13. Too Fragile to Matter

Silas's Pov

Everything felt distant at first, as if I was under water. Then my consciousness started coming back in fragments, like pieces of broken glass trying to reassemble themselves, the heavy weight of my own body pressing into soft sheets. Once again, I didn’t want to wake up, but slowly, the muffled sounds grew clearer, until one voice cut through the haze.

“Your Highness… Your Highness, can you hear me? Are you awake?”

Your Highness?

The title echoed strangely in my mind. It felt wrong and surreal, like it belonged to someone else, someone important, someone wanted.

Not me.

I refused to believe it was directed at me until my vision finally cleared and I saw the face of a woman leaning over me, a Beta to be precise. She had sharp, professional features and kind but cautious eyes. I thought I had seen her before, but the memory was blurry.

She gave me a small, relieved smile. “I’m glad you’re awake. Can you sit up for me?”

I managed a weak nod and regretted it immediately. My body felt like lead, every muscle protested against my actions, and the fresh mating mark on my neck burned like fire with every small movement. The doctor helped me gently, arranging pillows behind my back so I could lean against them.

“Thank you.” I said in a hoarse voice and she handed me a cup of water immediately.

The simple kindness almost made me want to cry again.

“Of course your highness.” She said with a smile. Though the title still sounded weird to my ears.

When I finished drinking, she took the cup from my hand and returned it to the bedside table. I regarded her curiously, and as if she knew what I was thinking, she introduced herself immediately. “My name is Joana, I'll be your doctor from now on. We've met before, but I doubt you remember. I didn't know you were the king's mate then.” She said with a kind smile.

I guess I was right, I have met her before. “Hi, Dr Joana.” I greeted.

“Hello, your highness.” She returned.

Please just call me Silas. But I didn't say that out loud.

I looked outside the window and saw it was dark outside, then down at the clothes I was still wearing, it was the same, just that the Royal robe and the veil had been discarded. I guess I wasn't out for long, it was still the wedding night.

That was when the door slammed open.

I startled violently, my body going rigid as His Majesty barged into the room. My fists clenched the sheets tightly, knuckles turning white. I kept my eyes lowered, darting everywhere except his face, anywhere but the King who now owned me in every possible way. His presence alone filled the room like a storm, like intense raw power crashing over me. The fresh bite on my neck throbbed even harder in response to his nearness.

Dr Joana straightened immediately, her expression turning carefully neutral. “Your Majesty,” she greeted with a bow and got to work, on me.

She began her examination quietly, checking my pulse, shining a light in my eyes, pressing gentle fingers around the mating mark. As she worked, her voice grew more serious, quite different from the tone she spoke to me with earlier.

“The suppressants have done significant long-term damage,” she said carefully. “His body is extremely fragile right now. And the torture he went through some days ago has worsened the strain on his heart and nervous system.” She explained, looking briefly at the king before looking back at me. “Another heat, especially an unmedicated one, could be life-threatening. His organs are weakened, and his reproductive system is…. unstable.”

The atmosphere in the room thickened with dread, which was mostly my own. I'm sure Dr Joana must be nervous in the king's presence, but me? I was terrified.

His voice cut through the silence bluntly and very much impatient. “So? When can we complete the mating ritual? I expect consummation tonight.”

I looked up in dread. Consummation?

I immediately looked at Dr Joana's face, who clearly had hesitation written all over, glancing between us. “Your Majesty… sex is not advisable at this stage. His body needs time to recover. Any rough handling could-”

The look on His Majesty's face turned murderous, his dark blue eyes narrowed dangerously. For a second, I was just glad that I wasn't the one on the receiving end of that cold stare. Dr Joana faltered, quickly rephrasing.

“-I mean, you could engage in… careful, extremely gentle intimacy, but knotting is out of the question. And because you are fated mates, the chances of immediate pregnancy are very high. His current physical state is not capable of safely carrying a child, so the risk of miscarriage or worse- losing his life, is too high.”

I felt like the floor had dropped out from under me, my breath came shallow and fast.

Pregnant.

The word alone made my stomach twist violently.

The King remained silent for a long moment, his expression blank and unreadable. Then he spoke coldly yet again. “So we can’t have sex yet.”

I marvelled at the bluntness of his words. Of all the things the doctor just said, all he could still think about was sex? But of course, I didn't dare say that out loud.

Dr Joana swallowed. “Yes, Your Majesty. I strongly recommend waiting at least a few weeks. Possibly longer.”

The silence after the doctor’s warning stretched unbearably long. I kept my eyes fixed on the sheets, my fists still clenched tightly in the fabric as if it could anchor me to reality. I couldn't help but feel some sort of humiliation, sitting here while they both discussed when I would or wouldn't be ready to have sex. No one was even asking my opinion, even though I had nothing to say, but still.

My neck constantly burned where the King had marked me some hours ago, a constant reminder of what I now was– Royal Consort Silas. The title felt like a sick joke.

His voice finally broke the tension. “You may leave.” His cold voice said dismissively.

