Chapter Five

A visit gone wrong.

I go to open Nadine’s front door, when Brennan manoeuvres himself in front of me and gets to the door first. How the hell did he do that? Damn these lycans are fast. A slight growl leaves my chest at him cutting in front of me, which he chooses to ignore for now. As the door opens we are greeted by Mav who seems to be on guard today. Odd I didn’t think she was a threat anymore. I go to greet Mav but am cut off by the mind-linking conversation he and Brennan enter with one another.

Nadine isn’t in the main apartment area but I follow her scent to her bedroom. I push on the bedroom door and find her in bed feeding baby Bonnie. She looks up at me with sore looking eyes that must have cried non stop since she was forcefully marked as punishment. A bang of guilt hits me but I have to remember her reactions almost killed Axel, not to mention the deaths of others.

“May I come in?” I push my luck judging by the growl that leaves her. It is enough for both Brennan and Mav to pull me back and block me from her view. Seriously?

“It’s important.” I try barely able to see her through the wall that is Mav and Brennan. I push through them both, showing my irritation with a scowl. For me to get Lance and Axel back I have to talk to her, Mav knows this…why was he being a jerk. I sit at the end of her bed, picking up some of the baby’s clothes and folding them for her. If I get enough of her baby’s scent on me she should calm down and not see me as a threat. Andrei, the trainer back at the Sagar back, used to teach me simple yet effective methods like this. My scent will become less threatening too her and she’ll be calmed by a more familiar scent. That of her baby’s.

“How is she doing?” I ask, not making eye contact. Not being threatening whatsoever. Nadine’s eyes are on Brennan and Mav who are standing by the door, poised.

“She isn’t feeding well, so I’ve been up a lot in the nights.” She responds now watching me fold up the clothes.

“Not feeding well? May I?” Brennan takes some steps in, standing next to me.

My eyes flicker to Nadine who cradles her baby even closer at his words.

“I’m a doctor, I might be able to help her…” He says as he takes a step closer looking down at the feeding baby.

“She has a blocked nose. Can you hear her struggling to breathe and feed at the same time? She’s having to pause to breathe through her mouth. It would be very tiring for her.” His approach completely changes from a body guard to that of concerned physician.

“I can book her in for the hospital? Trust me, it will help her and you sleep better.” He offers.

“Why would you help me?” She starts to turn sour again.

“Your baby is an innocent, no need to let her suffer. I’m sure what Aida here has to say won’t take long, then we could go to the hospital together?”

She seems to like his suggestion.

My eyes slam shut by a sharp pain in my chest, it’s enough to make bile hit the back of my throat. I swallow it back down and take a deep breath in.

“I found Lynx!” No point beating around the bush. Nadine doesn’t respond, she freezes in fact, refusing to make eye contact with me.

“He has offered a deal.” I continue but am cut off by her scoff.

“A deal? What kind of deal?”

“That we will release you as long as his men pledge their allegiance to the royal family.”

“He’d never promise that. Your lying.” Is she a Lycan or a snake, because their is a demonic hiss to her voice.

“Well he has. You’ve got a second chance here Nadine, don’t waste it.”

“What would you know about second chances?”

“More than you know. I’ll keep my word, as long as he does.”

“Well look at you! Making deals like a proper member of the royal family.” She sneers at me. Was she a twin too? Her hot and cold behaviour was giving me just as much whiplash as Spike’s and Lynx’s previous duo routine. My wolf doesn’t appreciate her argumentative behaviour. At the end of the day, Lynx would be dead if it wasn’t for me. I think I should remind her of this.

“Let’s not forget Nadine that your mate would be dead if it wasn’t for me…you’ve already lost one, don’t be foolish and lose another.”

My wolf is too slow. Nadine lunges for me, her claws slashing across my face.

What a bitch!

Mav, as always, was fast. He reaches for me, before her other hand also gets a chance to claw at my face. I’m spun in the air and placed behind his tall muscular body.

Mav is angry. His body is trembling as he stands over Nadine, just managing to keep his wolf contained.

“That was irresponsible Nadine.” Brennan scolds her as he lays a now sleeping Bonnie down in her bedside crib.

“You know Aida is under royal protection. You need to control your temper. From what I’ve been told she’s the reason Lynx wasn’t killed on the spot. Some more respect would be appreciated.” Brennan’s voice is cold, informal. He’s had enough now.

“Should Lynx deliver what he promises you will be free to go. But only if you prove not to be a threat. Now I’ll need to tell the King of your latest outburst and I have a feeling that will have set you back!” It’s like he’s talking to a child.

I am ushered out by Brennan, leaving Mav behind. Which I didn’t like doing. I know he could defend himself but Nadine was cunning.

“I don’t like Mav being alone in there.” I look up to Brennan as we reach the elevator and he presses the call button. He nods gently at me before his eyes glaze over. The elevator doors open and he tugs my elbow to follow him inside.

“I need to check your wounds.” He looks at me oddly.

“I’ll be healed soon enough.”

We are almost at the palace’s private back entrance when Emmett walks out biting into an apple.

“Blimey Aida, I hope you won?” He winks at me as he heads out.

“Where is Emmett off to?” I ask Brennan.

“To help Mav.”

“Oh thank you.” I expected a royal guard to help Mav out, not one of Ricardo’s cousins. Surely this type of work was beneath them.

“Sure!” Brennan says as he opens the back door and lets me walk in first.

“So you’re a doctor?”

“Yes I’ve trained to be the King’s personal physician.”

“Quite a responsibility.” I chuckle.

“With you around…yes!” He chuckles back, but his comments earns a pout from me. I didn’t go looking for trouble.

“I have a feeling you’ll keep me busy too. Come sit down…let me clean you wounds.” He pulls a chair out from the dining table in the kitchen for me to sit on. I touch my face and am surprised to feel it is wet. I examine the blood on my fingers before walking over to the oven and checking my reflection in a silver saucepan. Claw marks are slashed across my left cheek from the bottom of my eye to the corner of my lip. Clearly being a rogue also affects your healing speed.

“Aida…” Ricardo yells for me from the sitting room before both he and Lorrel walk into the kitchen. Ricardo is holding several human newspapers under his arm.

“Why can I smell your blood?” He pinches his nose in frustration, just like Lance does when he is super annoyed by me.

“Nadine managed to slash me that is all.”

“Why were you that close?” He growls at me, before walking closer and lifting my chin to inspect my face wound.

“I’m going to clean the wound. It isn’t healing.” Brennan mutters as he moves to the kettle to boil some water.

“Not healing?” Lorrel looks at her nephew with a furrowed brow.

“No more visits!” Ricardo orders.

“Ricardo…I need to visit her to help Lance and Axel….” I protest.

“No, or I’ll put you under house arrest myself.” He roars at me before slamming the newspapers on the dining table and walking out of the room.

“Not healing?” I hear Lorrel very faintly murmur to herself.