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40. The Secret Passageway
Last Updated:
2024-05-17 03:11:43
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Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 41. The Funeral
[ELARA]The Cursed Gulf is calm today—it’s an usual scene. Every time I’ve gazed into this sea, I’ve seen it covered with thunderclouds at the horizon, no matter what time of the day it is. This serene calmness looks like a sign from the Goddess herself as she takes back the dead prince into her meadow. Kian Blackwell is laid onto a wooden pyre, adorned in the finest silk. Mourners surround it, gathering in hundreds over the sands that border the Cursed Gulf. Soulbinders recite the prayers that are meant to release his soul, making it free to cross over to the ethereal realm and into the Goddess’ meadow. When they’re done, King Eldric approaches the pyre, casting one last longing look at the only son he ever had before he places a crown on his chest and retraces his steps. The Queen Mother Seraphina finally makes an appearance just before the funeral ceremony concludes, flanked by her maids. She’s dressed in the color of mourning—a plain gray gown, her face covered in a netted veil.
Last Updated : 2024-05-18Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 42. Mithridatism
[MAGNUS]“Aren’t you done yet, Magnus?” Nyra’s honeyed voice echoes in the blurry room as she shifts her bare body on the cushioned bench, a teasing look twinkling in her brown eyes. All of her dark curls are parted to one side of her body, that extend from her head to the curve of her waist. “Don’t move, love,” I tell her as I focus on bringing her beauty on the canvas in front of me. It’s hard—not only to focus on painting her when she’s naked in front of me, but also to truly bring every detail on the canvas. “You’re beautiful, Nyra,” the words left my mouth without my notice. She chuckles, her figure disintegrating only to fit back up again like pieces of a puzzle. “Kiss me then,” she commands. The corners of my vision blur a little more. “Come to me,” I tell her as I begin to walk towards her. But with every step I take forward, more distance is created between us. “Come to me, Nyra,” I repeat myself impatiently, now running towards her. But she moves further and further away
Last Updated : 2024-05-23Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 43. The New Council
[MAGNUS]The moment I step into the council room, my attention is drawn to the painted ceiling. A ladder leans against the wall, atop which stand two humans engrossed in painting a blank section. A smirk touches my lips as I suppress a laugh. A victory over Wyvern—a small kingdom, barely a third the size of Caelondor—certainly doesn’t deserve to be immortalized there.Eldric sits in his regal chair at the center of the table, watching the painters with proud eyes. As soon as I take my seat, he regards me with his gruff yet cool voice, “Ah, nephew! How kind of you to finally grace us with your presence. The sand clock… give it to me.”He opens the palm of his bandaged hand. An unhealed wound? A battle wound? Eldric quickly withdraws his hand when he notices me studying it. He brings forward his other hand, and I carefully place the sand clock in it. Clear nervousness flickers across his face before he shakes it away.“Shall we begin?” Eldric asks the ministers seated quietly around the
Last Updated : 2024-05-23Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 44. The Execution
[ELARA]The crowd in the palace courtyard forms a restless sea of faces, each etched with curiosity and grim anticipation. I stand at a distance beneath a stall roof reserved for the royal family's viewing of executions, should they choose to attend. At my side is Magnus, his shoulders tense, lips sealed in anger. He clenches and unclenches his fists repeatedly, struggling to maintain composure.Silent, he stares straight ahead, fixated on the gray stone slab where Morgana will meet her fate today. As the hour approaches, the crowd's murmurs fade into tense silence. The creak of scaffold steps draws my attention, and I crane my neck to catch a glimpse of the condemned woman being led forward. My breath catches as I recognize Morgana, once a woman of strong will and sharp intellect, now reduced to a trembling figure in a tattered red gown, her black hair disheveled.Morgana’s lips move frantically, but no words escape. She stumbles, the guard at her side tightening his grip, almost drag
Last Updated : 2024-05-24Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 45. Supper with the Brooks
