The Alpha King Marked Me. I Still Haven't Told Him I'm A Girl novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Nine

I scream, launching myself like a complete idiot.

If it did one thing, it is to startle the assassin enough to gift Prince Rafe a few seconds away from the edge of his massive blade.

I slam into the assassin from the side and rebounce. His body feels like it is made of steel. And suddenly, the Prince using me as a scapegoat in training makes all the more sense. If this is what we fight against, then we are already doomed. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

He turns his attention to me fully, his sick grin revealing yellowed teeth. His pupils are red and slit through the middle, reminding me of a kid’s drawing of the devil.

I thrust my sword forward, helplessly and he catches it like it is a stick, even if it slices his skin.

"A small thing like you felled Thorin?" He licks his lips, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "I could eat."

Horror widens my eyes as he lunges for me with a speed someone of his size should be incapable of. I barely dodge the attack before his fist slams into the ground where I had been, shattering concrete.

Though it is utterly stupid, I take my eyes off the assassin, and I see the Prince lying unconscious, blood leaking from his sides.

By the Goddess--

I am plucked off the floor by a large hand and I scream as my back slams into the wall. I hear the sound of bones breaking and pain erupts in my left arm. It’s broken, twisted at the wrong angle.

The hand doesn’t let go, instead settling around my throat and squeezing. I cough, kicking, my sword arm swinging to find purchase as my vision blurs.

I see his red gaze widen as my check smacks into his in my attempt to wiggle free. His tongue slithers against the shell of my ear, and bile rises in my throat. "Do all soldiers of Silvermoor smell like women?" His free hand runs up my ribs, touching my chest and rage burns through the fear clogging my throat.

"Not my fault you and your brothers choose to smell like horseshit, neanderthal." I jab my sword upward with the last of my strength. It’s a blind, pathetic movement, but my blade still finds his cheek. It carves a shallow, stinging line from the corner of his lip to the edge of his eye. Blood splatters warm across my face.

He rears back with a snarl and I feel his hands start to crush my windpipe--

Clang. Clang. Clang.

The bells erupt above in warning.

The monster hisses, his gaze cutting across the room to the Prince’s bleeding form.

"He’s dead anyway," he mutters with contempt. Then his eyes return to me. "We’ll meet again soon, hussy. On the battlefield." His lips pull back in a twisted grin. "I will enjoy ripping you apart limb from limb."

He vanishes in a blur of black.

I land hard, air flooding my lungs as I collapse to the ground, gasping, coughing, the bells ringing even louder.

I crawl to the Prince, one hand dragging uselessly behind me. His breathing is shallow. Too shallow.

"Rafe," I whisper, checking his pulse, pressing my good hand to the wound by his side to stauch the bleeding. His eyelids flutter and for a moment, his eyes focus on me before his head lolls left, his face drained of all color. "No, no, no..."

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