CHAPTER 51It's been more than half an hour since Akira survived walking out of the beast's den. She didn't take the main route leading to the kitchen right away; she was still scared the beast might be chasing her. Her clothes were ripped apart, and she had to hold them together to cover her nakedness. Once she made her way through the back route, she went straight to the lonely woods, where she could clear her head from everything that was happening all at once. She still couldn't believe she had just escaped a beast.

Although it had been half an hour since her escape, her heart was still racing as if she had been running the whole time. Her mind flashed back to the animalistic creature she had just seen, and she couldn't seem to wrap her head around what it was.

Then Lord Ragnar referred to the creature as “brother.” She swallowed hard, trying to piece the puzzle together. No one had ever told her tales of the feral king, so it hadn't crossed her mind one bit. She stood in the woods, her eyes darting around; she just needed to stay out longer and think about what had just happened. One minute, her heart was cursing Lord Ragnar, and the next, her lips were thanking him for saving her life when that beast had tried to lunge at her.

Akira continued to walk; she wanted to get to the bath pond she had seen last time. She dragged her hand against the rough bark of a tree to steady herself. As she continued her walk, her ears soon caught the faint trickle of water—soft at first, then clearer with each step. After a few more moments, she finally reached the bath pond. She dropped to her knees at the bank, dipping her trembling hands into the water. The first dip was extremely cold, sending chills down her spine, but somehow it soothed the burn inside her chest. She splashed the water onto her face next, letting it wash away the sweat and the sting of dried tears.

Her reflection wavered on the surface of the water. The girl staring back at her didn’t like herself—her messy hair, the bags under her eyes, streaks of dirt smeared across her skin, and her dress torn where Lord Ragnar's hand had ripped it earlier. That wasn't her; that wasn't the real Akira…….the Alpha Princess.

Next, she slipped off what was left of her clothing. Every slow step she took forward was cautious. Goosebumps rose slowly on her skin as she stepped into the pond. The water swallowed her feet, and slowly her thighs followed until she sank fully beneath the surface with a low gasp. She closed her eyes and let herself float, wishing she could just sleep there. But who’s to say when Madam Estelle would come looking for her again? Worse yet, she wasn’t sure if Lord Ragnar would survive the feral beast.

As she scrubbed her body, flashbacks of how Lord Ragnar had touched her came rushing back. She paused, splashing water on herself as the thoughts lingered, gritting her teeth together in disgust. With that, she resumed splashing water, trying to push the memories away. At first, every splash was frantic, but eventually, she stopped and sat still in the waist-deep water. Even though she was done bathing, she didn’t climb out yet; she leaned back, as if begging the water to take both her shame and fear. For a moment, she felt the need to disappear in the cold, quiet pond where no one would find her.

“Ayaa…” Akira tried to call her wolf, but there was no reply, as usual. They were both still keeping malice toward each other.

Ignoring Aya, Akira let her hands drift through the pond, dragging her fingers against the surface until ripples broke her reflection apart. She wanted to drink, but her throat was dry, and her lips refused to move closer to the water.

“Aya…” she called again, her voice almost a whisper. “Please. Just… listen to me for once. What is it you saw back there? Talk to me, please.”

Aya stirred faintly but didn’t utter a word to Akira, which only increased her frustration. Akira pressed her lips together, forming a thin line, her shoulders tensing.

"Of course she won't say a word to me," she sighed. "Not when I need her the most!"

“Why won’t you talk to me?” she muttered, but still, there was no reply.

After a while of trying to get Aya to respond, Akira gave up. She stayed there, letting her body float slightly, then pushing herself upright, and sinking her hands back into the water—repeating the motion without thought.

Hours later, after Akira was done bathing, she didn’t bother to come out of the bath pond. She let her knees bend until she sank deep, then allowed herself to rise again until her back touched the surface. Her messy hair spread out in the water, and her arms floated slack at her sides. Soon, exhaustion from running forced her to float on top, and she drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, it was late at night, and Prince Dominus made his way out for his usual wolf exercise. He did it twice a week to keep his wolf in check. As a knight and member of the royal family, he couldn’t afford to be seen lagging. After a long walk, he finally reached the woods where he usually transformed and let his wolf run wild.

Prince Dominus slowly pulled off his clothes, folding them properly to the side. Then he proceeded to the bath pond to wash his face, hoping to concentrate better. But as he approached the pond, his eyes caught sight of a figure floating on the surface.