Dr Joana bowed deeply. “Of course, Your Majesty.” But she didn’t move immediately. Instead, she turned slightly toward me, her expression softening, just like earlier, before looking at the king again.

“Before I go, I would advise a simple, harmless medication that will help balance his system. It should prevent unexpected heats, regulate his cycle, and stabilize his hormones. I’ll send the prescription along with a list of specific foods that will aid his recovery.”

She paused, glancing briefly at the King before continuing carefully. “However, the best treatment… would be the consistent and immense presence of his mate in his life. Love, care, and gentle attention from you, Your Majesty, would do more for his recovery than any medicine. In no time, he could be back in good shape, perhaps even better.”

I nearly laughed bitterly inside. Love? Care? From the Lycan King who had tortured me, and only saw me as a criminal and a worthless mate? The idea was so absurd it hurt.

The doctor reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small card, placing it gently on the bedside table beside me. “This has my direct number. Call me anytime if you feel you need medical assistance, Your Highness.”

I startled when she turned and bowed respectfully toward me. No one had ever bowed to me before. The gesture felt wrong, almost mocking given my current state. My eyes widened slightly, but I couldn’t find words to respond.

With one final bow to His Majesty, she declared softly, “I wish you both a swift recovery,” and quietly left the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Now that it was just me and him in the room, I was hyper aware of every movement. But I remained frozen, staring at the card on the table, my mind reeling.

I could feel his gaze burning into me, the bond pulling insistently despite everything. I didn’t dare look up at him. I simply waited, trembling, for whatever came next on this disastrous wedding night.

Not even a second later, a sudden, violent sound shattered the silence. My eyes flew open wide as an exquisitely carved crystal vase, one that probably cost more than everything I had ever owned in my life, lay in pieces across the marble floor, water and shattered flowers spilling everywhere.

I slowly looked up at his face and cold chill washed over me.

He looked utterly murderous. His jaw was clenched so tightly I feared it might snap, dark blue eyes blazing with barely contained rage. The air around him felt charged and his Alpha aura pressed down on me like a physical weight. When our eyes met, my inner Omega let out a terrified whimper and retreated deep into the back of my mind, curling up in fear.

I wanted to laugh at the craziness of the situation. Even my wolf, the part of me that should have been drawn to its mate, was scared of him.

He gave me one cold, piercing look before storming toward the bed. Each heavy step he took towards me removed a year from my lifespan, it made my heart slam against my ribs like it wanted to jump out. I pressed back into the pillows instinctively as he loomed over me, planting both hands on either side of my body, caging me in completely.

His scent overwhelmed me completely and it made me realize he was more terrifying up close.

“I don’t care what the doctor said,” he growled, his face inches from mine. “You will fix yourself. You will become strong enough to carry my heir, the only reason you’re still breathing, the only reason I haven’t discarded you like the worthless trash you are, is because that pathetic body of yours can give me what I need. And if you can’t do that… if you remain this broken, useless thing… I will make sure your suffering makes everything I’ve done to you so far feel like mercy. I will lock you away in a place so dark and cold you’ll beg for the white room again. Do you understand me, Omega? You exist for one purpose now. Fail me, and I’ll make you wish you had died during the torture.”

Each one carved into my already shattered heart, reminding me exactly what I was to him, not a mate, not even a person.

When I couldn’t find my voice, too paralyzed by fear and heartbreak, his eyes flashed with fury.

“ANSWER ME!” he roared. His voice was so loud and vicious it made me jump violently.

A broken sob escaped me. “Y-yes… Your Majesty,” I whispered hoarsely, nodding frantically as tears streamed down my face. My entire body shook. “I… I understand.”

He stared at me for a few seconds, then pushed off the bed with a disgusted sound. He stepped over the shattered remains of the vase without a second glance and stormed out of the room, slamming the heavy door behind him with enough force to rattle the walls.

The silence that followed was worse than his shouting.

I curled into myself on the massive bed, clutching the sheets as sobs wracked my fragile body. The mating mark burned, the bond pulsed with cruel mockery, pulling me toward the monster who had just reminded me of my place. I was married, claimed, and still completely, utterly alone.

Dr Joana's words echoed cruelly in my head, “immense love and care.” She had no idea what kind of monster the King was. Or perhaps she did, and still hoped for a miracle. Either way, her advice felt like another layer of torment. My body was too fragile even for the one thing the King wanted from me. And now I was expected to heal under the “care” of the same Alpha who had nearly broken me beyond repair.

Tears slipped silently down my cheeks again. I was physically exhausted, emotionally wrecked, and now trapped in this cage with a King who despised me… yet needed me alive long enough to give him an heir.

This was my wedding night. I was supposed to be claimed fully, marked permanently, used as the King desired. Instead, even that small mercy of getting it over with was denied. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or even more terrified of what would come when my body was “ready.”

My tears soaked the bedsheets, thinking about the Alpha who had just learned his new toy was too broken to even fulfill its only purpose.

I had never felt more worthless in my life.