Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Cedric
The very next second, Adrian was already storming out of the room, and I followed him almost instinctively.
"Adrian!" I roared. "So it was you. You're the one who took my mate away!"
Adrian didn't turn around. He only moved faster, as if he was trying to shake me off. The nobles around us gasped in shock at the sudden commotion.
After we passed through the corridor, the scent became stronger—the unmistakable fragrance that belonged to Alice.
Just as I was about to locate the source of that scent, Adrian suddenly turned around and blocked my path.
"Cedric, stop following me!" His amber eyes burned with fury. "Go back to your own kingdom. You're not welcome here!"
"Adrian, you took my mate away!" I snarled. "I haven't even settled this with you yet! You have no right to stop me from seeing her. Alice is my mate!"
I tried to push past him. I didn't want to argue with him right now. I only wanted to see Alice. I needed to see her immediately.
"Mate?" Adrian let out a cold laugh, completely unaffected by my pressure. "Cedric, do you really have the right to say that?"
He stepped closer, the anger in his eyes almost tangible.
"Do you even remember what you did to your so-called mate?"
His voice grew louder, and every word struck my heart like a sharp blade.
"She was hunted down by your lover and nearly died in the forest! Now that she has finally found a peaceful and happy life, what gives you the right to come back and disturb her again?"
"I only have one mate—Alice!" I explained quickly, my voice almost desperate. "There was nothing between Victoria and me. I only took care of her because of my responsibility toward my brother!"
I knew choosing to protect Victoria had been my mistake. I would make it up to Alice. No matter how she wanted to punish me, I would accept it.
But I could not accept never seeing her again for the rest of my life.
That thought terrified me more than death itself.
"You expect me to believe that bullshit?" Adrian slammed his fist into the wall.
The stone cracked instantly.
"When she was surrounded by those damn witches and almost died, where were you?"
"Adrian, please..."
I looked at him, begging.
"Let me see her. Let me explain everything to her myself. I've been searching for her for the past two months. I was going insane. I can't endure another day without her!"
"Get out." Adrian pushed me back. "I will never let you see Alice again."
His voice was cold. "My sister needs me now, not a useless mate like you."
The words "useless mate" struck me like a slap across the face. But I couldn't deny them. Because everything he said was true.
Still, I refused to give up. I continued following behind him. Adrian knew he couldn't stop me, so he finally gave up arguing.
Soon, we arrived in front of a door. The overwhelming scent of roses nearly drowned me. Alice was behind this door. I had finally found her.
A wave of overwhelming joy washed over me—but it was immediately replaced by guilt and worry so heavy that it almost crushed me.
Several maids and doctors were standing outside the room. When they saw Adrian, they immediately stepped aside.
"Your Highness, the princess is inside—"
The maid hadn't even finished speaking when I pushed open the door before Adrian could.
"Cedric! How dare you!"
Adrian tried to stop me, but he was too late.
I rushed into the room.
And then...
The entire world went silent. My body froze in place, as if someone had nailed my feet to the ground.
I was certain. This was Alice. Her scent drove my wolf nearly insane. He roared wildly inside me, clawing and demanding that I move closer to our mate.
At that moment, moonlight poured through the window and fell over her body, outlining her delicate figure. Her long hair spread across the pillow like a waterfall.
But that face... That face was so beautiful that I couldn't look away.
Her exquisite features. Her pale skin glowed softly beneath the moonlight. Without that birthmark, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Beautiful enough that I almost couldn't recognize her.
Her face was pale, her brows tightly furrowed, as if she was enduring unbearable pain.
And her hand... Her hand was pressed tightly against her lower abdomen.
My eyes followed her movement. And then I saw it. Her slightly swollen belly. My heart suddenly clenched.
A scene immediately flashed through my mind—Alice's cold expression as she told me that the child had nothing to do with me.
The pain from that memory twisted through my nerves, making it difficult to breathe.
No.
She was lying. She had to be. Because she had been too disappointed in me.
I bit my finger and let my blood flow. Then I sank my consciousness into our bond, reaching out to feel her. The next moment, a familiar sensation pulled at my heart. I could hear Alice's heartbeat. I could feel the powerful, unmistakable presence of another life inside her.
And then came the connection through our bloodline. A familiar aura merged with mine. My child. She was carrying my child.