[ELARA]I have no mind for supper or even for plain conversation with anyone, but when Lady Brook shows up outside my chamber, I have no choice but to go with her, my actions wrapped in a facade of politeness. Her consistent efforts are commendable, but they make me uneasy, even though her smiles always seem genuine and heartfelt.Her chamber in the palace is spacious, showcasing little in the way of furniture or luxury, yet it is pleasing to the eyes. Lord Brook is there too, sitting in one corner of the chamber, his head bent over papers as he pretends to focus on them. However, every time I glance at him, I find his eyes on me with a creepy look that makes my skin crawl.The cozy chamber is illuminated by the gentle glow of a few well-placed candles, prepared for a small, intimate supper. A small, round table is draped in a fine linen cloth embroidered with delicate patterns of vines and flowers. At its center, a single silver candelabrum holds three beeswax candles, their warm ligh
Last Updated : 2024-05-24Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 46. Reflections of a Prince
[MAGNUS]The air in the palace has been cold and hollow since Morgana's execution. As I walk the corridors, the weight of her absence presses on my shoulders like a cloak of iron. The echoes of her final croaked screams haunt the walls, and every time I close my eyes, I see her severed head being dangled before the crowd. Her eyes, once so full of fire and determination, now lifeless and cold. The memory is a torture, one that I cannot escape.Another death in my name. Another person whose life ended because they supported me. And I could do nothing to protect her. Is this what I am? A weak prince, incapable of protecting my subjects? Why do I even deserve to become king someday?No matter how much I prepare, Eldric is always one step ahead. He works immorally. Nothing holds him back; he'd do anything to keep himself in power. And it is this power that lets him do anything.No one dares question this execution. No one asks why a trial was never held before the sentence was passed. No
Last Updated : 2024-05-28Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 47. The Letter
[MAGNUS]I’m not going to finish writing this letter tonight. I know it. Every few seconds, I glance up from the scroll into the dark night through the open window—thinking of Ruelle, Morgana, and the last words Lady Celia spoke to me: "If anything happens to my daughter, I will not forgive you."If anything happens to Ruelle, I will never be able to forgive myself. Maybe that will be the last event that will divert my cause. I’ll retire to the Great Woods and find a place in the independent packs, leaving this Goddess-forsaken life of royalty behind. Maybe that is what I should do now before I lose anyone else.The face of my mother flashes across my mind—disappointed. She never taught me to give up.I must avenge the lives of my father, Nyra, and now Morgana. Eldric will suffer a fate worse than death, one he deserves.“What are you doing, Magnus?” Elara’s soft voice reaches me through the stilled darkness of the chamber. She’s leaning on her elbows, looking up from the bed at me, wh
Last Updated : 2024-06-01Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 48. The Wolf's Guidance
[MAGNUS]A lump forms in my throat at the thought. Why do my ears feel like they’re burning?"Why?" I make myself ask."I'm not going to try anything. I'm not that woman." She lets go of my arm and clasps her hands together as she seems to choose her next words. Then, closing her eyes, she mutters in a single breath, "Because last night I woke up from a nightmare and thought someone was here. It morphed from Eldric to Morgana to Alec’s rogue face. And I’m scared.”"Alright," I say and slip under the blanket. When she blinks at me in shock mingled with relief, I wonder if I should say something more. Deciding that I’m not sure what I could possibly say, I turn my back to her with no intention of sleeping anytime soon.A few seconds later, the sheets rustle and she shifts, likely lowering herself on the bed, closing her eyes. But even after a couple of minutes pass, Elara’s breath doesn’t get steady.I do my best to hold back, but then the urge to turn around and talk to her, to find out
Last Updated : 2024-06-01
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Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 99. Thornhall Keep
