The Lycan King (Book 1)
Chapter 39. Doubts

Nikolai

My legs felt heavy as I walked to my unconscious brother. I picked up his left hand and immediatelydropped it when he let out a low, pain-filled groan.

I inspected the bite.

The visible flesh had already blackened and the tatters of the skin around was turning a darkgreenish-blue in colour. The veins around the bite were slowly turning black too.

The poison was slowly spreading to his entire body.

"What happens now?" I asked Grace.

"The rest of the wounds will heal in a couple of days. It's the bite that worries me, Alpha Nikolai. Idon't have full knowledge on how to treat a vampire bite.” She replied.

"Who will have a full knowledge?" I asked.

"There is no real cure for a vampire's bite. There are herbs that can slow it down but that meansextending his life for a couple of years and living in constant pain. He will feel the poison spreadingin his body every second. Not a lot of people choose to do it." Grace replied.

"But I had read in a book before I was kicked out of my old pack that extracting the vampires salivafrom the wound will help. But the rest of the pages were too faded to be coherent so I'm not surehow to do it. And I'm not sure how accurate that is." She added

There is no way I am going to let Mikhail die.

"Do whatever you can. I'll try to arrange something.” I replied. I'll talk to Rhazien and Vladimir. Therehas to be a cure.

"Yes, Alpha.” She replied as she tied up the bandaid on his mid-rift.

"What is the extent of his injuries?" I asked.

"He has a knife wound in his stomach that caused internal bleeding that worries me right now. Healso has four bruised ribs, two are broken." She replied.

That would take a couple of days max to heal. Internal bleeding would take more time but whatreally worried me was the bite.

I sighed and sat on the bed besides his sleeping form. I saw Grace mix different leaves as she keptmumbling chants under her breath before she applied it on his gnash.

The door opened and Rhazien stepped in.

"Where is Bailey?" I asked.

"Passed out on the couch. I've told two wolves to keep watch.” He replied distractedly as he eyedJessica, his eyes blood red.

"Step aside.” He ordered Tessa who scrambled to move away.

He knelt in front of Jessica and bit his wrist and put it in front of her mouth. "Drink." He whispered,his voice unnaturally soft.

Jessica looked up at him with hazy eyes and did as he said,?without complaint!

I will never understand women.

"Is she Jessica Mathers?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied. Understanding dawned on me. His red eyes should have been a give away. Especiallysince he was an ancient and wouldn't loose control seeing or smelling blood.

"She's my beloved." He whispered, caressing her red hair.

"You've got your hands full.” I muttered.

But he didn't pay attention to me, his eyes were only fixated on Jessica.

I let them be and looked at a grim Dimitri who was talking to Grace, asking about Mikhail.

I couldn't ask any pack to lend us their pack doctor. No one really liked rogues. No one would helpus. But then there was no true cure about this...

I also wasn't willing to let Mikhail die without a fight. He has been by my side since we were fifteenand its going to stay that way.

"What's the cure for vampire bites?" I asked Rhazien.

His head snapped to mine from his mate. "There is no cure.” He shook his head, his eyes later fallingon Mikhail's affected hand.

"How is Mikhail?'?Vladimir mind-linked me.

'He is bitten by a vampire.'?I replied.

'Fuck!'?He cursed.

“We'll replace something.'?I said, determined. "What's the status with Grant?'?I asked.

Vladimir pulled Andrei and Dimitri into the link too.?'Grant was from your old pack, sent by yourfather to spy over Viktoria. He was giving him information but he wasn't involved in kidnapping her.He was under a misconception that your father wanted to look after you and your mother even ifyou both left him. He thinks Adrik is innocent. He killed Jerry and Volkov Corps's CEO?ChristianFallon too. Twenty million dollars were wired to Adrik. And this is only what Grant knows. He wastold that Adrik wanted to look after Nikolai so Grant did the job for him and kept giving all theupdates about you and the pack.’

How the hell did all of this happen without any of us noticing?

I needed to make everything right again. I will have to take some measures in the pack. I was surethere would be more of Adrik's spies in my pack. I will not let this go without retribution. Each andevery person will pay.

