Chapter Six

LEO’S POV

“Your Highness!” the annoying woman shrieked, dropping hard onto her knees as my Royal Alpha aura flared in full force. The sheer pressure forced everyone in the courtyard to collapse under the suffocating weight of my power.

My Beta, Sam, accustomed to my pheromones, barely managed to resist, though his clenching jaw showed the strain.

I didn't waste another second on the vermin around us. I bent down on one knee, gently scooping Ivy into my arms. With my hypersensitive hearing, I could already hear the hurried, heavy footsteps of pack guards rushing toward us from the main estate.

Marcus burst around the corner, flanked by four armed warriors. I watched him do a double take, his eyes wide in shock.

“Your Highness, what brings you to the Ashworth Pack?”

I didn't even turn around. I simply released another pulse of raw, unyielding Royal pressure. The guards instantly collapsed, hitting the dirt with sharp gasps as their wolves submitted to a higher bloodline.

I nodded at my Beta. He threw open the heavy iron gates, and without another word, we walked out of the estate and boarded my private jet waiting at the landing strip.

“You don’t need to bother about the lady, she is trouble!” Alpha Marcus screamed behind me. “Your highness, please wait!”

I ignored his pathetic shouting, keeping my stride steady and fast. My wolf paced viciously inside my chest, claws extracted, agitated and bloodthirsty for revenge against the fools who had dared to harm her.

But as wild as my beast was, he also recognized our ultimate priority: the fragile female cradled against my chest... the mother of our unborn child.

As the plane lifted into the sky, I laid her gently on the padded medical cot in the private cabin.

Suddenly, my breath hitched sharply in my throat.

My vision went red.

Bright, crimson blood was soaking through her dress, pooling beneath her legs against the white linen sheet.

My heart slammed against my ribs in pure, suffocating terror. The powerful Royal Alpha who could command armies suddenly felt completely helpless.

My hands shook violently as I pressed a thick towel against her lower body, desperate to stem the flow. She was losing too much blood, her pulse fluttering faintly beneath my hands, and our baby was at severe risk.

"Fly faster!" I roared toward the cockpit, the sheer vibration of my voice shaking the metal walls of the aircraft as panic choked my throat. I squeezed her cold, limp hand against my cheek, desperate for any sign of warmth. "Get us to the capital right now!"

An hour had passed since we arrived at the hospital, and I was pacing the cold waiting room of my private royal hospital like a caged beast. I kept looking longingly at the heavy ER doors, my chest aching with an unbearable weight. So much time had passed. I ruffled my dark hair, letting out a heavy, frustrated sigh that echoed off the sterile tile floor.

My Beta stood near the entrance door, keeping a respectful distance and waiting quietly until the heaviest part of my aura settled down.

"I want everything," I growled, stopping dead in my tracks to glare at him.

"Gather every single piece of information on Ivy, her family, and that pathetic pack. I want to know why they hurt her, exactly who has been bullying her, and every detail of her life before I found her."

"Understood, Your Highness," Sam replied, bowing his head respectfully. "

My team is already digging. We will have a full report before nightfall."

I nodded slowly, taking a ragged breath. I trusted Sam; he was highly capable and completely loyal.

"Take a deep breath, Leo. She is strong, and she is in the hands of our best doctors," Sam assured me, his rigid posture softening as his expression filled with genuine worry.

"I know."

"Good. I promise in the Moon Goddess's name, she and the baby will survive. And then everyone involved will be getting their punishment."

My wolf let out a dark, feral growl of agreement deep in my chest. A bitter smirk crossed my face as my eyes flashed a deadly, burning gold.

"Punishment is too kind," I muttered, my voice dropping into a dangerously low whisper. "By the time I am done with them, they will beg for death. I will tear everyone involved apart piece by piece."

Finally, after keeping me company for a while, Sam bowed once more and stepped out to execute my orders.

Thirty minutes later, the double doors clicked open, and the lead royal doctor stepped into the quiet hallway, pulling off her surgical mask with a weary sigh.

"How are they?" I demanded, closing the distance between us in a single stride.

"They are safe, Your Highness," the doctor reassured me quickly, holding her hands up to soothe my aggressive aura.

“The internal bleeding has been stabilized, and the baby's heartbeat is steady and strong. Your mate is remarkably strong."

I let out a long, shaky breath I felt like I had been holding for hours, resting my heavy hand against the cold wall for support as relief washed through my veins.

"However," the doctor added, her expression turning somber and dark, "We found numerous old and new bruises across her body. Some look like blunt trauma, and others are severe claw marks. She has been through immense physical abuse."

My fists clenched so tightly at my sides that my knuckles turned pure white and my nails cut into my palms. Calming the rage bubbling inside my veins.

"Keep her presence in this hospital a secret," I ordered coldly, staring down at the doctor with intensity. "As Prince and future King, my enemies are constantly watching. If word gets out that my mate and heir are here in a vulnerable state, they will use her against me."

"Of course, Your Highness," the doctor bowed deeply, her body trembling from the sheer intensity of my dominant aura.

"Her records are sealed under royal authorization.”. She continued, her voice low and sincere.