Heart Of A Lycan King
Chapter 70

AIDEN.

‘No!’ The words caught in my throat, overshadowed by the loud scream of Aunt and Lacie’s wailing no. It drowned the small scream that caught in my throat, the urge to yell at the doctor and tell him there’s no alternative to be made here and he has to save my cousin.

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t say anything.

“You drop something like this on us and demand we make a quick decision?!” Mav snapped, nudging me out of my little reverie.

“I am sorry, Your Highness.” The doctor said while bowing his head. “But it’s like I said. Delaying this would only put him through so much more unnecessary pain. Which is why, despite how hard it is for a doctor to give this as a final option, I have to say it. There’s hardly anything we can do for him any more.”

I tried to talk again, but Mama beat me to it, asking the doctor for more explanations, or a tiny room for something to be done. Anything. Any tiny hope. But he kept repeating the same answer over and over, providing instances where something like this had never worked.

Aunty just slumped back down on the floor, gripping her chest and looked up at nothing, as her wailing got louder and louder, more desperate than before. She hardly registered it when Lacie knelt down beside her to hold her in a desperate hug, both trying to comfort each other while going through their own pain.

From behind me, I heard sniffs. Soft sniffs that broke my heart even more than it already is. I didn’t dare turn, however, because I knew who was crying. And because I couldn’t bear seeing her in that state, because I didn’t want to see how broken Nala was, how quiet, I didn’t dare turn.

I simply pretended not to have heard her. Because all of this was my fault.

“Can I go see him?” I asked, keeping my voice hard to hide away my pain. I’m the King, I’m a man, I should be able to do that.

“If you so wish, Your Eminence,” the doctor replied, pointing to the door that led to the ER.

“I’ll join him,” Mav said.

“No. I want to see him alone,” I replied almost too quickly, afraid I may blow my cover.

Mav nodded, tapping my shoulders lightly as the doctor led me through the door, and finally, stopped in front of the room Donald was in.

“He’s in there, Your Eminence,” the doctor said.

I swallowed, my knuckles tightening on the handle of the door. I may have come here to see him, but I’m not sure I’m prepared to see how he looks. I had caught only a quick glimpse of him back at the hall before Mav had taken him away, and that was not a sight I wished to see again.

But what to do when I had been the cause?

I turned the knob and pushed the door open before I stepped into the room. My legs grew weak with each step I took towards the bed he laid on. He had tubes attached to his nose. Wires on his chest, needles to his arms. Checking on him, measuring his state. The beeping monitor on the side didn’t calm the raging in my chest, nor did the sight of my cousin who looked like a corpse.

He looked pale. Too white. Too weak. I touched his skin for a split second before I pulled away quickly. His body was too cold. For the first time since the incident, I allowed myself to feel. I allowed the emotions I’ve been blocking to come crashing. I allowed my eyes to well up with unshed tears.

I staggered back slowly, till my back hit the wall behind me and I slid down slowly. Burying my face in my palms and shook my head slowly to rid myself of the image I had just seen.

The image of my dying cousin.

No matter how hard I tried, the image wasn’t vanishing. That and the sound of his deep m***s filled with pain never left me. The patches on his skin looked worse than they did yesterday. The dark patches now oozed with raw b***d, the putrid smell hitting my nose. I swallowed again, hoping my throat would move and allow me to talk. The gash on his chest looked worse, with black worms circling it as though sucking off its energy.

I wish this was a dream. A nightmare I could wake up from.

When I pried my eyes open to see his body, I knew it wasn’t a dream. This was as real as it gets, and this was my fault.

If I hadn’t let my anger control me, I’d have noticed something was off. If I had been more focused on my surroundings than the rage of seeing Nala’s ex, I’d have figured it out. But no, as always, I had let my anger take total control on me. I had let it shape me, shape my thinking.

And that had cost me my cousin’s life.

The same rage that had caused me to lash out at Nala at some point. Same rage that had caused the scar on my back. It seems like I never learn from my mistakes.