“Don't kill him, we will be there in some time.'?I replied and looked at the grim faces of my brothers."I hope you all understands what this means." I said in a controlled voice as I clamped down myraging wolf. My blood was simmering with anger as I stood up from my place. Everyone in the roomhad their heads bowed from the amount of Alpha energy flowing from me. It affected Rhazien toobecause I was technically his King too. The human's appeared scared because they felt it but didn'tunderstand what just happened.

I thought of Ava. My anchor. My redemption. And then pulled my wolf back, calming him, trying tomake him understand that it wasn't time yet. I was finally able to pull the power back.

"How much more time Grace?" I asked.

"I'm almost dome Alpha.” She replied as she tied a bandaid around Mikhail's thigh.

"Shift Mikhail to the infirmary at the estate for tonight. Call a pack meeting tomorrow at? 7 amsharp. You can shift him to the hospital after that.” I don't trust anyone right now. "Andrei work onthe reports, I want them by day after tomorrow and keep Tessa with you. Rhazien, you can takeJessica with you. Tell her she can meet Tessa day after tomorrow. She knows about supernaturals soits your job now to tell her everything. Dimitri, arrange for an ambulance and bring Mikhail to theestate. Grace will stay with him till he wakes up.” I said and walked out of the room

Bailey was sitting on the couch, glaring at the two guards in front of her.

"Bring her out." I told them and walked out of the door.

I waited behind the wheel as Andrei sat in the passenger seat with Tessa in his lap and the guardsgot in the back seat with Bailey in between to avoid her escape. Andrei wanted to run to the estatein his fur to release some tension but it wasn't safe anymore. The news of Grant and Bailey's arrestwould have reached Mystic Lupus by now.

All this made me wonder what story Adrik must have spun after mom and I left.

We reached the estate in fifteen minutes. Andrei and Tessa left as soon as I parked the car. He hadtoo much work.

The guards escorted Bailey to the dungeon. She had given up fighting by now. There was no hopeof escaping anymore. She knew it.

Vladimir was waiting for us with a passed out Grant slumped on the chair. Bailey cried out, trying toreach to her father but the guards held her tightly, not letting her move.

"Set a chair for her, facing Grant.” I ordered.?

The guards placed another chair so the father- daughter duo faced each other.

"Pour the water." I said. In a minute, Grant was drenched in cold water, snapping him awake with agasp.

"Torture him some more to get Bailey talking. She may know something." I said.

'You can go rest after that.'?l added.

"Yes Alpha." Vladimir smirked.

I got out of the dungeon and went to my bedroom after that. Ava was sleeping on my side of thebed made me smile. I knelt in front of her, still smiling.

How did I get so lucky? Goddess! I love her.

Her long eyelashes rested against her cheeks and her red lips look too inviting but I resisted. I didn'twant to disturb her sleep. I brushed the back of my fingers down her cheek softly, almost like awhisper.

It made me mad that my own pack isn't safe for my mate. That she needs to have bodyguards to goout.

One day, you will go out on your own. Without me worrying, without you looking behind your back.This is my vow to you.

I clenched my fingers in a fist that was still warm and tingling from touching her and stood up,leaving the room.

I entered my second office that had all the files and records of all my businesses and removed allthe necessary files.

There were three thick files of the last two months and I sighed. It was already one in the morningand I was going to have to stay up all night to complete all of this by morning so I could go to thecompany and take corrective measures.

This is going to be a?long?night. And not in a good way.

I sat behind the desk and cracked my knuckles before I dug in.?

I was barely done with the first page when the door opened. I was about to growl in anger when Ismelled Ava's sweet scent.?

I smiled softly as I saw her enter in a white nightie which made her look like an angel.

"Can't sleep?" I asked, inviting her in.

She shook her head shyly, almost nervously.

Why nervous, Love?

"Where were you Nikolai?" She asked in a small voice.

I sighed. "I was working.” I rubbed my face. Today's revelations made work much more stressful thannormal.

"Where were you?"?She asked again, her voice angry as she came to stand in front of the desk, herhand on her hip.

What the hell?

"I was at a couple of places. Why?" I said vaguely, raising my brows.

