The Lycan King's Healer
The Lycan King’s Healer – Chapter 24

Aldrich finally came home from battle. He looked gorgeous as ever, his long hair flowing in the autumn breeze, his eyes glowing. I missed those eyes so much—it felt like stepping into a familiar forest each time I lost myself in them. He looked like the princes in old fairytales and folklores returning from battle, and I realized we were living in one.

I ran up to him in a field of flowers. The flowers danced and sang around us, cheering on our reunion. My dress was white like my wedding gown, except this time it was more of a silky slip dress. He ran to me, grinning that grin that looked like a schoolboy looking at the love of his life for the first time.

My eyes teared with relief as soon as I was in his arms. His scent— the woody lavender–was one I had been desperately clinging to remember in his absence. I pressed my face against his chest, sniffling.

“Don’t cry, my Cathy,” Aldrich murmured. He grabbed my chin and lifted it up so that our eyes met. I couldn’t help but smile at him.

“I just missed you so much more than I thought I would,” I gasped, holding him tightly, “I felt like I was going crazy without you here with me.”

He rubbed my back soothingly, drawing circles upon my spine. He caressed my cheek with his other hand.“I’m here now,” he drawled, “I’m here now.”

I then looked at his lips and felt hungry. I had been starving for them for too long. He followed my gaze and with a cheeky grin, he drew our faces together. We kissed with a slow, passionate fever, and I felt like I was melting with joy.

Something wet and warm suddenly dripped onto my chest. I ignored it, deeming it some rain or water from the plants. But it kept dripping and dripping, drenching my chest and eventually soaking my dress.

Frowning, I pulled away to look down and gasped. Dark, deep red stained the white of my dress, saturating it with an ominous crimson. I looked up at him and realized in horror that the b***d was coming from him.

There was an arrow impaling through his neck, b***d streaming down in ribbons, and he grinned at me. The b***d sprayed onto the flowers, staining the pretty petals. They withered and died, stained red with his b***d.

“What’s wrong?” Aldrich asked obliviously, still grinning.

I woke up screaming. I did not remember how to open my eyes, and I was screaming with them squeezed shut, stuck in the void of darkness.

A hand flew down to my mouth. Gasping, my eyes flew open in shock at that, and I discovered Alan standing over the bed.

“Jesus Christ, Cathy,” he sighed, removing his hand when I stopped screaming. My breaths came out heavy and ragged, my chest heaving.

As I tried to catch my breath, I stared up at him for a moment then discovered I was in my bedroom. There was no bleeding Aldrich, no dead flowers. Only my luxurious comforter around me, my plush pillows holding my head, and Alan looking concerned.

“I passed out,” I breathed, cursing to myself. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” he laughed. He sat down on the foot of the bed, wincing slightly.

“Because you’re the one in pain,” I demanded, “That was weak of me. I don’t know why that happened.”

He looked at me with a disapproving expression, cocking an eyebrow. “I think you know exactly why.”

I tried to feign confusion, frowning. “I don’t.”

“I know we don’t cross paths as often as we should,” he clarified, frowning at me, “but I’m not oblivious. Aldrich appointed me to care for Theo, but also for you.”

This was my worst nightmare, worse than the one I just had. The second Alan knew anything, he would instantly report to Aldrich. And that couldn’t happen.

“Alan, I’m fine,” I said, pretending to shrug it off, “it was a nightmare. Chill out.”

“Then why did you pass out?” he demanded, his voice edged with annoyance.

“I was worried for you. You’re my friend and the closest thing I have to Aldrich,” I responded pathetically. I rolled my eyes as if this was the most unnecessary conversation.

He glared down at me. “I’m going to give you two options to choose from,” he drawled, “you’re going to tell Aldrich what is going on, or you’re going to tell me.”

“There is nothing going on, Alan! Why won’t you just listen–” I cut off as he rubbed at his bandaged leg, and even though I knew he tried veiling it, he was in a lot of pain.

I couldn’t help but feel responsible. I was withholding information to protect Aldrich, but at what cost? I had to protect the people that were here right now. Danika was shot at and Alan got hit—maybe that would not have happened if I alerted him or the guards.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, trying not to cry.

Sympathy replaced the anger on his face, and he instantly softened. “What are you sorry for now?”

“There have been very strange things happening,” I admitted, and it felt like removing an anchor from my chest. “And I feel like this is all my fault.” I gestured to his leg, dangling in its bandage looking broken.

I ignored his protests and stood from the bed, beelining for my medicine safe. After it worked on Alan so effortlessly, I made sure the salve I mixed with my b***d was readily available on a shelf of my necessities.

“You don’t have to do that again,” he argued.

I shook my head, releasing my wolf claws to nick my finger. I squeezed more droplets into the salve, trying not to flinch at the sight of dripping b***d after the nightmare.

“But I do,” I looked at him and walked back over to the bed before unwrapping his bandage. The wound was ugly and deep; the arrow head was wide, and must have taken long to remove.

I smoothed the salve over the raw wound and he flinched. “I want to tell you what’s been happening, Alan. But you have to promise not to tell Aldrich.”

He stared at me like he was trying to see inside my skull for the answers, his jaw clenching. His loyalty to Aldrich ran deeper than any other promise, and I didn’t know if he’d run to tell him immediately. He considered for a moment before sighing.

“I swear to the Moon Goddess,” he reluctantly said, and I let out a breath of relief.

***

I’m going to try again, the sweet voice in my head murmured, how are you doing?

And I’m going to try to tell you again, I mocked, I am doing just fine.

Alan kept his word. As I pretended to enjoy my time in the garden, I mindlinked Aldich to show that my hobby had not died, and that there was no reason to worry. To my satisfaction, there was no suspicion in his thoughts to me.

I am actually watering a family of happy sunflowers as we speak, I said to him, and I heard him chuckle to himself. I didn’t like lying to him entirely; at least I could be honest with the gardening.

I guess I just worry about you. Before you get mad, I know you don’t need my protection, he admitted.

I tended to the sunflowers, straightening their long spines. At least you’re right about one thing. I could beat your a*s, big bad army general.

Trust me, I know you could, he said with amusement, I miss your crazy self.

I didn’t know what to say to that, and quietly plucked at any dead petals.

I worry about you, too, I admitted instead.

In that moment, I wished I could see the grin that would spread his face at that. I missed him more than I’d ever admit.

Why? he asked as if I just told him the dumbest thing in the world. Why would you worry about me?

What, I can’t worry about you? I demanded.

Because that’s just dumb. I’m a decorated army general that’s been doing this for years. You should not worry about me.

I can worry about you if I want, I snapped, I love you, you idiot, of course I—

I paused, sucking in a breath. I didn’t mean that, I cowardly added in a haste. There was a buffer of silence on the other end of the tunnel. Before he could answer, I shut down the conversation, quickly leaving the garden.