Chapter 22

Zane’s POV

I couldn’t focus on the warmth I was feeling, not when Mabel’s injuries were still so vivid in my mind. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the sweet tang of freesia, sending a chill down my spine. Something was wrong. She wasn’t okay.

I reached out, holding her hand gently in mine, studying the small but obvious wound on her skin. A cut, fresh, scabbing over an ugly bruise.

“Mate’s healing’s slow without her wolf,” my wolf reminded me quietly.

I lifted her hand to my lips and, without a second thought, brushed my tongue over the cut.

Mabel jerked back, her eyes wide with panic.

“What are you doing?” Her voice trembled.

I held her wrist firmly, not giving her the chance to pull away. Her pulse quickened under my touch. This wasn’t going to be easy, but it had to be done.

“Don’t panic. I’m helping,” I said softly, pressing her hand gently back toward me. “Shush. You don’t know this, but our saliva has healing properties. I’m making sure you don’t get an infection.”

Mabel blinked, confusion written all over her face.

I grimaced slightly. Her scent—sweet, like summer fruit—made me think she might taste the same. But the bitterness was sharp. “Why does it taste like this?” I muttered.

“I... I put herbal paste on it,” she mumbled, her face flushed, barely above a whisper.

Her embarrassment made me pause. Something wasn’t right. I touched her forehead—cool, no fever. But she was still acting like she might burn up at any second.

“Do you have a fever?” I asked, unable to shake the nagging worry that she was hiding something.

“No,” she replied quickly, far too quickly. The lie stung the air between us.

I didn’t need to be a doctor to know she wasn’t getting the care she needed. It was clear from the dried blood on her skin to the absence of a proper bandage.

“Did you make the paste yourself?”

She nodded, her cheeks darker than before.

I leaned in, about to lick her hand again when I froze. “Is it poisonous?”

Her face twisted, a small laugh escaping. “You should ask that before you put things in your mouth.”

I felt heat crawl up my neck. “I wasn’t planning on poisoning you. I was just trying to treat the wound.”

Before she could protest again, I licked her hand once more. She exhaled loudly, clearly irritated.

“Can you stop doing that?” Her voice was a mix of frustration and disbelief, and it made something inside me tighten.

“Why?” I asked, genuinely puzzled. “It’s helping.”

She was staring at me, bewildered. “Why are you still here?” she asked suddenly. “You’re a guest, an Alpha. Aren’t you supposed to be with your pack?”

I blinked, surprised by her bluntness. “Why, you eager to get rid of me?” I teased, my voice softer than I intended.

She grimaced. “You’re in a fancy room, with the Alpha and Luna, with your future wife...”

My heart stalled. “My future wife?” I repeated, the words sour on my tongue.

Mabel didn’t finish what she started to say, but I saw the flicker of her eyes that told me everything. Princess Lydia. She must’ve said something earlier.

“No,” I said firmly, my voice cold. “She will not be my wife. Not in this lifetime or the next.”

Mabel shook her head slowly, almost pityingly. “Maybe you should tell her that, and not me,” she said, voice laced with exhaustion. “It’s not my problem. Can you just leave?”

I stared at her, caught in the strange warmth of her gaze. There was something in those honey-colored eyes, a mix of sadness and relief. Was she pleading for me to go or stay? I didn’t know. But I knew this: I wasn’t leaving. Not like this.

“Come with me,” I said suddenly, the words slipping from my lips before I could think.

She blinked, the question hanging in the air. “What?” Her voice was strained.

“I’m the Alpha of the Stonebrook pack. Come with me,” I repeated, a little more firmly this time.

Her mind seemed to catch up, but the confusion didn’t leave her face. “Why would I leave the Silverwood pack? With you?”

“I’ll give you a room,” I said quickly, feeling a mix of frustration and urgency. “A real room. No more corners, no more hiding. You’ll have food whenever you want, clothes that fit, a place that feels like home. You won’t have to worry about your wounds because we’ll have doctors. No one will hurt you there. Not in my pack.”

Mabel stared at me, her eyes wide. Was she going to reject me? But her gaze softened, then narrowed with suspicion.

I almost laughed. This was insane.

Her voice was barely a whisper. “How do I know you’re not just... tricking me? What’s your game here?”

I didn’t have an answer for her. Not the real one. Not the one that was locked in my chest, the one that told me she was my mate. That this was no mistake.

“I’m not tricking you,” I said instead. “If you come, you’ll see. We take care of everyone. No questions. And if you don’t like it, I’ll help you leave. It’s your choice. Always.”

Her brows furrowed, then relaxed. Her body language screamed that she was debating something important.

“Just like that?” she asked, voice shaking.

“Just like that,” I replied, standing straighter. I was done being subtle. “Grab your things.”

Mabel chewed on her lip, but before she could decide, I added, “All you have to do is reject Gregory Redfield as your Alpha. The mind link will break, and you’ll be free. You can leave with me, and they’ll never find you.”

She looked at me in shock. “I can’t reject him. I never went through the ceremony. I don’t have a mind link.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Good. Then you’re free already.”

Her expression faltered. It was like the world shifted, like something real had just cracked open between us. She was free, and for the first time, it wasn’t just about running away. It was about choosing where she went.

Mabel didn’t speak. Instead, she looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time—really seeing me.

“Will you come?” I asked again, voice softer now. I needed her to understand.

She hesitated, looking at the space around us, then back to me. Her body relaxed, her gaze locking with mine. For the first time, I saw trust flicker behind those eyes.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I’ll come with you.”

And that was it. It felt like I’d won something, but in truth, I was the one who had been saved. By her.