Chapter 43

Soren

I cannot bring myself to look away from Celia. Her mere presence has taken away my headaches and I have been able to use our fated mate bond to protect her in her time of need. She has done so much for me in the past and I couldn’t bear to watch her die in my arms.

Her question has made time stop, putting everyone on edge. They look amongst each other, eyes flickering to me but I gently shake my head, not being the one to burden Celia with the knowledge that Bianca, my almost wife, tried to kill her.

If I am the one to speak this truth out into the world, to speak it into existence, then I am afraid that I will lose all of my my control and leave this place to find Bianca and make her pay for her crime against my Celia.

“Celia,” her grandmother is the first one to break the silence. She takes Celia’s hand and captures her attention, as well as the room’s, and sighs. “Bianca tried to assassinate you.”

“Bianca did?” Celia whispers. Her voice trembles as she speaks, “Why would she do something like this? What did I ever do to her to deserve this?”

Her voice tears and claws at the inside of my heart, my wolf howling and clawing at the inside of my chest. I hate to see her look so destroyed, like she is a shell of herself after going through such a traumatic event.

“You were stabbed in the stomach. You were very lucky to have had Soren find you so quickly. If he didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be here, dear,” Healer Anderson gently says, gesturing to the bloodies gauze on her stomach.

“Why would she do this?” Celia repeats through gritted teeth, pain overtaking her body.

I can feel it in my own stomach, the pulsating feeling from where she was stabbed. I do not know if it is our fated mate bond making me feel this way or if the phantom pains I feel is my brain’s way of telling me that no matter how hard I tried to fight my feelings for Celia in the past, that I will always feel connected with her.

Bianca’s assassination attempt was made out of pure spite and jealousy that she holds towards Celia. Bianca has always been the vindictive type. Even as kids, she always made sure to even the score with those who had wronged her.

And I am the fool that allowed this behavior to happen, to allow her to sink her claws into Celia and those all around her.

I should have stopped her before she left the stage. I should have restrained Bianca until my Werewolf soldiers could take her away so Celia would not have been harmed. It is my fault that she has to live in such pain and agony.

“Soren,” Celia’s voice catches my attention. I turn to look at her, nodding my head to allow her to continue to speak. “You saved me?”

“Yes,” I firmly state, focusing on her and nobody else in the room. “The Duke also helped. We were able to bring you to safety as soon as his men cleared a path.”

I turn to the Lycan Duke and he nods, confirming this story. He steps forward, reaching the foot of the bed, and bows his head to Celia before breaking his silence to strengthen our story, which is the truth and not a lie that she may think I am feeding to her.

My track record isn’t the best when it comes to telling Celia the truth and I unfortunately do not know what is going on inside that head of hers.

“Soren and a Lycan healer were able to stabilize you, Your Grace,” his voice is firm and strong, someone that we can trust in his trying time. “If it weren’t for the Alpha King, you would most likely be in a coma right now.”

Celia’s eyes widen. She shifts up and the pain grows in my stomach. I pretend that it does not bother me, remaining strong as she looks to me for much needed strength.

“A coma?” she asks. I nod. She relaxes back into the bed, closing her eyes.

“We brought you here because it is the safest place we could think of,” I speak, feeling all of the eyes in the room fall onto me.

I focus on Celia and Celia only, though. The smell of stormwind and honeysuckle fills the room. Only the two of us can smell it, though, something that connects us together, forever tethered until our last dying breath.

I watch as Celia slowly breathes in. Her tensed body and twitching muscles slowly calm down, easing back into the bed.

“We have guards posted at every door and there will be someone at your side at all times,” I continue, eyes flickering to the others in the room, issuing this silent command as their Alpha King.

“What…” Celia coughs and Lily comes back with the water, passing it into her hand. Celia takes a few big gulps and her grandmother is quick to wipe away the droplets that roll down her chin and neck.

“Take your time dear,” she coos to her granddaughter, “you are in no rush. You will have all the answers you need soon.”

“Thank you, grandma,” Celia smiles at her, her voice now lost all of its raspiness and is smooth to my ears. “What happened to Bianca, though? Did you catch her?”

An uncomfortable silence falls over the room.

I suck in a breath and move towards the bed. I circle around the group. Every single one of my steps is precise and calculated, asserting my quiet dominance over the others in the room while showing myself as an ally and confidant to Celia.

I take my place at her side and look at her hand, fighting back the temptation to hold it in front of everyone, unsure how she would react to the sudden affection and closeness that my body and mind and heart scream at me to take. Celia and I’s eyes meet, my mind going quiet.

“Bianca has been detained and will be dealt with accordingly, Celia,” I pause and take in the scent of honeysuckle, the smell making me feel at ease while being so close to her. “You need to rest and take care of yourself. Let me worry about Bianca and her Werewolf rogues.”

I turn to the room. I do not have to say a single word for them to bow their heads to me. In a matter of seconds, they begin move out of the room in a single file line.

“Thank you for keeping me company,” Celia calls after them, giving them a small wave. They nod and smile at her, a silent acknowledgment of her thanks.

Her grandmother lingers behind. They share a gentle hug and the grandmother whispers something into her ear before pulling away and eventually leaving the room.

I turn to look down at Celia, gently extending my hand out to her. She looks between me and my hand. The corner of her lips twitch as she reaches forward, taking my hand into hers.