The Tyrannical Wolf King's Contract Bride-Chapter 109: Desert Camp

Lila’s POV

"Checking now!" Riven strode over without so much as a glance in my direction. He crouched down and slid a long, thin metal wand under the dining table, meticulously sweeping it across every inch of the carpet and the table legs.

Next, he took out something that looked like a test strip and dipped it into the newly opened bottle of champagne and then into my glass of lemonade.

"Air composition is normal. No toxic gases detected." Riven stood up, still in a combat stance, his wary gaze sweeping over the area. "I’ve already deployed three teams of hidden lookouts in a five-hundred-meter perimeter, and the infrared surveillance network is active. But, Your Majesty, this area is too exposed. If the enemy were to attack from beneath the sand or from above, it would be difficult for us to respond immediately."

"Riven," I couldn’t help but say, gesturing to the platter of lobster, "relax. Come have a bite to eat with us."

Riven’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest. He looked at me gravely, a hint of reproach in his eyes. "My Queen, you are too kind. Until we can confirm absolute security, any lapse is an act of irresponsibility toward His Majesty’s life and your own. Was the lesson from last time not enough?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. It was true; the previous kidnapping incident had left us all shaken. Still, watching Riven act like we were facing an imminent attack, turning a simple dinner into what looked like a bomb disposal site, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"That’s enough, Riven." Jasper waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly. "You may go. With me here, I can hold up the sky even if it collapses. I can’t eat with you standing there."

Riven gritted his teeth, looking as though he wanted to argue, but under Jasper’s unyielding gaze, he ultimately saluted, turned, and left. Before he went, however, he added one more worried instruction: "I’ll be guarding the entrance. Call immediately if anything happens."

The tent flap fell, shutting out Riven’s oppressive stare.

"Here, try this." Jasper placed a piece of lobster meat onto my plate, a teasing glint in his eye. "Riven might be a little neurotic, but his loyalty is unquestionable. I just feel bad for the chefs. They have to worry about being arrested as assassins while they cook."

I smiled and shook my head, picking up my knife and fork. Despite the interruption, the taste of the food was truly impeccable. The sweet, fresh flavor of the lobster melted on my tongue, and paired with a crisp, chilled white wine, it helped my frayed nerves relax a little.

After dinner, Jasper wasn’t in any hurry to attend to his duties. Instead, he took my hand and led me out of the tent.

The sun was nearing the horizon, painting the clouds in brilliant shades of orange and red. The light cast the entire desert in a glow, making it resemble a burning sea. A cool evening breeze rustled the tips of my hair.

"I’m taking you somewhere," Jasper said with a mysterious smile, leading me around the main tent and toward a small sand dune behind it.

The dune wasn’t high, but it offered a perfect view of the entire camp. To my surprise, two plush lounge chairs were set up at the top. Beside them sat a small, round table with two cups of steaming herbal tea.

"Did you set this all up?" I asked, surprised.

"I did. I wanted to watch the sunset with you." He helped me into one of the chairs before settling into the one beside me and pulling me into his embrace.

We lay there side by side, watching as the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon. The sky shifted from orange-red to deep violet, and finally to a profound, inky blue.

"Lila," Jasper suddenly whispered my name. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Hm?"

"A moment like this," he said, his chin resting gently on top of my head. His voice held a tenderness and longing I had never heard before. "I’ve dreamed of this for so long."

A warmth spread through my chest, and I squeezed his hand. "From now on, we can watch every sunrise and sunset together. But on one condition: first, we have to catch Derek and get the Tear of the Moon God back."

At the mention of our mission, Jasper’s body tensed. He lifted his head, his golden eyes glinting dangerously in the twilight. "Don’t worry. He won’t get away. Since you sensed that he’s deep in the desert, he’s like a fish in a barrel."

’Fish in a barrel...’ I murmured, the vague location resurfacing in my mind. It was a region with a highly chaotic magnetic field, infamously known as the desert’s "Ghost Realm." ’Did Derek choose that spot to make a last stand, using the harsh environment to his advantage?’

"Don’t think about him." Jasper tightened his arm around me, clearly not wanting anything to spoil the moment. "Look, the stars are coming out."

I lifted my head and was instantly struck by the breathtaking view.

Far from the light pollution of any city, the stars in the desert sky were breathtakingly bright. The Milky Way stretched across the heavens like a glittering river, and the countless stars seemed close enough to touch. The vast, magnificent sight made me feel tiny, yet it also filled me with a strange sense of tranquility.

"It’s beautiful," I breathed.

"Yes, it is." Jasper’s gaze wasn’t on the stars, but fixed on me. In the starlight, the affection in his eyes was so deep it seemed to overflow.

We continued to cuddle in silence, savoring the moment of peace and warmth. I failed to notice, however, that on the distant horizon, a few wisps of unnatural black clouds were quietly gathering. The desert weather was fickle; the once-clear night sky was now stirred by a rising breeze.

The wind grew stronger, carrying the sharp scent of grit.

"The wind’s picking up." Jasper sat up straight, frowning as he looked into the distance. "Something isn’t right about this wind."

I got to my feet and followed his gaze. To the east, the blackness of the night sky had deepened into an eerie, solid mass. It wasn’t a cloud—it looked more like a colossal, churning wall of sand!

"That’s..." My heart plummeted.

"A black storm," Jasper said, his face instantly turning grim. "Quick, back to the tent!"

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a run down the dune. We hadn’t even made it back to the camp, however, before the gale descended. The once-still desert floor instantly roiled, and countless grains of sand struck my face like bullets, stinging with sharp pain.

"Jasper! The wind is too strong!" I could barely keep my eyes open, and my words were ripped away by the gale.

"Hold on tight!" Jasper’s voice roared in my ear. He swept me up into his arms and tried to make a dash for the nearest solid structure.

Just then, a piercing alarm shattered the night sky. It was the highest-level alert, the one sounded by Riven.

"Your Majesty! Prot... prot..." The voice on the comms was choppy, followed by a loud burst of static.

The gale tore everything apart. Tents were shredded like paper, and tables and chairs were flung into the sky. I wrapped my arms tightly around Jasper’s neck and buried my face in his chest.

"Don’t be afraid, Lila," Jasper murmured in my ear. Though his voice was nearly lost to the wind, I could feel the reassuring rumble in his chest. "I’m here."

But I could feel the muscles in his arms were taut as steel. This was no ordinary sandstorm. The Priest power within me was screaming a frantic warning; I could feel an ancient, oppressive presence thick with the aura of destruction.

"Jasper, there’s something in this wind..." I realized with dawning horror that the swirling grains of sand were beginning to form eerie shapes in the air.