Chapter 9: The Claim & Home
The accusation from the alpha prince shocked them.
Claudine and Robert began stuttering, their words fumbling over one another in a desperate attempt to explain themselves.
"We would never!" the uncle blurted, his hands raised as if to shield himself from Caspian’s wrath. "Alpha prince, this is a misunderstanding!"
"Yes, we—oh, we would never dare—" the aunt added, her voice trembling. "We apologize! Please forgive us!"
Meanwhile, Mirabelle whimpered, her hands clutching her dress as she swayed on her feet. Her body felt hotter by the second, her limbs weak and trembling under the pressure of whatever had invaded her system.
She let out an involuntary moan, biting her lip to muffle the sound.
Caspian’s attention snapped back to her at once. His red eyes softened momentarily, but his grip on her arm remained firm. "Mirabelle," he murmured, his voice low, almost soothing.
She looked up at him with wide, glassy eyes. "Why... why did you make me eat it?" she whimpered, her tone both accusing and pleading. "If you knew it was laced... why?"
Caspian’s lips twitched into a sly, almost mischievous smile. "Because," he said softly, his voice dipping to a growl as he leaned closer, "I wanted you to cling to me."
Her breath hitched, her mind fogging further as the meaning of his words settled over her.
Before she could protest—or make sense of anything—Caspian bent down, sliding an arm beneath her knees and lifting her effortlessly into his arms.