The Lycan King's Healer
The Lycan King’s Healer – Chapter 11

I gave him a blank look as I processed the news. My ex lover, who drugged me and coerced me to lock away my wife. Why would they ever want to meet with me again after that? Rage outpowered the confusion as I recalled Cathy admitting to me that Emily was behind the assassination attempt.

A coldness passed through me, and I nodded with a scheming smile. “Tell them to meet with me at my other cottage. Please accompany their needs until I arrive.” Let them enjoy their last meal, their last sip of wine.

The guard obeyed and swiftly retreated north down the dirt path, closer to the palace where I resided when I did not want to be under my mother and father’s jurisdiction. The cottage that hosted our wedding night, the wedding night Emily tarnished.

When I shut the door, I was grateful Cathy was tucked away in the kitchen. I contemplated how I was going to announce the request. I did not want her to rage in front of Theo. Bracing for the storm that she would most definitely brew, I wearily walked up to her.

I cleared my throat, placing a hand on the counter next to her. She faced the stove, contently concocting a simple meal for Theo—it looked like steamed vegetables with melted goat cheese.

“Who was that?” she asked absentmindedly.

A muscle in my jaw twitched as I looked down at her, wary. “Emily and Elias are in the area. They wish to meet with me.”

She didn’t react. “Theo, can you go pick some fruit from the garden?”

As the boy skipped out, I braced myself for her to explode. She was certainly requesting his exit so that she could combust.

But after a few moments passed, she did not fret. She merely continued to cook, as if she didn’t hear me at all.

I frowned, the calmness more disconcerting than any storm. “Cathy,” I murmured, feeling dumb. “Would you like to go with me?”

A line formed between her eyebrows, and she looked as if I asked her to eat a mudpie with me. She didn’t respond until she scraped the vegetables off the pan into a ceramic bowl.

“Aldrich, we’ve been separated for four years and our marriage only exists in name,” she said with a cold nonchalance, eyes only on the stove as she killed the flame. “Why would I go with you?”

“Because you’re my wife,” I responded in a small voice.

“Hardly,” she snapped, still not caring to look at me, “only in name—”

I decided her attitude was pissing me off—who did she think she was speaking to me in such a tone—and stepped closer, towering over her.

“So, you want more?” I snapped back, voice deepening.

Cathy

Aldrich suddenly grabbed my chin and forced my head up to lock eyes with him. Our wolves then slightly emerged; he was saturated in domineering, male hormones, drowning me. My own wolf was restless, eager to obey the moment he touched me. His eyes were swimming in mischief.

I glared up at him as an amused smile crossed his face. He did not look like the infamous war general in that moment; he looked like a cheeky, boyish prince.

“If you want to, we might as well…” he teased, his voice lightening. He stepped in closer, his lips dangerously lingering over my face.

I growled, ignoring the wolf inside me that wanted to rip off his clothes. “F**k off.”

Just then, I peeked over his shoulder and saw Theo returning inside. I stomped on Aldrich’s foot, and satisfaction ran through my bones at the gasp he made. Now it was his turn to glare at me, and my turn to smile.

I grabbed the bowl of vegetables and cheese and walked past him, smirking. I felt his excited rage as if it was a palpable object. Theo sat down at the table, his cheeks red from exploring the garden, and I placed the food in front of him. He gnawed at one of the apples he grabbed.

After he began eating, I turned back to walk to the sink and clean the pan. But Aldrich grabbed my wrist, ordering quietly in my ear, “Come with me.”

I froze. A part of me wanted to submit to his dominance, despite my former hatred for him. And I did not want him to act out in front of Theo.

“Fine,” I hissed, frowning at him, reluctant to obey any of his orders.

I limped back over to Theo and planted a k**s on his temple as he ate. “Honey, you think you can eat dinner by yourself tonight? I’ll be home to tuck you into bed.”

He nodded, too encompassed in shoving food into his mouth to reply.

