Chapter 90: Chapter 90: The Wolf King’s Rescue

Lila’s POV

Derek guessed that my mother had once placed some kind of protection on me, sealing my Priest bloodline.

His guess was the same as the conclusion Jasper had gotten from the elder, Silas.

But it was clear that Jasper only wanted to protect me, to keep me from fully bestializing because of an improper unsealing. Derek, on the other hand, looked at me with the thrill of a hunter spotting his prey, as if he’d just acquired a test subject he’d long wanted to dissect.

He stopped in front of me, less than half a step away. I could smell the metallic, rust-like scent of blood wafting from his cuffs.

“Perhaps your awakening is a chance given to me by the heavens.”

“Once I take the throne…”

“The child we have will be the most powerful Wolf King in history.”

I stood rooted to the spot, not moving.

But my body was already out of my control.

My stomach suddenly clenched, as if seized by an icy hand, and then began to spasm violently. It wasn’t just twitching—it was tearing, my insides heaving up toward my throat.

In an instant, a cold, clammy sweat broke out on my forehead, down my spine, and on my palms.

My fingertips went numb, as if pricked by countless tiny needles.

The edges of my vision started to darken, like ink slowly bleeding into clear water, spreading in hazy circles.

A ceaseless ringing filled my ears, drowning out the sound of the sea and the whir of the vents, leaving only a high-pitched, sharp shriek.

I opened my mouth, trying to gasp for air—

But the air caught in my throat like a piece of red-hot charcoal.

“You don’t have to be afraid.”

Derek suddenly let out a short laugh, like a blade scraping against bone.

“I won’t touch you.”

“At least, not right now.”

“You still have the blood of a lowly human flowing through you.”

His tongue lightly touched the roof of his mouth. His gaze swept past the spot behind my left ear before landing back on my eyes.

“When you have truly awakened…”

“Only then will you be worthy of me.”

“—No, worthy of being a vessel for my use.”

————

「3:17 a.m.」

I was sitting on the floor of the cabin, my back against the cold, curved metal wall.

The cabin door was made of an alloy, set flush into the wall with no seams. There was no handle, only a circular sensor panel glowing with a faint blue light.

An emergency light overhead cast a stark white glow, making the veins on the back of my hand stand out, blue and clear.

The ship swayed from side to side with a steady rhythm, like a great beast breathing slowly in the deep.

Only my own breathing, echoing off the metal walls in the small space, seemed to grow louder with each reflection.

The ship was swaying from side to side, the motion wider than it had been during the day. With every tilt, my stomach dropped.

The emergency light flickered, its halo dancing on the long walnut table like a dying firefly.

Then came the sound of glass shattering like a spiderweb—a short, crisp CRACK from the direction of the stern, with no echo.

It was followed by six extremely light thuds as people landed—all in perfect rhythm, like beats from a machine.

After that, from the end of the hallway, came two muffled grunts, a sharp gasp, and the dull thud of a knee hitting a wall.

Finally, the SLOSH of leather boots in shallow water, growing closer. The steps were slow, each one pounding against my temples.

The cabin door was opened with a soft click.

A familiar silhouette appeared before me, backlit by the light from the hallway—

It was Jasper!

His left hand shot out like lightning, gripping the inside of my right elbow. The pressure was immense, yet he expertly avoided every major nerve.

The pads of his fingers brushed unconsciously against the skin of my inner elbow, a feather-light touch, as if checking to see if a long-lost treasure was still intact.

We had no time to express our joy at being reunited. He immediately crouched down, lifted me onto his back, and prepared to escape this cage.

But just then, the footsteps outside the door suddenly grew dense.

They weren’t running. It was the sound of a rapid advance, bodies low to the ground. Leather boots struck the metal floor in a staccato of CLACK, CLACK, CLACK, growing faster and more synchronized as they drew near.

Six men.

No, eight.

The footsteps stopped three meters outside the door.

Dead silence.

There was only the FIZZ of the emergency light’s current and my own, increasingly loud breathing.

Jasper didn’t move.

He just said in a low voice, hoarse yet steady as an anchor:

“Don’t let go.”

My fingers clenched violently, my nails digging into my own palm. It wasn’t out of fear. The moment he spoke those words, my right arm, which had been hanging stiffly in the air, finally went completely slack, the muscles in it softening for an instant.

His right hand had already drawn a short dagger from his waist. With a flash of cold steel, he precisely struck the wrist of the first man outside, who was holding a gun.

CRACK! The sound of bone breaking was sharp and clear.

Before the man could even scream, Jasper’s left knee slammed into his stomach, sending him kneeling and curled up on the ground, a gurgling sound caught in his throat.

The second man raised his gun. Jasper didn’t dodge. He blocked with his right arm, deflecting the barrel. BANG! The bullet grazed past his ear and hit the cabin wall, sending a shower of sparks.

Jasper didn’t stop. Neither did the guards he’d brought with him.

Derek’s men, injected with the Enhancer, were powerless against Jasper’s absolute strength.

My head rested on the back of his shoulder, and I could feel the shell of my ear vibrate slightly with his every exhale.

I closed my eyes and, for the first time on this ship, truly took a breath.

That breath was salty and cold. It was the warm skin of his neck and the wound on his outer left forearm, where the blood was already beginning to clot.

At the end of the hallway, the alarm lights finally flared to life.

The rotating red light stretched and twisted everyone’s shadows, casting them onto the metal walls like a horde of silent, lunging ghosts.

With me on his back, Jasper turned and strode quickly toward the stern.

His footsteps created a huge echo in the narrow corridor, drowning out my breathing and the sound of more footsteps approaching from a distance.

His left arm remained wrapped around my back, his palm warm, his knuckles distinct. His grip was steady, without a single tremor.

I looked down and saw the gash on his outer left forearm. Beads of blood were slowly seeping out, tracing the line of his muscle before disappearing into his cuff.

「The stern deck.」

The wind was stronger here, the waves higher.

The thick, salty air was laden with fine sea spray that stung my face.

Jasper set me down and stood in front of me, his back to me, facing the stern railing.

He raised a hand and wiped away a smear of blood from his temple. The movement was light, as if he were just brushing off a speck of dust.

He didn’t turn around, only said in a low voice:

“Hold on to me.”

I reached out, my fingertips brushing against the warm skin on the back of his neck.

His muscles tensed for a moment, then relaxed.

Just then—

“Lila!”

The voice came from ahead and to the right.

Caleb was standing at the top of the starboard gangway. His hair was soaked, his shirt clung to his chest, which was heaving violently. His eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were pale.

He was unarmed, his hands empty, but his eyes were fixed on the arm Jasper had wrapped around my waist.

Jasper ignored him.

He just raised a hand and pointed below the stern. A black speedboat was cutting through the waves toward us, its engine a low roar. Its bow sliced through the inky-blue sea, kicking up two trails of white spray.

Caleb didn’t move.

He just looked at me, his lips moving, but no sound came out.

At that exact moment, a ghostly figure grabbed me, yanking me into his arms. His right hand, curved like a claw, clamped down hard on my throat.

My breath hitched, nearly stopping.

My face flushed red instantly.

My eyes bulged slightly from the lack of oxygen.

The corners of my mouth twitched uncontrollably.

My vision started to go black, like ink slowly bleeding into clear water.

A ceaseless ringing filled my ears, drowning out the sound of the waves and the wind, leaving only a high-pitched, sharp shriek.

I opened my mouth, trying to gasp for air—but the air caught in my throat like a piece of red-hot charcoal.

Derek’s wild smile was exceptionally jarring in the moonlight. “Jasper, we meet again.”

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