The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 78: Into The Wolves Den

Chapter 78: Into The Wolves Den

"Stop being so..." Rama hissed between gritted teeth as she trailed off.

She moved closer to her, examining her face for a second before saying "Why are you blushing?"

Malika stepped back, lowering her head as she tried to conceal her reddened face.

The innocent girl fidgeted with the edge of her dress, her wide eyes darting around nervously as her Rama’s stern gaze settled on her.

A faint flush colored her cheeks, betraying the unease that churned within her. Her hands clasped and unclasped, fingers interlocking and then pulling apart in a repetitive, anxious rhythm.

"I have to go feed the king’s pets, it’s evening already." Malika said in a rushed tone as she fluttered her lashes hysterically.

"You’re avoiding my question, Malika?" Rama called, her tone stern and hard making Malika uneasy.

"I-I’m not, it’s nothing, I need to go feed the wolves, I’ll see you later." She spluttered nervously, making Rama’s face contort into a grim look.

"Did he...touch you?" Rama asked, her tone demanding an answer.

Malika’s face reddened as she pressed her lips in a thin line, darting her eyes around to fall anywhere else but her face.

"What did he do? Did he touch you?!" Rama’s voice rose louder, demanding an immediate response.

Fidgeting with her fingers, she stumbled over her words, her voice trembling slightly. It was evident she was struggling under the weight of her friend’s intense questioning, her innocence making her vulnerability all the more palpable.

"He didn’t do anything..." Malika trailed off, biting her lips to prevent the words from spilling out of her lips.

Rama’s steely gaze fixated on her, one brow lifted in disbelief.

Malika sighed in defeat, opening her mouth hesitantly before forcing the words to roll off in a rushed tone "It was only a kiss, he didn’t do anything else."

Rama’s brows furrowed as Malika spoke.

"Lord Zamiel?" She exclaimed, slight disbelief and wary coating her tone as her eyes widened.

Malika nodded meekly.

"Be careful, these blood sucking monsters preys for girls like you, young, beautiful and untouched. Try to stay away from them as far as possible, I wouldn’t want you getting hurt or taken advantage of." Rama warned cautiously, pure irritation and disdain in her voice.

"He’s not like that, he stopped." Malika immediately said, earning a confused look on Rama’s face.

"What? Malika come to your senses, not everyone who doesn’t show you their true colors is a good person, the three vampire lords have a beast within them they keep concealed, it’s more than what meets the eye and also, don’t ever lie or try to hide things from me." Rama said and Malika nodded with a sullen expression.

She wanted to explain to Rama about the witch’s orb, but she refrained from doing so, knowing Rama would never understand, neither would she be happy about what her future held for her. She sighed in exasperation.

"I have to go feed the wolves, it’s late already." Malika said with a faint smile as she proceeded to move past her.

"I’ll come too!" Rama exclaimed, earning a bigger smile on her lips as she halted.

"Thank you." Malika breathed out as they both proceeded to the wolves den after taking a crude wooden tray laden with chunks of raw meat still glistening with crimson.

They both proceeded to the dimly lit chambers of the dark east wing in the castle, where the shadows dance and secrets whisper in the air.

A row of sturdy iron cages houses the fearsome creatures. The cages were constructed with heavy bars, each polished to a dull gleam by the faint moonlight that filtered through the narrow, grated windows high above.

Tha air was thick with an earthy, musky scent, a blend of damp straw, fur and the primal essence of the beats within. The cold stone walls absorb any warmth, casting an eerie chill over the enclosure.

The two girls, brave and resolute moved between the cages their footsteps muffled by the layer of straws that covers the uneven stone floors.

Rama’s intent gaze narrowed to the silhouettes of the dark figures lying on the floor.

"What is that?" She blurted out.

"Werewolves, I don’t think they’ve changed yet." Malika said, hands trembling slightly as she watched them rise slowly to reveal man like figures within the cage.

"Werewolves are Draco’s pets? I don’t understand, they’re enemies why on earth would he make them his pets?" Rama blurted out in confusion.

"Let’s just feed them and leave." Malika said in unease, as she was in a hurry to exit the place.

