Lara threw off the covers. Every muscle in her body ached, but she welcomed the pain. It meant she was still alive.
She swung her legs over the edge, her bare feet hitting the stone floor. The chills run up her body. Her knees shook, but she grabbed the bedpost and held on until her head stopped spinning.
She walked slowly towards the window and looked out.
Outside, the kingdom stretched across the mountainside. Its black towers rose high, flying red banners. Below were guards and servants. Beyond the walls, a wide forest and river led to the misty mountains. She wondered where she was.
Where on earth am I? It almost looked like...
The door creaked open, interrupting her thoughts.
An older man stepped into the room, carrying a worn leather satchel. The moment his eyes landed on her, his brow furrowed.
"You're supposed to be in bed," he grumbled, crossing the room.
Lara stepped back. "I'm sorry, I..."
"You need rest," he snapped. "You almost died. Twice. Once from your wounds, and once from the fever. And now you're standing there like a ghost princess staring out of the window."
Lara almost found it funny, she watched as the old man set his satchel down with a huff.
"Stubborn girls," he grumbled, pulling out jars and dried bundles. "No sense of recovery. No respect for sleep."
"You're a healer?" Lara asked, keeping her tone cool, guarded.
"Royal Master Healer Vane," he corrected, not bothering to look at her as he began crushing dried leaves in a stone mortar. "Though at this rate, I'm just an overqualified babysitter for unruly patients."
"I don't need to be babysat," Lara said, taking a cautious step forward. Her body protested immediately, a sharp pain shooting through her ribs, but she kept her voice steady. "I don't intend to stay here longer than necessary."
Vane stopped his grinding, giving her a sharp, unimpressed glare over his shoulder.
He took her wrist gently and checked her pulse.
"Hmph. Still weak. You're lucky the King got to you when he did."
At the mention of the King, her heart skipped a beat. Vane let go and turned back to his herbs.
"The King?" Lara echoed, her brows pulling together. "Where am I?"
"You're in the Lycan King's chambers," he replied simply. "He brought you here himself, and ordered that I tend to you. Personally."
"The king... brought me here?"
"That's what I said."
"Why?"
"That's a question for him, not me."
Why would a Lycan... why would the king save me?
Vane pointed a thin, stern finger toward the bed. "Now. Back to bed before I sedate you and let the guards carry you there."
Lara blinked. "You wouldn't."
"Try me."
With a sigh, Lara walked back to the bed.
She leaned back against the pillows, her heart beating fast.
Why would a Lycan, no, why would the Lycan King...
She didn't finish the thought. She was too afraid to. She was no one important, she didn't even have a wolf, and yet, here she was. In his room.
"I'm just overthinking it." She muttered under her breath.
The healer looked up from his mixing table. "Pardon?"
"Nothing," she said quickly. "Where is he? The King?"
Vane walked over with a towel soaked in herbs, and placed it on her forehead.
"He left before dawn," he said.
"Gone where?"
"He didn't say." He looked visibly irritated at her questions.
He handed her a silver cup containing a dark mixture.
"Thank you," she murmured, accepting it.
"Don't thank me yet. You'll hate the tea."
Great, she groaned inwardly.
She took a slow sip, grimacing at the bitter taste, but forced it down.
Satisfied, Vane gathered his satchel and left the room, the heavy door clicking shut behind him.
Lara lay there quietly. Her body still ached, like she'd been torn apart and sewn back together, but she ignored it.
She closed her eyes, but all she could see were golden eyes cutting through the darkness, saving her from the brink of death.
Just outside, Thornak stood watching the door.
Something about the girl troubled him.
Not in a bad way, but in a way he could not explain. Why was she fighting in her human form.
I didn't scent her wolf, Jax, his lycan, suddenly said inside his mind.
Thornak frowned. Neither did I.
A wolf's scent was unmistakable. Even the weakest wolf carried it.
Yet, when he had lifted the girl into his arms, all he had smelled was his mate's scent. The scent that had led him to her in the first place.
Could she be wolfless? Jax asked.
The possibility made Thornak's jaw tighten. A wolfless mate for him, a Lycan King? The Goddess sure was being funny.
"I don't know," Thornak replied.
He opened the door and stepped inside. The scent hit him first, wildflowers, just before he saw her. She was on the bed, her golden hair falling over her bare shoulders.
Jax couldn't control himself. He almost pounced on her there and then.
Thornak was confused. All he wanted, no, needed, was to pull her close, crush her against his chest, and claim her as his.
Jax growled at the thought.
Control yourself, Thornak warned.
You, control yourself, Jax shot back.
Thornak resisted the urge to growl at him. Jax obviously wanted him to mark her and make it clear to the entire world that she belonged to him.
The possessive instinct was overwhelming, and judging by the fear in her eyes, it was probably best if he kept his distance.
Finally, he spoke. "How are you feeling?"
Lara shifted slightly against the pillows. Pain immediately shot through her side, but she refused to show it.
"I'm fine."
The truth was, she had never seen a man so handsome. He had the most perfect face and body she had ever seen.
Get a grip, she told herself sternly, trying to force her beating heart to slow down.
It didn't help that he was staring right at her.
Something in her gut twisted.