39. OUT OF CONTROL
Chapter thirty-nine
OUT OF CONTROL
Two Days Later
Emeriel knocked once before opening the door to her sister's bedchamber, only to freeze in her tracks.
They sprang apart–or rather, Aekeira did–leaping out of Grand Lord Vladya's embrace as if his touch had suddenly burned her. They had been kissing.
"Em!" Aekeira's face was bright red. She looked both thrilled and flustered.
"That's me," Emeriel replied with a gentle smile, trying to ease the awkwardness. "Forgive my intrusion. I should have waited for an invitation. I didn't know I'd be interrupting..."
"No, no, it's quite alright!" Aekeira hurried forward, embracing her sister with a quick hug. "It's wonderful to see you. How are you?"
This was the same question Aekeira had asked upon their return to the fortress the previous day. Despite Emeriel's reassurances, her sister's worry remained.
"I'm well, truly," Emeriel insisted, then turned to the third ruler with a respectful curtsy. "Your Highness."
"Princess." Lord Vladya inclined his head in acknowledgment, his usual composure firmly in place. "Has Daemonikai returned from the training grounds?"
"Not yet." Emeriel tried to keep the longing out of her voice.
Her grand king had been absent since dawn, leaving Emeriel to fill the hours tending the gardens and overseeing the planting of new crops.
She had returned to the fortress only to hear he still hadn't come back from training. She missed him terribly.
"He should return soon," Lord Vladya said. "Enjoy your sister's company in the meantime. I shall take my leave." He clasped his hands behind his back, and Emeriel's eyes widened in surprise.
"Lord Vladya, your hand..." she gasped, unable to contain her astonishment.
The hand that had been trapped in its beast form was now whole and fully restored.
"Indeed." Vladya raised his restored hand, examining it with a genuine smile.
The smile was more startling than the healed hand itself. Emeriel could not recall ever seeing a smile on his face that wasn't a sneer or a smirk. It was... pleasant.
"It occurred this morning," Lord Vladya explained. "I intend to surprise Daemonikai with the news."
Beside her, Aekeira was beaming with joy. Emeriel marveled at how joyful her sister had become these days.
"I am truly happy for you, Your Highness," Emeriel said sincerely, curtseying once more. "And like my sister, I pray your mind will heal as completely as the Grand King's has."
She paused. "I also wanted to express my gratitude for your assistance in the past. I never had the opportunity."
"I played a minor role." The grand lord waved his hand. "And I won't pretend my motives were entirely unselfish. Keeping Daemonikai unaware of your identity was my primary concern."
"Nevertheless, thank you for turning a blind eye," Emeriel insisted. "And for visiting me after my secret was revealed, when everyone else left me alone."
Lord Vladya's expression softened. "You have matured considerably these past few years. I once questioned Ukrae's wisdom in choosing you as Daemonikai's Soulbond , but I now realize the gods knew precisely what they were doing. You are well-suited to him, Emeriel."
Emeriel hadn't expected such a compliment, especially from him. It was unexpectedly gratifying. "Thank you, My Lord."
***
"Hold your stance, soldier! A wobbling shield will cost you your life on the battlefield!" Grand King Daemonikai's voice boomed across the training grounds.
A young soldier hastily adjusted his grip, his face flushing under the scrutiny.
Grand Lord Ottai stood a few paces away, observing the grand king with a keen eye. His own soldiers flanked him, mirroring his attentive posture. He watched as Daemonikai moved down the line, correcting a young archer's stance.
In moments like these, Daemonikai was a force to be reckoned with. Over millennia, he had led them into countless battles, securing victory after victory. There was no trace of the playful ruler now... only the ruthless commander.
"Archers! Show me what you've got!"
At his command, the soldiers in formation raised their bows in unison. There was a ripple of movement before a shower of arrows arced through the air.
"Many of you are improving," the grand king's voice resonated across the field. "Your accuracy has increased, but your stamina still lags! On the battlefield, that weakness can be fatal! You need—"
His words cut short.
He stopped moving.
A hush fell over the training grounds. Everyone was focused on him, anticipating his next command, but Daemonikai seemed... frozen. He stared at some distant point in the horizon.
His eyes grew cold, his jaw clenched, fists tight at his sides. Tension radiated from him.
Was he lost in thought?
"Your Grace?" Ottai called out cautiously.
There was no response. Daemonikai's nostrils flared.
Something was deeply wrong.
"King Daemonikai?" Ottai approached, apprehension crawling up his spine.
