marred his skin, fresh wounds, silver wounds.
Her breath caught. "Kai!" Her voice trembled. "What happened?! Who did this to you?!"
He remained silent, jaw tight, refusing to answer.
But she already knew.
Her hands curled into fists. "Them again, wasn't it?"
She didn’t need to ask who "they" were.
She had seen this before when they had stolen his food, when they had starved him until he nearly fainted, when they had ganged up on him the next day for daring to resist.
It wasn’t just bullying.
It was more than punishment! Silver wounds are hard for werewolf to heal.
Raina clenched her hand. She knew exactly who had given the order.
Her chest ached as she gently took his arm, her fingers trembling as she reached for the medicine.
“Sit down," she whispered. "Let me treat it.”
Kai didn’t move at first.
But when she pulled him toward the table, he relented, watching in silence as she cleaned the wounds.
She tried to be careful, but when the medicine touched his raw skin, he flinched, his teeth clenched against the pain.
Tears almost slipped out of Raina’s eyes, but she held them back.
"You have to endure it," she murmured. "Don’t fight back, no matter what they do. They’re doing this on purpose, trying to provoke you. If you react, you’ll be the one who suffers."
She knew how much it hurt him, not just the wounds, but the humiliation.
A boy who had once been a crown prince, now treated as nothing more than a prisoner.
It was too much for them to accept.
But they had no choice.
Kai lowered his head, his long lashes casting shadows over his pale cheeks.
His expression was unreadable, his silence disturbing.
For a brief moment, Raina couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
But then, he reached out.
And gently pulled her into his arms.
She stiffened.
His embrace was desperate, his hold too tight as if he were afraid that if he let go, she would disappear.
"RiRi," his voice was barely a whisper.
"Don’t leave me."
She felt his heartbeat, wild and unsteady, under her palm.
"You’re the only one I have now," he murmured. "If I lose you too, then I..."
His voice broke.
Raina swallowed hard.
She lifted a hand, pressing it against his chest.
“I won’t leave,” she promised.
“Ever.”
For a brief moment, all was still.
But then, a shiver ran down Raina’s spine as a scent passed her nose.
- Writer
