The Cursed Prince's Strange Bride

Alicia could not help but be wary of Harold. Why was he so interested in her sleeping in his room? He had even sneaked into hers the other time when she had been drunk. Now, it was beginning to make her suspect that he was responsible for the flooding incident. Was this his plan?

"Did you flood my room?" She decided to ask since thinking about it was not going to give her any direct answer.

"No," he replied curtly, and left it at that, but her suspicion lingered.

"Why do you want me to share a room with you?"

"Not share. Just the night."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"No. I don't want you in my space."

"What?" She looked offended, even though she wasn't supposed to. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's simple enough. If you want me to see to it that you get free time with Hellion, you have to play your part."

"Why are you so interested in this? What are you planning?" She asked while eyeing him suspiciously as she took a step backwards and crossed her hands in front of her protectively.

He watched her in amusement and shook his head, "I told you already. Just sleep here."

How was he supposed to explain to her that it helped him stay in his human form and that there were other abilities he was able to unlock with her around?

"Is it because of other people? Are you worried about what they may say?" She asked curiously thinking that it would make sense if that was the reason he was doing this.

They had been married for several weeks now, yet they had only spent the night once, as far as she was aware. Was there some kind of rumour going around or were they probing him because of it?

Harold didn't answer and just watched her while different emotions flickered on her face, like they usually did when she was thinking deeply.

He looked at her keenly and tried to see if he could get into her head. From the moment he met her, he wanted to get into her head to know what she was thinking about. At first, it was because he thought she was crazy. Then, at their wedding, he had been curious to know how and why she suddenly appeared there, and now, he wanted to know her plans and maybe also know what she thought about him. He was just curious. It was nothing serious.

As soon as he tried to get into her head, she moved and began to pace around, making him almost sigh in frustration, but she turned to look at him sharply.

"Okay, I understand why you are trying to do this. Do not be surprised at how I know. I am just naturally smart and have seen lots of dramas to know how all this works. So, I'll spend a night here and even make sure the news gets to all the ends of the kingdom. But you won't touch me. And we won't share a—"

"A night?" He asked, slightly amused.

"Of course, what were you expecting?"

"Thirty nights."

"WHAT THE HELL! ARE YOU CRAZY?" She yelled, almost startling him.

She had thought this deal was only for a night, so what did he mean by thirty nights? A whole fucking month!

"It's only a fair deal. You'll get to visit Hellion every day and learn how to ride a horse. At the end of the day, you keep him. If you do not make up your mind in the next five seconds, it climbs to 60 nights." He said and turned towards his window, but she frantically raced towards him and appeared in front of him.

"Be reasonable. I cannot spend thirty nights with you!"

"Can you spend sixty then?" he asked, making her almost facepalm.

"Thirty nights is too much. I am not used to living with someone, much less sharing a bedroom. I cannot."

He looked at her face carefully, and when he saw the desperation on her face, his ego was hurt. She didn't want to share a room with him, but he could understand her a little, so he decided to compromise and shorten it.

"Okay, I understand." He said with his hands behind him.

"Really? So you're going to reduce the days?" She asked hopefully. When he nodded, she smiled happily and felt like embracing him before he said, "Twenty-nine nights then."

The smile instantly vanished from her face as she eyed him unpleasantly. Was this guy sent to frustrate her life? Was that the plan?

"Seriously? Is this how you bargain here?"

"I am being nice to you, Princess. I do not bargain with others."

"Two nights." She demanded, making him return the glare she had been giving him earlier.

"Fine." He conceded.

Alicia would have been happy if she didn't already know him by now. And she was right to be wary.

"I will only take you to Hellion once in that case."

"Why are you so petty?"

"I am being petty?"

"Fine! Three nights."

"Twenty-five nights."

"Four nights."

"Twenty nights."

"Five nights!"

"Fifteen nights."

"Six nights."

"Seven nights. And that is final," Harold said, thinking that he was being more than fair.

"Fine! Jeez! You are so annoying," She said angrily and yelped when he reached for her hand. She didn't process what was happening until she felt something sharp prick her thumb, making her wince as she tried to withdraw her hand, but he held on tightly.

She looked at the blood on her thumb, both angry and confused. She was about to yell at him, but her words got stuck in her throat when he took her finger to his lip and sucked on the blood.

She watched him slack-jawed, too tense to move or say a word, while Harold, on the other hand, almost withdrew from her when the first drop touched the tip of his tongue.

It was bitter. Extremely. That was weird. Human blood tasted very differently from werewolves'. They tasted sweeter. Was it because she was not from this world?

It wasn't until he dropped her hand that she returned to her senses and took a few steps backwards.

"What... is wrong with you? How could you..." She stuttered while looking at her finger, her face entirely red, but Harold seemed unbothered because he used the same needles he had used on her to prick his thumb and extended his hand to her.

She looked at his hand and at his face as if he had lost his mind.

"You... are not telling me to do what I think you are doing right now, right?"

"An agreement has to be sealed by blood. If anyone fails to meet up with their end of the deal... they die." He said seriously, making her shiver, but there was no way she was going to suck his blood.

"Are you... out of your mind?" She asked in disbelief.

"Firstly, you do not share sharp objects! Secondly, you want me to drink your blood? Eww!" She made a face to show she was disgusted and would not try it and also stepped back even more. "You don't have to worry; I will keep my end of the deal and next time, please do not do this again..." She said while looking at her finger, which he had pricked.

"You don't want to drink my blood?" He asked her, almost amused. How did she think she was able to heal fast from the wound he inflicted on her that night in the mountain? Maybe he should tell her that the sweet medicines she was fed the first few nights she arrived here were actually mixed with his blood?

"So what is going to happen to this?" He asked while looking at the drop of blood on his finger, patiently waiting for her.

"You can lick it up yourself, please."

"How am I sure you won't go back on your words?"

"How am I sure you won't try to do something funny at night?" She asked too.

"Because I don't lie," Harold said with a frown.

"Yeah, right. Look, we have to trust each other's words if we want this to work. So do we have a deal?" She asked.

He looked at her face for a moment before nodding. "Seven nights here equals seven days with Hellion."

Alicia wanted to argue about that and make him extend her time with Hellion, but she decided to leave that for later. Besides, she was sure of her ability to get Hellion to like her before the end of the seven days.

Meanwhile, Harold had other plans. How she was able to believe that he would actually help her with her escape plan was something he could not fathom.

He had initially wanted her around to test out his theories, but now he was beginning to have other thoughts. His body wasn't that great? He was like a younger brother she never had? She didn't want to share a room with him?

He was going to see about that. Seven nights.

He was going to make the best use of this opportunity so that by the end of this stipulated time, she would eat her words.

Meanwhile, Alicia was laughing in victory inside her head. Seven nights. She was going to use this time to get Hellion to like her. She was so excited that her plans were finally coming to light. Hehehe.

"Nice doing business with you," she said while offering her hand to him for a handshake.

Oh, it was his pleasure.

He shook hands with her.