His instincts screamed at him to proceed with caution, his own beast stirring restlessly inside him.
He placed a hand on Daemonikai's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Daemonikai whirled around and shoved him with a force that sent Ottai flying backward.
The push was so sudden and violent that Ottai had no time to react. He landed hard on the ground, the impact jarring his bones.
Gasps rose from the surrounding soldiers, their shock tangible.
"By the gods, something's not right!" Ottai roared, scrambling to his feet. "Everyone, take cover! Protect yourselves! Wegai, get reinforcements! Keep them close but off the grounds!"
The soldiers scattered, chaos erupting as they obeyed his frantic commands.
Meanwhile, the grand king stood motionless, muttering words Ottai couldn't make out.
What was he saying? Ottai crept closer, straining to hear.
"My woman. Mine."
What?
He is not himself.
What in the hell is happening?
"Must go to her," Daemonikai muttered. "Must have her."
The vacant look in the grand king's eyes added a dangerous focus that looked… predatory. He started forward in long strides filled with purpose.
Ottai moved to intercept him. "No, wait, Daemon! You cannot go to her like this!"
Daemonikai's fist connected with Ottai's jaw.
The fourth ruler stumbled back, but quickly recovered and shoved the king in return. "No! Snap out of it!"
Daemonikai's claws extended, slashing at Ottai with a speed that made his blood run cold.
The deadly intent behind the strike was unmistakable, forcing Ottai to dodge with lightning reflexes. Narrowly, he managed to avoid three more vicious swipes.
Now more determined than ever to stop the grand king, Ottai roared an order. "Send for Vladya and Zaiper! Tell them it's urgent! Go!"
Not wasting valuable time waiting for them, Ottai shifted into his half-beast form, bracing himself for what was clearly an all-out attack.
Every strike, every blow from Daemonikai was aimed to inflict serious damage.
This wasn't sparring; it was a fight for survival.
"Must get to her. Must have her," Daemonikai growled, angrily. "Out of my way."
His shortened sentences, his words gruff... as if he were driven purely by instinct. Mindless .
He landed a brutal blow to Ottai's stomach, stealing his breath, and Ottai staggered back, gasping for air.
"What's going on, Your Grace?" he wheezed, wiping blood from his mouth as he forced himself to stand. "Get a hold of yourself! Even you in your right mind would not want to go to her in this state!"
Daemonikai broke into a dead run, moving with a speed that defied his usual grace.
Ottai gave chase but couldn't match his speed.
People scattered out of their grand king's path, their screams and shouts filling the air.
Workers abandoned their carriages, mothers scooped up their crying younglings, everyone rushing for safety.
"What's happening?!" Zaiper appeared from the opposite direction, running towards Ottai in alarm.
"Stop him!" Ottai shouted, his voice desperate. "He has lost control! He cannot reach his woman like this!"
Zaiper cursed, his eyes widening with apprehension and... something else, as he joined the chase.
Something Ottai couldn't quite decipher.
***
At the door, Lord Vladya turned back to look at Emeriel. "Thank you for being there for him that night. When Aekeira informed me of the baby, I was... worried all night. I knew he would take the loss hard."
Pain flickered across his features. "He has suffered enough loss already... dangling on the edge because of it..." He trailed off, his brows drawn together in concern.
"You don't need to thank me, My Lord. I will always be there for him. I love him so much," Emeriel said with a soft smile, unashamed to admit it to anyone.
"And what about you?" Vladya asked, his gaze searching her face. "It must not have been easy for you either."
"It wasn't," she admitted honestly. "But I had him. We had each other."
Lord Vladya's expression turned thoughtful. "You know, I yearned for a child for so long it was a craving deep in my soulless heart. This longing has been inside me for so long, it feels as though it has become a part of me."
He exhaled heavily. "But then, when I think of Daemonikai's losses, I wonder which is worse: never having them, or having them and losing them?"
Emeriel carefully masked her surprise, even as her heart ached for him.
Never would she have imagined this formidable ruler confiding in her, sharing something so personal. How much he wanted offspring wasn't news to her, but his telling her felt... special.
"I loved his late children like my own," Vladya continued, his voice quieter now. "I watched Alvin and Myka grow from children into fine young males. When they died, and their father went mad, I had to bury them. That loss has stayed with me to this day, and I wasn't even their father." He looked away, jaw tight. "Just... thank you for not giving up on him."
Aekeira slipped her hand into Emeriel's. When Emeriel looked at her sister, she saw a watery smile on her face.
