King In The Making (Throne of Thorns #1)

Chapter 40 - State of shock

Chapter 40

Raf stared at the blood on his hands but he didn't know how it had appeared there. Was he bleeding? He rotated his wrists and observed. No, no he wasn't. Whose blood was it then?

He looked around the place. The floors were painted white, the tiles were grey, there was a blue line about one meter above the ground that separated the white paint into two sections. On his left, there were some metallic carts with different compartments. On his right, there was a weighing machine with a built-in stadiometer. What was this place?

Raf tried to find someone he could ask about the place but he was alone. Had he always been alone?

Raf looked back at his hands. There was blood on them. A part of it seemed fresh while the other part had dried up in his nails' beds. He lowered his eyes to his shirt. It was painted red too. So much blood. Whose was it? Raf felt like throwing up at the smell as the vision blurred in front of him.

He put a hand against his chest, trying to grab at something inside. He noticed two things. His chest hurt and it was vibrating. He strained his ears to hear where the vibrations were coming from but he heard nothing apart from what sounded like very loud growls. Who was growling?

Suddenly, he hissed out in pain before throwing his hand away from his chest. He smelled fresh blood again. His nails had grown into what seemed like bloody claws. Turning his eyes to his blouse, he saw holes that hadn't been there before, soaked in blood. He touched his skin but it was intact. Only a scratch could be visible in the places his claws had pierced his shirt.

He heard a voice. And then steps. The vibrations on his chest grew more forceful and he put his hands above his ears to stop the loud growls from piercing his eardrum.

Someone nudged him and Raf took a swing at their arm, pushing his claws inside the person's skin. He smelled more blood, feeling nausea take over him. He wanted to empty the content of his stomach but he couldn't force it to churn in the other direction. Maybe he needed to go to the bathroom and wash the blood off of his hands.

He tried to stand up but his legs didn't move, holding him in the same place beside a closed door. Raf tried again, and again he failed. Who was behind that door?

***

1 hour before

Declan's chest hollered with a painful growl as he saw his sister's body fall to the ground. He turned his hardening gaze towards the man that had pushed the sword inside his sister's flank, only to find that his body was hidden from sight by the back of the alpha that had now turned king.

Declan saw as Cavan's heart hit the ground, the strange red organ painting a tragic picture against the white marble. He ran to his sister but fell down to his knees just in front of her, his wolf having no choice but to show the neck to the new king.

Everyone else had done the same. The comical part inside that room filled with tragedy was presented by the king that held his body lower than those of all of his subjects, as he tried in vain to make the blood stop coming out of his mate's side.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," Declan heard him chant to himself in an inutile prayer. Finally, the king raised his bloodshot eyes and looked at Declan with a plea for help as an ear-piercing growl left his chest – a growl that sounds more like a cry.

Declan felt his own tears fall down as he tried to move but his limbs didn't comply. He tried again and again but the only thing he could do was brush his sister's hair out of her face as his tears refused to stop sliding down his face.

"Get out of my way," Blynn shouted but even her magic couldn't push Rafail's body from Thalia's. He endured each of her blasts without as much as a scream as his golden eyes frantically looked around for help, not knowing that help was there and he was refusing it.