Days turn into weeks. The journey to Tassel stretches on endlessly, a procession of dust, silence, and heavy skies. We take stops at manors, and the great halls of Lord and Ladies who host us, entertain us, and offer us their finest wines and elaborate meals.Magnus surprises me. I had not thought he would agree to be anyone’s guest, least of all on this journey. Yet, each time we halt at one of these estates, he assumes his role as though he was born for it.It is at the third manor, the estate of Lord Carin, that I finally see why.The great hall is awash in golden light from the hearth, the warm air mingling with the scent of roasted meats and spiced wine. Magnus stands at the head of the table, his presence demanding as he speaks. His voice carries across the room.“You underestimate the resilience of the southern provinces, my lord,” Magnus remarks with a curt nod. “A drought may cripple their harvests, but their ingenuity will see them through. Did you not hear of the irrigation
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 98. A Life Continued
We’ve been exiled.The words play over and over in my mind. Exiled. Not banished, not ousted, but a carefully chosen word designed to cloak humiliation with civility. Perhaps the phrase 'we’ve been kicked out of the palace' would have been more honest. Magnus would never utter it aloud, though. Pride runs through him like marrow through bone.Everything happens in a rush after the announcement — a frantic blur of bustling servants, hastily packed trunks, and clipped whispers that dart through the corridors like rats. I barely recall how I was swept into the palanquin, a gilded cage draped in deep velvet curtains and stuffed with feathered pillows meant to soften the blow of our fall from grace. It fails. No amount of luxury can soothe the sting of what this means — what this is.Lady Celia refuses to appear. She locks herself in her chambers and does not even bid us farewell. Whether her silence is born of anger over Ruelle’s escape or of grief over our collective disgrace, I cannot s
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 97. In the arms of her Mate
[ELARA]When I blink my eyes open, a cold, sharp pain greets me like an unwelcome guest that has overstayed its visit. It’s the kind of ache that feels as though it’s always been there, settling deep in the marrow of my bones. A phantom sensation of suffering, both distant and immediate.This is rebirth, is the first coherent thought in my fractured mind. I was dead. But now, I’m not.The second thought strikes harder, cutting through the haze: Magnus is my mate.I try to rise, but the room spins violently, and a hiss escapes my lips. The pain is cold and numbing, seeping under my skin like ice. It’s there but not there, agonizing yet strangely soothing. My body feels foreign, as if I’m inhabiting a vessel I don’t entirely recognize.A soft hand presses down on my forehead, gentle but firm. “Oh, you’re awake.”The voice is familiar, and yet it feels like hearing it from underwater. Daphne?Caelondor. I’m in Caelondor.Confusion rolls in waves, mixing with the relentless dizziness. How
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 96. The First Collapse
[MAGNUS]Zander’s fear is obvious as I step closer. Even here, in Morgana’s lair with its strange, flickering candlelight despite the absence of wind, his wide eyes and stiff shoulders give him away. He knows I’m not a friend. We’ve never pretended otherwise. Betrayal, rivalry, disdain — we’ve shared all these openly, and now, as he sits on the bench looking healthier than he has in days, I can see the question in his eyes. Why would I save him? Why a friendly smile?I don’t think he even considers that him being brought here has anything to do with Elara. To him, she is nothing. Just someone he can discard and torment to his pleasure. Someone he can threaten to poison another just so her father could be safe. “Alpha Zander,” I call out again, forcing my voice to sound calm, friendly. “Or should I call you former Alpha?”His shoulders twitch, a reflex he can’t hide. Good. I need him on edge, need him angry and distracted. That’s when people are easiest to control.He doesn’t reply, hi
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 95. Through the Cave
Content Warning: Gore. [MAGNUS]The little time that Zander has spent locked up in the Torturer’s Cave has done enough damage. When I find his cell, he’s frail — appearing half his weight, still screaming although his voice has become croaked. The runes glow a fiery red etched along the silver bars of the cell — doing their job of tormenting the prisoner within. I’ve heard it makes you relive your worst memories on repeat. With a hope that every time the outcomes will be different — a loved one might be saved, a crime might not be committed, but it all ends the same. With utmost misery. Zander doesn’t seem to hear our footsteps as we approach. Doesn’t even hear the conversation I have with the guard who refuses to unlock the cell. Doesn’t notice how the guard suddenly complies when Morgana meets his eyes, taken by a trance. And how the other guard tries to stop him, until he too is enchanted. The Alpha of Mistral Hollow. Let me correct myself: the former Alpha of Mistral Hollow is b
