Daiman.
I lay in bed, relishing the rare moment of solitude after Ruby left to pick up her son from school. I had asked her to do the same for my daughter, Anna, knowing how excited she would be to see her angelic friend waiting for her.
The thought of Anna’s joy warmed my heart, and making her happy was my intention and the least I could do after leaving her to go on a life-threatening adventure.
I felt grateful to Ruby for being here for her, even though it wasn’t her responsibility. Despite everything, I couldn’t shake off the awe I felt towards Ruby for saving me.
Waking up to find her sleeping beside my bed touched me deeply and made my heart flutter in a weird way, and I couldn’t resist pulling her closer to me. She looked so serene and beautiful in her slumber, and when she confessed she had saved me despite knowing I had risked my life just to save my dead mate, I knew at that moment I couldn’t help but feel undeserving of her kindness.
It was evident that Ruby hadn’t been truthful when she claimed she saved me solely to extract information for her revenge on Lilth. I knew she was capable of achieving her goal without my assistance. Ruby may not realise it, but she possesses both beauty and strength, with significant potential. While she shouldn’t have felt obligated to save my life, I am grateful that she did.
I reflected on her actions, and my mind slowly wandered to the boy in the forest who bore a resemblance to Ruby’s son. He had guided me through the forest of darkness to the Flower of Life, a crucial step in my survival. Without his assistance, I might not have reached my destination or avoided falling into the clutches of the deceptive woman impersonating my deceased mate. The thought of his assistance filled me with gratitude and a sense of indebtedness.
It was obvious I had been mistaken, and now I was almost convinced it wasn’t Ruby’s son because there was no way in hell a little boy could find his way there and know so many things about the forest of darkness and the flower of life, and besides, just like Ava, he could be a ghost who took his face, but a good kind of ghost. An angel ghost?
Maybe
The sound of the door cracking open interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see the doctor entering the room alone. Confusion crossed my mind, as I had anticipated it would be James, my beta.
“Where’s James?” I inquired, my voice tinged with concern. The doctor’s troubled expression only added to my growing unease.
“I’m not sure. He came to fetch me but disappeared immediately. I apologise for being late, Alpha. I was in the emergency room, attending to a patient with a critical condition. Leaving him at that moment to come to you would have resulted in his death. He is only an ordinary wolf and isn’t as strong as you,” the doctor replied, bowing his head with uncertainty. Before I could fully process the doctor’s words, his focus shifted to me, and I saw shock wash over his face.
“I don’t understand… Your beta described your condition as critical, a matter of life and death. He said you weren’t breathing and shared an image of you in my head, which led me to forsake everything after ensuring the patient was stable,” the doctor exclaimed, disbelief evident in his tone.
Ruby had claimed she saved my life, and I believed her, having witnessed her save those children at the sick bay using alpha blood. But this time, how had she managed it? Could she have asked Liam for his blood again? She wouldn’t dare contaminate mine with that asshole’s blood, would she?
Confusion gnawed at me as I tried to make sense of the situation. It was difficult to fathom how Ruby had rescued me from the brink of death and seemingly restored me to health in such a short time frame.
The doctor’s words only added to the mystery, leaving me with more questions than answers, all of which only Ruby could provide.
“Alpha, do you recall anything?” The doctor inquired, his brows knitting together in bewilderment as he tried to comprehend the sudden turnaround in my condition.
“Nothing, doctor. The last thing I remember is collapsing as soon as I entered the pack,”
“But how? How did this happen?” He stammered, clearly perplexed by the unexpected turn of events. I couldn’t tell him that Ruby had done this, so I simply shrugged, as if equally clueless.
“I have no idea, doc. If I did, you wouldn’t be here. It seems like one of those miraculous recoveries that occur once in a lifetime.” I responded with a faint hint of amusement, though my mind was still reeling from Ruby’s inexplicable intervention. She had acted decisively and independently, as if it were effortless.
“Well, I suppose stranger things have happened,” the doctor muttered, shaking his head. “But I’ll need to conduct a thorough examination to confirm that you’re truly fine.” I nodded in agreement, eager to put his concerns to rest.
“Sure, go ahead. But I have a feeling you won’t find anything wrong with me,” I said with a wry grin, attempting to lighten the mood despite the lingering confusion. I needed to understand the extent of Ruby’s healing abilities; she might hold the key to werewolf immortality.
“You’re better than before-as good as new,” the doctor declared after about five minutes of a thorough examination.
“Thanks, Doc,” I said, and he bowed his head before exiting the room. I decided to contact one of the pack warriors through our telepathic link.
“Hey, Marcus, have you seen James around?” I transmitted my message silently, hoping for a quick response. A few moments passed before Marcus replied, his voice echoing in my mind.
“Sorry, Alpha, but James left the pack territory earlier today. He didn’t say where he was going, and he seemed to be in a rush.”
My brows furrowed in confusion at James’s sudden departure. It was out of character for him to leave without informing me, especially given my critical condition earlier. What could have prompted him to abandon me in my dead bed?
“Thanks, Marcus. Keep me informed if you hear anything,” I replied, masking the unease creeping into my thoughts.
I pondered James’s unexpected absence, a sense of foreboding washing over me as I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Then, it hit me like a wave crashing over me-the Flower of Life.
Horror washed over me as I glanced at my hands, recalling that I had been holding the precious flower before I had passed out, and now it was nowhere to be found.
Panic began to rise within me. Had James betrayed me? The thought sent shivers down my spine. Surely, he wouldn’t dare deceive me like this. Despite my doubts, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and frantically began scouring the room, overturning every object in search of the flower.
Time stretched on endlessly as I combed through every nook and cranny, but my efforts yielded no results. After what felt like an hour of fruitless searching, I slumped onto the nearest chair, defeated and filled with dread.
As I sat there, the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. It was becoming increasingly clear that James, my loyal beta, had betrayed me. Only he knew the importance of the flower-except Ruby, who I was sure wouldn’t have taken it, knowing its significance to me.
Though I should trust him, given his lifelong service, the disappearance of the Flower of Life coinciding with his absence was too much of a coincidence to ignore. Anger simmered beneath the surface as I contemplated the implications of his betrayal.
He was the one person I had trusted implicitly, yet he had stolen the most precious and powerful artefact I had risked my life to possess. But why?
The implications of his actions were dire, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of betrayal mingled with disbelief. How could he do this to me? Had our bond meant nothing to him? These questions circled endlessly in my mind, but one thing was certain: I couldn’t afford to let his betrayal go unpunished.
Lost in thought, I resolved to find James, punish him, and reclaim what was rightfully mine, regardless of the consequences. As I sat there, the door swung open, and without looking up, I assumed it was the doctor, possibly returning for something forgotten.
“Daddy!” A soft voice called out, instantly recognisable, and a small smile replaced the frown on my lips. I turned to see my daughter, her face lighting up with joy as she saw me.