Page 63 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

His nostrils flared, but the words had struck their mark. Running a hand over his face, he forced himself to steady his breathing, chest rising and falling in deep, open-mouthed exhales.

Finally, after a long moment, he lowered himself into the chair beside her.

"First, there's the heat suppressants," Merilyn began cautiously.

"I already gathered that much," he snapped, cursing unfiltered under his breath. "Morina should never have given them to her in the first place, damn it."

"Second, her body is waiting for her Beloved to soothe her heat, yet… it does not recognize you."

The grand king's face paled as the words sank in. “Our severed bond?”

Merilyn nodded, her expression sympathetic. “The princess isn’t just a Syren; she’s aSoulbond. One who has already been claimed through heat sex by her destined mate in the past. Her body expects that same connection, yet the bond is missing."

Daemonikai stared into space, absorbing the words.

"It would not be a problem in a different circumstance. All you would need to do is mount her again, and her body would recognize you. But because of the suppressants, her body is in survival mode, desperate to ward off anything it perceives as an intruder. And…" she struggled to find the right words. "I—I don’t know how to ask this, Your Grace…"

He sat with his elbow propped on the armrest, fingers rubbing his forehead as if trying to ward off a headache. Merilyn could only imagine the toll the situation—and his unsatisfied rut—was taking on him.

"Ask," he growled.

She cleared her throat. There was no delicate way to address this.

"That night your mind was… unclear when you mounted her," she threaded carefully "The experience was not… pleasant for her, was it?"

The distant, pleasured cries of Princess Aekeira from the adjoining chamber filled the silent room.

Daemonikai’s nod was shallow, barely more than a twitch, but Merilyn caught it.

“Was that your last… um, intimacy with her?”

His head turned slightly, and he regarded her from beneath his hand. "How could I possibly touch her again after that? It hasn't even been a month. I’m not a monster, Merilyn."

Merilyn nodded, pushing forward. "That night being your last intimacy with the princess has contributed to this, Your Grace. Her body now associates your touch with that memory."

"So what you’re saying is, her body isn't just trying to protect her from any intruder, but from the very one who hurt her… all while still waiting for her Beloved?"

"I am afraid so, Your Majesty."

His eyes slipped shut. He did not speak or move, sitting there in silence.

Merilyn had the sudden urge to reach out, to offer some small measure of comfort. But she was not foolish enough to touch a male fighting against the pull of his rut.

"I am so sorry, Your Majesty," she said softly.

He barked out a laugh, devoid of humor. "Why? It’s not your fault. I’m the monster that brutalized my woman.”

Merilyn turned her gaze to the sleeping princess. Even now, despite the potion’s effects, she was restless. Her breaths came unevenly, her small body shifting now and then, letting out pained cries.

"Can anything be done?" he asked in the quietest tone.

"Yes, actually." She lifted Emeriel’s head, resting it on her thighs.

King Daemonikai's head snapped up, his hand falling away from his face. "What is it?"

"You must reintroduce yourself to her body."

His brows furrowed. "How?"

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