Capítulo 8: Mate, not Jailer...

"Evelina belongs to no one," Zade hissed. "Not you, and not anyone else."

Damian moved closer, locking his silver eyes on Zade and speaking with authority. "Let me make this simple for you, brother. Evelina is my mate. Your little escapade, no matter how heroic, changes nothing. Moreover, the council assigned her to my care in protective custody."

Zade let out a low chuckle, though there was no humor in it. His claws caught the light as they extended.

"Protective custody? Funny. Because I don't see Evelina agreeing to that. Or do royal decrees replace consent now?"

Storm growled in Damian's mind, pushing him forward. "Don't let him talk like that."

Damian's jaw clenched. "Watch your tone, Zade. You're speaking to your future Alpha King."

Zade stepped closer and his voice dropped by an octave. "Alpha King or not, you're still just a spoiled prince hiding behind the council's decisions."

His gaze flicked to Eve. "What say you, Evelina? Him—who isn't as brave as I am, accused you of trying to kill him and then have you thrown into the dungeons—or me, who faced death in the icy mountains and brought back proof of my love for you?"

Eve froze as her eyes darted between the two expectant faces. Her fingers curled nervously on her lap as her thoughts spiraled.

'Which of them? Honestly I don't want to be caught in brother's rivalry but then again, one offers freedom in the guise of an escape and the other, a chance to prove my innocence but under shackles.'

Relia's voice echoed in her mind. "Careful, Eve. Choosing sides now could make things worse."

"Exactly. I hardly know either of them," Eve thought to herself. "Damian's harsh, but he's our mate. And then there's Zade; his intensity isn't much better. How am I supposed to choose?"

"You don't," Relia replied firmly. "Stay neutral until you figure out who to trust."

Eve cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm not choosing anything," she said quickly. "I don't even know who I am in this mess, let alone who either of you really are."

Damian crossed his arms, and his face showed no clear emotions. "The council has placed you under my protection. As your mate, it's my responsibility to ensure your safety."

Zade scoffed. "You keep saying that. So protecting her means locking her in a dungeon?"

Eve winced as the memory of her earlier ordeal replayed in her mind.

"He has a point," she muttered, her mind recalling the slap encounter she had with Damian's jealous woman chaser Selene.

Damian didn't give a response but his scowl told Eve he heard what she said and she swallowed.

"Very well," Zade conceded. "If the council's decision binds her to you for now, I won't challenge it. But I'll prove her innocence—then we'll see who she belongs to in the end."

Damian still didn't reply, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Zade reached out, the Dragon Pearl still glowing faintly in his hand. "This belongs to you, Evelina. You asked for it, and I risked everything to bring it back."

Eve hesitated, glancing nervously at Damian.

Relia chimed in. "Careful. If you accept, it might look like you're choosing him and that can anger Damian."

'But rejecting it…' Eve thought. 'Wouldn't that be cruel and make it look like I'm choosing Damian, therefore angering Zade?'

"You do have a point, Eve. Grrrr… fine," Relia growled.

"I…" Eve began, unsure but before she could protest or come up with a significant excuse, Zade pushed his hand closer to her face.

"Take it," he said firmly. "It's yours."

Reluctantly, Eve reached out and accepted the pearl. It felt warm against her palm, which was very different from the cold tension in the room.

"Thank you," she said quietly, avoiding both men's eyes.

Zade's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned sharply on his heel. Without another word, he strode out of the room.

Eve let out a shaky breath as the doors closed behind Zade.

"Come on," Damian said almost immediately, his voice breaking the silence. "It's bedtime."

"Excuse me?" Eve's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You heard me." Damian's tone left no room for argument as he started toward the hall.

Grumbling under her breath, Eve followed him.

Arriving at Damian's chambers, Eve was met with the same brilliance and grandness as the rest of the palace, with high ceilings and intricate carvings on the walls.

A massive bed dominated the space, flanked by tall windows draped in heavy velvet curtains.

The room was particularly spacious, more so than three of her rooms put together.

He strode to a chest at the foot of the bed, pulling out a thick duvet. Turning, he handed it to Eve. "You can sleep there." He pointed to a corner near the fireplace, where a plush rug lay on the floor.

Eve blinked at him, her mouth agape. "You're joking."

"No," Damian replied simply.

She wanted to grumble or throw a tantrum or something to piss Damian off but considering she was mentally drained, she simply collected the duvet.

"What was I expecting from a selfish, self absorbed Prince? Tsk," she mumbled.

Even though she was calm on the outside, inside, her anger was rising. 'I should be in a bed, with an AC blasting cool air while I binge-watch Netflix or read a web novel. Instead, I'm in a backlogged world, stuck with a prince that wants me to sleep on the floor! Heavens have mercy on me.'

Eve mentally facepalmed.

"Just for the record, I'm not some stray dog," Eve mumbled to herself but thanks to his werewolf ears, Damian picked out her words clearly.

Damian arched a brow. "You're not a prisoner anymore, but you're not exactly trusted either. Be grateful for the fire."

"Grateful?" Eve huffed, clutching the duvet as she stomped to the corner. "Unbelievable."

Relia snickered in her mind. "And here I was, thinking he would treat us a bit better as his mate. You know, Zade would've given you the bed."

"Don't start," Eve muttered, laying the duvet down and wrapping herself in it.

She knew Relia was right but she didn't want to start any regrets and what ifs.

After all, Relia advised against picking sides, so why now was she finding another man?

Eve caressed the Dragon Pearl absently, feeling its subtle warmth against her hand. "I'm stuck with Prince Jerk here, remember?"

Meanwhile, across the room, Damian leaned back against the bedpost, his silver eyes flicking to the restless figure curled on the floor.

Storm growled in his mind with an insistent tone. "This isn't right."

"She's fine," Damian replied curtly.

"It's a cold night, Damian. And the floor is hard. Let her have the bed."

Damian sighed. "She's not even trying to sleep," he muttered aloud, hearing the soft rustle of Eve turning over for the fifth time. Her breathing was uneven, restless.

Storm pressed harder. "This is cruel. You're her mate, not her jailer."

"Like I said, Storm, she's fine," Damian insisted again, though less certain this time.

"She's not. And you know it."

Damian's fists clenched as the war in his mind raged on. He tried to ignore the sound of Eve shifting again, but Storm's voice wouldn't relent.

"Fine," Damian growled after some time and sat up.

Eve froze at the sound, peering up at him through the dim light.

"What?" she asked cautiously.

Damian paused, feeling a conflict between his pride and the guilt that was eating away at him. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his tousled hair, making him look more mesmerising under the soft light in a way she didn't think was possible.

Relia purred in satisfaction and Eve rolled her eyes.

"If you are not sleeping, do you mind not blocking the air coming in?"

Damian felt like a load had been dropped on his head. His cheeks huffed as he glanced in a different direction while muttering some incoherent words.

"Huh, is he sleep walking?" Eve added a little loudly this time to make sure.

"Huh I heard you."

"Oh great," she added nonchalantly. "Do you mind…"

Before Eve could finish her words, Damian cut in, his question leaving her speechless. "Would you sleep on the bed instead?"

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