Chapter 43

43 Monsters?

Everard was still sitting stark naked on the pile of mess that he had created.

The color of his irises had finally reverted back from bright amber to ebony. However, his eyes were still focused on the painting of Anastasia.

After witnessing Anastasia willingly being carried by someone else, he wasn’t sure if he still had the right to hold on to her portrait.

“What do I do with you now that your owner has married someone else?” he mockingly laughed at the portrait and his own fate.

He then glared at the portrait with a hint of anger in his eyes and mumbled in a husky voice, “And you told me you weren’t available for the suitors! What changed, Anna? Was he able to win your heart by doing something that I didn’t do for you?”

He clenched his teeth and was about to crumble that portrait.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. He could never.

Instead, he carefully rolled the portrait to keep it in a safer place. He then stepped out of that room without caring about the condition that he was in.

Thankfully, a few of the maids rushed towards him while keeping their heads down.

.....

One of them was carrying a silk robe in her hand, and she asked in a little shaken voice, “Your Highness, would you like us to help you with your clothes?”

“Yes,” he spread his arms and let the maids dress him up.

And without caring how dirty he was, he walked towards his private chambers.

But before he could walk inside, a beta wolf with a strong build stopped him. That man bowed to the Crown Prince and asked without showing a hint of fear in his voice, “Your Highness, His Majesty expects an audience with you.”

Everard was in no mood to meet or talk with anyone. So he denied rudely, “But I don’t expect an audience with anyone. Just leave me alone.”

Everard opened the door, but that man was adamant, “Your Highness, it was your first transformation. So there are certain rituals that you must follow before you can rest. We have to welcome you to the Crestfire pack. And the alphas from other packs are also on their way to congratulate you and witness the ritual. So I’m afraid we cannot delay this anymore.”

Everard heaved a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his jet-black hair. He clutched his hair and screamed in great frustration.

He never wanted to be a part of this – to be a part of the stupid pack and be bound by stupid rituals and rules. He wanted to stay out of that world more than anything.

But his fate just laughed at him and gave him a back-to-back smack on his gut. First, the woman he had developed feelings for was married to some other man, and now, he was being dragged into the world he wanted no part in.

The beta wolf felt sympathy towards the young Crown Prince. He was well aware of Everard’s stand on werewolf packs. He understood how angry and frustrated he must be feeling.

So he said in a calm voice, “I will relay the message to His Majesty that you are in a bath. I will be back after half an hour.”

Everard rushed inside his bedchamber without sparing a glance at the beta wolf.

He lay on his bed with all kinds of emotions running rampant inside his heart and his head.

After a while, he heard the maids in his bathroom, probably preparing a bath for him.

But he couldn’t care less.

‘They can take their rituals and shove it up their butts.’

He closed his eyes, planning to get some sleep.

He was dog-tired after his continuous travel from Kingdom to Kingdom. Some days, he had traveled on his horse, and the other days, he had traveled on his paws. And he hadn’t even taken any breaks to sleep in the past three days.

To add to that, he broke every bone in his body during the full moon night. He didn’t remember much from that night except seeing Anastasia being carried away by that man. But he did remember the pain that he had to go through, alone, in the woods of Sorvando.

Every inch of his body was screaming to get some rest and recuperate.

However, the moment he closed his eyes, his bitter memories flashed in his mind.

He recalled rushing from Lavinya to Orsenia on his horse after reading that heartbreaking letter from Anastasia.

Alexander had also followed him. He was equally angry as Everard because his parents didn’t even consult him once before sending off his sister to some unknown Kingdom as a tribute bride.

However, when the two of them had reached Orsenia, it was already too late. Anastasia had already reached Sorvando.

Everard had asked Alexander to come along with him to rescue the Princess. But for some reason, Alexander was okay with his sister being married off to a rumored monster.

‘Monster...’

‘Wait!’

Everard suddenly flung his eyes open. He just realized that something about that man who carried Anastasia away was wrong.

‘How the hell did he run so fast? Even my ‘supposedly better’ eyes could barely keep up with his speed!’

Everard abruptly sat up on his bed. His eyes had changed their color to amber again.

He looked at the rolled portrait that he was still holding and mumbled, “Who the hell did she marry?”

He felt a chill in his heart and asked himself again, “No, ‘what’ did she marry?”

Everard closed his eyes and tried to clearly think if he indeed saw that man running at an unprecedented speed. No matter how many times he looked back into his memory, the answer was the same.

‘I thought that ‘monster’ was a little too far-fetched when I heard the rumors. But that speed... that speed is too unrealistic for a human to achieve. Is he... is he really a monster?’

Everard frantically threw the portrait inside his bedside drawer and rushed out of his room while still wearing his bed robe.

‘What if Anna is being held captive against her will? More importantly, what if her life is in danger? I can’t let anything bad happen to her.’

Everard clenched his fists and resolutely walked to find the person who might have answers to his questions. ‘I need to find the truth.’

He went straight towards his father’s study and pushed the door open before the guards could even react.

“Father, tell me, what kind of a monster is the King of Sorvando?” he shouted as soon as he entered the King’s study.

He didn’t even bother to greet his father, the King of Xanmar and the alpha of the Crestfire pack.

His father, Alfred Crestfire, glanced at Everard without much change in his expression. But deep inside, he wondered what his son got himself into.

Being the alpha, he was able to sense it when Everard had turned into the werewolf even though he wasn’t close. And he was expecting his son to come home since new members of the pack were automatically attracted towards the alpha’s location.

Alfred had thought that Everard was going through a temper tantrum because he had turned into the thing he never wished to be.

However, the matter looked worse than that. Else Everard wouldn’t be asking about the King of Sorvando before throwing some more tantrums about his new identity.

Alfred took a deep breath in and then closed the files that he was studying. He pointed at the chair in front of him and asked, “Why don’t you take a seat first?”