Chapter Forty One

Lucien’s POV.

I kicked the hospital doors open with my shoulder with the detectives hurrying in behind me..

Angelina was almost weightless in my arms, and her body cold and damp with her blood, a lot of it which had drenched up my shirt. Panic shot through me as i quickly laid her on the available stretcher.

“Silver blade!” I blurted as one of the nurses came running up to me. “She has a deep stab wound to the stomach. She has lost too much blood, and she’s still—”

“Sir, this way!” One of them urged. “We’ve got it.”

Her fingers still barely clutched my shirt. Her lips were pale, cracked, and her face had gone cold.

“I’ll stay with her.” I said, moving forward with them as they took her in, writing things down.

“Please sir.” A nurse said, blocking my way. “We need space to take care of her. We promise to do everything we can.”

I hesitated.

“If she dies—”

“She won’t die, but right now she’s in a tough spot. She needs every second now. It appears that she was assaulted with a silver blade, and unfortunately, the silver is in her bloodstream now.”

I took some steps back, but my hands were clenched so tightly that I could feel blood rushing into my fists. My chest felt hollow as I watched them hurry into one of the operating ward. I hated feeling helpless and that was how I had felt, all my life as I watched people I love die.

My father, my mate, my sister, the Royals who put their faith in me and now Angelina. I wondered where it all went wrong and how I could had done it differently.

I gave a short nod to the officers standing outside the operating room.

“Whatever it is you’re doing now, put it on hold. Keep her under protection, and no visitors no matter who it is or what is going on. I’m the only one allowed in," I stated

“Yes, Alpha.”

I walked out of the hospital, with an odd persisting feeling. Something else was wrong, growls escaped my lips subconsciously. I felt anger and fright that wasn't mine but someone else's.

"Brielle!" I growled as I hurried into my car.

I drove like a maniac, half expecting my car to fly off the road as I did so. I had barely parked before I stormed through the front doors of the mansion.

My mind snapped when I ran in to an empty space. There was noone around, no workers, just the strong stench of blood.

“No—” I yelled, running up to where I had left them “Brielle? Brielle!”

I found Zane on the ground, clutching his side, blood seeping through his shirt and onto the floor. Brielle was crouched to the corner, visibly shaken by the events that had taken place.

“What happened ?”

“He came out of nowhere,” Brielle spoke with a trembling voice. “He had a knife, he was coming for me,”

I rushed over to Zane.

“Brother, Who was it?”

“I didn’t see his face.” He groaned. “The guy was too fast. But the scent… his scent…”

“Yes? What about it?”

“Alpha, he is an alpha. I recognized him from Reign , he was the one who stabbed me. I couldn't forget the scent and —” He let out another groan.

I stood up slowly and looked around the room.

There. Near the bed side, glinting, was another blade. I picked it up. The second I touched the handle, everything in and around me froze.

I picked out a fresh scent from it, Angelina's. It was recognizable because my body was still covered in her blood.

"Are you bleeding?" Brielle's hand coursed through my body and in that moment, I almost forgot we weren't alone.

"It isnt mine," I muttered softly, staring at her deeply, my mind waving as I held my body back from its erotic thoughts.

"Angelina got attacked,"

Zane coughed.

“He clearly sent the alpha to convey the message he intended me to deliver. Chase is the man behind all of this,”

I looked at him.

“I don't think this is solely Chase, I think we need to look at the factors here”

“What other factors? Look at me! I am the one to look at, see what he did to me” He said as he helped himself up through the agonizing pain.

"He fucked with me, he slaughtered my boys. Chase won't work with anyone,"

"He will pay for what he did to you, brother," I assured him with a fierce tone.

"But I am telling you, there's something else going on here. He is playing us true but something else is playing us as well,"

"What?" Brielle asked

“I need to check something, first” I said.

Brielle snapped, giving me a wild look.

“You’re leaving?”

“I need to confirm something. You, stay here. Both of you. Don't go anywhere .”

Zane snorted.

“Yeah, sure, like I could go anywhere .”

“You’re not healing?” I asked, rolling him back.

“I am, it’s just taking a bit of time. And giving a lot of pain in return. So much for proper exchange.” He sighed as I helped him sit back up.

“Stay here," I repeated to them before stepping out.

-

The cellar was cold and haunting. I hadn't been down there since I brought in all of her things and stored it.

When I lifted the wooden lid from the floor, I already knew what I was looking for. The leather bag was still there, exactly where I left it, in the box that was part of the floor.

I heard the sound of someone breathing and turned back immediately. Brielle stood in the doorway.

“I told you to stay upstairs.”

“I couldn’t.”

I didn’t stop her. I didn’t have it in me to tell her no, especially when the pain in my chest felt like someone was scraping my heart with rusted nails. I was worried, and I couldn’t imagine how worried she was too, how she must have been feeling.

“Come on in.” I said, waving her over.

“Do you think the killings aren’t caused by Chase?” Brielle suddenly asked me. “Because all the evidence we have points to him.”

“And what evidence do we have?” I asked her. She pressed her lips into a thin line.

“You know what I’m talking about, and he has motive too!” She said, pointing at herself. “And have you forgotten what he did to Zane?”

She looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“You’re not saying anything! Do you really believe he is innocent?”

“No.” I said firmly. “I never said that.”

“Then why are you acting this way? He’s the enemy.”

“You need to understand, you don't get me. I know he is behind it but someone else is. Someone I'm not seeing right now,"

“We can talk about this later.” I said.

“This bag belonged to my mate.” I spoke ever so solemnly, kneeling and opening it as she crouched next to me.

Brielle said nothing, she just placed her hand on my shoulder.

I pulled out the photos and stuff from the bag. It all smelled like lavender. The scent had me stunned for a moment as memories breezed in. I remembered watching life slip out of her, it was the most devastating day of my life.

I scattered through her items looking for what I needed.

"Got it," I exhaled when I grabbed the portrait photograph.

"What's that?" Brielled asked curiously.

"That's my proof," I handed a picture of us back in college. Everyone that had been attacked to that point, every single Royal was in the picture.