But he was beyond hearing. Beyond rational thought. His wolf was still too close to the surface. All he knew was that his mate was bleeding and he needed to fix it immediately.
We burst into the infirmary and healers jumped up from their stations with startled expressions.
“Help her!” Mal roared. “Someone fucking help her now!”
They rushed forward and took me from his arms gently. Laid me on a bed with clean white sheets that immediately began to stain red.
Mal hovered at my side and refused to move more than a foot away. He grabbed my uninjured hand in a grip that bordered on painful.
“You are going to be fine,” he whispered. His eyes were still red and glowing. Still more wolf than man. “I swear. You are going to be fine.”
I squeezed his hand with what little strength I had left. “I know. I’m okay. I promise.”
But he didn’t look convinced. He looked absolutely terrified.
And I realized that the Wolf King who had faced down challengers and council members and political intrigue was completely undone by the sight of his mate bleeding on an infirmary bed.
24
— • —
Malachar
It had been a day since the worst day of my fucking life, and I still felt trapped in a nightmare I could not wake from.
Wen was healing. The cut on her arm had stopped bleeding and the healers had applied a special cream made by a coven of witches we had to track down once a year to obtain. It was rare and expensive and reserved exclusively for royalty. I had made them use the entire jar on her. I would not accept anything less than the complete healing of every injury she had sustained.
I had not slept since finding her in that library being strangled by an assassin. Could not close my eyes without seeing her bleeding on the infirmary bed. Wen had told me this morning that I looked like what she called a zombie in her realm. A beast who was dead but still walking. That was exactly how I felt. Hollowed out. Barely functioning.
I did not know how to handle this. Did not know how to protect her when every move I made seemed to put her in more danger.
I had sent Aurion to investigate who had sent the assassin. He had found proof linking the attack to Councilman Matthias, one of Andreas’s most vocal supporters. But what I needed was evidence to destroy all of them. Not just one corrupt councilman. I needed to cut out the rot at the root, and the root was Andreas himself.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Aurion stood in the doorway and jerked his head toward the corridor. We needed to talk outside.
I looked back at Wen sleeping in my bed. Her face was peaceful in sleep despite the bruises still visible on her throat. My wolf whined at the thought of leaving her even for a moment.
But I forced myself to stand and walk out into the corridor. Aurion closed the door behind us quietly.
“What did you find?” I asked.
“The proof only links Matthias directly,” Aurion said. His expression was grim. “We can arrest him. Execute him. But it will not solve the larger problem.”
“Andreas.”
“Yes. And there is only one way to truly protect Wen from future attacks.” Aurion met my eyes. “You are not going to like it at all.”
I felt my wolf rise to the surface. My eyes began to glow. A growl rumbled in my chest. “No.”
“Malachar, listen to me-”
“No. I know what you are going to suggest and the answer is no.”
“You are being selfish,” Aurion said bluntly. “Making her stay here is putting her life in constant danger. She will never stop being a target as long as people believe she is your weakness. And if you move against the council before we have concrete proof against Andreas, you will face a coup. The kingdom will fall into civil war.”
I felt my heart cracking in two. Felt rage and anguish and desperation flooding through me in equal measure.
I knew he was right. I fucking knew he was right. And I hated it so much I wanted to tear the entire castle down with my bare hands.
