Chapter 187: Talkative prince

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Talkative prince

Swanly’s head snapped up.

"AZREN."

He smiled beautifully.

Veyra’s claws sank into her palms.

Small crescent wounds appeared.

Nobody noticed except Nilo would probably have noticed if he had been here.

Unfortunately for Veyra, Swanly had started noticing her too.

That female’s icy-blue eyes kept moving between Swanly and Azren.

Every time Azren smiled at Swanly, Veyra’s wings tightened.

Every time he called Swanly his female, one of Veyra’s antennae twitched.

Interesting.

Very fucking interesting.

Lyssara shoved Azren toward Korran.

"Restrain him."

Azren blinked.

"Again?"

"Again."

"I escaped because the previous restraints were insulting."

"You escaped because you have no sense."

"That accusation lacks evidence."

Korran reached for him.

Azren stepped aside.

Then his glowing eyes moved.

His entire expression changed.

The playfulness vanished.

Swanly saw it happen.

One moment foolish prince.

Next moment predator.

He was looking at Brea.

The spotted hyena female was still bound near the center of the clearing.

Her face was swollen from crying.

She had watched Selka die.

Now she saw Azren looking at her.

Her ears lowered.

Azren’s gaze dropped toward Korran’s waist.

Swanly saw that too.

"Wait."

Too late.

Azren moved.

Fast.

His hand flashed.

Korran’s short blade vanished from its sheath.

Korran’s eyes widened.

"AZREN!"

Brea screamed.

"No!"

Azren stepped toward the boundary.

He could not cross.

That did not stop him from turning the weapon in his fingers and judging the distance.

Brea’s face became white.

"No, no, no, no!"

She folded forward.

Her forehead struck dirt.

"PLEASE!"

Azren tilted his head.

"She helped."

Brea sobbed.

"I didn’t know! I was forced! Selka forced me!"

Azren’s antennae twitched.

"That is strange."

Brea looked up through tears.

"What?"

"Terrible people always become very forced after their terrible plan fails."

Brea’s mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

Swanly nearly laughed.

She hated that she nearly laughed.

Azren lifted the blade.

Brea shrieked.

"PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!"

Swanly stepped forward.

"Azren!"

He looked at her immediately.

"She will do it again."

"You do not know that."

"I strongly suspect it."

"That is not a reason to execute her from a tree!"

"I am not in the tree anymore."

"That is what you took from that sentence?!"

Azren frowned thoughtfully.

Then pointed toward Brea.

"She helped outsiders map your walls."

"Yes."

"She helped creatures enter."

"Yes."

"People died."

Swanly’s jaw tightened.

"Yes."

"She helped Selka attempt to destroy you."

Swanly exhaled.

"Yes."

Azren spread one hand.

"So I kill her."

"No!"

His expression became genuinely confused.

"Why?"

"Because you cannot murder every person I dislike!"

Azren looked down at Brea.

Then back at Swanly.

"It would make your life simpler."

"It would make you a lunatic!"

Azren glanced at the chains Tharek was carrying.

"I think my people reached that conclusion years ago."

Korran snatched the blade from him.

Azren sighed.

"All I do is help."

"No," Lyssara said.

"Nobody appreciates me."

"No."

"I am constantly punished for being thoughtful."

Tharek reached him.

The Ground-Hoof commander said nothing.

He did not need to.

His enormous armored horse body towered over the winged prince. Thick muscle shifted beneath dark plated skin. His powerful humanoid torso remained perfectly upright while he held up an amount of chain that looked intended for containing an avalanche.

Azren stared.

Then looked at Tharek.

Then at the chains.

"No."

Tharek stared back.

"Yes."

"Those are excessive."

"Yes."

"We are royal family."

"Yes."

"You serve me."

Tharek’s heavy hoof scraped the ground once.

"Yes."

Azren waited.

Tharek did not move.

"Then perhaps serve me by putting those down."

"No."

Swanly covered her mouth.

Even Kael’s lips twitched.

Korran seized Azren’s wrist.

Lyssara took the other.

Azren’s wings exploded outward.

"You cannot bind the crown prince like an unruly animal!"

Veyra stepped forward.

"I’ll secure the wings."

Azren immediately looked suspicious.

"No."

Her face cooled.

"Why?"

"You pull too hard."

"Because you escape."

"That does not mean you should abuse my wings."

"You escaped from six restraints."

"Seven."

Everyone looked at him.

Azren paused.

"Perhaps eight."

Lyssara’s eye twitched.

Veyra caught one upper wing.

Her movements were careful despite her anger.

Too careful.

Swanly noticed.

Veyra touched him differently from the others.

Not simply because he was the crown prince.

There was familiarity there.

Possession, almost.

Azren did not notice.

Or pretended not to.

His attention immediately flew back to Swanly.

"Pretty female."

"No."

"I have not asked anything."

"No."

"Save me."

"No."

"You owe me."

Swanly stared toward Selka’s body.

Azren followed her gaze.

For once, he stopped joking.

His face softened slightly.

"I thought she was going to kill you."

Swanly’s anger shifted.

Not gone.

Just complicated.

"I know."

His pale-violet eyes met hers.

"I would do it again."

Kael growled.

Azren added:

"Although perhaps I would aim somewhere less fatal."

"Wonderful," Swanly muttered.

"Growth."

Lyssara tightened the chain around his waist.

Azren grunted.

"This is oppression."

"Be quiet."

"You hate happiness."

"I hate you."

"Many do."

Veyra’s face tightened at that.

Then, very quietly:

"I don’t."

Azren did not hear.

Swanly did.

Her ears twitched.

Veyra realized.

Their eyes met.

For one breath neither female moved.

Then Veyra looked away.

Interesting.

Very, very interesting.

...

The mood shifted again once Selka’s body was carried away.

Brann refused to release her at first.

Two of her remaining mates had to walk beside him.

The newborn cubs were carried close enough to keep smelling her until Nahla finally insisted they needed warmth and milk from a living female.

That nearly broke Brann again.

Tilla quietly offered to help find a nursing mother.

Ena came too.

No grand speech.

No judgment.

Three cubs had no mother now.

Whatever their mother had done, Ironwood would not punish newborns for it.

Swanly watched Brann disappear toward the sleeping caves.

Something heavy settled inside her chest.

Then Lyssara spoke.

"We need to discuss what happened yesterday."

Soren turned.

His face became completely unreadable.

Raku moved to his right automatically.

Arion approached from the opposite side.

Nerin stayed nearer Swanly, not crowding her, but close enough that if she became tired she could reach him.

Kael noticed.

Of course Kael noticed.

His tail moved once.

Nerin saw that too.

He immediately took one respectful step farther away.

Swanly almost sighed.

Men.

Ancient horrors beneath the earth.

People dead.

And somehow men still found time to be jealous.

...

I figured out the personalities for our snake babies😈. I crave noodles too🫩