2. Another Round (2)

She felt like she was falling into a bottomless abyss.

The feeling of being swallowed up in an endless darkness felt more comfortable than she initially thought. Whatever it was, it was better than when she existed as a hindrance between her husband and Luelle's sickening love affair.

She hopes she will not wake up from this sleep if possible because hell is the only place to wake up. But,

'F#ck!'

-“Sashal, are you up? You slept long enough this time.”-

"Shan?"

She returned to the sickeningly damp prison that had held her captive, again, for the 9th time. Instead of dying, she always returned to Sashal's five-month-earlier self.

-“Hey girl, are you okay? Your internal condition is kinda…”-

Shan, her wolf, never remembers their time loop experience, even for the 9th time. This is her 10th life after nine-time loops. It's so sickening.

She returned five months earlier before being executed in the capital's plaza. When she spent four months in this prison because of the rogue group that kidnapped her. If you do the math, she has spent three years in a time loop without knowing how to get out.

All her blood seemed to drain from her face. The comforting darkness was only brief. She hasn't recovered from her pain yet and feels too cruel to see her husband, Jermaine, again soon.

"I guess there was nothing I could do to change this time loop?"

-“What are you talking about, girl? What time loops? Let's find a way to get us out of here."-

‘In a moment, they will come.’

-"Who? That f#cker?”-

'No. Someone else will save us, Shan.’

-“Humph, is there anyone like that after we waste this darned four months in this place!?”-

True, she thought. Then flashed through her head, a silver figure roaring madly to stop her execution. It was the first time this had happened after going through so many executions.

‘Someone is desperate to save me, but I don’t know him.’

A silver wolf that she had never seen before.

Sashal caressed her belly, 'Who is that person? Will I meet him in this lifetime? At least, to ask him why?’

KWANG! The iron bars split.

“Your majesty! Sashal, I've... finally found you."

The dashing man entered the room that imprisoned her for four months. He is Ansel, a beta duke and her childhood friend. He hugged Sashal. He ensured Sashal was in good shape for returning to the Palace.

'So, I'm going back to that place, huh?'

-"Hey, why do you seem reluctant to return to our home?"- Shan was excited but worried about Sashal's internal waves.

'Home? It's not our home Shan. You will know why.'

Compared to a place called home, her time being locked up for four months was better, even though she had little recollection of how her days of being kidnapped had played out.

Because her time back at the Palace was more like hell than this place, it was in the Palace that her loved ones would kill her repeatedly. It's like someone deliberately playing with her life until they are satisfied. However, it doesn't look like it will happen any time soon.

She was trapped in a time when everything seemed to be settled already. She becomes the queen with her husband, the Alpha King of all wolves, King Jermaine, on the throne. She naturally remained in that position for another five months, locked up in a stable and terrible prison of a twisted friendship between three people.

Sashal's life was nothing but a sacrifice. A beautiful, virtuous wolf queen and the benevolent mother of the kingdom. But it was her crown that would kill her well-being.

Still, every time, Sashal held on with one hope – her husband's love.

'But this time, I won't do anything, Jermaine.'

Ansel, her best friend since childhood, winced bitterly as he watched Sashal's vacant stare, which resembled the eye of a dead fish, looking out the carriage window. He wanted to ask Sashal many things, but he held it back.

Sashal blinked slowly.

‘Today is just like that day.’

That day, the weather was good, and the journey was smooth. Sashal and Jermaine were on their way back from an inspection.

She caressed her stomach, which still looked flat, despite a fetus in it, 

No one knows about her early pregnancy yet, apart from Shan. She wanted her husband to know first. She planned to surprise Jermaine with this happy news when they were at the Palace. But the fight breaks out long before they arrive at the Palace.

A swarm of rogues attacked her party, which outnumbered the royal troops.

A fierce battle was inevitable.

Sashal also joins in the fights in her wolf form, Shan. But because she was pregnant at less than one month's gestation then, she was careless in controlling her strength. She almost lost the baby she had waited for during her five years of marriage with Jermaine. Her only choice is to reduce her power, or she will lose her baby.

But when she reduced her strength, the rogues managed to kidnap her.

And for the next four months, she was locked in a damp cellar with only one small window. The sun's rays never fell on her, and the nights were always cold.

Her captors regularly provided her with food and water, which was enough to keep her alive but not enough to give her the strength to fight.

Every full moon, Shan tries hard to get the two of them out of that place, but her efforts are never fruitful.

Until Ansel came to save them, just like today.

“Your Majesty, soon we will arrive at the Palace. Many people are already waiting for your return.”

Sashal, still with her dead fish-like eyes, answered softly. "I doubt that."

The carriage goes into the Palace. The servants and others gathered to welcome her return. Almost everyone waiting for her cried profusely, then greeted Sashal warmly.

Except for Jermaine, who was in the front row, frozen.

.

.

.

In my first life, I thought Jermaine's speechless reaction was because he was shocked and moved by my return. I thought he choked up on his swirling emotion of relief because I was back in his arms.

But after nine repetitions, I knew that Jermaine's stunned reaction was for another reason.

“Sashal! I- I mean, Your Majesty! I'm glad you're finally back! I miss you!" Luelle got the first chance to hug me after I got off the carriage.

Everyone knows how close I am to Luelle, my best friend since a teenager and my lady-in-waiting. In my first life, she also did this. And I received her hug with so much relief and happiness.

After my first life, I got distracted elsewhere.

I lowered my gaze to Luelle's still-flat stomach.

In there, there is my husband's child.