The moment I was hitting Matteo, who turned out to be the goblin, I should’ve figured it out. I was that close to him, the foul odor, the empty gaze should have snapped me out of my anger, but it didn’t because both Leo and I were too far gone at that moment.

Neither of us was sane enough to notice, and that had caused more damage than what I was trying to rectify.

Everything turned into chaos the moment Kamal, no, Matteo had bitten Donald. The frantic cries of the Elders as they rushed around trying to escape, while Inna quickly chanted a spell to keep the Goblin within the walls of the hall. Thankfully though, we managed to contain it and Inna Laniya used the taming bracelets on it to keep it unconscious for at least three days before it would be able to fight it off.

Then we took Matteo to the city center, where we mostly carried out physical punishment and hung him on the pole, leaving him there till I’m sane enough to punish him.

No. I’m killing the i***t!

‘We should make this work. We have to,’ Leo mumbled quietly.

‘And we need a better control on that damn rage!’ I snapped.

Leo said nothing at my outburst and simply recoiled back. Yeah, I like the silence more.

Sighing, I stood up, wiped the single trail of tears that had rolled down my cheeks and stared at Donald for a few more minutes before I pulled my phone out and typed a quick message to Kane.

I stared at Donald one more time, before I turned and left the room. I am going to do anything within my power to make this work.

Anything.

I stepped into the gloomy reception to tons of questions, which I ignored. Because what do I say? That he’s really dying? And there’s nothing the doctors can really do? That I touched him and felt life slowly leave him? Definitely not.

“Get ready. We’re moving him,” I announced, approaching the door. I need air. Lots of it.

“Where?” Mav asked.

“To Inna Laniya’s,” I replied, shutting the door behind me.

---

NATASHA.

I let my gaze follow Aiden’s figure, took in the look in his eyes, the way his shoulders were slumped, and the sound of his voice.

I stood up, unable to say anything to anyone and went after Aiden.

Sure, he would blame himself. He didn’t have to tell me that before I knew it, he was my mate. The moment I looked into his eyes, I knew what he felt. And he was blaming himself just like I did.

But this wasn’t his fault. This was mine. If I hadn’t come to the capital, none of this would’ve happened. Donald wouldn’t be suffering, and Aiden wouldn’t have risked his life to defend my honor.

While this whole thing may hurt, while this whole issue may have made me think if I should leave, I figured this wasn’t really about me alone. I need to help Aiden understand this isn’t his fault.

He had been there for me during my darkest days. He was still there for me. And now, I would be there for him. Today, I’m setting my hurt and sad feelings aside for him.

Like every queen would.

I walked around the hospital, following Aiden’s scent and where I felt the pull the most till I spotted him leaning against a tree behind the hospital walls.

I walked up to him, smoothing the creases of my gown with my palms while wiping away the sweat on them as well.

“Hey,” I called, tapping his shoulders lightly from behind. He stiffened for a moment before he relaxed and turned to face me. He had one of the fakest smiles I had ever seen plastered on his face.

“Hey, Nala,” he said in a gruff voice.

I had done this. He was in pain over seeing his cousin that way because of me. Way to go, Natasha. Way to go.

“Hey you,” I tried to smile as well. “Everything okay?” I asked before a shallow laughter caught in my throat. “Of course, nothing is okay. What was I thinking about asking this question?”

Aiden chuckled softly, before he took my hand and led me towards the waterfall. We stopped before the wolf-like statue, water spilling from its mouth.

“How are things back there?” I asked, just to keep the conversation flowing. That way, we won’t get drowned in our thoughts.

He sighed. “Not really good,” he answered. “But we have a better part of things under control.”

“That sounds…good,” I smiled. “The Shadows were there,” I said.

“I saw them. But they couldn’t do anything. Inna saw them too, and she said the foul smell was one of the reasons they couldn’t help. That smell is one of the defense mechanisms the Goblins have.”

“Interesting. But I didn’t smell it till the end. During the attack.”

“I don’t know the reason for that, but I think the Shadows have a thing to do with that. Plus, a lot of the Elders and Alphas who attended the meetings are now sick. The foul smell is poisonous.”

