CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE (25)
After Reyna left his chambers that night, Damiel did not attempt sleep.
He stood by the tall window, hands clasped behind his back, staring into the darkness that swallowed the land beyond his castle walls. The torches below flickered like dying stars.
A soft knock broke the silence.
"Come in," he said without turning, he knew who it was already, Inez.
She entered and bowed. Unlike most, she did not tremble in his presence. She had served him long enough to understand that his cruelty was deliberate — and that beneath it lived something far more complicated.
"You called for me, Your Highness?" She said, even though she had practically raised him, she had never forgotten his title, after he started going to war she drifted back, giving him more space.
"I leave before dawn," Damiel said.
"Is there anything you would like me to prepare for you before you leave?!."
A pause lingered.
" No, I am taking the human with me."
That made her look up, suprised
"You do not take servants on missions," she said carefully.
"I know."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with everything unspoken.
Inez studied him, as she spoke softly.
"Is she a liability… or a necessity?"
His jaw tightened.
"She is mine," he said flatly. "That is enough reason."
But they both knew that wasn't the full truth.
Inez inclined her head slowly. "I will ensure no rumors spread." Damiel simply nodded.
Then softer Inez spoke again— "Be careful, Your Highness."
His voice soften. "I am always careful."
But after she left, he remained unmoving.
He was not afraid of werewolves.
He was troubled about something far less predictable.
Reyna.
It was past midnight when Reyna's eye lids flutter open.
For a moment, she lay still, staring into the darkness of her room, remembering.
They were leaving before dawn.
She rose immediately.
The castle was silent, she made her way to the bathhouse. The stone floors were cool beneath her feet, the torches dimmed low for the night. She bathed quickly but thoroughly, washing away the remnants of sleep and nerves. Afterward, she dressed carefully, smoothing her clothes with steady fingers.
When she returned to her room, she picked up the small bundle of clothes she had packed earlier and stepped into the corridor.
The castle felt different at night.
Crickets chirped loudly beyond the walls, their sound echoing faintly through open archways. Some guards stood motionless at their posts, while others patrolled quietly through the halls. The air was heavy, still.
Reyna walked steadily until she reached Damiel's chamber door.
Before she could knock—
"Come in," his low voice called from inside.
She opened the door and entered.
Damiel stood near the window, moonlight spilling over him. He was dressed in his military uniform—but without the heavy irons and armor plates. He intended to travel light. The silver-blue light of the moon caught in his silver hair, making him look almost unreal.
Breathtaking.
For a brief second, Reyna forgot to breathe.
She walked closer, setting down her bundle. As she moved towards him, as she began performing her duties, adjusting the buttons of his uniform, smoothing the fabric, helping him into the remaining pieces.
Damiel stood still.
He felt… calm.
Strangely peaceful.
Her nearness quieted something inside him—a restlessness he constantly carried.
When she finished and stepped back, the warmth of her presence faded. The cold returned instantly.
As she turned to leave—
Damiel casually loosened the first three buttons of his uniform.
"You missed these," he said, stepping closer and pointing towards the open buttons.
Reyna frowned slightly. She was certain she had fastened them correctly.
Still, she obeyed.
As she moved closer again, Damiel felt childish, it was very unlike him.
He simply wanted her near.
And so did Azaelth— his demon.
As she re-buttoned the uniform, he briefly considered undoing them all. Or changing clothes entirely just to keep her this close all over again.
He even regretted not waiting for her to assist him with his bath.
When she finished, a knock sounded at the door.
"We're ready, Your Highness," Kael's voice called from outside, low, almost quiet.
Damiel stepped away from her, as he felt the coldness settling where her warmth once was.
"Let's go," he said calmly.
He walked ahead without carrying anything.
Reyna glanced around, confused—where were his things?. She thought.
"It has already been taken care of," Damiel said without turning.
She nodded and followed him out.
---
When they reached the front of the castle, darkness still blanketed the sky.
Kael and Roan stood waiting, along with the new trainee—Zaiel.
Four beasts stood before them.
Massive creatures. Larger and faster than horses. The same kind Damiel once made her ride with him when he had been bought her.
But there were only four.
Reyna's stomach tightened.
Seems like she was going to walk! Reyna thought.
She said nothing. After all… she was a slave.
Prince Damiel's slave at that, she had no right to speak.
The men had been speaking quietly among themselves, when they heard the sound of prince Damiel boot hitting the cold stone floor, they turned and saw Reyna beside Damiel, surprise flickered across their faces.
Why was she here?
Zaiel bowed slightly, though his expression betrayed nothing.
"Is she coming with us?" Roan asked, unable to hide his confusion. He had prepared only four beasts. And they had never taken any servants before now.
"Hm," Damiel answered simply.
He took Reyna's bundle from her hands, surprising both her and the others. Even Zaiel, though he masked it well.
Damiel secured her things near his own.
He gently rested his forehead against his beast's head, as though he was communicating with the creature. The creature purred softly in response, as it bent on one kneel lowering itself.
