Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 202: Broke Her Heart

Chapter 202: Broke Her Heart

A scream tore off from Islinda’s lips as soon as her eyes snapped open and she was back in her room. However, the traumatizing experience she had been subjected to was just so overwhelming that she assumed it was another trick of the mind and didn’t recognize that she was back in her body.

Strongs arms suddenly wrapped around her arms and lifted her off the bed. The move startled Islinda that she let out a high-pitched scream she never thought she was capable of producing. Although it was pretty much exaggerated, the intensity of her scream was capable of raising the dead and made her captor wince out loud.

"Shhh, darling, it’s me," Aldric attempted to calm her, but Islinda was too far gone and surprisingly strong. She elbowed Aldric so hard in the ribs that the breath was knocked out of his lungs.

However, Aldric did not succumb to the pain and tightened his grip on her. But the struggle was fierce and realizing that he wouldn’t get to her in this way, he let her go and pinned her to the bed with his strong body.

Islinda thrashed around wildly, trying to dislodge him, but Aldric was like an impregnable wall and she couldn’t get out from beneath him. He then cupped her face and made her look him in the eyes.

"It’s okay, you’re safe now. Nothing is going to happen to you." He promised her and though Islinda stopped fighting him, she was still far from reality. She began to sob, her breathing so heavy it seemed she might hyperventilate.

"Forgive me, little human," Aldric said before he slapped her across her face and her mind snapped back to reality.

Her wide eyes and the incessant pushing at his chest as if he was crushing her was the indication Aldric needed to know that she was back and he got off her, gladly.

Islinda climbed off the bed in a panic, getting as far away from Aldric as possible, and leaned against the wall as she caught her breath. Her eyes darted across the room, confirming that she was indeed back in the castle.

"Valerie...He did something to me, I was in my room and next in that strange place and he was talking about a soul swap and he wanted to trap my soul in another body to free...." She rambled nervously

"Shhh, don’t speak," Aldric was by her side, although he was careful not to startle this time, "No one’s going to force a soul swap on you. It’s not going to happen again. Ever." He said with such strong conviction that it became clear to her.

"Fuck," Islinda gasped, "You killed her," Now that she thought about it, the hazy memories became clear to her.

The witch had tried to forcefully swap her soul. It was almost like those times that Aldric got into her head and made her do things, Islinda could not just forget the helpless feeling. Although both of the experiences were different, because whenever Aldric was in her head, she could feel him and it was more of an enthralling suggestion that she couldn’t resist. And it was a familiar sensation.

Whatever spell the witch had cast on her, didn’t feel familiar at all. It was

cold, distant, disgustingly wet, and dark. It was like some ancient evil licked across her skin and took hostage her body, using her like some sort of puppet, relishing her misery and wanting more. It came with an overwhelming fear that made Islinda feel goosebumps on her arms up to now. She had been scared out of her mind. Islinda felt dirty and violated. Why was this always happening to her?

However, the feelings vanished when Valerie confronted the witch and she lost concentration. She had wanted to escape but she didn’t know how to, and where to? And then Aldric arrived. Islinda felt the relish that washed over her until she saw him slit the witch’s throat and blood spilled out. Her piercing scream split the air and she was being pulled through that swirling ether space and returned to her body - at least she recognized that now.

"It was the only way to end the ritual and send you back," Aldric told her.

Islinda wanted to retort that there was always another way, but she was too shaken up to scold him. Moreover, he saved her life, even if the method was not commendable. Her hands began to tremble and she had to rub it down her body to ease the nervousness.

"Valerie, he .... How could he...?" She could not finish the rest of her words because emotions clogged her throat and tears rose to her eyes.

The move came instinctively to Aldric and he pulled her into his arms while she sobbed on her shoulder. Islinda thought she knew Valerie, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

"H-he should know me well enough! I–I– would never...." She choked with hot tears, "I–I c–can’t take...." Islinda stuttered from the many emotions coursing through her.

"Don’t speak, just let it out," Aldric encouraged her to cry, patting her back.

Islinda wrapped her arms around his neck and cried harder, holding him tight. Her heart felt like it was breaking into pieces. The worst part was that she still loved the asshole Valerie even if he attempted to commit a heinous crime against her.

Why couldn’t she just turn off and on her feelings like Aldric? If only she was a cold, indifferent Fae, she wouldn’t be affected this much. The more she thought about it, the harder she sobbed.

Aldric never said a word, Instead, he rubbed her hair soothingly, comforting her in his own way. Islinda laughed maniacally through the tears, to think the one that would comfort her ended up being Aldric. Who could have seen that coming? The dark Fae seemed to be the only one she could lean on, even if it was only a moment of time till he broke her heart too.

Nonetheless, Islinda took his rare kindness while it lasted.