Chapter 3 #2
The words have me staggering. He’s right. Gods, he’s right, and I have no excuse.
“That’s insubordination,” he says flatly. “That’s a complete betrayal of trust. You’re being reassigned. You’ll keep your position as the Queen’s guard, but you’re also taking night rounds. Every night. Until I decide you’ve learned what loyalty means.”
“Commander—”
“Dismissed.”
The first night of rounds isn’t terrible.
The second is harder.
By the third, exhaustion is a living thing inside me, clawing at my bones.
Seth has me scheduled every single night.
I walk the perimeter from midnight to dawn, then report for my regular duties with the Queen at seven in the morning.
I’m getting maybe three hours of sleep total, if I’m lucky.
And even that precious time is plagued with nightmares that jerk me awake, gasping desperately.
The herbs Selene gave me sit unused in my pocket. They would knock me out for six hours, but I only have three. I can’t risk oversleeping and missing my duties. Can’t risk Seth having one more reason to question my loyalty.
So, I don’t take them. And I don’t sleep.
A week in, I’m barely functional.
My hands shake when I grip my sword. My reflexes are half a second too slow. The world has taken on a hazy, dreamlike quality that makes me question what’s real.
“You look like death,” one of the other guards says during a shift change.
“Thanks,” I mutter.
“Seth’s being too hard on you. The overnight shift is brutal.”
Maybe. But I deserve it. I lied to my commander. I chose an alpha with dark eyes and a wounded shoulder over my duty.
Even Astra worries. “I’ll talk to him,” she says angrily, but I shake my head.
“I asked for the night duties.”
She doesn’t seem to believe me but drops the subject. She’s got enough on her plate with the child in her womb. Three months to go, and she’s already ready to get the baby out of her.
The days blur together. Guard duty with Astra, where I force myself to stay alert despite the exhaustion making my bones ache. Night rounds in the cold darkness, jumping at every shadow. The brief moments in my room where I collapse onto my bed, only to wake minutes later choking on nightmares.
By the eighth night, I’m running on fumes and desperation. When I first see the movement, I don’t pay attention to it. But then I hear the sound of rustling in the trees at the edge of the forest.
I really just want to let it go. To finish my patrol and collapse into bed for those precious few hours. But duty—that thing I apparently forgot about when Kieran was bleeding in my room—drives me toward the woods.
The figure moves fast, weaving through the forest with purpose. I track it for maybe ten minutes before it disappears into a thicket.
I slow down, every sense on alert. Something’s wrong. The air feels—
The attack comes from my left.
A massive wolf, easily twice the size of any normal pack wolf, crashes into me. I go down hard, my sword flying from my grip. Teeth snap inches from my throat. I twist, bring my leg up, and slam my boot into its ribs.
It barely flinches.
Claws rake across my shoulder, tearing through leather and skin. White-hot pain explodes through my body. I scream and roll away, but the wolf is faster. It pins me, weight crushing my chest, jaws opening wide—
Three wild wolves hit it from the side.
They came. My wolves. They tear into the attacker with vicious efficiency, giving me just enough time to crawl backward, gasping for air. Blood pours down my arm. My vision swims.
The attacking wolf fights like something possessed, throwing off my wolves one by one. It turns back to me, eyes gleaming with an intelligence that makes my skin crawl.
This isn’t a wild wolf. This is a shifter.
It lunges.
I close my eyes.
Impact never comes.
When I open my eyes again, the forest is empty. I can hear the sounds of wolves howling and flesh tearing. Two wild wolves stand guard around me, whining softly. The attacker is gone, and I’m bleeding out into the leaves.
“Help,” I whisper, but there’s no one to hear.
The world tilts sideways. The last thing I see before darkness swallows me is the moon through the canopy, bright and indifferent.
Then, nothing.
Pain drags me back to the world.
Not a sharp, bright pain. Dull. Distant. Like my body is wrapped in layers of wool, muffling everything.
I crack my eyes open.
White ceiling. Herb-scented air. The familiar sounds of the healer’s compound.
No.
No, I was supposed to—
A slight motion catches my eye, and I turn my head.
Kieran.
He’s sitting in a chair beside my bed, arms crossed over his chest, head resting back against the wall. Asleep. Dark circles shadow his eyes, and there’s stubble along his jaw, which I’ve never seen on him before.
My throat tightens. Why is he here?
“Did you…” My voice comes out raspy. “Did you save me?”
His eyes snap open immediately, and the intensity in them steals what little breath I have left.
“You’re awake.” He leans forward, relief washing over his face. “Thank the gods.”
I close my eyes again. Can’t look at him. Can’t deal with whatever this is.
“Daciana.”
“I’m tired.”
“I know.” His voice is gentle. Too gentle. “What happened?”
“I was attacked.” The words come out flat. Emotionless.
“By whom?”
“A wolf. Shifter, I think. Too big to be wild.”
Silence. Then: “How did you end up in that position? You’re one of the best soldiers here.”
My jaw tightens. “I was tired. Caught off guard.”
“Tired?”
“Yes.”
“When do you sleep, Daciana?”
“When I’m not working.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. “It’s not your business.”
His expression hardens. “You almost died. That makes it my business.”
“No, it doesn’t.” My hands fist in the sheets, and I can feel them trembling. Exhaustion. Always exhaustion. “I was punished for not telling my commander about the attack on you. That’s why I was given additional duties. Night rounds. Every night. Indefinitely.”
His jaw clenches. “Indefinitely? For how long have you been doing this?”
“Eight days.”
