Page 109 of The Princess In A 'Prince' Disguise

Her bravery...

A female who had been terrified of him, yet never hesitated to confront him for the sake of her brother. She even attempted to bargain with him, fully aware he would not be gentle with her body.

Such fierce loyalty. Such love that gave her courage.

He admired and despised it. Vladya didn't want to see those qualities—or any qualities at all—in her or any human, for that matter. Was that too much to ask?

Continuing on his way to the Abyss land, he dismissed the soldiers he encountered. And was not surprised to find no soldiers guarding the chambers up close.

With the beast having escaped tonight and the locks not yet replaced, everyone knew better than to approach that chamber.

The metal gate locks lay in shambles on the floor, and the oak door was broken. Inside, the beast lay behind its barricade, its yellow eyes glaring at the entrance. At the intruder.

And then, there was the boy.

Curled up on the floor, his hair freed from its bindings, spilled around him. Fully clothed.

His breathing was steady, a rhythmic pattern, fast asleep. And a few feet away, the beast sat, watching over him protectively. Possessively.

And to think the boy felt so safe he fell into slumber.

"What is it about him, Daemon?" Vladya whispered, observing them. "Is it his blood? Or is he simply your new fascination? Is he a new plaything?"

The beast didn't answer, nor did Vladya expect him to.

"Could this boy have the power to bring you back from insanity? Is that even possible?" But he was watching an impossibility happening before him, right now.

He was missing something here. Something important. But what could it be?

On his way back, his mind was preoccupied. But as he passed through the second floor of the southern wings, he heard Aekeira’s soft cries in her chamber, far away.

By the sound of it, she must be lying on her bed, muffling her sobs with her pillow. Yet he was so attuned to her that his hearing picked up on it.

Don't you dare, Vladya. Don't you dare.

He glared at the pathway that led to her chamber. He cared not about the girl's state of mind, and he certainly did not care if she wept and tormented herself throughout the night.

So why were his legs taking him toward her?

Because your body craves that girl. You can’t get enough of her.

By Ukrae, he needed to put a stop to this. This was not him. He did not force himself on slaves or take unwilling servants to his bed.

He did not fixate on humans—or any beings, for that matter. He was stronger than that. So why was he walking toward the girl's door right now?

And worse, despite all his internal pep talks, why could he not stop himself?

Grand Lord Zaiper stood beside the narrow, arched window in the vast underground of his domain, peering out into the shadowy expanse of the courtyard.

The trees lining the edge of the courtyard swayed gently in the night breeze, casting dancing shadows on the ground. The occasional hoot of an owl or the distant bark of a hound filled the air.

A few feet away, Madah, one of his finest slavemasters, lashed a slave with a searing whip. The agonizing screams of the slave were a beautiful melody to Zaiper's ears. A little bit of comfort for his troubled heart tonight.

Humans are the scum of the earth, and Zaiper would be happy if none of them remained. They were unworthy of sharing the same air the Urekai breathed.

This was one of those nights Zaiper would love to let his beast run free. To simply shift into his beast form and go hunting in the woods.

Hours had passed since the incident in court and the news had spread throughout the land. Zaiper was angry for so many reasons.

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