The Untamed: Game of Hearts
Chapter 241: For your own good

Chapter 241: For your own good

Morning came, and Nathan woke up, feeling rather groggy. Placing a hand on his head, he groaned as he sat up on his bed.

"W-what the..."

Blinking, the King felt a rather potent cocktail of emotions at the sight before him. Gone was Raine; her touch, her warmth, her smell. Even the very room they’ve made love in numerous times was replaced by something that he rarely ever saw even during his time as a king.

"What is this..." he whispered out.

Looking around, the white and sterilized walls of the safe room enveloped his very presence. Beside decidedly unassuming his bed, four familiar figures were looking at him as if they had something very untoward to tell him.

"You’re awake," Aspen greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Questionable," Nathan groaned out in reply with a frown. "Where am I? Where’s Raine?"

Seeing Aspen’s face fall, a gnawing dread began settling in the King’s stomach as his eyes darted towards the exit.

"I’m sorry, but she proceeded with the exchange with her father," Aspen regretfully answered.

At that, Nathan could only sit in silence as his subordinate began telling him everything. From the very moment, his mate drugged him into sleep, to the very plan that Raine hatched just so she could go behind his back and give herself away to the enemy. Anger grew as the knowledge of his men’s betrayal only made itself apparent, and by the time Aspen was finished regaling him of their oh so wondrous tale, Nathan could barely stop himself from frothing at the mouth.

"It was all Raine’s idea," Decan weakly sighed. "She insisted on going through with the exchange. She didn’t want innocent lives to be wasted because of her."

"Did she not trust me then..." Nathan growled, fury and anger mixing within him as he simmered in his bed. "Did she not trust my strength and ability to protect her?"

"It’s not that she did, it was that your plan was stupid, Dear Uncle," Davin replied with a low tone. "Why go through with something so risky when the alternative was easily workable-"

"I don’t care!" The bed beneath the King shook at his roar, his very power surging along with his own rage. "Raine’s my mate, and it’s my responsibility to keep her safe!"

"And keeping her safe is the wrong play," Decan quickly rebutted, keeping his voice as calm as possible to avoid setting the King off. "The risks involved by assassinating King Marcus would’ve-"

"Would’ve been worth it!" Nathan growled. "We’re strong enough as it is, and the enemy won’t have enough of a warning! He wouldn’t see us coming!"

"Marcus will definitely see us coming," Boris chimed in. "The man’s as cunning as he is cruel, my King. One wrong move and we would’ve all died. Would Raine want that in her conscience?"

Nathan kept growling as the rage in him threatened to boil over. A part of him knew that they were speaking the truth; that going through with the exchange was the smart thing to do. They could always regroup and consolidate a better plan on how to depose the enemy King given enough time, but it was still time that Nathan didn’t want to give up. No... He wanted Raine to be by his side no matter what. He didn’t care what it might take. Whether through sacrifice or blood, the only thing that mattered to him now was that his mate be with him for the rest of his life.

And currently, Raine wasn’t with him.

Standing up, Nathan made a beeline for the door, only for Aspen to block his path as soon as he got there.

"I order you to let me out," the King commanded.

"N-Not until you calm down," Aspen resolutely replied, a brave face desperately hiding his fear as he spoke. "You’ll get yourself killed out there."

"I don’t care!" Nathan shouted. "I command you to move!"

"N-No."

"Aspen, do you honestly think you can stop me?" Nathan threatened, his veins bulging as his muscles primed themselves. "Do you think any of you can stop me?"

"No, but we can most certainly try," Boris neutrally replied. "We won’t allow you to do something rash that can get us all killed."

"He’s right, my King," Decan added. "This is for your own good."

Turning his head, Nathan seethed as he found himself being surrounded from all sides. If he was being sensible, he knew that he should stand down. However, he was far from being reasonable at the moment. He didn’t care. He really didn’t care.

"Out of my way!"

Seeing red, Nathan lunged at his poor subordinate blocking the door. Aiming a punch right at Aspen’s face, his fist landed on the door’s solid metal as his eyes tracked his traitorous subjects.

"You’re all dead, you hear!?"

Forcing himself to move, Nathan dodged and weaved his way through every attempt of restraining him. However, there was nothing to be done as Davin finally entered the fray. With a swift armlock, the King was restrained just enough for the four to regroup.

"Boris! The powder!" Decan yelled out. "Quickly!"

At the former king’s word, Boris quickly fished out the memory-loss powder and aimed it right at their rampaging King’s face. With a soft blow, the glittery powder made contact, putting Nathan into a sedative trance as he finally went lax.

"Well, that could’ve gone better," Davin scoffed.

"The recording," Decan pointed out as he took charge. "Where is it?"

As if remembering, Aspen quickly took out his phone. Scrolling through it, he gave Decan a nod of readiness.

"Okay. Let’s get this over with."

With a sigh, Decan helped lay Nathan back down on the bed. Davin let go of his dazed uncle, and the rest could only watch as their former king gave Aspen a knowing nod.

Immediately, the phone was placed near Nathan’s ear and the recording played out. Silently, the four watched, hoping that whatever it was that Raine planned would actually pull through.