They were about to approach the cage when the male figures suddenly started acting strange.

As the moon’s silvery light began to cascade through the iron-barred windows of the dimly lit chamber, a haunting transformation overcame the men.

Bathed in the eerie glow of the moon, the men’s bodies began to convulse, their forms contorting and shifting with an otherworldly force.

Bones snapped and realigned, skin rippled as fur sprouted forth, and hands elongated into powerful paws. Tormented howls escaped their lips as their faces stretched into snouts, their eyes now gleaming with a feral intensity.

In moments, what were once men had transformed into fearsome, majestic wolves, trapped within the confines of the cage, their humanity forever lost to the haunting magic of the moonlit night.

The werewolves keen senses detected their presence, a low rumble of anticipation echoed through the chambers, every hint of humanity faded from their glowing golden eyes, replaced with pure primordial and feral instincts.

The werewolves transformation were a primal, unpredictable force triggered by the waxing of the moon and the surge of their own inner bestial instincts.

"I’ll do it." Rama said as she took the wooden tray of raw meat from Malika, after noticing her trembling hands.

"Thank you, but be careful." Malika whispered, as if speaking any louder would provoke the wolves.

As Rama approaches the cage with racing heart, her gaze alternates between the menacing golden eyes of the werewolves and the gleaming fangs just a heartbeat away from being bared.

She swallowed softly as she gingerly places the meat on the trays built into the cages, her finger hovering just out of reach of the ravenous mouths that strain to claim their sustenance.

As Rama continues her task, the sound of gnashing teeth and guttural growls fills the chamber, a haunting symphony that reverberates off the stone halls and into the hidden corners of the castle’s dark history laden halls.

The air grows tense with a palpable energy, a reminder of the delicate balance between man and monster, between the desire for power and the need for control, where the fantatical and the fearsome coexist.

Within the confines of their iron cages, the wolves eagerly descend upon the raw meat set before them by the cautious maid. Their sleek fur covered forms ripple with anticipation as they lean in, their eyes fixed on the crimson feast laid out on the wooden trays.

Sharo claws scrape against the rough floor as they maneuver into positions and the scent of fresh blood fills the air, heightening their primal instincts. Teeth, sharp and glistening puncture into the meat surface with unrestrained fervor.

The sound of tearing flesh and the low rumble of contentment form a visceral chorus that echoes through the chamber. As they feast, their eyes narrow with concentration, focus solely on the feast at hand.

The meat rapidly disappears, consumed with a voracity that speaks to the hunter’s essence that resides deep within them. Flecks of crimson cling to their fur, a testament to their savage feast and the satisfaction of satiating their hunger momentarily quells the wildness that resides within their nature.

Rama, as she stands a safe distance from the cage’s bars, watches the scene that unfolds before her with a mixture of awe and trepidation.

The wolves primal nature is on full display as they indulge in their carnivorous meal, a stark reminder of the untamed wilderness that lingers just beneath their fur.

Even though she wanted to doubt it, she realized the validity of Draco’s words when he told her about the missing people in her kingdom being devoured by the werewolves from Roshan’s kingdom.

She had witnessed the thin string connecting them to their humanity break the instant they transformed, only their primal and bestial sides retained, stealing all form of rationality or logical reasoning, only animalistic desires elicited in them.

"We should leave now." Malika said with a slightly shaky voice, fear visible in it.

Rama spared the werewolves one last glance before turning her back on them as they retreated from the room.

She wondered how Malika fed the wolves every night when she was obviously shaking like a leaf in the midst of a brutal storm.

"It’s scary watching them act like the ravenous beasts they are. Are you alright?" Malika queried as they strode down the hall.

"I’m fine, I’ll help you feed them every night, someone as fragile as you shouldn’t do it." She implied.

"It’s fine, the wolves aren’t as scary as the vampire king anyway, anytime I see him I feel like my soul is being sucked into a dark hole, I can’t hide the fear. He’s like the devil." Malika whispered beneath her breath, raw fear audible in her tone.

"My fear turns to hate." Rama muttered.