“Eight days of night patrol on top of your regular guard duties?” His voice drops dangerously low. “With no end in sight? That’s—”
“My punishment.” I close my eyes briefly. “I deserved it. I should have reported the incident immediately.”
“You were protecting me.”
“I was being insubordinate.” The word tastes sour on my tongue. “Seth was right to discipline me.”
Silence stretches between us, heavy with things unsaid.
“I’ll be fine,” I add. “Once I rest a bit, I’ll be back to my duties.”
“If one of your wolves hadn’t come to get me,” he says quietly, “I wouldn’t have known you were dying out there.”
My eyes snap open, meeting his, as the rest of my body goes rigid. “What wolves?”
He smiles now, just a slight curve of his lips. “I already know of your gift, little wolf. I will not tell anyone, so you don’t have to lie to me.”
My heart hammers against my ribs. He knows. He knows! How long has he known? Since that day in the forest when—
Before I can process this, the door opens.
Selene steps inside, and the moment she sees me awake, her face crumples. “Daciana!” She’s at my bedside in an instant, and I can see the tears she’s trying to hold back. “I’m so happy to see you awake. It’s been two days, and I was so worried—”
“Two days?” This is news to me.
“Yes. You lost so much blood.” She grabs my hand, squeezing tight. “I really laid into Seth for forcing you to work such long hours. This is his fault.”
“Selene.” My voice comes out sharp now. Reproachful. “You shouldn’t interfere.”
“Nonsense.” Her eyes flash with anger. “It’s because you were so exhausted that you were attacked. Anyone could see you were barely functional. He had no right—”
“He had every right. I violated protocol.”
“That doesn’t mean—” She stops herself, taking a breath. Then, her healer’s mask slides into place. “How are you feeling?”
“Not so good,” I admit.
She nods, already checking my bandages with practiced efficiency. “You’re going to rest for a few days. At least a week. Then, we’ll see about you going back to work.”
“A week—”
“Is the minimum,” she says firmly. “You nearly died, Daciana. Your body needs time to heal. And you need sleep. Real sleep. Not a couple of hours between shifts.”
I want to argue, but exhaustion is pulling me down like an undertow.
Selene places her hand over my injured shoulder, and I feel it immediately: the warm tingle of her healing magic spreading through my body.
It’s different from the healing she performed when I first arrived here, which I’m starting to remember.
This is gentler. Slower. The magic seeps into my muscles, easing the tension I’ve been carrying for days. Weeks.
My eyelids grow heavy.
“That’s it,” Selene murmurs, her magic still flowing, steady and calm. “Just let go.”
The warmth spreads through my chest, down my arms, into my legs. Every knot of anxiety, every thread of pain, slowly unraveling under her touch. My breathing deepens. Slows.
“Sleep,” she says softly. “Really sleep this time.”
I try to fight it, try to stay awake, but the magic is too strong. Too soothing. My eyes drift closed.
The last things I’m aware of are Kieran’s presence beside me, solid and steady, and Selene’s warm hand on my shoulder.
Then, darkness takes me, soft and dreamless. Finally, finally peaceful.
I wake slowly this time, with no jolt of pain or confusion. Just a gentle rise into consciousness, my body heavy but not aching.
The ceiling above me isn’t white, though. I blink, focusing on my surroundings. My quarters. I’m in my own bed, in my own small room. The familiarity of it relieves the tightness in my chest.
Then, I notice the figure sitting beside my bed.
Kieran.
He’s in the same chair I sat in while he recovered, looking just as uncomfortable in it as I was. His eyes are on me, alert despite the exhaustion shading his face.
I pull myself into a sitting position, and I’m surprised when my body obeys without too much protest. I feel better. Weak, yes, but the bone-deep exhaustion that was crushing me before has eased.
“What are you doing here?” My voice comes out steadier than expected.
“Looking after you.”
“In my quarters?”
“Where else would I be?”
I open my mouth to argue, but my stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly. Heat floods my face.
A slight smile tugs at his lips. “I’ll have some food brought up.”
“I can—”
“You can sit there and let yourself be taken care of for once,” he says firmly, already standing. He moves to the door and speaks quietly to someone in the hallway.
I’m too hungry and thirsty to argue. My throat feels like sand, and the gnawing in my stomach is impossible to ignore.
He returns with a water skin and hands it to me. I drink greedily, not caring how desperate I must look.
“The injuries on your shoulder,” he says, settling back into the chair. “They had poison in them.”
I freeze, the water skin between my lips. “Poison?”
“Yes. I removed it.”
“You—” I stare at him. “How?”
“I have some skill in that area.” His expression darkens. “It was the same kind as last time. From the arrow that struck me.”
The same poison. My mind races, trying to make sense of it. “I don’t know why someone would want to poison me.”
“Neither do I.” His eyes hold mine, intense and serious. “But you need to be careful, Daciana. Whatever’s happening, someone wants you dead. And they’re not being subtle about it.”
A chill runs down my spine.
“Don’t go out alone,” he continues. “Not until we figure out who’s behind this.”
“I’m the Queen’s guard. I can’t just—”
“You can hardly sit up without shaking.” His voice is sharp. “You’re not invincible, little wolf. And whoever attacked you knew exactly what they were doing.”
The nickname causes a flutter in my chest, but I push it aside. “This doesn’t make sense. Why would someone target me?”
“That’s what we need to find out.” He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “But until we do, you stay safe. That means no patrols alone. No investigating on your own. No taking unnecessary risks.”
I want to argue. Want to tell him he doesn’t get to give me orders. But the memory of lying in that forest, bleeding out, stops me.
Someone tried to kill me.
And they might try again.