Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 142: Watch Your Words...

Chapter 142: Watch Your Words...

"Not this one," Damian said coldly. "Because Evelina—" His silver eyes burned as they met Kyle’s. "—is my mate."

The throne room was filled with a heavy silence after Damian’s declaration.

Evelina—my mate.

The words echoed in her mind loudly, with each part hitting clearly. Her pulse pounded against her ribs as the tension in the room spiked to dangerous levels.

Across from them, Kyle didn’t flinch.

His bright blue eyes sparkled as his smirk gradually turned into a more thoughtful expression. He didn’t seem surprised; instead, he appeared to be amused.

Like he had been expecting this reaction.

Like he had been waiting for it.

King Darius merely raised an eyebrow. "Your mate, you say?" His voice was slow and deliberate. "How interesting."

Lucian’s gaze shifted between Damian and Kyle, keeping his expression hard to read. If he was displeased by Damian’s outburst, he didn’t show it.

Evelina, on the other hand, was very aware of the hundreds of eyes burning into her.

She wanted to scream.

This entire situation was spiraling out of control, and fast.

Relia was barely holding back a growl. "Oh, I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all."

Damian stood at the edge of the platform, looking like he was moments away from shifting. His body was tense, and his silver eyes shone with barely contained anger as they focused on Kyle.

Kyle, for his part, remained maddeningly calm.

"I see," Kyle said smoothly, adjusting his cuff. "So that’s how it is."

His gaze flickered back to Evelina, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "And what’s her thoughts about all this?"

Evelina’s breath hitched.

Kyle’s words were a challenge.

And Damian took one step forward.

"Watch your words, OakenShaw." Damian’s voice took a low and dangerous edge.

Kyle’s smirk widened, his eyes flashing with something Evelina really didn’t like.

He was enjoying this.

Evelina clenched her fists. "Oh, for gods’ sake, enough."

The moment she spoke, both men turned toward her.

She hated how they were looking at her like she was something to be claimed. Like she was a prize at the centre of a war neither of them should’ve started.

She stepped forward, ignoring the way Damian’s fingers twitched at his sides.

"I don’t know what exactly this is about or what you are planning," she said evenly, looking at Kyle, "but I am not a piece to be moved around on a political chessboard."

Kyle tilted his head. "Hmmm... is that so?"

Evelina scowled.

Before she could say anything else, Damian took hold of her wrist. Her eyes widened as he pulled her forward—firmly, but not roughly.

"We’re done here," Damian bit out, completely out of patience.

"Damian—" Lucian started, but Damian was already moving.

The entire court watched as he half-dragged Evelina toward the doors.

Jasper, who had been standing quietly near the back, let out a low whistle. "Well, that escalated."

Kyle’s voice followed them as they neared the entrance. "This conversation isn’t over, Your Highness."

Damian didn’t even glance back. "You’re right. Because there is no conversation."

Evelina barely had time to react before the throne room doors slammed shut behind them.

The moment the throne room doors slammed shut, Damian didn’t stop walking.

Evelina barely managed to keep up with his pace as he led her through the palace corridors, his grip firm around her wrist.

He said nothing.

Not a single word.

But his silence was deafening.

His silver eyes looked straight ahead, and his jaw was tightly clenched. His whole body was tense, a storm of emotions brewing just underneath the surface.

And though he was quiet on the outside, inside, he was anything but.

Storm, his wolf, was pacing furiously in his mind.

"That bastard had the audacity to claim her? To challenge our bond?" Storm snarled. "I should have ripped his throat out where he stood."

Damian exhaled slowly through his nose, trying to keep himself from snapping.

Not now. Not yet.

He knew this wasn’t over. He had no idea who Kyle was, but he didn’t look like the type to walk away so easily. And OakenShaw definitely didn’t travel all this way just to leave empty-handed.

But Damian would be damned if he let anyone take Evelina from him.

His fingers unconsciously tightened around her wrist.

Evelina huffed beside him. "You know, if you’re trying to break my arm, you’re doing a great job."

Damian stopped abruptly.

Evelina almost stumbled at the sudden halt, and when she looked up at him, she saw the storm raging in his eyes.

He was furious.

Not at her. Never at her.

But at the situation. At Kyle. At the fact that OakenShaw had just walked into their kingdom, looked him in the eye, and tried to stake a claim on his mate.

Damian inhaled deeply, forcing himself to ease his grip. "Are you okay?"

Evelina blinked at him, thrown off by the sudden softness in his tone.

She was expecting a fight, maybe an argument, but instead... he was worried about her?

Relia huffed in her mind. "Oh, we love a protective mate."

Evelina exhaled sharply. "I should be asking you that. You look like you’re one wrong word away from punching a hole through a wall."

Damian’s eyes darkened slightly. She wasn’t wrong.

He didn’t say anything, though; he just grabbed her hand and continued. When they finally reached their shared chamber, Damian pushed the door open with more force than necessary before stepping inside.

Evelina barely had a second to react before he finally let go of her wrist and turned away.

The air in the room was thick with tension.

She crossed her arms, waiting for him to say something. "Are you going to say something?"

Silence.

Damian ran a hand through his hair, his back still to her. He took a slow breath, then another.

Finally, he spoke.

"He has no right."

Evelina blinked. "...What?"

Damian turned then, his silver eyes burning with a quiet storm. "Kyle." His voice was low, controlled—but barely. "He has no right to claim you."

Evelina clenched her jaw. "I don’t need you to tell me that."

Damian’s eyes flickered, his wolf pushing just beneath the surface. "Then you understand why I reacted the way I did."

She huffed. "Oh, I understand perfectly. You nearly ripped his head off in front of two kings."

Damian took a slow step toward her. "Would you have preferred if I let him claim you?"