Alpha Twins 5

Cassandra had no idea how long she had been drifting through that endless darkness. There was no light, direction or sense of time to guide her. She seemed to be floating in a boundless place, surrounded by a silence so vast that her own existence felt increasingly insignificant.

A moment later, she tried to move, but nothing happened. She tried to open her eyes, but there was no light. Confusion overwhelmed her until a sound emerged from the silence.

There was a faint and weak whimper. It felt both real and unreal at the same time, as though it existed somewhere between reality and consciousness.

Cassandra recognised that voice. It belonged to her wolf spirit.

Something inside her stirred. She tried to reach for it.

That was when her consciousness returned. It was as though someone had broken through the wall imprisoning her all this time, causing a jolt within her body.

Cassandra's eyes flew open. A bright white light immediately assaulted her vision.

She frowned and shut her eyes again. Her head throbbed and she could still feel the pain pulsing inside it.

“Lady? Are you awake?”

Cassandra tried to open her eyes again. This time, she was more careful, waiting until the light no longer felt overwhelmingly painful. Then, Grayson's figure came into view.

“Doctor?” Cassandra tried to lift her head. Her gaze travelled around the room—over the white walls, the medical equipment and monitors displaying various lines and numbers, and the IV line connected to the back of her hand. “Where am I?”

Grayson answered, “You're in the treatment room, Lady.”

Cassandra let out a restrained groan. She tried to sit up and Grayson carefully helped her. “The treatment room?” she asked, sitting up and slowly leaning back for confirmation. “W-what...?”

Cassandra's voice trailed off. A final memory suddenly resurfaced: the pain that had hit her on the head, Yona's panicked cries and the metallic smell of blood.

Cassandra froze. She stared at her hands before touching her face. “I—I'm still alive?” Her gaze shifted to Grayson. "Am I not dead?" she asked in disbelief.

Grayson gave her a faint smile. “You're still alive, Lady,” he replied. “You're fine. I've already examined you.”

Cassandra fell silent. She felt confused, unsure of how she was supposed to feel—relief or even greater fear. “I thought I was going to die because of that curse, too,” she murmured quietly. “Like the previous prospective Lunas.”

Grayson, who had been checking the monitor beside the bed, paused for a moment. After a brief silence, he cleared his throat. “I'll contact the Alphas, Lady. But before that, I'll examine you first.”

Cassandra nodded. “All right, Doctor.”

Grayson took a small device from the side of the medical table. He placed it against several parts of her body before checking the results on the transparent screen that appeared above the device. He also attached several sensors to her wrist and neck.

Cassandra watched the numbers on the screen continuously changing. “How am I doing, Doctor?”

Grayson finished the examination and removed one of the sensors. “Fine,” he answered, looking over several pieces of data on the screen again. “All your vital signs show that you're in good condition.”

However, Cassandra felt that Grayson's answer was not enough. “And?”

“You're just...” Grayson continued, pausing briefly. “As though you're exhausted.”

Cassandra fell silent. She repeated Grayson's words in her mind.

Just as though I'm exhausted, she thought bitterly. How could someone faint, be struck by an excruciating headache and start bleeding just because they're tired?

Cassandra wanted to ask more questions, but the door to the treatment room opened. She turned around and saw Valerian entering.

“Cassandra,” he greeted, approaching the bed. “You're awake.”

Cassandra smiled. “Yes, Alpha.”

Valerian turned to Grayson. “How is she?”

Grayson gestured towards the monitor beside the bed. “I've already examined her,” he replied. “She’s perfectly fine, Alpha. Her body is just a bit weak at the moment.”

“Maybe it's because I haven't eaten yet,” Cassandra joked lightly. She frowned slightly before glancing towards the window. “What time is it? Have I missed breakfast?”

Grayson chuckled softly. “You can still joke around. That’s a good sign,” he said, beginning to put away some of the examination equipment. “I’ll have a nurse prepare breakfast for you.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” said Cassandra. She waited for Grayson to leave before turning to Valerian. “So, I really did miss breakfast?”

Valerian smiled faintly. “Not by much,” he replied. “It's only nine o'clock.”

Cassandra finally got the answer she wanted. “It turns out I was unconscious for quite a while.”