"At night. Where were you?" She closed her eyes, her voice tight.

"Don't make me lie to you."

What can I say Ava? At a traitor's house who was living in our pack right under my nose? And Ididn't even know? I failed as an Alpha to protect the pack and as a mate because I couldn't protectyou? At the house where Mikhail came bloody and battered? Where he is fighting for his life? Why?Because I sent him away for a mission and he got kidnapped? I can't tell her that.

Her eyes snapped open, her eyeballs icy blue-white. "I asked where were you?" She screamed andthen my chair flew back and banged against the wall, the lights in the room flickering.

I stood up from the chair walked to her. Something must have happened for her to react this way."What happened Ava?" I walked to her slowly, trying to calm her.

"Don't come near me!" She cried, raising her hand and pushing her palm forward and I flew backand crashed against a bookshelf behind me, crushing it.

Motherfu??

The wooden shelves collapsed and the books fell down, some hitting me on the head.

My eyes snapped to Ava in anger. "What the hell Avalyn? Calm down." I said sharply, standing up,kicking the broken wood shelves away.

"Tell me! Who was she? Huh?" She spat, her mouth twisted in disgust.

"Who?" I screamed and walked to her.

"That redhead!" She screamed back.

"What red??" realisation dawned on me.

She was walking about Jessica. She must have seen me when Jessica passed out and I was carryingher. The balcony in our bedroom had a clear view of the backyard.

That explains the hurt I felt in my chest. She must have been hurting and that was her pain

"So now you remember?” She pushed my chest.

I caught her hands tightly, looking down at her, "you think I cheated on you?" I asked

Did she have no trust in me? It hurt to even think that she thought that.

"I followed you. I?saw?you carry her to that house. I know what I saw!" She cried.

"Did you see me touch her like his?" I grabbed her waist and pulled her against me.

"Did you see me kiss her like this?" I growled as I crashed my mouth against her and kissed herhard, dominating the kiss.

"Did you see me grab her like this?" I squeezed the globes of her ass.

She shook her head, her eyes lowering.

"That girl was attacked and had passed out, I was taking her to her sister who was kidnapped by aspy to become a slave." I confessed.

A gasp left her mouth and she locked her now normal brown eyes with mine.

"B-but taking a slave when she has family is against the law.” She whispered.

"Not everyone cares about the law.” I replied.

"Tell me everything." She whispered.

She is my mate. And this packs luna. She deserves to know. She has always deserved to know whatis happening.

So I told her. I told her about Natalia and Mikhail's kidnapping and how she escaped but Mikhailcouldn't. Then how I called Maximilian to help and how she turned out be his mate. I also told herthat I went to club Lupus and saw Jessica killing Kaleb. I told her the play by play of my entire daywhich had her looking at me with shocked eyes. She cried when I told her that Mikhail was bitten bya vampire.

"Why didn't you tell me all of this before?" She clutched my hands.

"You don't know how important how you see me is to me." I tucked her hair behind her ear andcupped her cheek, kissing her forehead.

Understanding dawned in her eyes. "Do you know that I don't believe in the moon goddess?”

I shook my head. It didn't know it. And it was very rare for a werewolf to not believe in moongoddess. We were the living proof she existed. It is said that she blessed a human family andcreated werewolves. There was a whole history but mom and I ran away before I learned it at mywerewolf school.

"Why?" I asked.

"If she really existed, she wouldn't kill my mother when she gave birth to me, or papa wouldn't havedied like he did and what happened with me wouldn't have happened.” She eyes lowered, "I lost mybelief in her years ago.”

My hold on her tightened.

"But I believe in you, Nikolai. You are my saviour, my?god.?You are a strict but fair Alpha and thebest mate I could have ever asked for.?l worship you." She rested her head against my chest, overmy heart.

"But I failed our pack. I failed you." I whispered.

She shook her head against my chest, "this is a small battle in the big war, Nik. And we are going towin it." Her hands came around my waist and she hugged me.

I rested my head over hears. "I promise you that every person who has had a hand in your sufferingswill die, Ava."

She hugged me tighter and kissed me right over my heart.