The Lycan King's Healer
The Lycan King’s Healer – Chapter 43

Cathy

I did not slap him, nor backhand him. That was too nice.

I curled my fingers into a fist and smacked it across his face, making blunt force with his nose. Everyone gasped, some smiled, some laughed, some cried out. But mostly, they laughed.

His face immediately reddened, matching the color of the liquid coming out of his nose. Emily could blackmail me all she wanted, but with Aldrich stationed by my side, I could do anything, and get away with it, too.

I hoped Theo didn’t see that. I scanned for him in the crowd, and saw Danika covering his eyes. Alan was beside her, grinning like he just won a million dollars.

“Every time you see your broken nose in the mirror, remember me,” I hissed at him before turning to walk away.

The crowd watched me in delight before eventually dispersing back to its original knot. Some people applauded me on my trek through the room, others smiled at me like I was a new shiny toy.

I had officially made my memorable debut into the royal family.

Aldrich followed me through the crowd. I made my way over to Theo, who was looking at me with furrowed eyebrows.

“Mommy, what did I miss?” he demanded, outraged. “Auntie didn’t let me see!”

I chuckled, picking him up. He slipped his arms around my neck. “It was nothing interesting, Theo. Just adult stuff.”

He stuck his tongue out. “I hate adult stuff.”

“Exactly,” I laughed, rubbing his back.

Aldrich turned to us, smiling. He looked like he had a thousand words to say. “Let’s just say your mom has monstrous balls.”

“Balls?” Theo repeated, confused. “Where? I wanna play!”

I shot a glare at Aldrich, and Alan combusted into a fit of laughter. Aldrich smirked sheepishly.

“She just punched a prince right in the face, mate,” Alan warned, laughing.

“I think I know who’s next,” I muttered, hiding my smile.

“Let’s not be rash here,” Aldrich said, throwing his hands up in defense. “How about a dance, then you can decide the next prince you’re going to punch?”

It was then my smile came out, and I nodded. “Fine. One dance.”

Holding Theo to me, Aldrich, Alan, Danika, and I traveled back to the dance floor. There was a whimsical number playing, something light and airy that made my bones want to fly. Danika passed me a flute of champagne and I sipped from it eagerly. Despite my deal with Emily, I did not let that ruin my time with my loved ones. Regardless of how this night was going to end, in this moment, everyone was with me and safe. Aldrich took a shot of some strong liquor and winced, the strong army general falling victim to a drink. Danika danced with Alan, making fun of his moves. Theo squealed in delight as I spun him to the quaint, joyous tune.

Clearly, the hunter had nothing to do with Emily. And if Benjamin and Elias were involved, I did not understand why they would be so blatant about it in public, unless they wanted to avoid coming off as too nice and result in looking suspicious.

When the song ended, Alan grabbed my hand and twirled me around. I laughed, allowing for me to spin until I knocked into Aldrich.

“Looks like you’ll have to punch him after all!” Alan said, grinning as I stumbled against his chest. He slipped an arm around my waist.

“You better watch yourself, Alan,” Aldrich chuckled.

“I will right after I tend to my duties, my Lord,” Alan mockingly bent into a bow before disappearing into the crowd, most likely to meet with the guards for an update.

I hoped they did not tell him about my unplanned meeting in the hallway.

***

A drunk Emily and Elias were quarreling outside of the banquet; not in the hallway, but on the grounds, so no one would hear them. Emily wasn’t exactly drunk, but Elias seemed to drink every droplet of liquor in the ballroom to stifle the embarrassment of the blow to Benjamin’s face, and everyone laughing at them.

He was enraged, dripping with anger. “I saw how you watched Aldrich and Cathy dance,” he growled, throwing his glass at a tree behind Emily. It shattered by her head, and she jumped away from the shards.

“What do you mean?” she asked innocently, stepping back from him as if she was intimidated.

“You still love him,” Elias slurred, his words blending together with alcohol.

That annoyed her. Defensively, she hissed at him bitterly, “If I really loved him, would I have someone shoot him in the face?”

He hesitated for a moment before looking down, swaying back and forth. She attempted to calm him down, placing a hand on his arm.

“You have to stay focused on our mission, Elias. Now sober up,” she snapped, her face hardening, “the bird is in position.”

Clearly, the hunter had nothing to do with Emily. And if Benjamin and Elias were involved, I did not understand why they would be so blatant about it in public, unless they wanted to avoid coming off as too nice and result in looking suspicious.

***

After a few songs passed, Aldich turned to Theo and I. Now that Benjamin and Elias were off somewhere, I was genuinely beginning to enjoy the night. My face flushed due to the result of three champagne flutes.

“Would you like to escape with me?” he asked.

Theo protested. “I want to stay and dance!”

Danika turned to me, looking bored without Alan to tease. However, she flushed when Aldrich’s arm brushed hers. “I’ll stay here with him,” she said, and I smiled at her gratefully.

He led me through the flock of people, and we were greeted with smiles and lifted champagne flutes thanks to our little number. Apparently, the public did not prefer the first prince Benjamin. They now looked at me like I belonged, like it was normal to replace me slung around Aldrich’s arm.

We walked over to the arching entrance to the balcony. I looked up at him curiously, confused as to why he chose this. It didn’t seem his style.The guards opened the double French door for us before we stepped into the dazzling night.

The balcony overlooked the mountains and all the wooded fields. Despite the clouds, the moon still looked dazzling, casting rays through the thin spots of cloud like a silver watch gleaming through something sheer. The air smelled like dewdrops and crisp leaves.

Aldrich watched me, looking at me with amusement. I was puzzled by how he was looking at me and not the view.

“This is where I came to escape all the attention. The suitors, the drooling admirers. I loathed how everyone treated me like I was better than them. The lack of respect people had for themselves around me,” he recalled, looking distant while shaking his head. “I hated it.”

He looked out at the stars, reminiscing. “The night I met you, I remember standing out here, against the railing. A banquet was being thrown for me after my four-year awaited return, and I was sitting out here,” he chuckled, a smile beginning to spread on his face, “all I could think about was Theo and you. The way you stood up for yourself against me. I think I fell in love with you the moment you were rude to me.”

I laughed, trying not to trip too hard over fell in love with.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, booming in my ears like an explosion on my shoulder.