The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 17

When Natalia found herself cornered, with her back against a massive oak tree, she froze. Before she could even react, a wolf lunged menacingly at her. Natalia mustered all her remaining strength to dodge the beast, using the tree as a shield. She could feel her legs trembling, drained of all energy. But the wolf missed, turned around, and lunged again. Its sharp claws grazed Natalia's shoulder. A chunk of Natalia's clothes was torn away instantly, and bright red blood oozed from the wound.

Natalia, gritting her teeth against the intense pain, instinctively backed away, tripping over a rope in the process.

The smell of blood excited the wolf even more, and it lunged at Natalia time after time. Each time, Natalia barely managed to evade its attacks, using up all her remaining strength. After a few attempts, the wolf continued its relentless pursuit.

Natalia was now injured, terrified, and utterly exhausted. Her entire body felt as if it was on fire from the places where the wolf had scratched her. She slumped against the tree root, helplessly. As the wolf lunged yet again, Natalia closed her eyes, resigned to her fate. She didn't have the strength to fight against a ferocious wolf any longer. If death could end it all, she was ready.

"Perth!" A sudden roar echoed.

The wolf, poised to attack Natalia, turned its head sharply at the sound. A man dressed in black appeared from the shadows. The wolf immediately went over to him, rubbing against his legs. "Go back. Stop scaring her!"

Natalia struggled to open her eyes, seeing only a dark figure slowly approaching her. He bent over, picked her up, and she sank into unconsciousness, her head lolling to the side.

Minutes ago, the alarm in the basement of the villa had sounded. Linden had rushed to check, only to find Natalia had run off into the forest where Perth was kept.

Stunned, he quickly informed Magnus.

Before Linden could even finish his sentence, Magnus had disappeared from his wheelchair. Linden hurriedly grabbed a mask and followed.

Magnus was swift and soon reached the spot where Natalia and Perth were engaged in their deadly dance. If he had been even a moment later, Natalia would have been Perth's dinner!

He couldn't believe that she had dared to venture here, and if not for his precautionary ropes, who would have thought this girl would run off to such a place!

He carried Natalia, bloodied, and injured, back to the villa and immediately called for the family doctor. Natalia's clothes were torn and shredded by the wolf, revealing her wounded skin. Her blood dripped onto the sheets, draining the color from her face. Only one of her shoes remained.

For a moment, Magnus unexpectedly felt a pang of sympathy. He scoffed at himself, reminding himself that this girl was Lucius' woman. Why should he care for her? Had he lost his mind?

But as he watched the sheets turn red with her blood, his face darkened. "Stop the bleeding, now!"

The doctor, frightened by his tone, quickly tended to her wounds. After a while, the doctor reported, "Sir, Ma'am has suffered superficial wounds. She fainted due to shock. I've treated her wounds and given her an antidote. Perth, after all, is a wild beast."

"Alright." Magnus silently watched Natalia on the bed, and his brow furrowed in concern. After the doctor left, he sat in his wheelchair and left the room.

Natalia, under the stress of shock and injury, developed a high fever in the middle of the night. Magnus ordered May to help Natalia change her clothes.

In the middle of the night, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, smoking, and looking out at the dark night, feeling uneasy. He turned and walked into Natalia's room. Under the faint light, Natalia's flushed cheeks were even more pronounced. He noticed the trembling under the covers and saw that Natalia was shivering terribly.

Magnus set his jaw, instinctively pulling Natalia closer into his arms, careful not to touch her wounds. His movements were unexpectedly gentle as he covered them with the blanket. He furrowed his brow, wondering what was happening to him.

His mind kept reminding him that she was Lucius' woman, but he found himself wanting to protect her uncontrollably. Every time he looked into her innocent eyes, they were so pure that it was unforgettable.

He could hardly believe that this girl was the pampered and spoilt Kendra!

Daddy? She was calling him daddy. Was he that old?

The girl in his arms, now warm, drifted off to sleep. Magnus looked down at Natalia's small face, flushed and dainty under the light, with fine fuzz on her forehead. Her faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils, pleasingly aromatic.

Soon, Natalia began to sweat. Her body was damp. Instinctively, he let go of her, planning to have May come up and change her clothes. But he noticed the time - it was two in the morning. Furrowing his brows, he quietly got out of bed. He went to the wardrobe and picked out a fresh set of sleepwear. He lifted the covers and began to peel off Natalia's damp clothes.

He told himself that even though she was Lucius' woman, she was sick. And at present, she was his wife. Changing her clothes shouldn't be an issue. As he peeled off the girl's nightgown, her immaculate skin was suddenly exposed to his gaze. Her body was beautiful, with subtle hints of red where Perth had grasped her. Against her alabaster skin, those spots looked like carefully placed red roses. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Magnus swallowed hard, and his Adam's apple was bobbing. It wasn't that he hadn't seen women before, but bare-skinned girls like this, he hadn't encountered many.

James and the others had arranged women for him many times before, but he had never laid a finger on any of them. Once, a woman stood naked before him, but he had no reaction whatsoever. He felt as if viewing those women's bodies was akin to looking at a piece of meat. Nothing more.