“The important thing is that you’re all right,” said Valerian, pulling over a chair and sitting beside the treatment bed. “How do you feel now? Is anything hurting or bothering you?”

Cassandra touched the back of her neck. She tried to assess her body's condition accurately.

Strangely, she felt nothing. Her body showed no sign of pain. Even the throbbing in her head had disappeared.

“I don't feel anything,” she answered without thinking. “I don't feel any pain or discomfort anymore.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she immediately fell silent. In truth, she had not intended to reveal everything.

She glanced at Valerian. He was merely looking at her with an unreadable expression. “I just feel a little tired,” she added more carefully.

Valerian nodded. He said nothing more.

At that moment, a nurse entered, pushing a trolley loaded with breakfast. “Lady, your breakfast is here.”

Cassandra was about to take the bowl that the nurse was holding, but Valerian beat her to it. “Alpha?”

He took control of the food trolley and spoke to the nurse. “You may leave.”

The nurse nodded. “Yes, Alpha,” she replied obediently, before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Valerian looked at the breakfast before turning his attention back to Cassandra. His gaze dropped to her hand, specifically to the IV needle inserted there. “You must be uncomfortable.”

Cassandra admitted that she was, but said, “I can still eat by myself.”

“No,” Valerian replied quickly. “I'll help you.”

Cassandra was taken aback. She fell silent, then blinked once.

Valerian’s response had been so quick that he had apparently not realised what he had just said. He seemed to become aware of this only after seeing her reaction.

Valerian cleared his throat softly. “What I mean is, you don't need to force yourself,” he said, picking up the bowl of porridge. “Let me feed you.”

Cassandra felt slightly uncomfortable. “Alpha, I don't need you to do this.”

Valerian ignored her refusal. He scooped up a spoonful of porridge and blew gently on it. “Open your mouth.”

Cassandra fell silent, and so did Valerian. She merely stared at the spoonful of porridge held before her mouth uncertainly.

Valerian let out a short breath. “Cassandra,” he said in a patient-sounding tone that seemed to offer her very little choice.

In the end, Cassandra opened her mouth. She accepted the spoonful from Valerian, suppressing her discomfort. She did not feel that she deserved such treatment from an Alpha.

“How is it?” Valerian asked, watching Cassandra. “Does it taste to your liking?”

Cassandra nodded. “It's delicious.”

Valerian seemed relieved. “Good,” he said, preparing another spoonful.

Cassandra felt increasingly awkward. She still could not believe that the CEO of one of the world's largest conglomerates, an Alpha, was sitting beside her bed, feeding her porridge with a patience she had never expected.

After a few spoonfuls, she felt a little porridge had been left at the corner of her lips. She was about to wipe it herself when Valerian beat her to it once again.

He reached out. The tip of his thumb touched the corner of her lips and gently wiped away the remaining porridge.

The touch was brief and light, but it was enough to make Cassandra freeze. For no apparent reason, she felt as though Valerian’s entire attention had suddenly become focused on her face.

Valerian lifted his gaze. His hazel eyes fixed intently on her.

A rumble stirred in Cassandra’s chest. For a moment, she forgot to breathe.

Valerian smiled before withdrawing his hand. “There.”

It was a simple word, but Cassandra could not immediately respond. She took a deep breath before speaking in a low voice. “Thank you.”

Valerian said nothing more. He continued to feed her until the bowl was completely empty.

A few minutes after Cassandra had finished breakfast, Grayson returned. He checked the monitor and the IV bag hanging beside the bed.

“Judging by your current condition,” Grayson said calmly, “it seems this one IV bag will be enough.”

Cassandra looked at Grayson hopefully. “Does that mean I can return to my room, Doctor?” she asked immediately. “I feel a little uncomfortable staying here.”

“Of course, Lady,” Grayson replied. “I’ll prepare some supplements for you so you can recover more quickly.”

A while later, Cassandra returned to her room. She felt calmer than she had in the treatment room.

Valerian accompanied Cassandra back to her room, too. He made sure she was lying comfortably in bed before straightening her blanket.

“Get some rest,” he said afterwards. He stood up. “I have to go. I’ll come and see you again later.”