"He won't always get it right." Lord Vladya's gaze shifted to Aekeira as he spoke. As though imploring her as well. "But don't give up on him."
"Rest assured, Lord Vladya, I will never give up on him," Emeriel said with conviction, "My only regret was waiting so long to rekindle what we have. But even then, I never stopped loving him, neither did I let him go. And I never will."
A commotion arose outside.
Distant shouts, cries, and hurried footsteps.
Aekeira turned alarmed eyes to the door. "What's going on?"
Lord Vladya stepped out of the room, only to collide with... Daemonikai.
"Daemon? Why are you running—?" Vladya's brows furrowed as Lord Ottai and Lord Zaiper appeared behind him, hot on his heels. "What's happening?"
"Take a good look at him, Vladya." Lord Ottai looked deeply sadly and confused all at once. "Just look."
What was going on? Emeriel remained inside the room, watching the exchange with growing unease, heart thumping in her chest.
Lord Vladya turned to Daemonikai, watching him with scrutinizing eyes.
"Get to her. Have her," Daemonikai growled in a primal voice. "Drink her. Mount, mount, mount ."
Whatever Lord Vladya saw in those eyes seemed to alarm him too because his entire body tensed visibly.
"Daemon, you cannot take her in this state," Vladya said firmly, trying to reason with him. "You will hurt her immensely."
"So thirsty. So hungry ."
It became clear to Lord Vladya that his words were falling on deaf ears, and he glared at Lord Ottai and Lord Zaiper. "What the fuck is this?! Why is he mindless?"
Emeriel's ears rang. Mindless? Did she... hear that clearly?
Stepping forward, she tried to intervene. "What is—"
"Stay right there and do not say a word!" Lord Vladya and Ottai shouted in unison.
Emeriel was about to ask why, but... she didn't need to. Because right before her eyes, her Beloved went berserk .
Growling and snarling in her direction. He lunged forward, trying to force his way through the others.
Her voice had acted like a trigger of some kind.
Lord Vladya held him. "No, Daemon—"
"Mate! Mine!" he snarled, his claws extending with a loud shink .
"We have no idea how it happened," Lord Ottai explained, tensely. "He just suddenly became like this."
Lord Zaiper demanded. "What's wrong with him?"
"Daemon, Daemon, listen to me..." Lord Vladya's voice was desperate, placating.
Ignoring the claws, he gripped the grand king's shoulders, trying to force him to make eye contact. "You cannot touch your mate like this. If you mount or drink from her in this state, you pose a very serious risk to her life.”
Daemonikai lashed out with no finesse and no warning. With a wildness that was shockingly brutal as he attacked Lord Vladya.
The male–her Daemon, or at least the one who wore his face–attacked his best friend, the one he loved most, with an intent to kill.
Lord Vladya took his half-shift form, roaring as he fought back.
Lord Ottai and Zaiper moved quickly, trying to restrain Daemonikai from behind.
The commotion was deafening. A crowd was gathering.
Emeriel could hear other voices in the distance, scared and panicked.
“He must never get into this chamber!” Lord Vladya barked, his voice strained with effort. "Aekeira, take your sister and go through the window! Ottai, grab his wrists!"
"Must get to her!" Daemonikai roared, swiping his claws towards Vladya's neck.
Lord Vladya deflected the blow, but the claws still grazed him. Blood trickled down.
Emeriel's heart hammered against her rib. What is wrong with my mate?
Seeing him so out of control, ruled completely by instinct, filled her with a dread that chilled her bones.
She longed to call out to him, to try and reach the Daemonikai she knew, but the grand rulers' warnings held her back.
And his eyes... those green and yellow eyes...
They remained locked on her, burning with lust and something— Something wild and deadly.
Unlike anything she had ever seen in them before.
The first night Emeriel had met the beast came to mind. The night the feral him had mounted her.
Her hands turned clammy, and she gripped her garment tightly. The vivid memory of that night... how intense and unpleasant it had been.
That night, the beast had scented her, recognizing her to some extent because of the bond they shared.
Her male and his beast were not entirely aware but had a semblance of instinct urging them to keep her alive... regardless of what they did to her.
But their bond was severed now.
And as her gaze searched his eyes she found... nothing.
No spark of recognition.
No trace of connection.
Only wild lust and thirst , a hunt for the woman he wanted to sate it on.
And for the first time in a long time, Emeriel was terrified of him.
Watching the way he was determined to kill the people standing in his way, an ugly feeling rose in her gut.
One that told her... tonight will not end well.