Episode 4

Zaran

The curtains of the royal horse carriage was blocking out the harsh midday sun, but it was not helping blocking out the tension twisting inside my chest.

I leaned my shoulder against the wood of the carriage as i slide a cigarette out from behind my ear.

With a flick of my silver lighter, I caught the tip of it, breathing in the sharp, burning heat before letting a thick cloud of smoke drift up toward the ceiling.

I Brough out my silver lighter and lit the tip of the cigarette. I breathed in the hot smoke, then let a thick cloud of it float up to the ceiling.

I puffed in, then puffed out, before tucking the lighter safely back into my pocket.

My eyes then shifted outside to where Bex, my Beta, was standing. He was few feet away from me.

His body movement was rigid, and his jaw was clenching slightly as he mind-linked with someone on the other end. I watched him for a moment, then I shifted my eyes past him.

The outside was quiet, except for a few lower-ranked maids walking around and keeping their heads as they go their direction.

I took another slow drag of the smoke, holding it for a second before exhaling into the cool air.

Just as the smoke cleared, Bex rushed over to my side.

"That was James," Bex said, his voice low and professional.

James was the head of our second-unit pack warriors. He was currently overseeing the northern border.

I tapped the ash from the end of the cigarette. "Everything okay over there?"

"Yes, Alpha," Bex nodded quickly. "He said they spotted a lone stray(a forsaken), but it was dealt with before it could cause any trouble."

I nodded, pressing the lit tip of the cigarette against the metal plate of the carriage door to put it out, then i slipped the it back behind my ear. "Good. Stay here, Bex. Keep your eyes open and see if anything out of the ordinary happens while I'm inside."

"Understood."

I held my hand out toward him. "The contract file."

Bex didn't hesitate. He pulled open the front carriage door, reached into the leather pouch on the seat, and handed over the folder to me.

I took it, tucked it under my arm, and turned toward the building.

When I reached the front entrance, Kael, his Beta and his mate were already waiting.

They all have that welcoming smiles, but I could tell it did not reach their mind.

I did not bother greeting them. I just walked right past the three of them, push the door to the meeting room opened and entered.

And then I saw her.

She was standing quietly in a corner and holding a small bag close to her chest.

My eyes dropped to the bag, then back to her.

Was that really all she had? The bag looked so small and it's barely big enough to hold a single change of clothes.

Dammit!!

More than that, I also noticed how pale she looked. Her skin was looking very dry. She did not looked this pale yesterday.

I breathed out slowly, trying to keep control of the restless beast inside me.

My wolf was grumbling low and angry inside my head.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice dropping low as I stepped closer.

I watched her swallow hard, her throat bobbing. She kept her head down as she stared at the wooden floorboards as she muttered a quiet, "Yes... I'm okay."

Before I could press further, Kael’s mate hurried into the room, fluttering her hands. "Oh, she’s fine! She might just be a little under the weather since she doesn't exactly have her wolf to keep her strong..."

I turned around so fast my coat swished, and my voice turning cold. "I wasn't talking to you."

Kael stepped in fast, before I lost my temper completely. "Right, well, why don't we head into the meeting room to get everything finalized?"

Without waiting for an answer, Kael turned and led the way toward the table.

His Beta followed closely behind. Kael glanced back. He paused when he saw i was not moving.

I ignored him and move a little close toward her. Reaching out, I gently hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her face up.

By the moon goddess, what kind of life were they forcing her into? She looked like she hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks.

Her blue eyes refused to look at me as she shifted them away. "I'm fine," she murmured again, her voice barely a whisper.

I paused, studying the dark circles under her eyes.

Finally, I gave a short nod. "Alright."

I stepped aside, gesturing toward the table with the back of my hand. "Shall we?"

She didn't say a word. She just tightened her grip on her little bag and walked past me.

Inside the meeting room, I took my seat. I looked up and saw she was still standing and clutching her bag to herself.

"Sit," I commanded, my tone soft.

I saw her hesitate as her eyes shifted nervously toward Kael before she finally lowered herself into the empty chair close to her.

I didn't waste any time. I tossed the contract file across the table straight at Kael. He didn't even going through everything. He just grabbed the quill, dipped it in ink, and scribbled his signature at the bottom.

Perhaps, he was far too eager to seal the deal and hand his own sister away.

Kael slid the file back across the table back to me.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.

She was slumping sideways, her eyes rolling back as she started to slide right off her chair.

I didn't think twice as i moved faster. I caught her before her head could hit the floor.

I pulled her against my chest, my eyes instantly turning red as I snapped my eyes toward Kael.

"What did I say about anyone touching her?" I roared, the sound vibrating in the room..

Kael threw his hands up, stumbling back. "I did not touch her! I swear I did not!"

My alpha aura was already out of my body. The temperature in the room changed quickly.