"Let's go." Damiel said, as his men prepared to mount their beast.
Reyna waited to walk behind them.
Instead—
Damiel gestured toward her.
"Come."
She stepped closer, as she stood in front of him.
"Turn around," he instructed.
Confused, she obeyed.
The others had already mounted, watching.
Without effort, Damiel lifted Reyna by the waist as he placed her on the beast.
She gasped.
Kael's composure cracked for a brief second before he masked it.
Roan's mouth fell open.
Zaiel simply smiled faintly, as if he had expected nothing less.
The beast rose to its full height once Reyna was seated. Damiel mounted behind her smoothly, taking the reins.
She sat in front of him.
His arms circled her waist as he held the reins.
She instinctively tried to shift forward, creating distance between them.
Damiel didn't like that as a frown settled on his face briefly and tapped the beast lightly.
It lunged forward.
Reyna gasped as the sudden force threw her backward—straight into Damiel's chest. His hands tightened around her waist to steady her.
Panicked, she grabbed onto his hands where they held the reins, squeezing tightly in fear of falling.
She didn't even realize she was holding his hand.
Or how tightly she clung,
Or the smirk on Prince Damiel face, as he held the reins tighter.
The beast moved faster than anything she had ever experienced. But this wasn't the human realm.
Nothing here followed human limits.
---
Behind them, Vaelith watched from the shadows.
She had been returning from Queen Alvira's castle after reporting on Reyna's recent movements—including rumors of Prince Damiel piercing a soldier's hand with a sword.
She had concluded it was because of Reyna, as no one knew what had happened before that.
Vaelith hadn't known the full story.
She didn't need to.
When she told Queen Alvira, the queen had been pleased.
"We are on the right track," Queen Alvira had said. "Keep watching the girl. Watching her is the same as watching Prince Damiel's weakness."
Vaelith smiled as she watched them depart.
She considered turning back to report immediately.
But Inez stepped out from the castle and fixed her with a sharp look.
"Return to your post, immediately."
Vaelith suppressed her annoyance and obeyed.
---
When the beast lunged forward, the world disappeared behind them.
Wind tore across Reyna's face, ripping strands of her hair free. The sudden force threw her backward violently — straight into Damiel's chest.
His arms closed around her waist instantly.
Firm.
Protective.
Possessive.
Her fingers flew to his hands on the reins, gripping tightly as the beast surged across the darkened land. Her heart pounded wildly; her breathing came uneven and sharp.
Damiel felt everything.
The tremor in her body.
The way she pressed against him with every powerful stride.
The way her fingers clung to his hands.
Her warmth seeped through his uniform.
The beast ran with terrifying speed, muscles rolling beneath them like coiled power unleashed. The wind howled in his ears, stinging his eyes — but he did not blink.
He was focused entirely on her.
She tried to lean forward again — to create distance.
His arm tightened slightly around her waist.
Not enough to frighten her.
Just enough to anchor her.
"Dont move," he murmured close to her ear.
Her grip tightened unconsciously.
He could have slowed.
He didn't.
Stopping would only make it worse. The nausea would settle deeper if the motion became uneven.
Instead, he leaned closer, lowering his head beside hers. His voice dropped — softer now, controlled.
"Close your eyes."
She obeyed immediately, as though his voice itself held power over her.
"Focus on the feeling," he whispered. "Not the speed."
He remembered Inez telling him the same thing the first time he had ridden one of the beasts.
Reyna tried.
She focused on the wind brushing her face.
On the rhythm of the galloping beneath them.
On the steady strength of the arms holding her.
Gradually—
Her breathing steadied.
The terror thinned.
And something unexpected replaced it.
Freedom.
Behind them, Kael, Roan, and Zaiel kept pace, but Damiel gradually urged his beast faster.
The night air was cold.
But Reyna was warm.
And that warmth was distracting.
Dangerously distracting.
He felt it again.
The way his power quieted when she was near.
The way his temper softened.
The way something inside him — something brutal and merciless — became restrained in her presence.
His arm remained around her waist.
She was small compared to him.
Fragile.
Human.
And yet—
She was the only one who had ever made him feel .... alive.
The beast leapt over uneven terrain, landing smoothly. Reyna gasped softly, and without thinking, Damiel pulled her closer.
Instinct.
Pure instinct.
Mine.
The word formed in his mind before he could stop it.
Not as a master claiming property.
But as something far more primal.
More dangerous.
He inhaled slowly.
Her scent reached him — not fear, not submission.
Something soft.
Something steady.
He told himself he brought her because he did not trust leaving her behind.
That was the excuse.
The truth?
He could not bear the thought of being away from her.
His chin lowered slightly, brushing near her hair as moonlight bathed them both in pale silver.
Ahead, the southern horizon loomed darker and heavier.
War awaited him.
But in that moment — riding through the night with her in his arms —
Damiel realized something far more dangerous than werewolves had begun.
He was becoming attached.
And attachment…
Was weakness.
Yet for the first time in his life—
He was not certain he wanted to let it go.