Chapter 4


    Chapter 4 He said stay


    CA SSANDRA


    The next few hours passed byboriously. As we waited for the guards to return with some sort of news


    about the viper, Marley and I did all we could to keep the boyfortable. We took his temperature,


    monitored his heart rate, and continued to apply coldpresses to keep his fever from rising any


    higher.


    Meanwhile, it took all of my concentration to remain perfectly focused on the boy. My mind was trying to


    wander to different ces, and Asher Cellins wasn’t helping. The Alpha King remained close to us as


    we attended to his son, and it was unclear if he was monitoring our treatment or just studying me.


    The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up as chills continuously ran down my spine. I wasn’t


    the kind of woman who got nervous easily, but the Alpha King’s very presence set every inch of my


    body on edge.


    Of all of the people to be here, he was thest one I’d ever have expected, and my emotions were


    running wild. I wasn’t sure whether to cry or be relieved to see him after so long. All I knew was that


    this was unbelievablyplicated.


    After long, a pair of guards returned. They’d finally tracked down the viper. Luckily, it was one that I’d


    seen in a medical book. I ryed all of the information I knew to Marley and Asher, and the pair of them


    seemed relieved to know there was


    a potential cure.


    The Alpha King had assigned guards to apany Marley back to the clinic to procure the herbs


    needed to heal the boy. My assistant seemed nervous to be surrounded by such heavily-weaponed


    men, but she epted the help.


    Haff an hourter, she returned with the herbs, and we got to work. We prepared a salve to apply


    directly to the wound, and then used others to brew a tea that would treat the boy internally. The prince


    was weak, but we managed to help him get enough of the tea into his system to treat him properly.


    Hours passed by, and by dusk, the boy finally became stable. After much fitful moaning and crying,


    he’d finally fallen into a quiet sleep. The blueness of his lips had disappeared, and color had returned to


    his cheeks. Beneath the salve, the


    swollenness of the bite had eased.


    Once he was sustained, I sent Marley back home. She put up a bit of a fight and insisted on staying


    with me, but I pushed back and told her she needed to go back. to her boys.


    “They’re going to be excited to show you what they hunted in the forest,” I’d reminded her. “They need


    you more than I do right now.”


    After a little more convincing, Marley agreed to go, and once she packed up and left the Pack House,


    I’d turned to the rest of the people standing around in the chamber and asked for some time alone with


    my patient. The guards seemed hesitant to leave me alone with the prince, but the Alpha King heeded


    my request and ordered the others to do the same. They filtered out of the chamber, and once they


    were gone, I released a sigh.


    As much as the quiet was nice, asking everyone to leave us was more of an excuse than anything. My


    patient was stable, but I needed time to think and process the emotions that swirled around in my mind


    like a storm.


    I hadn’t been prepared to see Asher again, and I was surprised to see just how much he’d changed


    over the years. He was the Alpha King now, and as such, he was the ruthless leader of the Wega


    Empire. In the past, he’d seemed hesitant to take on the position, but it seemed like he’d embraced his


    destiny.


    Not only that, but he had a son.


    I nced over at the boy. Was he also the son of Adalyn Moses?


    A pang of sadness struck me. He had to be. Asher had abandoned me all those years ago and left me


    to suffer for the sake of marrying Adalyn. It would make sense that he’d have a son with her.


    I


    My chest suddenly felt tight, and for a moment, I thought I was about to cry, but I forced those feelings


    down. Asher Collins was the Alpha King now. What he


    did was none of my business anymore, and I couldn’t let him affect me like this.


    Besides, I had Finnick and my career here in the Wild Crawler Pack, not to mention my dear friend


    Marley and her family. I was loved and respected here, and that’s all I needed.


    I looked back at the prince. He reminded me a little of Finnick, though they didn’t look alike. The prince


    had a sweet round face and soft curly hair, just like his mother, Adalyn. She’d been the most beautiful


    she-wolf in the Crescent Pack, so it was unsurprising her son took after her.


    My Finnick had a more serious appearance, much like his father. He was cute, but there was


    something mature and intelligent in his eyes.


    Suddenly, a soft whimper interrupted my thoughts, and when I looked over, I watched the prince roll on


    his side. His sheets were thoroughly soaked from perspiration, and his forehead appeared damp as


    well.


    “Oh, sweetheart,” I murmured, and I hopped to my feet. The poor child was at risk of catching a cold.


    I rushed over to the door, and peeked my head out. A pair of guards stood at attention, and they stared


    at me with expressions of concern.


    “I need a se rvant,” I said. “The prince needs a fresh set of nkets.”


    The guards nodded, and one of them disappeared down the hall. I stepped back into the chamber, and


    a few minutester, the doors flew open to reveal a pair of se rvants with piles of fresh linens. But they


    weren’t alone. Asher Collins walked int with them, and his gray eyes shed with concern.


    “How is he?” he demanded as he rushed over, but when he caught sight of his son, his expression


    softened.


    “Better,” I answered gently. “I just thought he would be morefortable with fresh sheets.”


    “Oh,” Asher said simply, and he nodded. It was clear that he was a caring father,


    and it was strange to seem him in this light.


    I stepped aside as the se rvants changed the prince’s sheets, and as Asher spoke quietly to his son, I


    felt a lump form once again in my throat. My stomach turned and for a moment, I thought I was going to


    throw up. Tears welled in my eyes, and I dug my nails into my palms.


    This was too hard.


    Once the ser vants were done, they left the chamber, and I wanted to follow. So, I turned to Asher.


    “Your son just needs rest,” I managed to say. “He’s recovering quite well, so I think I should take my


    leave.”


    Before he could say another word, I turned on my heels and headed toward the doors. I’d nearly made


    it there when Asher’s voice rang through the chamber.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    “Stay,” he demanded.


    I froze for a moment, and then took a step forward. Then he spoke again, his voice hardened and


    deadly serious.


    “I said stay.”-