Chapter 4: Burning Skin

ISOLDE 

He placed his traveling black bag on the bed, and my eyes traced his long arms, thick and strong from war, hoping to see his bare chest. I closed my eyes mentally to stop the dirty thinking. This wasn't right, Isolde.

I cleared my throat,” Erm…Prince Finnian…”

“Fin or Finnian,” he corrected, leaning closer to me, his thick arm on the traveling bag, his strawberry scent hitting my face, my heart pounding fast.

I nodded slightly in embarrassment trying to get hold of my body 

, “I wanted to…” 

“Say it,” I blinked, looking at him with a doe-eyed look.

“What?” I whispered as if I didn't know what he meant.

“Call me by my name,” his deep voice was low and intimidating.

I gulped down, our eyes not leaving each other,” Finnian,” I finally found myself saying after thinking I had lost my voice for a while.

He nodded, smiled, satisfied, and moved away from me slowly. I stood up and said at once,” I'm so sorry for what I did yesterday. I thought you were Alpha King Rowan. Forgive me for …”

I intended to say it all at once but he cut me off.

He nodded slightly,” I know…It's nothing to worry about.”

But I was. I had given a part of me to him even if it was a mistake.

Knock. Knock.

I walked towards the door quickly to reduce the tension between us, but he appeared in front of me instead with his wolf speed, and I looked up at him. His hand brushed over my right skin, stretching towards the door handle, and I felt a shiver run down my spine immediately.

What was wrong with me?!

“I will get it, you need to rest,” I grabbed my hand to myself and walked slowly back to the bed.

He opened the door and two maids entered the room.

“Good morning, Prince,” they greeted him and bowed.

Then they saw me and bowed.

“Good morning…Queen,” they greeted and I only nodded. I started feeling weak and a burning sensation on my left upper chest as if there was fire over there.

“This is the medicine, you asked for 

 Prince,” one of the maids bowed, stretched forward, a tray with a black bottle and a folded cloth.’

He collected it, they bowed to us and left without even waiting for his next word, he walked towards me and I looked at him with a pounding heart. 

I knew what he wanted to do and I should be able to do it myself. I prepared my mind, ready to tell him I could apply it myself.

My heart stuck in my throat as I heard his next word.

“Take off…your clothes.”

What?!

My eyes widened and I adjusted it immediately as he moved towards me,” Take off your clothes…Isolde,” he said in a low voice with a straight face.

I liked the way my name sounded with his deep voice.

‘Oh, no! Isolde.’ I cautioned myself mentally.

I faked a cough quickly,” I…I can do that myself,” I stammered.

“No. You can't. Look at that,” he pointed towards my left upper breast and I traced his direction and saw blood on my deep blue long gown.

I quickly stood up with the thought of grabbing the medicine from him and applying it to the wound. 

I have just two days left before this poisoning bite would end my life. I didn't want to die yet.

He dragged the medicine backwards as he saw my intention,” Please give it to me. I’ll app…” I couldn't complete my statement when I started to feel dizzy and my vision became blurry, I staggered towards him and collapsed in his hands.

“Queen!’’ That was all I could hear before I welcomed darkness.

What did he call me again?

~~~

FINNIAN 

I didn't even know what to call her between Isolde and Queen but I preferred her name. I liked the way it sounded in my ears anytime I called it.

I didn't know why I was feeling this way around her.

My body shivered as she fell on me. She was still cold due to the dungeon I took her from. I carried her and placed her on the bed.

I thought she would listen to my command earlier, and I would help her to apply the medicine to her wound.

No guards were allowed to attend to her, I had almost fought my brother because of her, to let me be in charge of her, and investigate whoever killed our next heir.

The way my brother had changed towards his wife still baffled me. I poured the black medicine into a small bowl, dipping the cloth inside it.

I swallowed as I gently removed her upper left dress that covered her big breasts, I stopped at the point of seeing her breast.

The wound was exposed to me, and the spot had almost turned green. I rubbed the spot with the medicine. I saw how the medicine ran into the wound and closed the nearest skin that was open.

Her body shivered unconsciously as the wound closed completely. I knew that would cause her pain, and she wouldn't be able to heal quickly since she wasn't a werewolf like us.

I dropped the medicine as I finished applying it to the wound. I stared at her bare skin and fought the urge to drag the clothes down to see her breasts. I beat my head mentally as I closed the spot.

“What the hell am I doing?” I stood up quickly and stepped away from her, “She's a queen and my brother’s wife. Why on earth am I feeling this way?”

I looked at her once again,” I still don't know why my brother's love for you had turned to hatred, but I promised you, everything will be back to normal,” I muttered to her unconscious body as if she could hear me.

After watching her for a while, I left the room to cool off my head and the thought that was fighting its way to my heart. I was only here to protect her and nothing more.

I walked towards Queen Velin's room to see how she was doing. It wasn't a good thing to lose one's child.

“Your Highness. Prince Finnian is here to see you,” one of the guards announced my arrival.

I waited for her and she said,” Come in,” I entered with no hesitation, her maids bowed to me as I walked towards them.

Velin signaled to them and they left her room immediately, I glared at her body that had reduced drastically since the incident.

I sat on the nearest chair without waiting for her approval,” I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Luna.” I paused as she looked at me as if I was lying to her,” I will make sure I bring anyone who did this to justice.”

She dragged her black royal dress gently from her leg, adjusted on her seat to take a better view of me,” Really? Will you bring her to justice? Then why did you save her? Why haven't you killed her, Prince Finnian?!” She yelled at me and I understood her pain.

But something was telling me, Isolde was innocent, she wasn't the one who did it. The woman I saw wasn't capable of doing it.

“We need to calm down and investigate the real killer,” she looked away from me as a tear slipped down her cheek. 

“We shouldn't judge harshly. What if we let the real killer live after killing the innocent person?” I tried my best to let her reason with me, but it was as if the words were jumping out of her ears as she moved closer to me on her knees, holding my left hand, looking at me with teary eyes.

“Prince Finnian, I'm so certain that it's that wicked witch who killed my baby. His corpse was found in her garden gushing out blood,” her cold hand slammed mine, shivering.

I used my other hand to hold her in place,” We need no investigation. All the evidence was pointing at her.”

“Just kill her already.”