Two

The private jet landed in the Lycan pack's territory, revealing a walled city with a castle at its center, surrounded by forests.

I lay on a stretcher, struggling to breathe, and Maya whimpered faintly in my mind. Crystal adjusted my oxygen mask and gestured towards the waiting ambulance outside. Crystal was my lifesaver. She had arranged everything with the medics here.

“You’ll be fine,” she whispered to me. “We’re heading to the Metropolitan Healing Center.”

I tried to speak, but only a weak wheeze escaped my lips.

My mind whispered treacherous thoughts. A king who heals by day and murders by night. What a fucking joke.

Would my parents hate me for going to their murderer? The thought suffocated me with guilt. I shut my eyes tightly as if darkness could shield me from the weight of my decisions. 

The memory of their deaths came rushing back. Six years ago, after returning from warrior training, sweating, and feeling accomplished, I noticed the gloomy energy in the pack house.

Something felt off. Whispers carried through the halls, but I ignored them, heading to the kitchen for some fruit—until my dad's beta informed me that something had happened.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, sounding nervous. The Beta’s grave eyes held mine.

“Your papa…and mama… are dead.”

I stood motionless, unable to process his words. Then, the apple I was about to bite fell from my hand and hit the floor. My knees buckled, and the world blurred as my vision swam with tears.

Blinking back those memories, I fought the wave of pain. My mom had been pregnant after years of trying, and now they were gone, snatched away by the Lycan’s merciless hand.

The same king I was depending on to save my life.

The ambulance stopped in front of a massive building. The air inside was sterile and filled with desperation. The emergency center was a chaotic blend of life and death. Rows of patients lay on stretchers—some crying, some groaning, others silent.

Crystal pushed my stretcher, and my trembling fingers gripped the edge of my blanket. The nurses behind the counter barely glanced up. One flipped through a clipboard while another sipped from a mug, watching a video online.

I could feel Crystal’s urgency radiating as she stepped in front of the counter.“I need help! My friend is dying!”

One of the nurses, concerned with the smudges on her bright red nails, gestured to the crowded room.

“Take a look around,” she replied with a bored tone. “Everyone here is dying.”

“And you’re sitting here sipping coffee while they do?” Crystal shot back, slamming her ID on the counter. “Do your job!”

“Oh, hi Doc. If you're so efficient, why don't you cure your friend? We will attend to her when it’s her turn. Some people have been waiting for over a week—unless you’re ready to pay extra.”

“Hell no! We’ve already paid an outrageous sum to get her in here.”

The nurse shrugged and looked away. Crystal shot me a worried glance. I gave her a nod to transfer whatever money was needed to keep me alive.

She reached for my phone, but her face changed from confusion to horror as she unlocked it.

“That bastard has taken all the money!” she cried, rushing toward me.

The nurse, who had been listening, let out a mocking laugh. “Well, that’s unfortunate. No money, no service.”

Crystal leaned closer as I tried to speak.

“Another... another account,” I managed to speak.

“You have another account?” she asked, sounding hopeful. I nodded.

“Password... sunrise.”

She entered the information, and her eyes widened, perhaps at the balance. She transferred the funds, and the nurse’s attitude changed to overly sweet as she arranged for me to be taken upstairs.

The hall grew silent as uniformed guards entered the hall. The nurses who had been lounging lazily behind the counter suddenly straightened. One of them hastily adjusted her low-cut uniform, fumbling with the buttons to expose her cleavage, while another dabbed her lips with a gloss that appeared from nowhere. The matron snapped to attention and clutched a clipboard.

The King strode in, leaving a trail of awestruck silence. A cold, deep voice sliced through the air, snapping at someone to get out of the way.

“This is my cue,” Crystal whispered before marching forward.

“Please, Your Majesty, my friend is dying.”

“Your impatience will earn you nothing but waiting your turn,” the king said flatly, though his gaze lingered on the stretcher for a heartbeat longer than necessary.

My heart stuttered in my chest, and Maya, who had been quiet, filled my mind with her voice, stronger than it had been in weeks.

"Did you hear that? He's our mate! I can feel him! He’s perfect!"

Confused, I turned my neck to face the King, who Crystal was desperately trying to beg. Maya's joy tore through me, and my thoughts screamed in rebellion.

How could the universe be so cruel? The monster who had destroyed my family was supposed to be my salvation? 

My lips trembled, caught between my reality's bitterness and the bond's pull.

The king wasn't looking at me, and Crystal tried to make him understand that I needed urgent attention.

“You can’t be serious,” Crystal blurted. “I paid extra to get her seen immediately.”

“Careful with your words. You might find yourself regretting them.”

The King walked past me, and his scent hit me—a blend of cedar and pine, my favorite smell. Like a miracle, Maya seemed to recover. It felt as if the poison had weakened by half. He walked away with the same cold indifference he had entered, disappearing into one of the rooms.

A frustrated Crystal rushed to me, tears welling in her eyes. “Eve, please stay with me. You’re not leaving me. Do you hear me?”

My lips twitched into a faint smile. “I’m still here.”

Crystal blinked, startled. “What? Why do you... why do you sound different?”

My fevered smile lingered. “I’m still sick, but it feels like death has moved further away.”