The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 32

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Morgan

Panic surged throughas | clawed at the unseen assailant, gasping for breath.

"Wha..." | croaked, the sound strangled in my throat. | fumbled for my sword, but the arm tightened around my

throat. The scent of leather and something metallic filled my nostrils, a sickening cocktail that did little to

alleviate the terror gripping me.

I jammed my elbow back, trying to get free before my vision started to go blurry. The angle was wrong for my

sword. | slammed my head back but the assailant avoided it.

| clawed at the arm. The man tightened his hold, the world blurring at the edges as darkness threatened to claim

me. | jumped, trying to throw him off balance as he draggedaway from the portal and down the hallway, but

it was no good. | had no purchase, and the guy was huge, liftingoff my feet with ease. The last thing |

registered before succumbing to unconsciousness was the shimmering distressed air that shifted aroundlike

a warning from the palace before. everything was swallowed by the suffocating darkness. Tsuneo

Relief, a sweet and unfamiliar sensation, washed overas the heavy oak doors of the library clicked shut

behind Morgan. The air, thick with tension moments ago, felt lighter, almost breathable again. Watching her

leave had filledwith a curious mix of emotions - pride, a possessiveness that surprised even me, and a deep

sense of gratitude. She had stayed withwithout judgment, willingly and compassionate to my plight.

It felt as though everything about her was drawingin more and more by the day. With a sigh, | pushed myself

to my feet, the dull ache in my shoulder felt lesser. | pressed on it, finding the

wounds closed and smiled.

She really was the one, wasn't she?

| decided on a hot bath. As | stripped off my sweat dampened clothes, a jolt of surprise ran through me. The

darkness that had marred my skin for so long were almost gone. Only faint gray -smudges remained.

A warmth bloomed in my chest, a feeling that had nothing to do with the steam rising from the bathwater. The

memory of her touch, the concern in her eyes when she had cleaned my wounds... It sent a delicious shiver

down my spine.

A low growl rumbled deep within me, a sound that resonated with a primal awareness. My inner

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dragon, usually dormant except when the poison threatened to consme, stirred restlessly.

Fear and hope washed through me. Was the posion taking over again, or was he just waking up in response to

my thoughts about Morgan?

Morgan's face flashed through my mind. The warmth of her touch, and the fire in her eyes sparked a primal

possessiveness in me. | lowered myself into the tub as the yearning for something |

couldn't quite define, clawed its way to the surface.

The water swirled around me, the heat easing the tension from my muscles.

My gaze drifted down to the bandages on my arm, a testament to Morgan's gentle ministrations. A

warmth bloomed in my chest, a feeling that had nothing to do with the steam rising from the bathwater.

The memory of her touch, the concern in her eyes when she had cleaned my wounds... it sent a pleasant shiver

down my spine. | closed my eyes, letting the memory wash over me. Perhaps, | mused, the exhaustion of the

past few days was finally catching up to me. The vulnerability | felt, the unexpected yearning for her presence, it

had to be fatigue and loneliness.

But a niggling voice in the back of my mind refused to agree with that. The weakness still lingered. The poison

wasn't fully eradicated. Usually, as the poison waned, it would dragunder into a fitful sleep plagued by

nightmares. My muscles would tense, my breath would hitch, and the world would dissolve into a horrifying

kaleidoscope of pain and distortion. But last night had been peaceful. The prickle of unease morphed into a

strange anticipation. My heartbeat quickened, not from fear but from a different kind of urgency. | closed my

eyes tighter, willing the familiar dread to engulf me. But instead, a new image flickered behind my eyelids. The

image of Morgan bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, her hair damp. She wore a simple white slip, clinging to

the curves of her body in a way that sent a jolt of heat through me. A smile played on her lips, a mischievous

glint in her eyes. In my mind's eye, the bathroom door creaked open and she slipped in, a playful glint in her

eyes.

"I thought | might find you here," she murmured, her voice a soft caress.

The fantasy unfolded, fueled by the lingering effects of the poison and the surprising yearning | felt for her touch.

The steam swirling around us like a shared secret. Then, with a playful laugh, she shed her nightgown, revealing

the soft curves of her body. My breath hitched in my throat. In my fantasy, | reached out, my fingers brushing

against her warm skin. She leaned into my touch, a shiver running down her spine. Our lips met in a searing

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kiss, a taste of fire and something sweetly forbidden.

The heat intensified, the fantasy morphing into a haze of desire. My hands explored the smooth. skin of her back,

her touch sending shivers down my spine. The water lapped around us. | grew bolder as Morgan melted into my

embrace. Her fingers danced across my chest, sending a jolt of electricity through me. The lingering weakness

from the poison was a distant memory now, replaced by a raw hunger fueled by desire.

"Tsuneo, she breathed, her voice a soft sigh against my lips. The sound of my name, whispered on her breath,

sent a thrill down my spine. My dragon stirred within me, an echo of his primal lust resonating with my own.

"Morgan," | growled back, the sound rough with longing. | pulled her closer, our bodies flush against each other.

The warmth of her skin felt like a brand against mine, and | could feel the frantic beat of her heart mirroring my

own.

The bathwater, once a soothing haven, now felt charged with anticipation. We explored each other with a

growing sense of urgency, the touch of skin against skin sending shivers of delight cascading through my body.

Every kiss, every caress, felt like a forbidden treasure unearthed.

Just as the fantasy reached a fever pitch, a sharp crack echoed through the chamber, shattering the illusion. A

searing pain ripped through my mind and leftgasping in the tub. A vision, vivid and horrifying, slammed into