Cassandra nodded. “All right, Alpha.”

Valerian smiled at her briefly before turning away. He left and the door closed behind him.

Cassandra stared at the door for quite some time. She remained lost in thought until Yona entered, her mind blank.

“Lady,” Yona greeted her as she approached. “How are you feeling? Are you all right?”

Cassandra smiled. “I'm fine. Don’t worry,” she replied, looking at Yona gently. “Thank you. You must have stayed by my side all night.”

Yona lowered her head. “I was afraid something would happen to you,” she said, her voice gradually growing weaker. “I thought you... you would end up like them.”

Cassandra fell silent. Then, she gave a faint smile. “As it turns out, I'm perfectly fine.”

Yona lifted her face. “You weren't affected by the curse.”

Cassandra’s smile shifted slightly. Something flickered across her face as she said, “It seems the curse doesn't like me.”

Yona frowned. “What do you mean, Lady?”

“Nothing,” Cassandra replied quickly, shaking her head. “I just feel a little tired from lying down for too long.” She pushed the blanket aside. “Help me up.”

Yona looked worried. “Lady, you just—”

“I’m not going far,” Cassandra interrupted casually. “Just to the balcony. I want some fresh air.”

Yona seemed to think for a moment before finally nodding. She helped Cassandra to her feet and guided her towards the balcony.

As soon as the glass door opened, Cassandra was greeted by the morning air. She closed her eyes for a moment to truly savour the comfort of it.

When she opened her eyes, she found a blue sky stretching out before her. She gazed at the sunlight and thought to herself. I can still see the sun today.

The thought was simple, but not to Cassandra. After what had happened the previous night, she felt the sentence had taken on a whole new meaning. Even now, she realised how fortunate she was to be able to see the sun and feel the breeze against her skin.

Cassandra let out a long breath, as though releasing the tension that had held her captive for the past few hours. At that exact moment, she heard a knock on the door.

Yona immediately turned around. She opened the door and hurriedly bowed when she saw who had arrived. “Alpha, please come in.”

Cassandra turned her head. She assumed it was Valerian. However, she was wrong.

It was Vaughn who entered the room. He was wearing dark formal attire and a black leather jacket. His dark eyes immediately spotted Cassandra on the balcony.

“I’m sorry I’m only seeing you now,” he said as he approached her. He stopped in front of her. “How are you feeling?”

Cassandra smiled. “I’m fine, Alpha,” she replied. “You don’t need to worry.”

Vaughn narrowed his eyes slightly. He seemed to be studying her, examining her closely as though she were an object.

Suddenly, Cassandra felt awkward. She nervously rubbed her arms. “Alpha, you...”

Vaughn took off the leather jacket he was wearing. Before she could process what was happening, he had draped it over her shoulders.

Cassandra froze. The warmth of the jacket immediately enveloped her, wrapping around her like a comforting embrace.

“It’s sunny today,” said Vaughn, adjusting the jacket around her shoulders, “but it’s colder than usual.”

Cassandra looked at Vaughn. Yet she said nothing, as though her tongue had forgotten how to speak.

Vaughn met her gaze. “Don’t let yourself get cold.”

Cassandra cleared her throat awkwardly. “Thank you.”

Vaughn nodded briefly, then his expression turned serious. “Actually, there's something I want to discuss with you.”

Cassandra held both sides of the jacket that was now wrapped around her body. “What is it, Alpha?”

Vaughn answered directly. “About our blessing ceremony tonight.”

Cassandra was stunned. She had almost forgotten about it because of what had happened to her the previous night.

“Valerian and I have already discussed it,” Vaughn continued. “You are doing fine. However, we feel that postponing the ceremony would be the right decision. You need to rest. What do you think?”

Cassandra fell silent for a moment. She thought about many things until a decision slowly formed in her mind. “May I give you my opinion, Alpha?”

Vaughn nodded firmly. “Of course,” he replied. “Tell me.”

“Then I would like to speak with you both, Alpha.” Cassandra lifted her head. Her gaze was fixed firmly on Vaughn, revealing her resolve. “There's something I need to tell you,” she continued, taking a deep breath. “About the curse.”

*