The Lycan King's Healer
The Lycan King’s Healer – Chapter 74

The dread became heavy in my stomach the moment they left.

I felt cold when Aldrich was gone. It was like losing the sun, the land becoming a snowy and desolate wasteland where nothing lives. The only rays of light came from Theo.

He looked like the light in him was completely gone after the vampire attack.

I hadn’t slept in two nights, but there were still things that needed to be done. I needed to tend to my son and make sure he was okay.

The royal therapist and I sat in his bedroom, where three guards manned the door and outside the window. It probably didn’t help his fear, but we had to make sure what happened didn’t happen again.

I sat with him on my lap, arms wrapped around him while I cradled him in a fluffy duvet.

“I want daddy,” was the only thing he said, seemingly refusing to say anything else.

On one hand, I was thrilled that he was referring to Aldrich as his daddy and that he felt safe with him around. He also liked to study Aldrich’s methods of protection so that he could be the sole protector and heir one day. Even at five years old, he knew what he was meant to be.

On the other hand, I knew it was because he did not feel safe with me.

He had gotten to the age where he was aware that I was not as strong as Aldrich, and seemed to connect that bad things only happened when Aldrich or Alan was around-they did save his life.

I tried to save his life too, but horribly failed, and he saw it. I used to be his protector, someone he’d warn strangers about. He knew his mommy would kick anyone’s a*s. I paled in comparison now to his father.

“Are you ready to talk about how you feel?” the therapist asked him gently, equipped with a notepad and drawing book.

Theo shook his head, cradled silently against me.

“Are you willing to draw for us then?” she prompted.

He shook his head.

“Alright,” she sighed, managing to give him an understanding smile, “I’ll ask you one more thing.

Would you like to color in this picture book?”

He nodded.

understanding smile, “I’ll ask you one more thing.

Would you like to color in this picture book?”

He nodded.

“Great, Theo. Thank you.” She handed over the picture book of wild animals, and he sat up from my lap to start coloring in the illustrated drawing of a tiger. He began to color it a deep midnight blue.

“How do you think he’s doing?” I asked her as he became distracted with it.

“He’s definitely in some shock” she concluded. sighing, “but once Aldrich comes home and the family is back together, I think he will resume back to normal.”

“He thinks I can’t protect him,” I mumbled, ” after the vampire stole him from his own bedroom ..his mom wasn’t there to protect him, and his daddy and Alan came to the rescue. Now they’re gone and he’s terrified.”

“As long as you stay with him, he will feel safe,” she assured me, patting my hand as I watched Theo defeatedly. “Sleep with him overnight. Get some rest.”

“Thank you, doctor,” I smiled tiredly.

That night, I held him to me the tightest I ever have, practicing how hard I’d hold on to him if another vampire tried to steal him. Before we fell asleep, he looked at me like he had something he desperately wanted to say, but just could not get it out. I questioned this, but was too tired to try to get it out of him. I fell asleep hard and deep after a long lack of sleep.

I had pleasant and distant dreams of Aldrich and Theo frolicking in the lavender fields together.

***

When I woke up early in the morning, I decided to go down to the kitchen to bring some breakfast in bed to Theo for when he woke up.

When I opened the door, the guards from last night were no longer there.

I frowned in puzzlement, looking up and down the hallway. I was pretty sure Aldrich ordered the guards for 3 men to be always stationed outside.

Did they leave when the sun came up, deeming it useless to guard from creatures that can’t emerge yet?

I creeped into the hallway, dressed in only my silk nightgown. No one was awake yet; the corridor was hauntingly quiet. My heart involuntarily started to race, growing nervous at the empty sight. An empty, quiet estate meant there was something wrong.

The therapist said to stay with Theo; I couldn’t leave him again. I turned around, seeing that he was fast asleep.

It’d take only two seconds. I would investigate then come right back with blueberry muffins.

Plus, if something happened to the guards, I had to make sure the estate was secure.

I tiptoed down the corridor, a cold chill running up my spine and raising goosebumps on my arms. Something in my stomach felt wrong, the silence making me nauseous from the eeriness.

I stopped at Danika’s door, lightly knocking.

Crossing my arms tightly to my chest, I waited for her, listening closely for anything in this damn estate. There was nothing, not even the distant clangor of kitchen tools.

She eventually opened the door, and I felt a little more at ease when I saw her face. Even though she was clearly annoyed to be awakened so early.

“Is everything okay?” she asked with a slight alarm in her exasperation.

“Uh, yeah I think so,” I frowned, running a hand through my hair, “um, I’m just going to make sure though. Can you watch Theo for five minutes? He’s sleeping.”

She g*****d, rubbing her eyes. “Well, as long as he’s sleeping.” After a moment, she blinked at me, narrowing her eyes. “What is going on?”

“I’m just going to investigate.”

My sister sighed, waving me off. “You’re so weird. Go do that, whatever it is, I don’t want to know.”

“Thank you, Danika,” I said, looking at her as I remembered the weird jealous look in her eyes yesterday. “I really appreciate all your help with Theo.”

“What are aunts for? Somebody’s gotta be cool in this family,” she teased.

After she went to Theo’s room, I continued my silent and cautious trek down the hallway. All the way down the stairs, there was no one to be seen.

No servants or guards. The lack of staff didn’t deeply concern me, but the guard did. As I descended the stairs, dread curled in my stomach.

The vampires must have slipped through the guards. There was no way Aldrich would allow a lack of protection of all of us, even if it was day time. I wandered through the criminally empty foyer, my heart beginning to pound even more.

Was there no one guarding the window my son was stolen from? Outraged, my anger beginning to simmer over my fear, I stormed toward the back door to check outside.

I opened the grand doors to reveal a nightmare.

A cluster of dead guards were all piled on each other, freshly wounded and killed. They either looked drained of b***d or ripped into several pieces. I gasped, a cry falling out my lips.

The massacre was not the worst part.

A stray vampire with b***d on his lips slowly approached me, grinning murderously.