With a departing chuckle, I joined Aldrich as he walked out the door. My smile dropped from my face as soon as we left, suddenly realizing what I’m agreeing to. I stood frozen by the door, my dread a storm cloud over my head.

“Is that what you’re going to wear?” Aldrich asked abruptly, eyes scanning over my body with a light frown.

I snapped my gaze up at him. “Why, you’ve got a problem?” I asked challengingly.

He slowly shook his head, as if a realization settled in. A sentimental look replaced his frown. “No,” he responded, his voice nearly low as a whisper. “Even in rags like this, you’re breathtaking.”

I faltered for a moment, at a loss for a reply. That is not what I expected him to say.

He must have seen the robbery of speech upon my face, an apologetic smile lightening his eyes. “Sorry,” he said, “anyway, I meant is that what you want to wear?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I mean, I have dealt you a whole lot of trouble and would like to make up for it,” he grinned, “perhaps like this.”

Still puzzled, he turned toward a servant under the willow tree, one that must have arrived with the guard–I didn’t even notice he was with us. My cheeks flushed knowing he witnessed Aldrich call me breathtaking.

“Good sir, please send a maid to bring the most luxurious of gowns and jewelry from the palace to our location,” he ordered, “I would bring her there, but I’d rather our dear Cathy not have to be the victim of my mother’s presence again.”

A grin then split his face. “Also, send someone to our guests and inform them we are going to be a while. Tell them I have some military affairs to deal with.”

The servant nodded and headed north along the dirt path.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

“Going back inside until your entourage arrives,” he cocked his eyebrows up at me and smiled, opening the door. “Technically, I didn’t lie. Dealing with you sometimes feels like preparing for war.”

Rolling my eyes, I followed him back inside. “This is ridiculous.”

“Just trust me, Cathy,” he said as he strolled over to the garden swing, lazily reclining onto it.

I bit my l*p nervously. I was not comfortable in dresses and makeup, not accustomed to being dressed in even slight luxury. The first time in my life I had even worn a gown was my wedding night.

Trying to veil my nervousness, I barked out a sharp laugh. “Trust you? Like that went so well the first time.”

A flash of hurt surfaced in his eyes before he settled his gaze to the floor. “I know,” he murmured, wisps of his long hair falling into his face. He looked like a guilty god.

Soon, the servant returned with a small crew of other servants and maids. They lugged an expensive looking chest inside, and it seemed like a foreign object inside my quaint, flower filled home. Despite my reluctance to dress up, I marveled at the gowns, glistening like sapphires and emeralds. The jewelry looked like forbidden pieces of treasure, shimmering necklaces and earrings of gilded butterflies and roses. The maid sat me down and got to work on my hair, brushing through the knots. She effortlessly arranged it into a waterfall braid, and it cascaded down my back. I closed my eyes as she blotted color on my eyelids and cheekbones.

I ended up picking the red gown; the skirts were embroidered with rubies, matching the gilded ruby in the necklace I chose. It was the first time I actually represented my title before it was ripped away from me: a princess. Sadness twisted in my stomach as I remembered how badly the old Cathy wanted to feel like this, instead feeling like a hag compared to the prince. I turned to my hanging mirror and straightened my back, rolling back my shoulders with confidence. Tonight, I would avenge that girl in every way.

Emily

As I sat with my husband on the couch, I couldn’t stop daydreaming about seeing my ex-lover.

Even when his servant informed us that he would not arrive for a while due to military matters, my spirit did not deflate. I tried to conceal my excitement, but my husband was too distracted by his annoyance to notice.

He had a troubled look on his face, clearly upset at Aldrich deliberately delaying our meeting. I rested a hand upon his knee.

“Do not worry, my Elias,” I coaxed, “he will be here soon.” To soon be wooed by your wife.

It had been years since I’ve last seen him. But I knew he could not resist my charm, for he had always fallen victim to it in the past. No one forgets their first love, either. I smirked to myself as I mused that I’ll have two princes fawning over me soon.

Prince Aldrich will fall in love with me all over again, if he ever even fell out of love in the first place. I doubted it.