Chapter 26
Throughout the night, Kayla continued looking at Zayron, tracing her palm slowly over his body.
She couldn't deny how lean he had become in these past seven days without food. Even though his features were still fine, and his face retained its beauty, Kayla couldn’t help but notice how deeply the strange sadness in his heart had consumed him.
Kayla silently prayed that he would wake up and that everything would be over.
She wondered if she truly were dead, would Zayron really ruin himself like this?
The thought sent a sharp ache through her chest.
As Kayla continued tracing her palm on his body, careful not to wake him, she felt the slow rise and fall of his chest, the warmth of his skin beneath her touch. It was a quiet reminder that he was still here with her.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead.
If only she could take away his problem as easily as she could smooth his hair.
In the early hours, Kayla’s eyes grew heavy. The exhaustion of the past hours weighed on her, and though she wanted to stay awake for him, her body had other plans.
She lay beside Alpha Zayron, feeling his warmth close to her, and before she could resist it, she drifted into a deep sleep.
Kayla jolted awake at the sound of loud voices outside Alpha Zayron’s chamber. Her heart pounded as she sat up, momentarily disoriented.
The voices were too close.
She threw off the blanket, hurriedly adjusting the gown she had been wearing since yesterday. Without a second thought, she rushed to the door and pulled it open.
Outside, Richard was fighting against two guards, his body tense with fury as he struggled to break free. His eyes blazed with pure rage, his voice raw as he snarled, “Let me go! I swear on the moon, I’ll kill him!”
The guards held him back, their grips tight.
One of them, a seasoned warrior named Gregor, gritted his teeth. “You need to stop this, Richard! You know Alpha Zayron isn’t himself right now!”
“I don’t care!” Richard bellowed, thrashing violently. “Let me go, or I’ll tear through you all to get to him!”
“You’re acting like a fool!” the second guard snapped, tightening his hold. “You know the Alpha would rip you apart in an instant! He’s not stable right now!”
“Let him try!” Richard shouted, his breath ragged. “Let him come out and face me if he’s not a damn coward!”
Kayla’s heart clenched.
She looked around and noticed the pack members standing at a distance, whispering among themselves. No one dared to move closer.
The commotion that morning was the last thing Kayla had expected.
She had hoped for a fresh start, a day filled with joy. Even though she hadn’t seen Zayron yet, she knew the potion hadn’t worked. If it had, Zayron would have changed her into something lighter the moment he woke up.
But the fact that she was still wearing the same gown from yesterday only confirmed her fears.
Disappointment settled in her chest, but she forced herself not to jump to conclusions, not until she saw Zayron for herself.
“But why is Richard doing this? He knows that challenging Zayron is suicide,” Kayla muttered under her breath.
She took a step forward.
“Richard, stop this! Tell me what’s going on!”
Richard barely spared her a glance, his body still straining against the guards.
“Stay out of this, Kayla! This is between me and my brother!”
“This is my mate we’re talking about!” she shot back.
“And you? You’re not reckless, Richard. You know what will happen if you go through that door. So tell me, why are you so desperate to fight him?”
Richard’s nostrils flared, but he refused to answer. His jaw clenched as he glared at the door, his hands still clenched into fists.
The guards struggled to keep their hold on him as he let out another frustrated growl.
“He doesn’t deserve to hide in there! He should come out and answer for what he’s done!”
“What has he done?” Kayla pressed, stepping closer.
Richard’s breathing was harsh, his entire body shaking with rage. But still, he refused to speak.
“Tell me, Richard!” Kayla’s voice rose with desperation. “Because right now, you’re making a damn fool of yourself!”
Richard’s chest heaved, his fingers twitching as though he was barely keeping himself together.
Then, finally, he snapped, “You really want to know? Fine! He”
The door behind them creaked and everyone stilled.
A cold shiver ran down Kayla’s spine as the heavy door slowly swung open.
Alpha Zayron stood at the threshold.
His eyes, dark and dangerous, locked onto Richard with a calmness that sent a chill through the air.
His posture was relaxed as though the potion worked.
Richard immediately pushed against the guards, but they held him back.
“Come out, Zayron! Face me like a real Alpha instead of hiding in your damn chamber!”
“You’re awfully loud for someone who doesn’t know his place,” Zayron said, sounding like the typical Zayron Kayla knew.
At that moment, Kayla knew Zayron was back.
“Oh, I know my place. And I know that you crossed the line!” Richard shot back at Alpha Zayron.
Zayron exhaled slowly, then took a single step forward.
The guards tensed.
The pack members watching from afar held their breaths.
“You want to fight me, Richard?” Zayron’s voice was dangerously low.
“You think you can stand against me?”
“I don’t think,” Richard spat. “I know.”
Kayla stepped between them before things could explode.
“Enough,” she said firmly, looking from one to the other. “I don’t know what happened, but this isn’t how we handle things.”
Zayron turned and walked back into his chamber.
Kayla quickly dismissed the onlookers before rushing inside to check on him.
She needed to be sure he was okay, so they could finally move forward.
They had a future to plan, a life to build together.
Their unborn pup, her place as his Luna, and the coronation of the regent queen.
A lot of things awaited them.