22

We stood up from the wooden table, picking up our empty trays to clear them away.

Bakito walked right beside me, her small eyes looking up into my face with a mixture of deep gratitude and lingering guilt. She bit her bottom lip softly, her small fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Jade..." Bakito murmured, her voice laced with worry as her brown eyes searched mine. "Are you really sure you were full? I saw you eating when I asked for food, and you gave me almost your whole plate. You really don't have to sacrifice your own food for me, you know..."

A warm smile spread across my face as I turned my head to look down at her, giving her shoulder a gentle, reassuring bump.

"Don't worry about it at all," I replied, softening my voice so the surrounding servants wouldn't pay attention to us. "I am completely full, I promise. Just focus on feeling better."

Truth be told, my stomach was twisting in painful, silent knots. I was still so hungry. I hadn't eaten a decent meal since we were dragged away from home, and my belly felt completely hollow. I didn't even fully understand why I had handed my plate over to her without hesitation, but looking at her frail, thin frame, I just couldn't bring myself to eat while she starved.

We turned down a long, quiet corridor, leaving the noisy dining hall behind as we navigated through the massive stone fortress. The air grew colder and quieter the deeper we walked into the private quarters of the pack castle.

Finally, we turned a corner and arrived at the grand, quiet hallway leading directly to the Alpha's private room. Heavy red carpets lined the stone floor, and large polished torches lit up the high arched walls.

Just as we stepped into the passage, Bakito suddenly came to a complete halt.

I stopped in my tracks, turning around to look back at her. "What's wrong, Bakito?"

Bakito didn't answer. Her hand immediately flew up to grab my arm, her fingers clutching my sleeve with a tight, desperate grip. Her eyes went wide with pure terror, her pale lips parting as a terrible, raspy wheeze broke from her throat. Her knees buckled under her small weight, and she collapsed onto the cold carpeted floor, clutching her chest as her lungs struggled desperately to pull in air.

Panic flared through my veins as I dropped down onto my knees beside her. "Bakito! What is it? What's happening?"

My mind raced in complete confusion for a second as I watched her gasp for breath, her face turning pale. Then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, I remembered. Her asthma.

Without wasting another second, I shoved my hands directly into the front pockets of her oversized dress. My fingers brushed against the hard plastic of her new inhaler canister. I ripped it out, lining up the nozzle directly with her trembling lips.

"Inhale, Bakito! Press it!" I urged, holding it steady for her.

Bakito’s shaking hands reached up to press the canister down. She took a deep, forced puff, her small chest expanding as the medicine rushed into her lungs. She held her breath for a painful second, then slowly exhaled. After a few agonizing moments, her frantic breathing began to steady, the heavy color slowly returning to her soft cheeks as her body relaxed against the floorboards.

I let out a long, shaky breath of relief, resting my hand against her shoulder. "Don't worry, okay? Just stay right here and rest. I will go in and handle all the cleaning by myself. It's really no big deal."

Bakito blinked up at me through heavy, tired eyelids, her voice coming out faint and weak. "No... don't worry, Jade... I can still help... I can do some of the work..."

"Look at yourself," I interrupted softly, placing a warm hand against her cheek and giving her a firm look. "It's obvious that you are way too weak right now. You are not coming inside with me. Just stay hidden right here in this quiet corner of the hallway and rest. When I am completely done with the room, I will come back out and pick you up."

Bakito looked like she wanted to protest, but she simply didn't have the strength. She gave a small, defeated nod, resting her head back against the wall.

Satisfied that she was safe, I stood up immediately and strode down the rest of the silent corridor until I reached the massive, towering double doors of the Alpha's private quarters.

The two heavily armed guards standing post on either side of the entrance didn't say a single word to me. They didn't even glance down at my face. They simply reached out, grabbed the bronze handles, and pulled the thick wooden doors wide open to let me pass.

I stepped across the threshold, my boots sinking into a plush, midnight-blue rug.

The room was enormous, with grand vaulted ceilings and high stained-glass windows that cast soft, golden morning light across the wooden furniture. Everything inside was shockingly neat and impeccably organized. The massive four-poster bed was already tightly made, the velvet curtains pulled back, and the heavy mahogany desk cleared of clutter.

I slowly turned around, my eyes scanning every single corner, alcove, and curtain. There was no sign of life anywhere inside. The Alpha was nowhere to be found.

I let out a deep, quiet breath of relief, my shoulders sagging as the heavy tension left my body. Thank goodness... at least he isn't in here.

Stepping toward the side wall near the stone hearth, I picked up a tall broom with stiff bristles and a wooden dustpan. Even though the floorboards looked completely spotless, I placed the broom against the wood and began sweeping back and forth across the rug, determined to look busy so no one could accuse me of slacking off.

Suddenly, a deep, icy voice echoed from the shadowed far side of the chamber, cutting through the silence like a sharp blade.

"Where is the second person?"