004 - RAEL

My boots crunch against the gravel as I carry the rogue out of the car, and into the mansion, the weight of her limp body pressing against my chest.

She’s colder than she should be… and so light.

“Take Elise to her room,” I tell Captain Blake beside me. “Doctor Zarina is on standby to check on her immediately. She’s shaken, not harmed.”

He bows his head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

The door slides open with a hiss when I enter the healer’s wing, and I sigh at the sharp scent of antiseptic that burns my nose as I walk into my private healing chambers.

I've always hated healer chambers. They're always too clean. Too still. Too full of reminders

Bright white light floods the room, along with the whir of machines.

I place her motionless body on the cot before me. She looks so pale skin against white sheets, especially with her blood seeping through the hoodie.

Her breathing is really shallow now.

“Fetch the healer,” I bark, voice sharper than I intend.

A man in a white coat hurries in, eyes flicking between me and the unconscious woman. "Excuse me, Your Majesty---"

Silas, was it?

“Get out,” I say flatly.

He blinks, confused, his gloved hands freezing mid-motion. “Your Majesty, I only need a moment to—”

“I said get out.”

My voice—more like my aura—leaves no room for hesitation.

He stammers, bows, and bolts for the door. I exhale through my nose, jaw tight. 

"Good. I don't want a male attending to our mate either." Klaus snarls.

I ignore him.

Why the hell did I just do that?

I’ve never cared who tended to a patient before. Blood, gender, scent—it never mattered. But now, the thought of another man’s hands on her skin—

“She’s ours. You can’t stand it either.”

I ignore him and motion to the guard outside. “Get Dr. Zarina. Now.”

The door shuts behind them, leaving me alone with her.

She looks nothing like a rogue should. Her scent threads through the air—wild jasmine, frost, and faint smoke.

It curls into my lungs like a drug I shouldn’t touch, causing my chest to tighten.

I force my hands behind my back. If I don't, I know I'll touch her.

Instead, my eyes betray me.

A streak of dried blood glistens near her collarbone. Her lashes flutter slightly, as if even unconscious, she resists showing weakness. 

There’s a line between her brows—defiance still alive in her sleep. Even her stillness feels like rebellion.

I keep my eyes from trailing over her figure. That hoodie is raised dangerously too close to what's between her legs.

“She doesn’t belong here.” I mutter, running a hand through my hair and grabbing a fistful. “Not in my kingdom, not in my life.”

And yet… here she is, because I couldn’t leave her behind.

“Why?” I murmur, studying her face. “Why you?”

Klaus rumbles in my mind, his presence colder than usual. “Because she’s our balance.”

“There is no balance in curses,” I bite back. “Only delay.”

The door opens again. Doctor Zarina steps in, her posture straight, her face unreadable.

“Your Majesty,” she says, bowing her head.

Her gaze moves to the woman on the bed. “She’s poisoned.”

“I know.”

She slips on gloves, the snap of latex cutting through the silence. “How long ago?”

“An hour. Maybe more? I administered an anti silver shot on the scene.”

The sound of metal instruments clicking into place fills the sterile air. I watch every movement. Every touch she lays on the woman’s skin.

Her pulse is faint, fluttering against her throat. Her lips are pale. The poison had gotten deep into her system.

“Silver fragments,” she murmurs. “They’ve entered deep into the tissue. I can remove them, but the poison has spread through her bloodstream. It’s what’s keeping her unconscious.”

I nod once. “Extract the fragments. Cleanse the wound. But don’t purge the silver completely.”

She stops, eyes lifting to me. “Your Majesty?”

“She’s a trespasser. I want her to be stable enough to answer questions, not strong enough to run.”

Zarina hesitates, then bows. “As you wish.”

She works in silence. I stand by the wall, arms folded, watching. The hum of machines drowns out the war in my head.

I hear her whimper at a shot Zarina gives her, and I do everything I can to stop myself from growling.

Klaus pushes against the walls of my mind, restless. “She’s fading. Let me near her.”

“No.”

The bond humming beneath my skin like electricity is maddening. Every breath drags her scent deeper into me—blood, forest, rain. It claws at my restraint.

“She’s ours,” Klaus snarls.

“She’s a trespasser,” I answer under my breath.

“And our mate.”

I shut my eyes and start to count backwards, from one hundred to one.

I’ve mastered control and discipline for over two hundred years. But yet, this bond, her scent… arghh… the air feels so thin it feels like I'm drowning.

I squeeze my eyes shut, and force my mind into silence, pulling myself into focusing on my breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Empty.

When I open my eyes again, Zarina straightens, stripping off her gloves. “The poison will weaken her for days,” she says. “I’ll need to check for other wounds, internal bleeding—”

“Later.”

Her head jerks toward me. “Your Majesty, she’s bleeding through her clothing. I need to—”

“She won’t stay here.”

Zarina frowns. “What?”

“She’s not staying in this room.” I step forward and slide my arms beneath the rogue again.

She’s still limp, her head falling softly against my shoulder. “She’ll be moved to my chambers.”

The doctor’s eyes widen. “Sire, she’s covered in blood—she needs sterilization, observation—”

“Then bring what you need,” I say evenly. “IV drips, monitors. Whatever it takes. You’ll attend her there.”

“Your Majesty, that’s highly irregular.”

I meet her gaze. “So am I.”

For a moment, Zarina looks like she might argue. Then she exhales sharply and gathers her instruments, muttering something under her breath about kings and their impossible orders.

I don’t wait.

The doors slide open again, and I carry her out into the hall. Her warm blood smears against my shirt.

Each step sends her scent deeper into me. My heartbeat steadies around it, unwillingly syncing with hers.

Klaus’s voice is now a reverent whisper. “She fits, Rael.”

I ignore him.

The corridor stretches toward the private wing—mine. The security system blinks green as it recognizes my presence.

Behind me, Zarina hurries to keep up, her arms full of supplies. “At least let me sedate her,” she says breathlessly. “If she wakes too fast—”

“She won’t.”

I push open the door to my suite. The scent of leather, whiskey, and cedarwood fills the air.

Until now.

I lower her onto the bed. The dark sheets contrast sharply with her skin. She looks small here… too breakable.

Zarina sets the IV stand beside the bed and gets to work in silence, inserting the needle, checking her pulse, adjusting the drip rate.

I watch the slow rise and fall of her chest. Each breath is steadier than the last.

“Keep her alive,” I say finally.

Zarina glances up. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

I turn toward the window, my reflection stares back at me. Cold eyes, clenched jaw, a hint of something feral beneath.

“Keep her alive,” I repeat quietly. “I want to know who she really is.”