The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 98: Stay Still

Chapter 98: Stay Still

Rafael stopped a few blocks before the local inn, his eyes narrowing as he watched the patrons enter and exit. The building doubled as both a pub for casual dining downstairs and an inn with rooms upstairs. As such, there were more people than those who were looking for shelter to rest their heads for the night.

That wasn’t good. The more people there were, the harder it would be for Rafael to spot his brothers. The looking glass that Soleia had designed was too small to scan large crowds.

In the end, Rafael decided to wait. It was safer to scout the entries for Elinora’s presence than to search every room for her with the risk of getting spotted by his brothers. However, if she truly did meet up with them, then Rafael had no doubt that she had already informed them of his presence here in Vramid.

He didn’t have to wait long. The sun was barely setting when a suspicious woman exited the inn. She looked back and forth, and Rafael straightened his posture as he took a closer look. Once he was sure that was Elinora, he got up from the tree he was resting on and cautiously tailed her.

"Keep an eye on the inn," he said into the sodalite, which Oliver held a matching piece for communication. "Make sure my brothers aren’t following her."

Once Rafael got a confirmation from Oliver, he picked up his pace, making sure not to be seen by Elinora. She looked back every once in a while, but her gaze hardly ever rested where he hid, if not swept by it without lingering for long.

Only when they approached the palace did Rafael come forward. He pulled a dagger from his boot and slit his hand, creating a thin line of blood. Just in case.

Before she could move any further, Rafael moved his hand and out shot a thin rope of blood. It wrapped around the woman’s waist, and with a sharp tug, yanked her back into the bushes and out of sight. A gasp escaped her lips, but Rafael quickly placed his palm over them to keep them sealed, and her gray eyes went wide.

When she realized who it was, she visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropping back down.

"You sure took your time," Rafael said, pulling his hand away once he was sure she wouldn’t scream. "Aren’t you afraid that your lovely husband-to-be would be worried sick?"

"Why? Are you now promoted to be my new husband, and are you worried sick?" Elinora said, her eyelashes batting flirtatiously the moment she recovered from her initial surprise.

"I see you’re perfectly fine now," Rafael said with a snort, taking a step back to create some distance between them. Elinora’s body, however, was still firmly held still by the thin string of blood.

His eyes glanced down and briefly looked at her legs, then to her neck. As he guessed, those injuries she carried just earlier this morning had disappeared.

Elinora followed his gaze, a small smile curving her lips.

"Like what you see?"

Rafael’s face wrinkled as though he had bit into a lemon. "Don’t disgust me. Orion is looking for you."

At the mention of Orion’s name, Elinora visibly flinched. It was a subtle movement, but Rafael caught it all the same. Her gaze flickered, no longer playful as before, but instead, filled with caution as she glanced left and right.

"Relax," Rafael said, "he’s not here." Bitter jealousy shot through him, but the desire to see Elinora’s face crumble quickly won over. "He’s with Soleia."

As he guessed, Elinora’s eyes widened as she stiffened up. Satisfaction quickly shot through Rafael at the sight as he watched her turn back to glance at the direction of the palace.

"And you’re okay with that?" Elinora barked, urgency coloring her tone. "You are willing to watch your progress get washed down the sewers?"

"Isn’t that what you’re here for?" This time, it was Rafael’s turn to be sickly sweet. "Indulge me now," Rafael said, his eyes darkening. "What did my brothers want?"

***

Soleia felt as though her body was getting crushed by a thousand bricks. Her shoulders were cramped and everything around her felt as though it was on fire, fueled by the heat of a thousand suns. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open, only to come face to face with a muscular chest hidden behind a poet shirt.

At once, she instinctively jerked back, but a pair of strong arms held her down in place before she could move too far. What she could do, however, was to look around.

She was in someone’s bedchamber, she was sure, but it most definitely was not hers. For one thing, the furniture here looked luxurious. There were so many ornate decorations that she had never seen before in her own chambers, and the whole room was just much more spacious. The bed she was on was also much softer than her own, and even the sheets were silk rather than the simple cotton that lined her own mattress.

Soleia’s heart skipped a beat as a horrifying thought entered her mind. Then, she tilted her head, wanting to see who it was that was in bed with her, only to have her suspicions confirmed.

Orion Elsher was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly and gently. But even unconscious, his arms were tightly clasped around her waist, holding her close to his body, enough that she could practically hear his heartbeat colliding in tune with her own.

"W-What..." Soleia trailed off, her voice hoarse as she tried to fight against Orion’s grip, but his arms were locked around her like a cage.

Every nerve was on fire. She shifted left and right, wanting to wiggle out but whenever she moved, Orion would adjust himself so that she would remain safely tucked in his arms. The more she squirmed, the tighter he squeezed, so much so that her face was already plastered against his bare chest.

Soleia’s cheeks heated up quickly. They were husband and wife, but this was the most intimate thing that had happened to them in the two years they were married.

On top of that, Orion Elsher was also unconscious! If he woke up and found them like this, he might even blame her for scheming her way into his bed!

With that thought in her mind, Soleia put in more force this time, determined to slip away before Orion woke up.

However, when she moved again, Soleia was quickly flipped over. Her back was pressed against his chest and Orion hugged her from behind. She could feel his warm breath fanning over the skin of her neck, causing goosebumps to rise as she stiffened. Moreover, they were pressed so close that there was something else that prodded her under the sheets― something she knew shouldn’t.

Just as she was about to throw her entire weight off the bed as a last bid attempt, Orion’s low voice suddenly spoke.

"Soleia, stay still."