Filed to story: The Rejected Werewolf Princess (Camilla & Tyson) by Didi Adeyemi >>
“What the hell is happening?”
“Frederick and his men launched a surprise attack. It started in the lower town. Apparently, the guards stationed there were spies of his. They are quickly making their way to the palace and we need to ensure that the royal family is safe.”
“How long do we have until they get here?”
“Five minutes tops.”
I cursed. “I could help out with my powers and delay them. How secure is this safe room?”
“It is the best you can think of. No one knows about it except for us and the elders. The elders don’t even know exactly where it is.”
“Good,” it was Ryker who spoke and before I could process it, he pushed me into the safe room. I tried to step out but he blocked the entrance with his b*dy.
“What the hell are you doing?” I whisper yelled and he smiled.
“I’m keeping you safe,” he leaned down to k*ss me and despite being pi ssed at him, I couldn’t help but lean into the k*ss. He pulled away abruptly. “I hope you can forgive me.”
Before I could say anything else, he slammed the door shut.
RYKER’S PO.V
I could feel Camilla’s annoyance surging through our bond and it took everything for me to pull that wall between us down. I knew that she wanted to help but I wasn’t willing to risk her safety. She was safest behind those walls and if that meant gaining her anger then it was a good deal. I could feel Steven’s eyes on me but I ignored him and turned on my heels.
The guards and soldiers were already preparing with their weapons. I had very little interest in actually fighting a battle but if that was what Frederick wanted then so be it. As soon as the soldiers saw me, all eyes went on me and everyone went quiet.
“The important thing is to make sure they don’t get into the palace,” I reminded them. “Meet them as far away from here as possible. The guards will remain here in case something happens but remember that under no circumstance is anyone supposed to breach the palace walls. Defend it with your life, are we clear?”
There was a chorus of yes, your majesty before everyone dispersed. Steven kept close to me and I wasn’t sure if it was because he was used to it or if there was another reason. He explained that they were coming from the East so majority of the soldiers gathered that way. The closer, we got, the more I could hear them. From what I could shear, he had a substantial army with him.
I stood in front waiting for them to arrive. When they did, Frederick raised his hands and they all stopped. I looked through the men around him and I saw a few familiar faces but I noticed that there were also rogues present: I couldn’t help but wonder how he got so many rogues to agree to fight for him. He must have promised them something but the question was what.
“I didn’t think would come out to welcome me,” Frederick began with a small smirk on his face. “Where is you sister? How is she doing? I was expecting to see her too. I may or may not have another special surprise for her.”
I knew he was trying to goad me into making the first move and as much as I wanted to rip his face off, I had to force myself into silence. Camilla wasn’t here and he was never going to get to her- that was what mattered. Once I was calm, I looked up at him once more and I saw his smile waver from my lack of response.
“This is your last chance, Frederick, call this thing off. You don’t want to die like this.”
He scoffed. “This is my birthright; the road was opened for me. I was supposed to be king but Camilla came out of nowhere and snatched it out from under my nose.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“Haven’t you ever wondered how she just managed to go missing?” he asked and the entire forest went silent. I knew what he was implying but I wasn’t going to believe it until he said it. “My mother did everything to ensure that I had a clear path to the throne and it was working until she came back.”
“Your mother took her away, didn’t she?”
He smirked. “That’s enough talking, I will get my throne, one way or another and the way I see it, I’ve already won.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, you stepped right into my trap.”
Before I could ask what he meant, my world exploded. We were thrown back by the force of the explosion and I was lucky enough to not be at the forefront. My ears were ringing as I struggled to get to my feet and I saw Frederick’s men attacking. It took me a second to realize that the explosion wasn’t to hurt us but rather to throw us off balance. It was only by luck I was able to deflect the strike of the rogue who attacked me because my arms felt like lead.
I looked around trying to find Frederick but it was almost like he had disappeared. I muttered a small curse knowing he was heading for the palace. I wanted to go after him but it was like he had instructed his fllowers to crowd us so that we couldn’t follow him.
A rogue rushed me and I quickly side stepped and stabbed him with my sword. I saw Steven battling off two men and I rushed to his defense. Once both were handled, I dropped my voice to a whisper.
“Cover me,” I instructed and he nodded then I darted off in the direction of the palace. The few people who noticed tried to stop us but Steven was quick to cut them down.
As we got close to the palace, I couldn’t help but know that he wouldn’t walk in through the front doors. I would have followed into the tunnels but I didnt know them as well as he did, they were his territory and it would be a sure recipe into dying quickly. I mind linked the spies and instructed them to assemble in front of all the tunnel entrances while I scoured the palace in case he had somehow already sl*pped in.
Thirty minutes in and he was still nowhere to be seen. I had received a mind link saying that the main battle was already over and his men had been neutralized. That didn’t give me as much comfort as I needed it to. Steven was still by my side like the trusted soldier that he was.