Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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My morning alarms blare, and I realize that I spent the entire night staring at the mirror across from my bed. I get up, begin my morning routine, and head down for breakfast. I pause at the dining room entrance when I see Ragnar sitting at the head of the table with a coffee in one hand and a phone in the other. He looks up and smiles.
“Good morning,” he greets me. Eliza and Brenda, one of the other kitchen staff memebers set up my breakfast. “You didn’t go for your morning run.”
“Good morning,” I greet him and take a seat. I think about what he said. “I didn’t get any rest.”
“Do you want to stay in?” he asks, putting his coffee down.
“We have a lot to do, and I still have to speak with your father after work,” I shake my head.
“What happened last night can’t happen again,” he says calmly. “I am issuing a shoot–to–kill order if he ever comes here again.”
“That’s fine.”
‘Do you want to talk about what happened?”
‘Do you want to talk about what happened at the temple?” I don’t mean for it to come out as defensive as it does. He lets out a heavy sigh and fidgets in his seat uncomfortably. I finish preparing my tea and reach for the gravy boat.
‘It didn’t work,” he says after a while. I look up at him and pour the gravy over my biscuits. “I thought it was an aftereffect, that maybe I was overthinking it, but it didn’t go away. I think I made it worse.”
I watch as he attempts to place his hand over his chest, but pauses the way someone who can’t bear the pain does. I don’t comment on it, but if he can’t even touch it himself, it has to be worse than he’s making it look. The two of us finish our breakfast.
‘Can I see?” I ask him. He looks down at his hands, and I see that he’s going to try to find an excuse to decline. “I won’t touch it. I just want to make sure you’re okay. The team leader has to be in peak condition at all times,” I remind him. He lets out a heavy sigh and nods. “Do I need my kit?”
‘Probably, he answers honestly. I glare at him and stand up to get it.
I’ll find you in the family room,” I say, and head up to my room.
He’s shirtless when I return, and I freeze in the doorway when I see it. The mark that had been an old scar is bruised. It’s bright red and purple as if it were starting to fester. He’s sitting in the armchair with his head bowed.
“It’s not as bad as it looks, he tries to downplay it.
“You’re an idiot, I roll my eyes. I place my bag on the floor beside me and put on my gloves. “When did this start?”
“That same day” he answers “When I woke up that morning. I had a rash
I nod and reach for the oxidized water to clean the wound. Thanks to my affinity. I’m able to clear most of the dead tissue without touching it. I’ve never seen something like this before. It’s like the cut is hitting, trying to separate itself from his
skin.
“What?” he asks when I pull away
“It’s lifting,” I say and reach for my tweezers. I stop when I get close because it begins to glow
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Chapter 103
“Do it,” he shakes his head. “It’s already looking a whole lot better.”
“Look,” I say, lifting the scar a little. “It’s smaller than before. It’s like your body is, I don’t know. Cutting it out.”
“That’s not normal?” he asks quietly.
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“No, I’ve never even heard of this, but I can ask Aimee at work today if you want. Maybe you can come in, or we can go back to the temple to ask Seraph.” I sit back.
“I promised my dad I wasn’t going to go back there for a while,” he shakes his head. “I think that all things considered, Aimee shouldn’t be involved. She’s a good person and so is Santi, but with Ana back in charge, things change.”
This is the kind of thing that you definitely shouldn’t be keeping from me,” I say and reach for the flask with the leftover healing water I used on Anastasia. “This could be a lot worse, Ragnar. It could have gotten infected.
“You know the repercussions of a Lycan with any kind of infections. You could lose control,” I pop the top and pull the water out. He takes a deep breath just before the water makes contact. He lets out a sigh of relief as I finish cleaning him up. “Mind drying it up so I can see if I have to cover it up?”
The skin around the wound sizzles, and it dries up. I watch as the edges of the wound dry up again and shrink. Dead skin rises again, and if I hadn’t cleaned it up as well as I had, it would look a lot worse.
“Is it supposed to do that?” he asks.
“No,” I shake my head, pulling away. “It’s definitely not supposed to do that, even with your accelerated healing. I think we’re going to have to piss off your dad because that is definitely not normal.”
“We can go tonight,” he says.
I nod and reach for the gauze and tape. When I get near it again, it glows, and I know that it’s hurting him more than he’s letting on. When I finish, I step away from him and put my things back inside my bag. He’s done putting his shirt back on when I turn around to face him.
“It caught me off guard,” I admit, and sit beside him. “I still can’t believe he came here. I didn’t believe Luna Romano when she said he was going feral. I thought she was just trying to get me to check on him or something.
“When I first started the med program in Artume, there was an attack on the outskirts of the City. Somewhere near Old Town. This man was brought in. The lead doctor at the time was trying to calm him down long enough for them to get a sedative into him, but even after the shot, he wouldn’t stop.
“He had this crazed look in his eyes. Something between pain and rage. It was like his wolf was trying to rip its way out of him. Later, I found out that his pregnant mate had been killed in an explosion and that his wolf skipped the early phases of feral symptoms and went straight into the mental relapse stages.
“I think he’s in those final stages as well. If his wolf began to deteriorate around the time of the rejection, then he has a few months before the wolf fully takes over. When it happens, it’s going to start ripping apart everything around him. Those whom he feels are responsible for the loss of his mate. If you wait him out long enough, he’ll come to you completely prepared to kill and die to get back what he feels belongs to him”
“Will he be alone?”
“No, feral wolves are at their strongest in the beginning after overpowering their hosts Alpha males as powerful as Santiago are charismatic and have the focus to take what they want Artimne City is known for its alpha’s power and economic status, It’s probably the biggest reason why the Alpha King was willing to dismiss their indiscretions. He’s smart and has the money to buy whatever he wants.”
“You said something about Kellen Who is Kellen?” he asks
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Chapter 103
The wolf in question.”
“Wait, the wolf they shift into isn’t them?”
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‘No, it’s a spirit. A subconscious completely different from the host’s. His name is Kellen, and he was always more attentive than Santiago himself. More possessive and angrier. In his wolf form, Kellen went after Poppy a few times when we were in the academy. Especially if I were involved. Santiago may want to mark her, but the claim must come from Kellen. He has to want the bond. Without that mark on her, she’s never going to be able to give them the heir they want.”
Can we use this to our advantage?” he asks, looking at me expectantly.
Of course, we can, but you’re going to have to be open to letting me get closer to them once he takes over. There is nothing nore dangerous than a completely feral wolf facing off with the very thing that drove the host into madness. He’ll kill anything and anyone who gets in his way.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
