12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Ember
Why did I feel like death? I blinked my eyes open to find two strangers looking me over, a female and male omega, both using some kind of power on me. I yelped and found myself on the floor, my tiny body aching at the impact.
“Ember!” River gasped and immediately I felt better knowing my alpha was there.
I whined, the sound weird coming from my phoenix form. Strong arms came around me, followed by soothing pheromones and then I was all mellow in his arms. “Thank you,” I whispered, feeling so drained I could easily nap in his arms.
“My omega,” River whispered, sounding off. Like he was holding back tears. I searched his emotions, the worry and guilt almost suffocating. Why was he so guilt-ridden? He hadn’t done anything to me.
“We need to keep healing him,” the female omega said, her tone urgent.
River then placed me back on the bed, ignoring my protest. I didn’t want to leave his arms. I knew no one in the room other than my alpha and had been attacked by someone I still had no idea who was. “I’ll be right here,” my alpha promised, standing by my head as the omegas continued to work.
I was being healed. I couldn’t believe it. My parents never had the money for getting us healed whenever we broke something, they just did their best themselves. My younger brother Junipe was stuck with two crooked toes because of it.
Closing my eyes, I decided to trust in these people and hopefully I’d feel better when I woke up again.
My alpha’s scent was around me, lulling me into a deep sated sleep and I truly didn’t want to wake up from the amazing rest I was getting.
The thing that finally made me wake, was when River softly asked me to shift.
Something about the healers needing to heal both of my forms. I would do anything for my alpha, so I shifted, hearing their startled gasps, but I drowned all of that out, still content to just lay there.
Pain erupted suddenly, and I gasped, my eyes flying open and my hand reaching for my neck. It suddenly felt hard to breathe, like air wasn’t going in properly.
Glowing light filled the room and the pain subsided. My gaze landed on the female omega as she held one hand on my neck and the other on my shoulder, her eyes closed shut, a deep furrow between her brows as she worked.
“We need to heal his back too,” the male omega murmured, and I moved my gaze to him next. His eyes were closed as well and somehow their frowning expressions told me that things with me had to be bad.
“We need to stop the swelling around the neck first,” the female said, her tone a tad authoritative, like she was the main healer here.
A pained whimper came from behind me, and I knew without looking that my alpha stood there, watching how they healed my body. I knew the alpha who attacked me had been strong. I also knew he’d tried to strangle me. I just had no idea my human form was this badly wounded as well.
“I’ll kill him for this,” River growled, his tone low.
“Not until we know why he did it,” a voice said, also coming from behind me. His tone was serious and firm, clearly one of River’s older brothers, perhaps even the king.
“Ciris is right,” another voice spoke. “We need to know what exactly happened and then he can receive his punishment.”
“I already know he’s going to die,” River said, his tone serious. “I don’t need his reasons for attacking my omega.”
“But we do,” Ciris said, and just knowing I was lying there, bruised as hell and in nothing but a robe, had me internally panicking.
This was the first time my alpha’s family saw me.
I didn’t want them to see me as weak. But I was.
At least clothes shifted with us so I wasn’t completely nude.
I’d failed to stay conscious, hell, I didn’t even know what had happened to the alpha who attacked me, all I knew was that something was coming towards us before I was slammed into the stone wall.
“Who?” I rasped, finding it hard to speak.
River knew what I was asking and thankfully answered immediately.
“Vrenus attacked you. He’s a dragon alpha and one of the royal advisors.
” Before I could reply with another question, River spoke to the female healer.
“Penelope, should he talk, or is it best we wait until after his healing is done?”
“He can speak,” she replied. “The swelling is gone and all that’s left is some strain on his vocal cords. They will be back to normal in a few hours.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, voice still hoarse.
Penelope smiled down at me. “It was no bother. And I’m very pleased to meet you, your highness.”
My eyes likely looked comically wide as I stared back at her in shock. Was I royalty now? In my kingdom only the king or queens’ mates or partners, got to be considered royalty. I wouldn’t even be considered such if the crown prince had wanted to marry me and not just breed me.
“You’re the Taov now,” my alpha declared with a grin.
“I'm what now?” I asked, not sure if I truly was awake or not.
The one named Ciris –I was totally ignoring the fact he was the freaking king— stepped forward with a soft smile.
“Taov is what the royals call their mates. You’re the kingdom’s Taov now, like River is their prince.
Only a mate to royalty holds the title of Taov, and you’re currently the only one with the title. ”
“I am?!” I gasped, suddenly wishing I was still asleep.
River just grinned proudly, but his eyes still looked a little dim. My alpha clearly needed some rest after I was done being healed. “You’re the perfect Taov for our kingdom, my omega. Trust me, they’ll love you.”
“Well, Vrenus certainly didn’t,” I mumbled, feeling oddly put on the spot.
My alpha growled low at that, making Ciris sigh heavily.
“I’ll go down to the dungeon now and interrogate him,” he declared, rousing a sleeping alpha, who was dozing in one of the chairs against the wall.
“Reinos,” he said, still shaking his shoulder.
“I don’t even know why I bother.” With another sigh, Ciris left us.
“This wasn’t how I wanted you to meet my family,” River whispered, sounding guilty again. “But the sleeping one is Reinos. You already know Ciris is the king, and this right here.” He grabbed the black-haired man next to him, making him scowl at River. “This is Midos.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, still sounding like I’d spent hours screaming.
Midos’ blue eyes softened as they met mine, and he offered me a kind smile. “It’s nice to meet you too, Ember. We only heard a little before your heat started, but we can’t wait to learn more about you.”
“Really?” I asked, forgetting myself. One should never question a prince. To my surprise, Midos just laughed, his eyes brightening.
“Enough chit-chat,” Penelope chided. “He needs to rest for the last part of the healing.”
“Sorry,” River and Midos’ mumbled, like scolded children.
“Your highness,” Penelope said, looking at me now. “We need to heal your back. River will need to help move you around, is that okay?”
I just nodded, fearing what they would see. It hurt, but I’d been distracted by everything to truly focus on it. When River gently grabbed me, turning me around, I whimpered from the sudden explosion of pain.
The male healer gasped, and soon the others followed. I was too busy loving the comfort of the bed, resting on my stomach and feeling the pain lessen now that I wasn’t moving anymore.
“His skin is torn off!” River growled and I felt his anger like a brewing storm within myself. Our bond was showing me just how furious he was.
“This explains why the robe was so torn,” Penelope whispered.
“Blanket,” River demanded, and soon I felt something soft over the backs of my legs. I sighed, closing my eyes as they continued to heal me. I had no energy to truly think about the state of my body. I would check in a mirror once they were done.
My alpha’s scent reached me, and then I heard his soft whisper like a caress over my skin. “As soon as they’re done, I’m taking you back to our rooms and holding you tight. I won’t ever leave your side ever again, Ember. I promise you.”
I smiled. My alpha was a protective dragon and even with the horrible experience, I couldn’t help but feel loved and cherished. I would need to know why I was attacked, though, but Ciris was taking care of that, so I simply rested, trusting things would turn out okay.