“Wow!” I breathed, taking in the new info. “Just how much damage have I…has this caused?” I mumbled quietly.

“We are kept in the dark for lots of things. Your induced heat is one of them. But Inna said she has a feeling that the Fiko Luna would explain that,” Aiden replied.

“But I felt their presence after my heat,” I said, confused. “I don’t think they know anything. It might just be a natural heat and we are putting too much thought there. We should be worried about Donald now and how to help.”

“I’ll fix this, Nala. I will,” he said solemnly. His gaze was pinned on the water, and when I looked down and caught the pained look on his face in the reflection, my insides turned, a large knot blocking my throat.

“It’s life. It is always filled with ups and downs. Do not let that weigh you down, Aiden,” I whispered, my voice shaking a bit. But I need to be brave for both of us. I have to be. “I can see it in your eyes. You’re blaming yourself for this,” I continued.

He laughed, albeit it sounded nothing like the way he normally laughed. Bitter and full of self hate. “Of course I am to be blamed, Nala. I was so caught up in my emotions that I didn’t bother to notice anything was wrong. And look what that has caused us,” he laughed again.

“Aiden…”

“It could’ve been worse,” he continued, cutting me off. “You could have been the one laying in there and I’d definitely have lost my s**t right now. I’m not saying Donald was right for jumping between, but Nyala forbid it, I don’t think I’d be standing here if it were you,” he finished, an edge in his voice.

I simply stared at him, stunned. Truthfully, I haven’t thought of this any other way than the fact I had caused it. But now that Aiden is baring himself before me, I understood him, and I understood where he was coming from.

What he was missing was simple, if I was still with Matteo, all of this would’ve been avoided.

“As always, I have allowed my rage to control my emotions and actions. To deal with me. I should’ve noticed something was off, especially with that foul odor,” he scratched his head with one hand and kept the other on his side, all while still staring at his own reflection. “I should learn from my mistakes, right? But why am I still angry despite seeing what it has caused me and others countless times?” He shuddered.

I placed my hand on his shoulder, working around the knot in my throat and forced it down. Cry? Crying is a luxury I can’t afford right now. The little moment I had back there and cried a bit was all I’m allowing myself. Crying means I’m trying to find an outlet for my pain. But this pain isn’t something I should let go of or forget how it feels.

It is something I should always remember for a lifetime.

“Look at me, Aiden,” I said softly, running my hand down his back. “Please.”

It took him a while before he turned to face me, but he kept his eyes fixed on my chest rather than looking at my face. Sighing, I cupped his cheeks in both hands, and brought his face to mine, before I pressed my trembling lips against his softly.

I didn’t move them, neither did he. His lips were cold against mine, so was his rigid body. I pulled away from him, my heart more shaken up than usual by his reaction. The circumstances might be different, and I may be stupid to feel hurt over this, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help thinking that not even my touch had elicited a reaction from him.

Yeah, Nat, you should definitely leave when the storm calms before you cause more harm to innocent people.

“You’re one of the sweetest and most amazing persons I’ve ever met. And no, you aren’t at fault here. We were all there and no one noticed anything out of place. If someone needs to be blamed, it is…” me? If I say that, I’ll only worry him more, and that is not my plan. Today, I’m keeping him in check. And I’ll keep that up no matter how draining it is. No matter how much effort I need to put into faking my emotions. “We all should be blamed for that. But look at you already thinking of ways to make things better, and that already says a lot about the man I love, body and soul.” His body shook as I said that, and my heart picked up its pace seeing his reaction.

“This doesn’t make me think less of you, just like you’ve been telling me all these while. Your anger was valid, and I don’t think anyone blames you for this. That sick, twisted minded person…” I was finally able to swallow, “is responsible for this not you. So, while you may want to continuously blame yourself for this, keep in mind that I’m here, and that I still love you and your angry bags. Okay?” I finished, my eyes burning.

But no crying. No such luxuries.

He made a strangled sound before he pulled me into a hug. One of his hands pressed firmly in my waist, while the other held my shoulders as he pushed his face into the crook of my neck.

