CHAPTER TITLE: "What the Body Knows"
Bryant's POV
The scent of sterilized herbs lingered faintly in the air—a mix of lavender and crushed mint. It made the room feel almost calm, almost safe.
Almost.
I sat shirtless on the cushioned bench in my personal medical wing, my left arm resting lazily over the chair's edge. The royal physician stood silently a few feet away, flipping through pages of my health report. His fingers were trembling.
Not a good sign.
"You're quiet today," I muttered, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
He cleared his throat. "Apologies, Your Majesty. I'm just… organizing my thoughts."
"Don't," I said flatly. "Just say whatever's on your mind."
He hesitated before stepping closer. "Physically, Your Majesty… your body is holding up—impressively so, considering the toll your mind has been taking on it."
That made me raise an eyebrow. "Speak plainly."
The doctor sighed, lowering the folder. "Your insomnia is reaching a critical level. I've been treating royal bloodlines for twenty-five years, and I've never seen a case so... persistent."
I didn't reply. I didn't need to. He was telling me something I already knew.
"I can see it in your eyes—redness, constant strain, the hollowing around your cheekbones. Your nervous system is starting to show early signs of fatigue. If this continues unchecked… your judgment, your reflexes, even your wolf instincts will begin to falter."
I leaned forward slightly, elbows on knees. "What's the solution?"
He looked uneasy. "Well… that's the curious part."
He pulled out another sheet and handed it to me. I scanned the data—pulse patterns, REM cycles, brain activity monitoring from my chamber sensors.
"There's a night recorded here," he pointed out. "The only one in months where you hit full REM sleep. That was… three weeks ago."
I remembered it instantly.
Rosa.
She had stayed in my chambers that night. Her body had been warm against mine. Her scent—faint rosewater and vanilla—had filled the room. I slept. Not just dozed off… I actually slept.
The doctor went on, voice lowered. "Your Majesty, I don't know what happened that night, but whatever caused that shift is the closest thing to a miracle I've seen in your condition."
I looked down at the file, running a finger across the sleep graph. The spike in deep rest was undeniable. My body… had responded to her.
"You're saying I should—?"
"Pull it closer," he interrupted, nodding eagerly. "Whatever—or whoever—made your body respond that night… you need more of it. You may command armies and rule kingdoms, but your body is asking for something else. I would even say it's pleading for it."
I clenched my jaw, unsure of how I felt about that. Needing someone felt… weak. Dependent. Vulnerable.
And yet… I couldn't deny it.
"She calms the storm," I muttered under my breath, almost surprised I'd said it aloud.
The doctor tilted his head. "There's more."
He flipped the file to another page.
"Your Mate Sensory system is… waking up."
I snapped my gaze to him.
"For years," he continued, "it's been flat. Dormant. But recently? Spikes. Energy pulses. Your body is… picking up something. Or someone. You've started responding like a wolf who senses his mate is nearby."
I didn't speak.
I couldn't.
The room suddenly felt smaller, like the walls were closing in, pressing every truth against my chest.
Rosa.
Could it be?
Was it possible that she—
No. I pushed the thought aside, standing and grabbing my shirt. I couldn't afford to jump to conclusions.
Still… her presence. Her scent. Her silence. They didn't just linger.
They healed.
"Thank you, Doctor," I said shortly. "You may go."
As he bowed and left, I stayed frozen in the center of the room, shirt still clutched in one hand.
So… this is what it felt like.
To crave peace.
To crave… her.
But if this was the beginning of something more—something real—then what the hell was that unease in my chest?
Why did I suddenly feel like something dark was coming?
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