The Wicked Werewolf Prince

14. The Cure

[ELARA]

Morgana squats down, levelling her eyes to my face but she still towers over me, figuratively. I feel intimidated by her and I have no clue what she's going to do next. But what she does do, surprises me.

She tosses the daggers at my feet. "Go ahead, kill him. That way you won't even give him a chance of coming back," she declares, sighing.

"What do you mean?" I hiss, glaring at her. "He's never going to be himself again."

She snickers. "If I had a coin for every time someone underestimated me and then learnt otherwise, I'd be richer than the fucking king of Caelondor."

"How will you cure him?" I ask foolishly. But then I know it. She's a witch. A mage. Now the sensation I feel around him makes sense. I shake my head, refusing to get distracted. "There's no cure to rogueness. You're a liar."

Morgana raises an eyebrow at him as if she can't comprehend what I'm saying. "What good would lying about this do to me? No, seriously. Don't trust me. Put this dagger through his heart. Then regret it for the rest of your miserable life."

I bury my trembling fingers through my hair. My eyes glance at Alec. The love of my life. Is he truly there someone, just out of reach? Can he actually be brought back?

"Magnus is making you do this?" I ask her, sucking in a deep breath. I can't break down like this. Not in front of her. I straighten myself and fix my gaze on her.

"What the prince and I share between us is the curiosity for discovering new things. This is just an experiment to me if I'm being very honest. But it might just be the best gift you could possibly get from your husband," she reveals.

It doesn't make sense. "Why would he want to do this?"

"You should ask him yourself, sweetheart," she says and moves aside a moment before I see Magnus hurrying up towards us.

He's frustrated, and he only has a robe wrapped around his body. He was definitely sleeping. "How stupid are you really?" he questions me, taking a threatening step forward.

Morgana answers for me. "More than what you proclaimed, prince."

He shakes his head, running a hand through his dark hair. "It's my fault. I should tell you everything because of how unpredictable you are. If the guard hadn't informed me..."

"Don't worry, prince. I arrived right in time to stop her from making the mistake," Morgana says, moving close enough to Magnus until she's leaning on his shoulder. For a moment, he gets distracted, his gaze briefly shifting to her. But when he looks back at me, his golden eyes are burning with fury.

"The next time you decide to do anything more than breathe, tell me first," he demands and I roll my eyes. "I'll have a beta watch you at all times."

"Put me in this fucking prison, why don't you?" I scoff at him, refusing to hold back the anger I'm feeling anymore.

Magnus did not expect that. His eyes narrow momentarily before he growls at me, "I'm not doing this as favour for you. I'll gladly watch him die. But before that I need to find out a cure."

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" I yell and lunge at him but he easily locks both of my arms with his hand before he spins me around and I'm pressed against his chest. Then I feel the cold and burning touch of silver against my neck.

He's holding the dagger against my neck. When did he even get it?

"That guard right there will make sure everyone knows that the prince's wife doesn't respect him. Do that again, and I know exactly how to punish you. Show some respect, Elara. I'm your husband," he whispers into my ears before he drops the dagger to the ground.

He releases me and I release a shaky breath.

'Alec is going to be himself again,' I tell myself repeatedly to stop the tears from coming out. I stay there for a while watching him as he sits unmoving. I don't call out to him. I don't know why. It just doesn't feel right.

A moment later I decide to get back to my chamber. I find my way easily.

Beatrice is sleeping on the floor beside the bed. I don't wake her up. I quietly slide beneath the blankets and look out of the window, hoping to be consumed by sleep. There are two things I realise among the thousand thoughts that plague my mind: This isn't Magnus' chamber. And he doesn't give a fuck about me or Alec. All he cares about is himself. All he thinks of is his image.

Well, at least he cleared it out to me the night after our wedding by the riverbank. I knew I could keep no expectations from him going forward. But a stupid part of me still did, despite everything. I just wasn't expecting Alec to become a rogue. And for it to happen because he tried to protect me. And the reason why I went there anyway was because of Magnus. So, he's to be blamed for everything. He's causing things not merely reacting to them.

I finally doze off somewhere just before dusk but the sound of a crash jolts me upright. Ruelle is standing at the entrance to the chamber, gaping at me. She's just it done. She has broken another piece of extravagant furniture.

"I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm so sorry," she apologises, taking slow unsure steps towards me. "I was just wondering if you'd like to roam around the capital?"

"Not today, Ruelle," I say, failing to keep the exhaustion from my voice. I hate that I can't reciprocate her enthusiasm. She has been good to me and while I want to spend time with her today, I can't.

I need to be present in the court today.

"Are you alright?" my sister-in-law questions me. "You look sick. Like humans do. Is it an independent pack thing?"

I gape at her, confused. "You've never fallen sick?"

"No," she says quickly, her blue eyes unblinking.

"Then you royals must have some special blessing from the goddess." It comes out more like a taunt, I realise. "I wasn't exactly thrilled about leaving my pack. But I'm not sick."

"Well, then. Get off the bed. Court will be held today. Maybe you'd like to see what it's all about," she says, her voice hopeful.

"I know that, Ruelle. I'm looking forward to it," I tell her and kick the blankets off me, not gracefully. A giggle escapes her lip. "Don't tell my husband. He'd hate to find out his wife is acting un-ladylike."

"Of course not," she assures me, her cheeks still stretched out from all the laughing. "I'll see you at breakfast then?"

"You will."

Beatrice shows up as soon as Ruelle leaves. She's so efficient in what she does and she's always so nice to me. Informing me about things I never ask. Giving me tips about the palace life I'm probably never going to need. I wonder what Kayla was like. I realise the only time she tried to talk to me was at the riverbank and I asked her to leave me alone.

A part of me is never going to forgive myself for what happened to her. But what I can do is give her sister, Beatrice and their family a chance to mourn her and see her for one last time. And I intend to do just that today.

"You'll see Kayla today, Bea," I promise her as she runs a comb through my hair. I glance at her reflection through the ornate mirror. When she nods hopefully, I know that I can't.

I won't fail.