The Imposter Bride by Sallie Woods

Chapter 17
When Natalia found herself comered, 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 he 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 woll 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 tom
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
Why was she cold? It was April, not exactly a freezing month.
He approached and touched her forehead. It was scorching hot She had a fever.
At that moment, Natalia felt as if she were submerged in ice–cold water. She vaguely sensed someone near her, but her body
ached tembly. “So cold so painful Daddy, Natalia murmured, feeling utterly miserable. Magnus instantly lifted the covers and was
about to carry her to the hospital

But he froze. Why was he so concerned about her?
He was about to cover her back up and call for the family doctor when a smaller, feverishly hot hand seized his hand.
“Cold...” Natalia grabbed onto a hand, subconsciously believing her father had arrived. After all, whenever she fell sick in this
world, it was always her father by her side. She clung tightly to Magnus‘ arm, pressing her hot body against him for warmth.
Magnus, who had left his wheelchair, was leaning by the bed. As Natalia rolled into his arms, he instinctively held her delicate
body.
In her fresh sleepwear, her body was hot against his chest. Magnus stiffened, and his mind was going blank for a moment.
“Daddy so cold, so painful,” Natalia mumbled, clutching at his clothes.
Magnus held her, putting her back into the covers and turning on the heat. But she clung to him like a koala, still crying out about
the cold.
He had no choice but to lie down with her, holding her in his arms. Her body was scorching hot, but she kept complaining about
the cold.
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.