CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWO
+25 Bonus
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWO
Rudolf’s POV
When I entered the room, I froze. Nn was seated beside the bed holding Talia’s hand. The moment he saw me; he let go and drew back. De cleared her throat and let out a nervousugh.
“I, uh, will get more ice,” she said quickly, and slipped past me and out of the room.
I walked over to Nn and snatched him up by his shirt cor. “I was very clear about you to stay away from her. What are you doing here?” I snarled.
Nn’s expression remained neutral, but an eye twitch gave away his anger. He gripped my wrist and pried my hand off him. “I threatened De to let me in. I wanted to see Talia’s condition and find some clues about rogues.
“Clues? Is that the lie you’re going with?” I snorted. “What did you expect to find? This ward has been checked. There is nothing here you will discover by sitting next to her.”
“I understand what you think,” Nn said tly. “But I had to verify with my own eyes since your warriors failed to notice rogues entering your territory.”
His answer was a bit of a taunt, but Nn was not defensive. What was his real reason for being here? I could not see how sneaking into this room helped him. If he wanted leverage against me, there were easier ways to create it. If he wanted to provoke me, he had already done so.
A few minutes earlier, I had felt my daughter’s fever rise through the faint bond that remained between us. Pain was so sharp I had thought I had identally harmed myself without noticing and then the pain eased as quickly as it came, causing me to rush to see Talia as I feared the worst.
I didn’t think it was a coincidence that Nn holding her hand happened around the same time her pain faded. It made me think of how Nn had carried her out of the restricted area days ago. He seemed panicked, refusing to put her down even after Solon struck him. It made me think of a possibility that I did not want to say aloud.
‘Second chance mate,’ my wolf growled, voicing the suspicion I had. ‘He may be her second chance mate.’
Years ago, I may have been ted at the idea. However, with how antagonistic he was, the idea of Talia being his mate was sickening.
“I have confirmed that she is stable. I will leave,” Nn stated, breaking the silence.
“No,” I ordered.
Nn raised an eyebrow. “You wanted clues, right? You will wait here and hear the results of Talia’s recent tests with me. If there is anything to discuss after that, we will discuss it.”
Nn gave a short nod and looked back at Talia. He kept his distance from the bed but did not turn away from her.
After several minutes, the door opened. The doctor entered carrying a tan folder. He paused when he saw Nn, then came forward.
“Do not worry about him,” I told him, “What do the results show?”
The doctor nodded. “We repeated the blood work,” the doctor said. “The wolfsbane level is falling, but at a rate that is too slow. It has begun to affect her liver and her kidneys. She cannot withstand this for much longer.”
“What does that mean?” Nn asked.
“It means if we can’t find a way to clear her system quicker all of her organs will fail,” the doctor replied.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWO
+25 Bonus
My stomach dropped and Nn’s jaw flexed as his hands balled into fists. “How long?” I asked.
“At this pace, three days,” the doctor answered. “If nothing changes, she will die.”
At that moment De came back in with a refilled tray. She stopped when she heard him, and the tray tilted in her hands. Ice scattered across the floor with a hard tter. She pressed a hand to her mouth and then knelt to gather the pieces.
The doctor kept his tone even. “We have used the standard treatments to support her heart and lungs. We are managing fluids and temperature. None of that removes the poison. Without the most powerful healer Leslie, there is no method on hand to purge the wolfsbane before more damage urs.
“Is she in pain now?” I asked.
“Not at this moment,” he said. “Her fever spikes and then breaks. Each spike leaves her weaker. I will order another set ofbs in six hours to confirm the trend. If the rate does not improve, we will need to prepare for organ support.”
I looked down at my daughter and then back at Nn. His jaw was tight. He kept his eyes on the bed.
“You want to prove your innocence,” I said to him. “You know what to do. Find Leslie.”
He held my eyes for a long second, then turned and walked out without a word. The door shut behind him.
I took a calming breath and then faced De. “You disobeyed my order and let him into this room.”
She stood, the tray now back on the counter. “Yes, my King. I did. He only wanted to check on her, and he did help her while he was here.”
“You don’t get to override mymand. I will look past it this time, but there will not be a second time,” I said. I will speak with Beta Logan about your conduct once Talia is stable. Until then, you will follow instructions exactly as given. There will be no exceptions.”
“I understand,” De nodded.
I turned to the doctor. “Continue monitoring. I want updates on the hour. If her heart rhythm changes, if her oxygen drops, or if she shows any sign of distress, notify me immediately.”
“Understood,” he said. He stepped to the bedside, checked the lines, and made a note on the chart.
I closed my eyes and reached the link. ‘Solon, end your patrol ande to me now. There are urgent matters to discuss.’
‘On my way,’ he replied.