My knees nearly gave out. I stumbled backward several steps and hit the wall behind me. My trembling hand pressed against the stone, barely keeping me from collapsing.
But back then... What had I done? I didn't believe her. I allowed Victoria to frame her. I let everyone call her a whore, a traitor. I even ordered my guards to imprison her. I suspected her relationship with Caspar.
"Damn it..." My voice was hoarse, and I could barely stand. "I deserve this... Everything is my fault..."
Adrian had already rushed to the bedside. He grabbed Alice's hand, his face filled with urgency and worry.
The doctor followed closely behind.
I snapped back to reality and immediately grabbed the doctor by the collar, lifting him almost completely off the ground.
My voice trembled with fear. "Why did she faint? What happened to her? Tell me!"
The doctor's face turned pale with terror. He instinctively looked toward Adrian.
"I told you to answer me!" I roared, tightening my grip.
"Princess Alice fainted because of the child..." the doctor said shakily. "The child's power is too strong. Her body is struggling to withstand it, which is why she lost consciousness..."
My hand loosened. My entire body felt as if all strength had been drained from it.
The child's power was too strong. She couldn't handle it.
It was my fault. It was all my fault!
If I had found her sooner... If I hadn't let her suffer so much... If I had taken better care of her... If she had her mate's pheromones soothing her... She wouldn't have become this weak.
I walked toward the bed trembling, reaching out my hand.
I wanted to touch her. I wanted to make sure she was truly standing in front of me and not some cruel illusion.
Bang—
A fist struck my face hard. The force sent me stumbling backward. My back slammed into the cabinet behind me, creating a loud crash.
"You have no right to touch her! Get out!" Adrian stood beside the bed, his handsome face filled with anger and protectiveness.
I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and tried to step closer again.
"You can hit me. As Alice's brother, you have every right to do that." I looked at him calmly. "I won't fight back. But I also won't leave."
My eyes remained fixed on Alice. "She is my mate. She needs me."
"Mate?" Adrian sneered. "What right do you have to call yourself her mate?"
His voice was filled with disgust. "You hurt her. You betrayed her. You abandoned her. And now you still have the nerve to stand here?"
"I never betrayed her!" My voice rose. "Never. The only person I loved was Alice!"
The pain from Adrian's punch meant nothing to me. If anything, it made me even more clear-headed.
My eyes never left the woman lying on the bed. Although she was still unconscious, she was safe. Our baby was safe. She hadn't been taken away by those damn witches.
That realization finally allowed the heart that had been hanging in my chest for two months to settle.
"Then why did you let that woman named Victoria move into her room?" Adrian demanded. "Why did you make Alice work as a servant? Why didn't you stand up for her when everyone was accusing and insulting her?"
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something. But no words came out. Because I knew every single thing he said was true. Every single one of those things had hurt Alice. I had no way to defend myself.
"Because you never cared about her," Adrian spoke slowly, every word deliberate. "To you, she was nothing more than a task. A tool for giving you an heir."
"No!" My voice was filled with bitterness.
Those explanations sounded painfully weak—even to myself.
"That's not true..."
"Then what was it?" Adrian laughed coldly. "Do you love her, Cedric? Do you really love her?"
"I do!" The answer left my mouth without hesitation.
I loved her. I loved her so much that when I lost her, I wanted to die. I loved her so much that every second without her felt unbearable. I loved her so much that she was the only thought in my mind every moment of every day.
Just then—
A faint sound came from the bed. Adrian and I turned around at the same time.
Alice slowly opened her eyes. Those eyes looked especially beautiful and distant beneath the moonlight.
She stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment. Then she slowly turned her head. Her gaze landed on my face.
The next second—
Her pupils suddenly contracted. Her already pale face became even whiter. She looked as if she had seen something terrifying.
"Cedric?" Her voice trembled. She immediately moved backward, curling herself beneath the blankets. Her entire body shook violently. "What are you doing here?"
That fear.
That rejection.
It made my heart contract painfully.
She was afraid of me. She thought I was going to hurt her.
"Alice..." I instinctively stepped forward.
Adrian immediately stepped between us. He gently held her hand. "Alice, don't be afraid. I'm here. I'll protect you."
"Adrian..." Her voice trembled.
Her fingers gripped his sleeve tightly, as if it was the only thing keeping her alive.