Fated to the Cursed Lycan Prince by Dark Knight
Chapter 995 They Are Leaving
Rufus’ POV:
Just when I was about to satisfy my curiosity, the door of the lounge opened with a bang. It caught my attention; I turned my head towards the intruder, the one who cut my momentum short.
“Stop!”
Crystal crossed our distance and managed to catch my hand just in time before I totally removed the bandages from Arron’s face.
Then she rushed over to the other side and grabbed Arron away from my reach. She held him tightly in her arms and shot at me the deadliest glare she could muster. “What the hell were you trying to do to him?”
How she acted and how blurred the previous scene was baffled me altogether. But I gathered myself. “Arron is injured. I’m just checking on him. What’s wrong with that?”
However, Crystal snapped at me. “Arron is my child. Whatever happens to him is none of your business.”
She seemed to be forgetting her place, raising her voice at me. Besides, she knew nothing of what transpired before she got into the picture. That irked me. I was getting riled up inside. What was worse, the way she was holding Arron protectively and away from me suggested as though I was close to hurting her son. I was just concerned, that was all!
“Do you even have the slightest idea what’s going on here? Do you really think I would hurt him?” I mirrored the glare that sparked from Crystal’s eyes. Wherever I looked, this situation and her being unnecessarily protective were just absurd and exasperating. What an ingrate she was!
Just as the heat between us nearly sparked into fire, Arron gently tugged Crystal’s sleeve and whispered, “Mommy, there were a lot of people surrounding me earlier. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve been thrown to the lake by now. He saved me, Mommy.”
“What did you just say? Here, show me where you’re hurt.”
Crystal, who had been a furious feline when she saw me taking Arron’s bandages off, impossibly switched her persona in a split second. What was now plastered across her face was a mother’s worry. She examined Arron’s body in a swift, and when she was greeted with the bruises on his arms, her eyes burned with rage.
I didn’t lift my gaze from them as she did so, still keeping my lips sealed. My mind was still surging on a wave of lividness.
This woman really knew what b*ttons to push. Not only did she run away at the ball, now she also got herself into an argument with me without knowing what my intentions were towards her son. I had an inkling how women could be unpredictable, but this she-wolf’s fearlessness and impertinence were beyond my understanding!
“Mommy, it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore. He had asked the doctor to check up on me.” Arron sn*ake*d his arms around Crystal’s neck and kissed her cheek to rea*s*sure her.
Crystal grazed her eyes across Arron’s injuries and said softly, “I’m sorry, Arron. I should’ve been there; I should’ve found you earlier.”
“It’s not your fault. I was running around.” Judging by how he phrased his statement, I could say he was a good boy. He didn’t mention anything about the people who really hurt him. He instead consoled his mother who was supposed to listen to him whine about what happened.
I crossed my arms over my chest and continued to give them a bleak look. Imagine them having a mother and son moment while I stood there, watching; I felt like an intruder who wasn’t supposed to see this private moment and couldn’t fit into their picture. That worsened my already sour mood.
“Thank you, sir.” As if Arron remembered that I was still there, he turned his head towards where I stood. An innocent smile cracked on his lips as he fluttered his lashes. He then looked proudly at his mom. “Mommy, you know what? Those bad people were so scared when they saw him.”
His recognition of me somehow allayed the anger that was churning inside me, but I didn’t let it show on my face. Doing so would mean I had let Crystal get the upper hand again this time. She was rude to me, and I didn’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be the same towards her.
She lifted her gaze and met mine but lowered it as soon as she recognized my cold stare. So, that was it? She was now acting like nothing happened.
That was exactly the same expression the little boy was wearing when he peeped at me. It seemed that the apple really didn’t fall far from the tree.
But that wasn’t what kept me in the scene. Why hadn’t she said anything about apologizing to me? Why did she look away? Was it because of shame? Pride? embarra*s*sment? She should have been begging for my forgiveness, but why was she being so hardheaded? “You—”
“I’m sorry—”
We both spoke at the same time and were wide-eyed. I stared at her but looked away the next second. I had been meaning to squeeze out an apology from her, but now that she gave it to me, I felt somewhat uncomfortable. I guess I, too, was acting beyond my own comprehension.
Contrary to her confidence when she stood against me earlier, she was a stuttering mess this time around. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what happened, yet I was quick to judge you. I was only worried about my son. I thought something really terrible had happened to Arron.”
A snort escaped from me, but that was all. I didn’t give her anything else aside from the coldness I was emitting. With the partial satisfaction of getting an apology from this proud woman, I tripped over, feeling much better.
In fact, I could grasp an understanding of where she was coming from. She was simply a tense mother who worried for her son. I suddenly remembered my own mother. Her calm demeanor was not a stranger to me, but whenever she knew something happened to me, the serenity in her would crumble and she would panic.
I was about to say something, but Crystal continued, “Thank you for saving Arron’s life today. I’ve realized that I have caused you a lot of trouble since I’ve been here, despite your great hospitality. But don’t worry. I’ll be leaving the imperial capital with my children in three days’ time. I will take Beryl with me, regardless of whether she has regained her memory or not. You’re the king, and you have a lot on your plate, so you don’t need to take care of her on top of everything else you need to deal with.”
Just like that, Crystal left with Arron still in her arms. She left me. Again.
The volcano of anger I was trying so hard to douse finally erupted. I took long strides, crossing the distance between me and Crystal, and grabbed her arm. She spun around from the sudden motion and met my fiery eyes. My grip around her delicate arm must’ve started to hurt her, considering how she struggled to break free from me, but I couldn’t care less. As she tried to free her arm, she accidentally nudged her mask, freeing her face as it fell to the ground.