CHAPTER 142: SCREAM

"Ahhhhhh!"

Emira screamed as icy water closed over her skin, shocking her senses awake.

The cold hit like a thousand tiny needles, stealing her breath before she could even think and instinct took over. She tried to push herself out of the water, arms flailing, legs kicking against the porcelain sides of the tub. But a firm hand pressed down on her head, keeping her from rising.

"Stop struggling," a deep voice ordered and she froze for a moment before struggling in a panic. Where was she? And why was she being pushed into the water? Did they plan to drown her?

"Let me go!" she gasped, struggling and splashing again. Water splashed out everywhere but the hand on her head remained unshakable. Then, before she could think of anything else, the pressure on her head increased and she was dunked under the water, before being pulled out, gasping for breath.

Emira took deep breaths and tried to calm her mind when the voice spoke again," Emira. Enough."

Something in the way he said her name made her pause. Slowly, her senses began to crawl back into focus.

Her frantic breathing steadied, and she blinked, and turned her head... The person holding her down... was the Crown Prince himself. Lance Stormhold. What was he doing here? She looked at his drenched self and then looked up at the hand that was still hovering on top of her, ready to push her back in...

"Y–Your Majesty?" she stammered in question. Though she had no idea what her question was. What was he doing here? What was she doing here? How was she rescued? And why was he trying to drown her.

But, now that the first wave of cold had passed, her body began to adjust, she came to another realisation... The cold water was comforting... because it had dulled the heat within her into something tolerable.

She blinked again and realised... She was in heat... But how...

"Wha... what happened?" she managed to say, her voice trembling as she tried to make sense of everything. How had her heat arrived so soon? Had she spent an entire week in captivity and not realized? But she had been keeping a careful track and it should have been the third day today...

However, her body was not lying to her... As she looked up at him, she felt the man hold her shoulder," Breathe. In and out, that’s it."

Gradually, her body began to calm and she asked in an uncertain voice," What happened?"

"They fed you something to induce your heat. The witch was worried that you would try to make a run for it so she gave you a false sense of security that they would take you to the ruins and that until then, you were safe. But in fact, they fed you medicines to bring on the heat and that ’master’ planned to claim you tonight. Something about your blood being special... So, I had no choice to..."

Lance trailed off before continuing the explanation. She knew something. He could see it in her downturned eyes when he said that she had special blood.

"What are you hiding?" He asked carefully and watched as she turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don’t know," she whispered.

Lance’s eyes narrowed. She is lying. He knew it...

Before she could move away from him, he reached forward caught her by the nape of her neck bringing her face close to his, forcing her to look into his eyes... "Don’t lie to me. I can order you to tell me. Then you will have no choice..."

But stubbornly, she refused to answer. She couldn’t. Because then, it would put her life in a jeopardy...."Emira..." Lance took her name coldly and watched as her eyes widened. It was a warning. If she did not speak up, he would order her to....

Her eyes widened at the sound of her name but she shook her head vigorously.

"Why does this ’master’ want you specifically?" Lance pressed, "You were able to use an ancient curse - one that shouldn’t even exist till date and now this dark and powerful witch wants to claim you. There’s a link here, and you know what it is."

He leaned closer, as she kept her eyes downturned and tightened his hand on her neck, "Answer me."

Emira tried to speak, but her throat felt tight. "I..." she began, but her voice cracked again, swallowed by the air between them. "I don’t know everything," she said finally, shaking her head. "Only that my mother... she—"

Her words broke off as a sudden tremor ran through her. She gasped, her body arching slightly as if struck by a wave of invisible heat as she almost slipped back into the water.

Lance’s expression darkened. "What is going on..."

He pressed his hand lightly against her shoulder again, and the realization hit him immediately. Her skin, even under the freezing water, was scorching. Her temperature was climbing rapidly, the cold no longer strong enough to hold it down. How is that possible. Yes, the heat rises again but not so soon. She should have been able to rest a few hours after the bath. How could her heat strike again within a few minutes.

His wolf stirred uneasily inside him.

"Damn it," he hissed, scanning her face. "Your body’s rejecting the suppression. It must have something to do with that concoction that the witch gave you...

"Cold... cold... I am feeling cold."

Lance frowned... Her body was hot like a furnace but she was feeling cold...He watched as she rubbed her cheek against his wrist as if comforted," Emira... Emira.. My hand... is it hot or cold to touch?"

She seemed not to sense his question at first. Just when Lance was about to shake her and question her again, she said," Warm... comforting."

Lance’s eyes narrowed at her trembling form and her words. Without asking any other question, he leaned and pulled her forward into his body. She squeaked as the water splashed around her, before her face landed against his stomach.