Damian
"Why the hell do the Werewolves look as if their lives have been completely drained?" I asked Romeo, who sat silently at my side inside the car.
"The Gamma is going around trying to figure out what went wrong," he began to explain, but I did not want to hear it. I shut him out and turned my attention to the news headlines reporting my engagement, which had not even happened yet with Lord Jared's daughter.
"I am not interested in this marriage. You promised to handle things and leave Tristan out of it, but look at this…" I showed him the headlines on my phone. "Everyone is talking about it, which is infuriating!" I shouted. "I do not want this."
Earlier, I had been in my office with Danielle when Romeo had walked in on us. Varak had been enraged and had tried to choke Romeo, but I intervened just in time and regained control over my body. If I had not acted quickly, Romeo would have been dead.
"Next time, knock and do not barge in on Varak," I had warned him, and he had nodded obediently.
When we arrived at the border, Tristan, my Gamma, and several Royal cops were already at the scene. They were surrounding two bodies, and the sight of them immediately told me someone with incredible powers was behind it. The Werewolves were pale, lips blackened, their life completely drained. "What could have caused this?" I demanded.
"I believe it is poisoning, your highness," Tristan replied.
"Find out everything about this before Friday," I ordered, giving him two days to uncover the truth behind the Werewolves' deaths.
"What if humans were involved?" Romeo asked as we entered the car, leaving the border to Tristan and the Royal cops who were still investigating.
At the mention of humans, my thoughts immediately went to Rosella. I wondered what she could be doing. I had sent her to other slaves, hoping she would be treated harshly enough to change her attitude toward me.
I had expected her to run to me, bow her head before me begging for mercy yet three days had passed, and I had not seen her. I could not stop wondering how she was holding up and why she hadn't come to me.
"You seem lost in thought. Must be thinking about that human," Romeo teased with a smile.
I frowned at his comment and pretended to focus on my phone. I had not told him that Rosella was my mate yet. I did not want anyone to know how I truly felt at that moment.
No one needed to know that she belonged to me. I planned to keep it a secret until Varak finally left my body and I could release her completely because she could become my weakness.
"You can ignore me if you like, but I know you care about her and…"
I turned to face him with a sharp frown, and he quickly averted his eyes. "I apologize, your highness," he muttered.
Ignoring him, I returned my gaze to the phone, but my mind was elsewhere, consumed with thoughts of Rosella and the desperate need to see her. I could not believe how deeply she occupied my thoughts.
"It is a good thing you are thinking about her," Varak laughed in my head. "Considering how distracted you are, I hope you change your mind quickly and let me fuck her," he taunted.
"Shut up!" I shouted back. "Whatever thoughts are in your mind are not mine!" I refused to acknowledge him further, and when he continued laughing, I blocked him out entirely, forcing my attention onto my phone.
Suddenly, my body jerked forward, my head smashing against the front seat. The phone flew from my hand, and a loud bang echoed as something struck the roof of the car. I groaned, lifting my head to glare the driver.
"What the hell was that?" I demanded. "What did you hit?"
"I believe it was someone, your highness," the driver replied.
I exhaled sharply, rubbing my forehead. I did not care that someone might have been hit. They were stupid enough to jump in front of a car but suddenly I felt a rush of strong agony hitting my head. "Check…" I began, but a stabbing pain sliced through my skull, making it impossible to continue. I touched my head, hoping the pain would subside, but it intensified.
I screamed as my heart twisted in pain as well.
"Your highness!" Romeo called, facing me with concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?"
I shook my head. I had no idea why the attack had occurred, but I was not one to feel pain easily unless it involved her. "Rosella!" I shouted her name.
"Rosella?" Romeo sounded surprised by my tone. He stared at me, and I saw a flash of realization in his eyes. He had pieced it together, but I was not ready for the conversation.
When the pain finally subsided, I stepped out of the car. We were near the Royal Mansion, and I did not wait for Romeo's words as I rushed toward the gate.
Then I saw Alistair, my friend, sprinting ahead. "Alistair!" I called, but he ran past me to the back of the car. I followed, almost shouting her name when I saw her lying in a pool of blood. "Rosella," I whispered.
Alistair lifted her into his arms. "We need to take her to the hospital!" he shouted.
"Hand her to me," I ordered.
He looked taken aback, but I did not care. I could not tolerate the way he held my mate. Alistair hesitated at first but handed her over. I brushed the blood-soaked hair from her face and carried her to the back seat of the car, beckoning to Romeo. "Start the car and take us to the hospital!" I commanded.
Romeo nodded and took the wheel from the driver who had caused the accident. "I apologize, your highness," the driver tried to speak, but I shut the door on him without a second thought.
Romeo started the car and turned toward the hospital.
"Do you have anything to say, your highness?" Romeo asked.
I ignored him, focused entirely on Rosella. Her heartbeat was faint, her life slipping away as blood poured from her like a river. "Drive faster!" I shouted.
I could choose to save her with my blood but it could kill her because she was human and we haven't bonded.
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror and accelerated.
"His negligence will lead to her death," Monster, my wolf, growled in my head at the sight of her pool of blood.
"His recklessness jeopardizes everything I planned!" Varak shouted in my mind. "Your mate is in that condition because of you."
"Both of you shut up!" I barked aloud, not realizing I had spoken until the car stopped in front of the hospital.
"We are here, your highness," Romeo announced.
I opened the door and carried Rosella inside. "Inform everyone that I have arrived!" I commanded, and he nodded. I moved quickly through the lobby with her in my arms. A stretcher awaited, attended by two staff members, while the rest bowed and greeted me. I ignored them, keeping my attention on Rosella, whose eyes were beginning to flutter open.
"Rosella," I whispered, grasping her hand.
"We will take it from here, your highness," the attendants said as they moved her into the operation unit. I stopped when the doors closed.
"This is all my fault," I muttered, staring at the doors, silently wishing she would come out and argue with me as she always did. Even though she was a human I had despised, I could not bear the thought of losing her. If only she were a Werewolf, healing would not be so difficult.
"She is your mate, isn't she?" Romeo's voice sounded behind me.
I pretended not to hear him and continued pacing. "I understand if you do not want to speak, but remember she is a human and…"
"Enough!" I shouted. I knew what he wanted to say, that she might never be accepted by the council or the werewolves but I didn't care at that moment. "Whatever you have to say now should be for later," I snapped.
"I apologize, your highness. I was only trying to protect you," he said, but I did not care.
All that mattered was that Rosella should survive. Her death would break me even though it wasn't supposed to.
"I am not a child for you to protect!" I said, and he bowed his head in apology.
Even though I wasn't supposed to care about her, I would not allow myself to become a weakling over a human whom I was supposed to despise.