The Lycan King's Healer
The Lycan King’s Healer – Chapter 10

As I glided back to the palace as fast as my animal legs could function, I frowned at Alan.

“She is my wife. Should I not worry?”

Alan continued running with me until the end of the camp, the same amusement as before in his eyes. A knowing smile curled his lips.

“You should. I’m just happy for you.”

His words stuck with me as I ran, and I resisted the smile that almost surfaced.

***

Cathy

My back hurt, but my pride ached more.

I sent Theodore away once we returned to the cottage. I didn’t want him to see my wounds; he had endured enough torment. After the queen had left, I woke up from my feigned sleep and ran him the hell out of that palace. Thankfully, we avoided the mass of the guards–they were busy with whatever emergency the king announced. No one objected to our departure.

After stumbling bloody and injured through the woods back home, I was exhausted. My back was dried with b***d, and it felt like I was recovering from a house fire, the way the whip licked up my back like a flame. Whatever–it was no punishment compared to the one her son gave me.

“Cathy!”

I g*****d, lowering down to the bed. “Go away.”

Aldrich stormed through the door, this time expertly avoiding the flowers. He looked at me with the most emotion I had ever seen on his face. It made me pause for a moment, interrupting my second command for him to leave.

“Cathy,” he sighed with relief once he saw me, lowering to his knees beside my bed. I cocked an eyebrow, glancing down at him.

“What are you even doing here?” I feel like I’ve asked him this question a hundred times.

“Let me help you,” he begged, his expression riddled with guilt. “I heard my mother whipped you. I promise I never told her to do that.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure, you didn’t,” I scoffed. But looking at his expression and remembering how he protected us against last night’s intruders, I then doubted my theory.

I let out a sigh before nodding over to the kitchen. “I need water.”

He eagerly obeyed. The grand general basically ran to the kitchen with his tail between his legs.

I peeled off my shirt, wrinkling my nose at the smell of my b***d. I should have gone down with a fight–maybe punched her in the face, kicked her in the stomach. Shed some b***d of her own. I smiled at the thought for a brief moment. Poor Theo had a reptile grandmother.

Aldrich returned with a glass of water, and the look that rippled across his face was priceless at the sight of me unclothed.

“Let’s make a deal,” I said, looking up at him, “I helped you, so you help me. I would do it myself, but I can’t reach.

He nodded, a rosy color tinting his cheek bones.

“My medicines are in the cabinet to the left of the door,” I gestured. “Bring the dark blue vile.”

As he picked the vile out of the cabinet, I watched how sheepish his body language was. If I didn’t know any better, he seemed almost guilty. I didn’t know monsters could feel guilt.

Even better, as he applied the ointment to my back, his fingers moved without confidence, the cold war general now behaving like a shy little boy.

“I’m so sorry, Cathy,” he murmured under his breath, “I often don’t agree with my mother.”

I was surprised to hear his admission of guilt, and even more to hear him admitting something about his mother.

“You don’t need to apologize,” I replied, and I was surprised I did.

He seemed to relax at that, rubbing his fingers along my back. “Do you know anything about the assassins?”

“Yes,” I said blankly, “They’re not after you.”

His fingers froze. “Who are they after?”

I sighed, wincing as the ointment burned the rawness of my back then slowly cooled. “They’re after me.”

He grabbed my shoulder and turned me toward him so that our eyes met. I flickered my gaze away.

“Why are they after you, Cathy?” he demanded with concern. I had to admit, he was very attractive when he actually cared.

I tried to contain my anger, nostrils flaring as I eventually met his eyes. “The person who actually drugged you on our wedding night wants me to keep quiet. She knows the only way to do that is kill me.”

Aldrich stared at me, puzzled for a moment. Then realization surfaced in his beautiful countenance.

“She,” he whispered, his grip on my shoulder tightening. “Emily.”

I silently nodded.

He took a deep, ragged breath, and it seemed like I put a weight of thousands of pounds on his chest. Guilt warped his handsome features, and he removed his grip from my shoulder. He finally believed me.

“Let me help you into some fresh clothes,” was all he said, his lips a tight line across his face. His jaw was clenched.

I got up and retrieved a night shirt that hung to my knees. I winced when I lifted my arms above my head, and he instantly got up to help me. I looked at him in silent thanks, feeling my cheeks warm.

“Mommy,” Theo’s voice interrupted the silence, “am I interrupting something?” A mischievous grin plastered his face.

“You are not!” I demanded, pulling the night shirt down, my cheeks warming even deeper.

“Mommy, it’s okay. I like him. I will allow you to be with him!” Theo giggled. “He killed the bad guys, and it was so cool.”

Aldrich chuckled, stepping away from me toward Theo. “Maybe one day I’ll teach you how I did, little man.”

“That’d be awesome!” he exclaimed, and I never saw him this animated.

“Don’t talk nonsense, Theo. Go study and wash up. I’ll check up on you later.”

He put his hands on his h**s. “You’re not getting rid of me again! I already studied.”

I sighed, looking up at Aldrich. He had a huge grin that mirrored his son’s almost identically, their bright eyes meeting each other’s. And I knew he wasn’t going anywhere soon.

Despite knowing this, I attempted to kick him anyway. “You can leave now.”

He turned to me with a boyish grin. “Make me.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore him. Theo would be hungry by now, for I never served him dinner.

“You hungry, bud?”

Theo nodded like a bobblehead, eyes widening exasperatedly, and I laughed in response. “I’ll go make you something.”

Surrendering to Aldrich’s command to stay, I chose to further ignore him and leave to cook something up in the kitchen. My weakness prevailed me from earlier, and I couldn’t hide the limp in my walk as I exited the bedroom, still feeling the rawness of the wounds.

I heard Theo mutter to Aldrich behind me, “I’m not going to let them off easy.”

Aldrich responded in question, “Who?”

“The bad guys who beat my mommy.”

Aldrich

As Theo responded to my question with a promise for vengeance heavily present in his tone, I suddenly hoped even more that he was my son. His love and commitment to protecting his mother was admiral. However, I had not touched her in four years, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a bastard’s child. And I could not recall if we ever truly conceived.

But when I looked him in the eyes, it felt like I was looking into my own.

As I was deeply contemplating this, I heard a knock on the front door of the cottage. Instantly reverting into a defensive position, I strided through the bedroom, kitchen, and living room in a couple steps.

Preparing for the worst, I opened the door to expose one of my guards.

“My lord,” he announced curtly, “Prince Elias and Princess Emily are here to meet with you.”