My chest swelled with a rush of something I couldn’t name pride, awe, fragile hope? It didn’t matter. It was the first time in weeks that she’d taken initiative beyond the basics.
Until her heart beat spiked.
What the hell is wrong with you, Sargis? I scolded myself inwardly. I didn’t think. I hadn’t even paused at the door, just charged in like some reckless fool the second I heard her heartbeat spiral. But what shattered me wasn’t the nudity I accidentally walked in on.
It was the look in her eyes. She was curled in on herself, trembling, crying so silently I almost didn’t register the tears. And the worst part?
She looked afraid of me.
I clenched my fists.
I wanted to hold her. To drop to my knees and just be still beside her until the storm inside her passed. To do something, anything to pull her out of whatever memory had gripped her so tightly she forgot the present.
But I couldn’t.
Not yet.
She wouldn’t let me touch her even if I tried, and I respected that. God, I hated it, but I respected it.
One month.
It’s been one whole month since she came here, since she collapsed in my arms half-starved, and dead, and not once had she made a request.
She did what she was told to do, took the medication without protest, endured the treatments and IVs without so much as a glance of discomfort.
But she never asked. Not for a glass of water, clothes, or even to be left alone. As if she believed she wasn’t allowed to want anything.
It’s been exhausting. Trying to balance the affairs of an entire kingdom with her recovery. I’d handed nearly everything to Lupercus, trusting him to manage the day-to-day rulings and petitions. Only the matters that demanded my seal or my presence crossed my path.
One of those matters was currently rotting in the palace dungeon.
Joe. And eight others.
Lupercus had been swift in his investigation. Not surprising, he wasn’t the prime enforcer for no reason. And just like I had suspected, all evidence was stacked high against Joe and his minions. They weren’t dead. No, death was too kind. Every whimper Narine released in her sleep, every flinch at a soft knock or the rustling of fabric, was a currency I made them pay for.
Tenfold.
Every time she suffered, so would they. Though they had all blatantly denied the allegations, taking advantage of the fact that I couldn’t kill them without going through proper protocols, and I didn’t have the time to pay them a proper visit either, to look into their eyes and dare them to repeat the same thing that were documented in the report to my face.
But in the end, it wouldn’t be my justice, I wouldn’t take that from her. When she was ready, the power to end them would rest in her hands.
The soft click of the door broke my thoughts.
She stepped out, barefoot, quiet as always. Dressed in one of my loose shirts and those adjustable shorts Lychia had hemmed for her. She’d been wearing my clothes since the day she arrived. Not because we lacked the means to buy her more. Hasmik had tried, countless times, but I forbade her because I selfishly liked it.
She smelled like me. And that made the beast in me curl with satisfaction.
She didn’t look at me. Just brushed past and settled on the bed, her movements were slow, but more coordinated than they were weeks ago. She ignored me, as usual. Part of me wondered if she was mad because I barged into the bathroom earlier like a complete idiot.
She’d cut her hair. I noticed.
Gone were the thick, knotted dreadlocks that shielded her face. What remained was soft platinum, uneven from the scissor cuts, barely brushing her nape.
It was the first time I truly saw her. Without that veil of hair, she looked… young but striking.
“I’m so sorry for barging in,” I murmured, keeping my voice low, unsure if she was listening.
No response as expected.
“I really, truly am. I didn’t mean to disrespect you. I panicked… I heard your heartbeat falter. I just…” I sighed and trailed off. My words felt worthless.
Her gaze flicked to mine for a second and then turned away again.
“You’ve been cooped up in here for a month,” I tried again, gently. “If you want… we can stroll through the palace gardens. Stretch your limbs a little. You might like the lilies. They just bloomed.”
Still nothing.
“Maravek says you can start light solids today. That’s good news.”
She turned her face toward the window again, with her back to me.
I picked up the tablet we’d set on her bedside table. Though she never used it.
“I was wondering… if there’s something you’ve been craving. Something specific you’d like the kitchen to make,” I offered, holding it out to her.
Her eyes flicked down to the tablet.
Then closed.
I sighed again, defeated, and began to retract it. But her fingers caught it.
My breath caught in my throat.
She held the device in both hands and stared at the screen like it was a foreign artifact. Did she never use a phone? Did they keep her that cut off?
I moved slowly, so slowly you’d think I was taming a wild fawn, and leaned in.
She flinched.
“I just want to show you how it works,” I whispered.
She hesitated.
Then, without a word, she stretched the tablet out to me. I reached for it, careful to keep my hand from brushing hers.
“There’s no password,” I mumbled, showing her the smooth surface of the tablet screen. “All you need to do is swipe up. That unlocks it.”
“You can open the ‘Notes’ app here,” I continued, tapping the icon. “You just type whatever you want, and press this little speaker icon… right here.” I pointed carefully. “It will read your message aloud. If you don’t want to use the voice option, you can also just type your message and show it to someone. That works just as well.”
I look at her as she intently focused on the tab. Her lashes were thick and pale, casting soft shadows over her hollow cheeks. She was really listening.
“If you’d ever like to reach me directly… You can open ‘Messages’. … See this little green bubble? Just tap it and type anything. It’ll come straight to me, wherever I am.”
I didn’t push further. I leaned back, giving her space.
Her fingers twitched on the screen. I watched as she slowly began to type. Her eyes flicked up at me once, then back to the device.
My smile bloomed. This was the most interaction she’d had with anyone since she arrived.
She turned the screen to me.
‘What do you want from me, Supreme Alpha?’
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