Chapter 14: The Bitter Taste of Jealousy
The morning light in our cottage was soft and hazy, filtering through the windows like liquid gold. I woke up before her, as I always did. I spent a long moment just watching her—the way her silver-blonde hair spilled across the dark furs, and the peaceful rise and fall of her shoulders. The marks of our "romantic punishment" from the night before were still there, faint and beautiful on her skin.
I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. In the city, I'd never cooked a meal in my life, but for Wolfie, I wanted to learn everything. I made thick, honey-glazed toast and dark, rich coffee that smelled like home.
When she finally emerged, wearing one of my oversized black shirts that hung off her shoulder, she looked so beautiful it made my chest ache. I pulled her into my lap as we sat at the small wooden table. I fed her small bites of fruit, my fingers lingering against her lips, making sure she knew that even though the sun was up, she was still mine.
"You're being very attentive this morning, City Boy," she teased, leaning her head back against my shoulder.
"I'm being a husband," I murmured, kissing the curve of her neck. "And I'm making up for lost time."
But the peace shattered the moment we stepped into the Academy's gymnasium for "Tactical Combat Training."
The instructor, a grizzled old werewolf named Commander Hroth, stood in the center of the room with a clipboard. "Today's lesson is about cross-species coordination! I've decided to mix up the usual pairs to ensure you can adapt to any ally on the battlefield."
My hand tightened around Wolfie's waist. I didn't like where this was going.
"Drayan of House Drac," Hroth barked. "You'll be paired with Liya " she is an angel from agel nation ." Let's see if you can handle some celestial light for once."
I felt a surge of annoyance, but it was nothing compared to what came next.
"And Wolfie..." Hroth scanned the list. "You're with Marcus. He knows your pack's style better than anyone. See if you two can break the school record for the obstacle course."
The air in the room didn't just turn cold; it turned lethal. I felt my Vampire Stillness vanish, replaced by a dark, suffocating possessiveness. I looked across the room and saw Marcus. He was already smirking, adjusting his leather wrist-wraps, his eyes fixed on my wife with a hunger that made my fangs ache to draw blood.
"Drayan, it's just a class," Wolfie whispered, sensing the change in me. She reached for my hand, but Marcus was already walking over.
"Come on, Wolfie," Marcus said, his voice a low, cocky rumble. He didn't even look at me; he acted as if I didn't exist. He stepped right into her personal space, reaching out to grab her arm to lead her toward the training mats. "Let's show them what real wolves can do when they aren't being held back by a 'refined' city boy."
The moment his hand touched her, I was there.
I didn't use my speed to attack; I used it to intercept. I grabbed Marcus's wrist mid-air, my grip so tight I heard the leather of his wrap groan. I didn't say a word. I just stood there, my eyes turning that terrifying, abyssal black, my muscles tensing under my shirt as I loomed over him.
"Her name is Mrs Drac ," I said, my voice sounding like it was coming from the bottom of a grave. "And if you touch her again, Marcus, you won't be worried about school records. You'll be worried about how to walk with two broken legs."
"Drayan!" the Commander shouted. "Let him go! It's a combat pair-up!"
I didn't let go. I felt the Vampire Rage bubbling in my blood, a hot, toxic jealousy that I couldn't control. Seeing another man—especially him—near her, knowing he had spent years wanting to be where I was, made me want to tear the Academy down.
"She doesn't need a partner who can't keep his hands to himself," I growled.
Wolfie stepped between us, her hand resting on my chest, right over my heart. She could feel how fast it was beating, how much I was struggling to keep the monster inside. "Drayan, look at me. I'm okay. It's just a drill. I'm yours, remember? No matter who I'm standing next to."
Her touch was the only thing that could have stopped me. I slowly released Marcus's wrist, but I didn't step back. I leaned in close to him, so close only he could hear me.
"Watch your hands, dog," I whispered. "I'm always watching. And I don't share what belongs to me."
Marcus rubbed his wrist, his face red with a mix of anger and fear, but he didn't say another word. He knew that the "City Boy" he used to bully was gone. In his place was a husband who would burn the world to keep his wife safe.
The rest of the class was a nightmare of tension. I had to practice with Liya, who kept trying to whisper "helpful" things in my ear about how much more 'graceful' she was than a werewolf. I ignored her entirely, my eyes locked on the other side of the gym.
Every time Marcus got too close to Wolfie, every time he laughed at something she said, or touched her shoulder to guide her through the course, I felt my claws digging into my own palms. I was a man possessed, a husband driven mad by the sight of another man near his queen.
Wolfie kept looking back at me, her eyes filled with a mix of amusement and love. She knew I was jealous. She knew I was suffering. And in a strange way, she loved it. It was proof that the "Vampire Prince" wasn't just staying with her because of a contract. He was staying because he couldn't breathe without her.
When the bell finally rang, I didn't wait for Liya to finish her sentence. I crossed the gym in three strides, grabbed Wolfie's hand, and pulled her out of the room before Marcus could even say goodbye.
"You're a very jealous man, Drayan," Wolfie laughed once we were in the empty hallway.
"I'm a husband who knows what's mine," I said, pinning her against the wall and kissing her with a fierce, possessive hunger that told her the "punishment" wasn't over yet.