Predatory Marriage (Web Novel)
chapter-256

Chapter 256 – Iron Door

Translator: Atlas / Editor: Regan

Once again, Leah stood in a vast desert.

The landscape of golden sand was so familiar, and the heat of the sun was intense, but she didn’t feel hot. That was because she was in a dream.

Leah walked, leaving a trail of footprints through the fine sand. Some time passed before she stopped. There was something dark heaped on the horizon.

It was the chains.

Automatically, her body stiffened. But atop the chains sat a small silver figure, and she rushed toward it. It was the baby wolf, sitting on top of the chains, and Leah let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the cub was unharmed. The pup even wagged his tail at her approach, lifting his little chin proudly as he batted the chains with his forepaws.

“Did you do all this?” She asked.

He nodded his head, eager to show off his trophy, as if he wanted to boast about how difficult the hunt had been and how he had killed it. Her heart swelled, watching the adorable little baby wolf.

She wanted to hug him. But she couldn’t just snatch him up; what if the cub didn’t like her? Gently, she offered her hand, and the little cub stood up on his hind legs and held out his front paws, as if asking to be picked up.

And then Leah was holding the little wolf in her arms. Stroking his silver fur, which was the same color as her hair. Silver hair was unusual; it was practically the symbol of the legitimacy of the royal family of Estia. And not only was it the first time she had seen a wolf with silver fur like this, he also had golden eyes.

As she stroked his soft fur, she gazed into his eyes, and the moment they looked at each other, the little wolf’s jaws parted and his golden eyes warmed, just like Ishakan’s.

The baby wolf had fought alone in this place for so long, but there was no sign of resentment in his canine smile, only affection.

“Mama!” The little wolf said.

Leah was struck dumb. Frozen as the wolf cub cocked his head to one side, innocently puzzled that she didn’t respond. She remembered what Ishakan had said, he had told her she was pregnant, and she had been surprised, but she hadn’t…felt anything. It was as if it had been news about someone else, such a thing could have no bearing on her.

But hearing the baby wolf call her mother…

It stuck in her heart.

She had always wanted to protect this baby, without even knowing why. She had cared so much, she had asked Ishakan to help her with a dream. Why was she trying so hard?

She was holding the answer to that question in her arms, the truth at last revealed.

“Baby…” She whispered.

A gust of wind blew, sand bursting upward, a sandstorm that made her shut her eyes tight. When she opened again, everything was dark, and the iron door stood before her. An iron door wrapped in chains, locked with a lock that had no key.

Blankly, Leah stared at it.

Her teeth gritted. And she rushed at the door, furious, tearing at it like a madwoman, yanking at the chains and pounding on the iron door with all her strength.

“Open up!!!” She screamed. “Open right now!!!!!”

This was to blame for everything. If only it would open, if only she could open it…

Tears poured down her cheeks as rage filled her. The thought of everything her baby had suffered tore her heart to pieces. She had known nothing. She sagged against the iron door, and something yanked at the hem of her dress.

When she looked down, she saw the little wolf had followed her, and she swiped away her tears quickly. Leah stooped, bending to pick up her baby again and hug him, but the little wolf stepped away, licking at her reddened hands.

“What if I can’t do it?” She asked softly, and the little wolf patted her foot with his right paw and made her laugh through her tears. The darling was trying to comfort her.

Looking at her face, the little wolf suddenly threw back his head and howled. A beam of light fell into that dark place, shining on the wolf cub and enveloping it.

“……!”

Leah gasped as the wolf cub suddenly grew, no longer a vulnerable baby but a huge silver wolf the size of a large house. He howled again, deafening, and goosebumps rose on her skin.

The wolf rushed at the iron door, his sharp teeth tearing at the chain that Leah had been unable to move, even with all her strength.

With a metallic snap, the chain broke.