Page 18

Damian nods, though he doesn’t look pleased. “He does, but maybe sleep on it tonight and clear your head before deciding what that punishment should be. Dungeons? Or am I sending him to his room?”

“Fuck!” Kyson curses under his breath, clearly torn.

“His room. I will deal with him tomorrow,” Kyson finally says, though it’s obvious he’s far from happy about it. Damian gives a brief nod of acknowledgement and starts walking away to handle Dustin, but Kyson remains where he is, frozen in place.

I watch him closely, noticing the sheen of sweat on his forehead and the rigid way he’s holding himself. He hasn’t moved from the car, and something about his expression makes my stomach knot with unease.

“My King?” Damian asks cautiously, holding the door open.

“I can’t move,” Kyson grits out, his voice strained.

I feel Gannon tense beside me, and even Damian looks momentarily uncertain. None of us know what to do. Kyson looks on the verge of losing control, and the last thing anyone wants is for him to snap.

“Right, I um… I can take her,” Damian offers hesitantly, though it’s clear he’s not confident in that suggestion.

There’s a long, tense silence before Kyson speaks, his voice low and hoarse. “Please ask Dustin to come take her.”

The tension in the air is almost unbearable, but Damian doesn’t hesitate to get Dustin, but I don’t see where from, my focus on the car.

“You should head inside,” Gannon tells me nudging me toward the doors of the castle, his hand on my lower back, we barely step inside when we freeze hearing Damian’s panicked voice.

“Kyson!” Damian calls out. Gannon rushes back out and I stand in the doorway watching in horror. Damian is struggling to hold the king who has collapsed, Gannon and Liam are quick to help while Dustin is clutching Azalea’s limp body.

“He’s burning up,” Gannon mutters, leaning over to inspect Kyson. I can see beads of sweat rolling down the king’s face, his breathing coming in ragged gasps. His usually commanding presence is gone, replaced by something fragile and unsettling.

“What’s happening to him?” I whisper, my voice trembling as I glance between Gannon and Damian.

Gannon gives me a quick glance. “The king’s bond with Azalea.

Her scent—her heat—it’s overwhelming his senses.

She refused to mate because he wouldn’t retrieve you; this is a consequence of that.

Lycans can’t ignore their heat cycles; it affects both the male and female.

” He glances at Kyson again, his expression tense.

“Wait, she came to get me knowing she was in heat?” I ask horrified at the sacrifices she continually makes because of me.

“The king stopped her heat but it didn’t stop for him, and now she is injured and her medication worn off, they are in full blown heat. I should lock them in a fucking room until they complete the bond,” Damian growls angrily, like this whole situation has him infuriated.

I nod slowly. It makes sense, in a way, but seeing the king like this—vulnerable and barely holding on—feels strange. He’s always seemed so untouchable, so powerful. To see him brought low by something he can’t control is… unsettling.

“We need to get them inside,” he says. “Gannon, help me carry the king,” Damian says.

Gannon steps forward to assist Damian. Together, they lift Kyson, careful not to jostle him too much. The king mumbles something under his breath, but his words are slurred and unintelligible. Azalea remains unconscious, her head resting against Dustin’s shoulder as they start toward the castle.

I trail behind them, feeling out of place.

My body aches with every step, but I push the pain aside, too concerned about Azalea—and even Kyson—to care about my own discomfort.

I watch as they disappear through the grand doors of the castle, leaving me standing outside in the cool night air, unsure of what to do.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but the weight of everything that’s happened crashes down on me. I was rescued—but at what cost? Azalea is unconscious, the king is barely holding on, and I’m standing here covered in dried blood, dirt, and the lingering scent of Kade.

I swallow hard, pushing the memories away. This isn’t the time to fall apart.

I take a shaky step forward, forcing myself to follow them inside.

Chaos reigns the moment I step through the grand doors.

Damian yells for assistance echo through the corridor, summoning other guards to help.

Gannon and Damian rush past me, carrying Kyson toward his quarters while Dustin follows with Azalea.

My heart clenches at the sight of her, so small and fragile in his arms.

Standing in the corridor, I don’t know what to do with myself.

I feel like a ghost, invisible amidst the frantic movement of guards and servants.

I want to follow them, to check on Azalea, but I know better.

The timing isn’t right. The king is unwell, and they’ll be focused on him. I’d only be in the way.

My gaze drifts back toward where they disappeared down the hall, and for a moment, I’m torn. Should I wait here for Gannon? Or go find Clarice? I hesitate, unsure. Gannon already did so much for me. I don’t want to be a burden by bothering him now.

Uncertain of what to do, I walk around. The castle feels both familiar and foreign at the same time. It’s strange being back here, like stepping into a life I thought I’d left behind.