?Chapter 186:


    Unbearable. It felt as though lightning had struck him square in the arm, and even someone of his strength couldn’t keep the tremor from showing. Sweat glistened on his brow. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, dry as bone. And for a terrifying breath, he even wondered if he was going to die there.


    Even he deemed the thought ludicrous. He’d survived wolves tearing at his flesh, battles that left him soaked in his own blood, and never once had death whispered in his ear. But now? One small girl. One bite. So, this was what they meant when they said that women were dangerous.


    Thoughts collided in Merlin’s head like shing swords, wild, tangled, and unrelenting.


    Meanwhile, Hailee, entirely unaware of the chaos unraveling inside him, remained locked in her mission—biting down with every ounce of strength she had. Her jaws clenched tighter, her teeth digging in deeper, unaware that the skin had broken and blood now stained her lips.


    Her fear had pushed her past the edge—so far past that it no longer registered as fear. All that remained was instinct. If this man stood in her way, she would tear through him tooth by tooth if it meant seeing Elliana again. She had made a promise. She had told Elliana she’d wait. And if it meant biting this man to death to keep that promise—so be it. Her n was simple: kill him, crawl back into the iron box, and wait. Just wait. Elliana woulde.


    But time dragged mercilessly on. Her jaw ached. Her cheeks burned. Her entire body trembled with the effort. And still—he did not fall. He didn’t even flinch. Air became scarce in her lungs. Her vision blurred. If she didn’t breathe soon, she’d be the one to die.


    Finally, she let go—gasping, panting, her chest heaving with exhaustion. Her face was flushed, her limbs weak, as though she’d just fought a war with her own body.


    Merlin looked down at her in silence. It was the first time in his life he’d seen someone wear themselves out from biting another person. She truly was a delicate creature—as delicate as blown ss, shimmering and fragile, as though the gentlest touch might shatter her.


    Reflecting on how roughly he’d tried to seize her earlier, Merlin felt a chill of unease. Had he seeded in grabbing her, would he have broken her without meaning to? She was more brittle than porcin—more vulnerable than anything he’d ever encountered. And once again, his mind spiraled—an avnche of fragmented thoughts crashing through his head in the blink of an eye.


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    Hailee, still breathless from her earlier effort, finally lifted her head with what little strength she had left.


    Their eyes met—hers ssy and confused, his strangely unreadable.


    “Why aren’t you down yet?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.


    A softugh escaped Merlin, curling at the edge of his lips into something that might have been a smile. “Was I supposed to be dead?” he replied, amused. She had gone for his arm, not his throat. How could that kill him?


    But Hailee’s muddled mind couldn’t process his words. She was running on empty. Between the gunfire and her desperate escape from the iron box, everyst shred of her energy had been poured into that bite. Even the simple act of breathing now felt like a battle.


    Her knees buckled. Her body swayed. She was falling—and in that instant, Merlin snapped back to reality.


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