I was about to walk towards him to tear him apart when a weak hand caught my sleeve.

"They... they didn't touch me," she breathed out, her voice trembling violently.

I looked down at her, my anger turning into confusion. "What?"

"Someone... someone invaded my dream," she whispered, tears already spilling over her lashes. "They stabbed me in the chest... and it showed in real time. It's... it's spreading over me."

Before I could process the insanity of what she was saying, her eyes rolled all the way back, and her body went completely limp in my arms.

"Dammit!" I cursed, scooping her up effortlessly against my chest. I grabbed her little bag with one hand and sprinted out of the meeting room like the house was on fire.

"Bex! Open the fucking door!" I growled once I was outside.

Bex, who was pacing near the carriage, snapped his head around. The moment he saw me sprinting toward him with her unconscious body in my arms, his eyes went wide. He lunged forward, throwing the carriage door wide open.

I dived into the back seat, and Bex helped me settle her down so her head rested gently on my lap.

"Drive! Get us back to the packhouse now!" I bellowed at Bex.

Bex slammed the door shut and scrambled to the front, snapping the reins and kicking the horses into a hard gallop.

For the first time in my brutal life, cold fear gripped my chest. My trembling hand flew to her nose as I checked if she was breathing.

Nothing.

I pressed my fingers against her throat. Her pulse was faint, and her skin was turning cold.

I hesitated for a second, before I reached down and gently pulled the collar of her dress down just enough to expose her upper chest.

I stopped breathing.

Right there, over her heart, was a jagged wound. But it was not a normal cut. The skin around the wound was pitch black, and dark, and spidery veins were visibly and crawling out across her collarbone.

What the fu*k kind of injury was this?

"Faster, Bex!" I yelled, my panic getting worse.

The journey back felt like an eternity. But finally, the carriage slammed to a stop outside my pack gate.

I kicked the carriage door open, scooped her back into my arms, and stormed inside. "Bex! Get Maria down here right now!"

I carried her straight into the nearest room in the Alpha quarters. I lay her down gently on the white sheets of the bed. I started pacing back and forth across the room.

The door clicked open a moment later, and Maria, my head healer, hurried inside.

"Alpha? Is everything.." Maria started but stopped short when she saw the look on my face.

I pointed a finger at the bed. "Look at her chest. The injury... it's pitch black, and it's spreading."

Maria calm look vanished instantly. She stepped up to the side of the bed, her hands hovering before she gently pulled back the fabric of her dress to get a better look.

I watched as Maria’s eyes widened in something like horror.

"Alpha," Maria breathed, her voice trembling slightly. "You need to step outside. I need to undress her to treat this properly."

I didn't argue. I turned, but before I reached the door, Maria voice sounded.

"Go find Grace... I need her assistance with dark extraction tools."

I gave a quick nod and stepped out into the hallway. Bex was standing there waiting anxiously. "Go find Grace," I ordered him. "Bring her here immediately."

Bex did not ask questions instead, he took off.

A minute later Grace hurried past me with a quick bow and disappeared into the room. Bex stayed.

“I’m going to check the rest of the packhouse,” Bex said.

I did not answer. He left anyway.

I leaned my back against the stone wall outside the door.

My wolf was scratching at the back of my mind, furious, restless, and terrified of losing the fragile female he was starting to get interest in.

I gripped my hair with both hands, forcing my breathing to slow down. I coul not afford to lose control.

Minutes turned into what felt like hours. Finally, the door clicked open, and Grace rushed out first, followed closely by Maria.

I stopped Maria before she could take another step. "Is she going to make it?"

"She will live," Maria said, letting out a long, shaky breath. She paused, wiping sweat from her forehead, and looked up at me with deep confusion. "Alpha... how did she get an injury like that? If we had waited even ten more minutes, the black magic would have reached her heart, and nothing could have saved her."

"She said someone invaded her dream and stabbed her," I answered, my jaw tight. "And it showed in real time."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "A dream walker invaded her dream and attacked her?"

I stared at her, before i said. "I don't know if it was a dream walker, but... if it was..." I paused, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Does that mean it's them?"

Maria nodded slowly. "They are the only ones capable of dream-walking, and they are notoriously known for wielding dark magic. That wound on her chest is pure, unadulterated dark magic."

I let out a harsh, furious curse, slamming my fist against the stone wall. "Dammit."

Maria crossed her arms, studying me for a moment. "Wait... she does not have a wolf, does she? When I was examining her, I couldn't sense any wolf essence. She smells entirely human."

"Her brother told me she killed their parents when she was five years old," I muttered bitterly. "That's why they claimed she lost her wolf."

Maria frowned deeply, shaking her head.

"That sounds entirely strange. Why would a a dream walkers target a wolfless human girl?" She narrowed her eyes. "What on earth are they hiding... or what is it that they did not want her to remember?"