Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 486: He Broke Her

Chapter 486: He Broke Her

Islinda felt cowardly for leaving Aurelia behind, but the Fae had told her to run, and that was what she did. Aurelia decided her fate the moment she took her hand and led her through that secret passageway. There was always a possibility that this would happen. And it did happen. However, that didn’t erase the guilt gnawing at Islinda’s chest. However, she vowed to make sure that Aurelia’s sacrifice counted. She had to get out of here.

As Islinda approached, the gate loomed closer, and by some stroke of luck, it was now unguarded and slightly open. Despite a nagging sense of doubt, she was determined to escape Aldric’s grasp. Ignoring her inner warnings that said this was too good to be true, hope surged within her, tears glistening in her eyes as she extended her hand towards the gate, just inches away.

With a sudden jolt, the gate slammed shut as Islinda’s hand made contact with the cold metal, her heart skipping a beat in shock. No, no, no, this can’t be! Panicking, she pushed frantically at the gate, determined to escape. Despite a sinking feeling that Aldric was behind this, she hesitated to confront him, desperately searching for an alternative route to freedom.

It clicked in her head that there was a small gate in the garden and if she could outrun Aldric and his shadows, perhaps then she could get out of here.

However, her hope was abruptly shattered as something seized her ankle, yanking her down. Aldric, sensing her escape attempt, pulled her towards him with a force similar to what he had done to Aurelia.

"No!" Islinda’s scream echoed as she desperately sought purchase, only to find nothing but dirt filling her mouth and grass scratching her face. Aldric’s rough handling was unmistakably a response to her previous act of defiance, yet Islinda’s eyes blazed with unwavering determination as she clenched the soil in her fist, a silent vow of vengeance.

The relentless pull ceased, signaling Islinda’s proximity to Aldric. Dread coiled in her belly as she rolled onto her back, coming face to face with the dark Fae prince. Her heart thundered in her chest at the sight of Aldric, embodying the ominous reputation of the rumored monster — the dark Fae prince.

The Fae held an allure that drew the eye and looked inhumanly perfect. In one word, they were either terribly ugly or starkly beautiful, but in Aldric’s case, he was a heartbreaking beauty, it stole her breath away. And now, his expression was a cold, cruel thing that cut through her. Islinda drew a shaky breath and braced herself for what was about to come.

A chilling wind swept through the courtyard at that moment, shuffling leaves and shaking trees. Islinda knew it wasn’t coincidental that the environment seemed to plunge several degrees cold, the air rippling with malice. It was all Aldric’s doing.

Aldric glanced at her so coldly that Islinda felt chills slithered up her spine, seeping into her bones. The weight of his steel gaze was a palpable pressure that pressed down on her chest and snatched away every breath that she took. The air of quiet power around him made Islinda realize just how weak and incapable she was before him.

This was no longer the Aldric she’d known. This was the Aldric made of only ice and steel and darkness. This was the monstrous cold side of the dark Fae prince she had seen so many times, but this time, the anger was directed at her and not the others who usually ended up dead.

The haunting depth in his eyes made the hairs on her back stand. Her breathing was shallow and fast as she stared into emotionless blue eyes that scanned her from head to toe, leaving her exposed. Darkness so thick surrounded him and perhaps to remind her of her offense, the knife was still lodged in her chest.

The knife pointing out of his chest was ominous and Islinda swallowed, locked at the spot, fearfully. What was she going to do now? She had no idea. She glanced at the corner and her sight fell on Aurelia and her heart leaped.

The Fae was unmoving and Islinda feared for a moment that he killed her, however, there was no gaping hole in her chest and her head was still on her neck. He probably knocked her out. Small mercies, Islinda let out a sigh of relief.

"You stabbed me?" Aldric breathed, as if not believing she had done it.

Islinda turned to him, the anger returning and flooding through her eyes now so her eyes flashed with it. She retorted in a snarl, "You tried to kill me, bastard!"

"So you knew? No wonder, you fooled the Fae into believing you drank the tea." He chuckled dryly, "You fooled me too."

She shook her head. "I don’t understand, why would you do that? It was enough that you chased .... ." Islinda trailed off on purpose. She knew she couldn’t remember their coupling without breaking into tears and the last thing she wanted to do was break down in front of him. She was not weak. She would not give him the privilege of knowing that he broke her.

"Have you forgotten that you belong to me?"

"What?"

"You are my slave, Islinda, and that includes your life. And that means that I can take away your life whenever I wish. I decide when and how long you live. " Aldric said emotionlessly, looking her dead in the eyes and was so stiff that he might as well be a tree.

Aldric’s thoughtless words were like a sword that stabbed into Islinda’s chest and ripped her heart in two. In one word, he wanted to kill her because he felt like it. Islinda knew not which one was worse, the fact that she fell in love with a monster, or that she slept with him. She felt so disgusted.

"But don’t worry, I tried to kill you and you tried to kill me. I guess we are even now. So return inside, Islinda. You shouldn’t be out here by this time," he commanded, his tone a blend of menace and authority.