Chapter 33

Celia

Days pass and the thought of me being the missing Lycan princess still weighs heavy on my mind. Even throughout the day, I find myself thinking about a life that I could have lived as the Lycan princess.

I wouldn’t have had to sell my body and years of my life off to Soren. I could have basked in the wealth and influence that comes with the role. Maybe, just maybe, my parents would still be here today and we could have lived the past five years together instead of them being buried in the ground.

“Celia?” Healer Anderson’s voice catches my attention. I look at him and a small smile spreads across my face as I turn to look at him. “You will be my second hand today, okay? Please gather all of the necessary medicinal supplies for the trip to our Luna.”

I nod my head and immediately turn to the cabinets inside of the room. As I begin to gather the usual items that are on Healer Anderson’s list, which is typically filled with different varieties of herbs and other natural remedies alongside modern medicine, I can hear Bianca’s snickering from behind.

“Good enough to be his errand girl but still not skilled enough to become a Healer herself. I pity the girl, really, but her low rank is enough to convince me to keep her at an arm’s length,” Bianca’s hushed whispers aimed directly at my throat.

I conceal an eye roll, knowing that at the end of the day and when everything is revealed, that she will forever be haunted the fact that I am of higher rank than she is.

I am the missing Lycan princess, after all, and she is merely the daughter of a duke.

Once I gather Healer Anderson's belongings and medical supplies, the group of Healers and interns head to the cars that will take us to the former Luna's villa on the lake. The sun is bright and warm against my skin and the lake is still as unbothered as it was before. Healer Anderson helps me off of the boat and I give him a small smile to show my appreciation.

The guards that are stationed at the former Luna’s villa are different, though, and they stare at us as if we are fresh meat, ready to be ripped apart, ready to pounce on us if we dare to hurt the Luna. I nod my head at them. I don’t want to be on their bad side.

Once inside, the small group of Healers gather around her bed. I hang behind and watch from a small distance, observing the way the former Luna’s chest rises and falls.

The minutes turn into an hour and everybody is stumped on how to treat the former Luna. Even healer Anderson's attempts are less than ideal with the former Luna still asleep in bed. I turn my attention to Bianca who sits at the side of the former Luna's bed, holding her hand and whispering words of encouragement to her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Soren enter the room with a small scowl on his face. I move around the group, making sure not to draw attention to myself, and find myself at Soren’s side.

“May I treat the Luna alone?” I whisper, immediately catching his attention. Soren looks down at me with a look that I can only describe as disdain yet acceptance.

“Everyone leave,” Soren’s eyes finally leave mine. Oxygen finally returns to my lungs.

The majority of the room obeys his command, bowing their heads out of respect before leaving. I stay where I am, avoiding their confused gazes. Bianca, on the other hand, storms up to us, arms crossed over her chest.

“Why does she get to stay? She has no high rank nor is she an actual Healer! Let me stay behind and treat the Luna myself!” Bianca demands.

“Leave, Bianca, your Alpha King commands it,” Soren groans and narrows his eyes at her.

Bianca’s mouth immediately closes. She shoots a glare at me and huffs air through her nose before turning to the doors and leaving. I watch her and as soon as the door closes, I take a step towards the Luna’s bed. Soren grips my wrist, though, and keeps me in place.

“What are you doing?” I ask, looking at our connected limbs.

“Do you really think that I’ll let you treat my mother? Treat me instead,” his tone is serious.

“What?” I stammer, “but I can help her—”

“Earn my trust,” he interrupts, “then you can heal her.”

I suck in a breath and nod. One quick look around the room, I gesture to a chair that sits just to the side of us. Soren leads the way and I follow behind.

Soren sits down and I take the spot behind him. I placed my hands on his shoulders before dragging my fingers along the side of his neck and placing them on the sides of his head. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, relaxing my body before I begin.

“Relax for me, okay?” I breathe out. Soren nods.

After a few deep breaths, I am able to relax my body and get onto Soren's wavelength using my mother’s instructions. His mind is quiet, but there is a underlying pain behind the darkness. I can feel it behind my eyes and it slowly overtakes my head.

I suck in a short breath, battling through the pain that swearing goes through on a daily basis, and can feel his pain start to slip away.

In the back of my mind, I can hear my wolf, her howls mix with another wolf's howls, their sounds becoming one. There is a tingle that spreads across my body; it isn't unpleasant or unwelcoming, but rather a warmth that envelops my body.

The feeling becomes overwhelming though. My fingers push into Soren’s scalp, slowly massaging the tension out of his body while mine begins to feel like bliss. I slowly suck in a deep breath and fill my lungs with oxygen, the tingling sensation tickling the inside of my body.

I open my eyes and remove my hands from Soren's head. I take a step back and watch as he stands up, turning to face me. I look up at him, shuddering.

“What did you do?” There is disbelief in his voice, something that is tucked between the border of awe and wonder.

“What was that?” I turn away, looking down at my hands.

Was that…the mate bond? Is that what finding my fated mate feels like?

“Celia, what did you do?” Soren asks, his voice now urgent and pushy.

I turned to look at the king. His eyes are big and wide, staring at me as if I hold all of the answers to his newfound questions. I swallow the lump that forms in my throat and begin to step away and towards the door.

I can hear Soren’s footsteps from behind me. I’m quick enough, though, to slip out and blend in with the small group of Healers, finding myself at Lily’s side.

“What happened?” She quietly asks. I shrug and shake my head, acting as if I didn’t just bond with Soren.

I find his gaze through the crowd. Our eyes meet and I can’t help but feel nervous.

How will he treat me once he realizes that what we felt was a fated mate bond? That our wolves connected and formed into one despite us not pushing for it? Will he continue to treat me as if I am a servant who will bend to his every demand or will our dynamic change so that we play on equal ground?