When he breathed into my neck, the heat of it seeped through me, I nearly let the dam go. But I didn’t.

“I’m so glad I have you here with me, Nala. Thank you so much,” he whispered, his voice having a little catch.

I won’t be for too long though, I thought. I have caused enough damage here.

---

“I’m afraid…”

“Don’t say that, please,” Aiden cut Inna Laniya off before she could finish what she was saying. We had arrived at the castle three hours ago, without Mama and her sister. Aiden had insisted they go back home, alongside Lacie and I. But while Mama and her sister obliged, both Lacie and I refused. We wanted to know what or if the High Priestess could help.

After our little moment together, he seemed a bit better, and that took away a part of my pain. However, the dread returned when for over three hours, Inna couldn’t find a cure and with each passing seconds, Donald was getting worse. Now, not even the gurgled painful cry would come from him. His breathing had also dropped drastically and he had to use an oxygen tube.

This time around, the house didn’t look as scary as it did the first time I came here. Hell, I have had no time to even think over that now.

“Not even in the past has anyone ever survived the goblin’s poison. I have tried every trick I think might help, yet nothing. Except…” she paused.

“What?” Mav asked quickly.

“If we use the Fiandron root,” she said hesitantly.

The room held a deathly silence, no one able to say anything.

“You…are…” I tried but I sounded so pathetic that I had to shut up.

“You also want us to kill him.” Lacie said, her voice and face emotionless. It was a statement, not a question.

“No, of course not,” Inna rushed to say, shaking her head. “It is the only option we have, but I’m not entirely sure it’ll help. A goblin’s poison is deadly, way deadlier than the roots. It’s said that when combining both the two, one overcomes the other. In most cases, the goblin’s poison does. The case is…” Inna paused. “The root not only makes the lycan go crazy. It does also heighten all the lycan’s abilities. The speed, the strength, the hearing…and the healing. Our hope is that this will be enough to fight off the poison. But once the poison is gone, there is nothing in his system to fight off the effect of the root. For that we will need you in this, My King,” Inna finished, turning to look at Aiden.

“What would you have me do? Also, I know first hand what that root does to its victim, if the two clash, what happens?”

Inna was quiet before she answered. “I’m sorry to say this, but he goes crazy, then dies in two days, My King.”

“You can’t be thinking of allowing this,” I finally said. “This can go wrong and that’s it. We should find another way but not the roots…”

“It is our only option, Nala,” Aiden cut me off, turning to look at me briefly before returning his gaze to Inna. “Is there a chance this might work?”

“Very slightly, My King. I’m hoping if I use your healing ability, it may help. You healed from the roots last time, which would ultimately make you immune to it now considering that is one of your gifts. If I make a connection between your soul and Donald’s, you should in theory fight off the effects of the root. While you heal, he might heal.”

“I don’t like the sound of this,” Mav voiced. “It sounds too complicated.”

“Well it is our only shot, and we’re taking it.” Aiden replied grimly. “What would you have me do?” He asked, removing his caftan. “We don’t have much time left.”

“I’ll make the connection first,” Inna answered, stepping back and beckoning for Donald’s body to be brought along.

We trailed behind, my heart in my throat. This is bad. Very very bad.

“Aiden, I don’t like this. Can we find…”

“There’s nothing left for us to do, Natasha,” he snapped, his voice harsh and hard. “I’ll take the chance.”

I paused in my tracks long after they went into the room Inna led them to. He had never called me Natasha. Not even when we had our first fight. Never. And I honestly didn’t know how I felt about that. Maybe he’s finally figured I caused all of this and he hates me? Or wants me gone? Maybe I should just leave now without…

“He’s just agitated, don’t let it disturb you,” I heard Mav say from behind me.

I instantly smiled, hoping that would hide my pain. “It’s fine. I perfectly understand. How…”

“Where is he?” A hysterical voice floated it, making me swallow the words before I could finish. I knew that voice.

But even when the person showed up before me, I couldn’t believe it. It made no sense. What was she doing here?

“Phillison?” I asked, unable to believe my eyes.