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 94. The Prince's Desperation
[MAGNUS]“Stay with me.”It’s a plea more than anything. I can’t bear the thought of losing Elara. The thought of her dying because I began to care for her. There’s no way to draw out the silver faster. It can take days… weeks.Silver. The most potent weapon to kill our kind. An silver tipped arrow lodged into her chest, just inches away from her heart. She could’ve been dead. But she isn’t. There has to be some purpose to this, right? Another cruel fate woven by the Moon Goddess?The healers know nothing. Rather, they know little of this. Their abilities are limited to what is approved by nature. What is permitted to be done within the confines of Caelondor. But Morgana? She can dive into alchemy, drawn upon dark magic — magic that saved Elara from becoming a rogue. She can take my blood again. Goddess, she can take my life if it means saving Elara’s.I’m about to go looking for Morgana when she appears at the edge of the bed. Not as herself, but as Talisa. But the glimmer of red in
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 93. Irises that Wither
[MAGNUS]“To the Royal Annoyance (my beloved brother), Magnus,Summer in Qaiven is brutal. I don’t know why I thought coming here was a good idea… Hold on, I’m only jesting! I have almost made up my mind to never leave. This place is wonderful just as you described from your varied visits for the Grand Conclave. And no, I’m not talking of the observatories of alchemists, or the quiet art galleries you love! The port of Vynov is certainly the grandest — the one in Caelondor pales shamefully in comparison. The streets are filled with people from all over the continent! Can you believe, I’ve already made friends with a High Lady who runs a brothel? Oh, Magnus. Unsaddle your horse. Of course, that is a jest, too. Your goons are keeping me perfectly safe from any danger that could be lurking. Frankly, the idea of never coming back to Caelondor is tempting. But so is the urge to bring you a barrel of blueberries only to see you scowl. Can you please start liking them? They’re the loveliest
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 92. In The Court of Wolves
[MAGNUS]Every single pair of eyes in the council room is fixed on me. This isn’t the first time I’ve been a subject of their collective gazes, but this is clearly the first time I’ve cowered under it. I keep my head bowed low, projecting the emotion I feel — heartbreak for Ruelle’s betrayal and disappointment in my inability to find her. But this won’t support my claim — the claim I’ve put forward in front of the council. “They were attacked in the woods, and Ruelle was taken away.”I should be angry, aggravated, thrashing anything and everything in my way. I should be making statements of how I’ll make those who took her suffer. Anything to make my words more believable. Anything for Eldric to believe that Ruelle didn’t run away to escape her marriage. But I fail. I fail to grasp control of my own actions, of my movements. The mate bond pulls strongly at me, and I grit my teeth, holding back the pain Elara is suffering that I now experience too. The questions that trickle into m
Forced to Marry the Wicked Werewolf Prince 91. Scarlet Eyes
[MAGNUS]Everything happens in a haze. One moment I’m standing too confused on all fours wondering what odd twist of fate has occurred and how I find myself with a mate once again — the mate being Elara, of all people. And the next, all the air has been emptied from my lungs as I watch the arrow hiss through the air and lodge into her wolf form’s neck. As she collapses to the ground, her body shifts back into her human form. When I reach her, I’m human once again — not even realizing when the command reverberated through my mind. Blood trickles down her skin, pooling at her collarbone, as I hold her up in my lap. Creed howls at the pain his mate is experiencing but I’m too shocked, too numb to do anything. “Elara,” her name finally escapes my lips in a choked whisper. “Elara, please…”My hand hovers over the wound, but I’m not even sure what to do. She’s dying, I think as I press down gently, desperate to stop the flow, but it only seeps through my fingers.I try to breathe, but th
