Chapter 9
1001 Words
Sovia’s POV
“Interesting?”
He always made it seem like he could see through my petty schemes.
To him, it was like a joke that wasn’t worth his time.
Every glance, every interaction stemmed purely from curiosity.
After taking his sip, he placed the glass back on the table and slowly ran his tongue across his lower lip, savouring the wine as if he refused to waste a single drop.
I shivered when he inclined toward me.
Without warning, he grabbed my arm and tugged me forward. Everyone at the table fell silent. Lydia shivered with unease. “Prince Zadekiah, what are you doing…”
He ignored everyone and everything, keeping his focus locked solely on me.
I couldn’t look away as his head tilted, scanning me slowly from head to toe.
I had to take control and not let the fear weakening my knee win.
Placing my hand over his grip, I forced a smile. “Your Highness…”
“Have you seen a dead body before?” he asked suddenly.
I froze.
A dead body? What did he mean by that?
He wasn’t really going to kill me. Was he?
He smiled and leaned in close to my ear. His hot breath teased the sensitive skin there. “I’ll show you one today.”
My eyes widened.
His grip tightened almost painfully as he pulled me. My body lifted off the floor, my gown fanning through the air while Zadekiah flung me, his fingers clenched around my wrist.
He caught my waist midway, spinning me into his chest.
A gust of wind rushed past my ear and then—
Thump!
A pair of darts slammed into the wall. Another sliced through a guest, and her body crumpled lifeless to the floor.
“Ahhh!!!” A loud scream vibrated through the entire hall.
Zadekiah flashed a half-smile, his gaze never leaving me. His shoulder flexed as he hurled a dagger. It sliced through the air toward Lydia.
I gasped as the dagger flew past her and buried itself in a masked man only a few paces behind her.
The attacker collapsed. Lydia exhaled in relief.
Bang!
Bang!
Gunshots rang out as several men dressed in black stormed the space. Guests scattered in blind panic. The faint scent of burnt slivered, choked my senses. I caught a sharp, layered scent carrying something unmistakably sinister.
My wolf snarled deep inside me, but fighting would be pointless. She was still sealed.
The masked men scanned the room. When their eyes landed on me, they charged forward.
Lydia rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Sovia, get down!”
She forced me down behind the table just as another gunshot exploded through the air.
Zadekiah moved with terrifying fluid grace, his form blurring like a living shadow. He seized one of the men, his wolf aura flaring wildly. Fangs elongated as he sank them into the attacker’s neck.
Blood sprayed as Zadekiah ripped the man’s throat open.
My lips parted in horror.
Lydia pressed me tighter against her. My heart hammered wildly while I watched his thick claws s***h through another attacker.
His growl was so feral it weakened knees across the room — including mine.
My nails dug into Lydia’s arm as the c*****e unfolded.
Before the guards could fully arrive , Zadekiah already held the final masked man.
He turned.
He didn’t need to search. His wolf eyes, glowing with electric blue shades, fixed directly on me.
Blood stained his fangs and dripped down his chin.
As if sending a silent warning, he gripped the attacker’s head. His lips curved into a twisted, sadistic smirk.
“Your Highness, wait!” one of the guards yelled from the corner, but no one dared move closer.
With terrifying ease, he ripped the attacker’s head from his body. Fresh blood pumped out as Zadekiah exhaled, basking in the glory of his madness.
Because he was mad.
He brought the severed head close to his face and tsked coldly.
The sight sent a wave of nausea and icy chills racing up my throat.
“Hmm…” he groaned with a casual shrug, as though he hadn’t just bathed the hall in blood.
He took slow, majestic strides and placed the head carefully on the table.
Then he poured himself a drink and flopped into a seat.
Our family guards finally seized the moment to rush over.
They helped Lydia and me up from where we had hidden.
I shouldn’t have been scared, but my body still tingled from the brutal aftermath.
“Your Highness, why did you kill all the attackers? We needed to investigate…”
“Darkraven,” he growled, his fangs still sharp as he gripped the glass tightly.
His claw lingered while he set the champagne bottle back down.
“Pardon?” The chief guard’s voice hitched.
Zadekiah hissed, reaching for the severed head still dripping on the table.
His claw traced over a tattoo on the torn neck.
A faded raven tattoo marked the skin.
I stepped closer hesitantly as Zadekiah tapped the design.
“Darkraven is a group of shadow assassins that kill for the right price…”
My insides twisted into tight knots.
Why would assassins storm our estate on my birthday?
“Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness,” the chief guard said, holding his belt and offering a low bow. “I still don’t understand. Darkraven doesn’t attack like this…”
“As I said,” Zadekiah continued, raising the glass to his lips. He smirked, fangs glinting. “They kill for the right price.”
He casually caressed the blood on his lower lip with his fingers before sucking it clean.
He arched a brow at me. “The real question should be, who bid a price for your death, little Red.”
Instinctively, I grabbed Lydia’s wrist and swallowed hard against the lump in my throat.
I had just got my life— now someone wanted me dead again.
But the question remained — who?
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